Queens, New York – Orthodox Jewish residents of the massive 4,605 apartment complex in Lefrak City, Queens have filed a “discrimination” suit against the buildings’ owners over the installation of key fobs and other electronic renovations that are causing major problems for them during the Sabbath.
NYPOST.com reports that according to the suit filed in Brooklyn federal court, the new key fobs which provide entry for renters through an electronic signal are merely the tip of the iceberg, as electronically controlled lighting systems triggered by motion sensors have been installed in all of the 20-buildings’ stairwells.
Jewish residents who customarily opted for the stairs to avoid using the elevators on the Sabbath are now often left stranded both inside and outside the building.
Sulaymon Ibragimov, a plaintiff in the suit, said the renovations have often left Jewish residents stranded outside during the Sabbath, and that there has been no effort by the buildings’ owners, The Lefrak Organization, to accommodate them.
“I stand around and hope for a miracle every single time,” Ibragimov said.