# All-Jewish cities in the US and local government **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260 "2004-01-20T00:59:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/1 "2004-01-20T00:59:23Z")
Close to where I live, there is the CIty of Beachwood, Ohio, which has a population that is almost entirely Jewish. Despite the demographics, city government follows a Christian-based civil calendar (Christmas is a city holiday, not Passover), and municipal services are offered during the Sabbath. Beachwood’s population is primarily Reform and Conservative, though, so I don’t think many feel there is a problem with plowing the streets on Saturday. What about communities that are dominated by Orthodox or Hasidic Jews, though? I don’t know how many communities in the US are almost entirely Jewish, but Kiryas Joel, New York comes to mind. Is City Hall closed for Jewish holidays, and open for Christian holidays? Are municipal services offered during the Sabbath? Are streetlights turned off and energy conserved? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/2 "2004-01-20T22:21:15Z")
One bump, please. ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/3 "2004-01-21T01:35:28Z")
I know you asking about cities with a majority of Jewish population, but let me answer with a city that has a large Seventh Day Adventist population (which if you recall, the Adventists also observe the 7th day Sabbath). Loma Linda California, most stores are closed on Saturday as well as there is no mail delivery but rather mail is delivered on Sunday. So yes, a city can change it’s services to reflect it’s population. [http://www.llu.edu/proton/patient/guides/tips.html](http://www.llu.edu/proton/patient/guides/tips.html) ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/4 "2004-01-21T23:50:16Z")
What if I, an Evangelical Protestant Christian, wanted to move into such a city? IIRC the Civil Rights Act means that I can live wherever I please as long as I can afford the mortgage payment. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/5 "2004-01-22T00:04:15Z")
Why on earth would you think you can’t live there? Just because mail is delivered on Sunday? ---
**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/6 "2004-01-22T00:23:33Z")
**HeyHomie** Adventists are 1) Christian and 2) Protestant. There would be no problem you living in this city even if you were a nonChristian. If you look at the official city page you can open a Tarot/palm reading shop in the city with a permit. If you were to demand shopping on Saturdays, you would find that San Bernardino which is right next door has plenty of businesses. Plus there is a large major chain grocery store at the edge of the city of Loma Linda (close to the VA hospital) which last I went by it was open on Saturday. But just understand there are alot of doctors so you might be asked to listen to some health lectures as you go walking in the evening. 🙂 Adventists are big on health with the church recommending vegetarianism. The Loma Linda Campus store only sells vegatarian products, so all of your tofu needs would be met. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/7 "2004-01-22T13:40:42Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > What if I, an Evangelical Protestant Christian, wanted to move into such a city? IIRC the Civil Rights Act means that I can live wherever I please as long as I can afford the mortgage payment. To clarify, I was talking about moving to a Hasidic Jewish community, like maybe Kiryas Joel. Would I be violating some city ordinance by cooking after sundown on Friday? Would my neighbors shun me for not being Jewish? Do realtors _strongly discourage_ non-Hasidim from moving there? And FTR, I don’t anticipate leaving Springfield, IL (which is probably ±40% Catholic, ±50% Protestant, ±2% Jewish, and the rest “Other”). ---
**Author:** ![mischievous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mischievous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mischievous)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/8 "2004-01-23T19:51:56Z")
There are certainly a number of things that NYC does to accomadate multiple faiths, including judaism. Things I can think of off the top of my head - Certain parking rules are suspended on christian, jewish, muslim, and federal holidays so that you can observe the holiday uninterrupted. This also means that orthodox jews (who can’t operate machinery on holy days) don’t get fines for their beliefs. (New rule) Liquor stores must close one day of the week, but it need not be Sunday. Many major employers, including the city and the trasit (bus and subway system) have rules that mandate employees must be allowed to schedule their days off on the relevant holy days (i.e. orthodox Jews get Saturday off). Most major universities don’t hold classes on jewish or christian holidays. I’m sure there are more, but I can’t think of any right now. mischievous ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2004, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/9 "2004-01-27T23:22:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Certain parking rules are suspended on christian, jewish, muslim, and federal holidays so that you can observe the holiday uninterrupted. This also means that orthodox jews (who can’t operate machinery on holy days) don’t get fines for their beliefs. Also, in heavily Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods (like Boro Park and Kew Gardens Hills), the city has changed the “free parking meters” day from Sunday to Saturday, so the city doesn’t lose out by giving us a pass on days we wouldn’t drive anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2004, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-jewish-cities-in-the-us-and-local-government/225260/10 "2004-01-28T06:49:24Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > To clarify, I was talking about moving to a Hasidic Jewish community, like maybe Kiryas Joel. Would I be violating some city ordinance by cooking after sundown on Friday? Would my neighbors shun me for not being Jewish? Do realtors _strongly discourage_ non-Hasidim from moving there? > > And FTR, I don’t anticipate leaving Springfield, IL (which is probably ±40% Catholic, ±50% Protestant, ±2% Jewish, and the rest “Other”). You could live in Harriman or Monroe, which are next to Kiryas Joel if you want to. I remember when there was some problems with parking restrictions that were religiously inspired (I don’t remember exactly what the problem was) and the county overruled Kiryas Joel.