Hagaon Hacham Mordechai Eliyahu z.s.l.

The Sea Breeze Jewish Center and Temple Beth Abraham filed a lawsuit to stop Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s $64 million plan to expand the Coney Island summer concert series. The suit, filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, contends that the existing series violate a city law prohibiting amplified sound within 500 feet of religious institutions when they are in session, and seeks a court order to block future concerts. The synagogues, both of which host daily services, are across the street and about 300 feet away from the band stand at Asser Levy Park.

The concert series would be in its 32nd year – the 20th at Asser Levy Park. Recently, however, area residents have become concerned by the plan to expand the events with a new 8,000-seat amphitheater.

“We are not against concerts-- just not right across the street from two synagogues…” said Al Turk, a vice president at Temple Beth Abraham.

Markowitz called the suit “a misguided attempt to stop renovations that will only make this park even better for the community…”

The project, funded using $54 million from the Borough President’s capital improvement fundsand $10 million from the Mayor’s office, would replace a 66,000-square-foot band shell already used for the summer concert series with a modern 87,200-square foot open-air amphitheater.