‘While secular in-home gatherings like Super Bowl parties and book clubs to continue without penalty’
By 
By Karen Anderson
Daily Caller News Foundation
A Jewish rabbi is suing Hawaii County after officials threatened to impose thousands of dollars in fines for holding religious meetings inside his home.
The lawsuit was filed by First Liberty Institute (FLI) Tuesday on behalf of Rabbi Levi Gerlitzky, who lives in Hawaii and runs the Chabad Jewish Center of the Big Island. During the observance of the Sabbath, Gerlitzky would often host people in his home, sometimes nearly 30 people, but was told by county officials in February 2023 that he must get a permit to hold religious gatherings in his home, according to the complaint.
“In this time of great uncertainty and fear for many members of the Jewish community, Defendants attempt to prevent Jewish residents of the Big Island from gathering together for prayer and celebration in accordance with their faith in the home of their Rabbi. None of the U.S. Constitution, the Hawaiian Constitution, or federal law tolerate such restrictions, and neither can this Court,” the lawsuit reads.
After a series of back-and-forth communications, the county informed Gerlitzky that he would need to cease all religious meetings in his home and pay a $1,000 fine by April 17, with $100 additional fines starting the following day if the amount was not paid, according to the lawsuit. That same month, Gerlitzky attempted to get a permit to comply with zoning codes and put an end to the fines but was denied because the county needed more “detailed information.”
Gerlitzky reportedly attempted to meet with county officials on several occasions to discuss the situation but was “rebuffed” and told to stick to the permit process as fines continued to pile up, according to the complaint. The Center owes over $50,000 in fines at the time of the lawsuit and FLI asked the court to grant relief and rule that the zoning laws are unconstitutional.