Op-Ed: New NYC Matzah Bakery Rule Is To Protect Our Environment

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August 06, 2024 | ב' אב התשפ"ד

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This article has caused much conversion and controversy. Many comments are saying that
“common sense states like Florida are not instating laws and regulations like this.”

Submitted to the FrumNews.com inbox in response to NYC Regulation Targeting Matzah Bakeries Takes Effect.

It has recently come to my attention that many Yidden don’t understand the severity of air quality and pollution.

Every day we are causing more harm and devastation to our environment. By doing things like burning wood and using certain gases we are triggering more ozone and more pollution to be released into the air we’re breathing in.

I used to be this way too. I didn’t understand what air quality and global warming meant. I would shrug it off and say, “That’s an issue for the future.” But this all changed for me. My mother suffers from a rare allergic disease.

Growing up I learned an overabundance of information. Only within recent years did I learn what it means to not be able to breathe in the air that you and I can. You step outside, take a deep breath and move on. Next time you take that breath, stop and think, what if this made me ill? What if the air I am breathing in, took control of my life?

The oxygen we breathe mostly goes unnoticed. It’s something that we take for granted. Even in less populated, or more residential areas, they are affected by the air quality of the bigger cities. Even for a healthy person, air quality levels are reaching so high that it is becoming unsafe for any healthy individual.

Due to these circumstances, I am taking the time out of my day to help educate the public on these issues. On August 1, FrumNews.com released an article about the new regulation on coal, wood, and gas-burning ovens in New York City.

This new regulation states that places that burn certain materials in their ovens must install a device to help lessen the pollution. The article called out the state saying that this is “communist” and potentially anti-Semitic, saying that this costly and expensive regulation was to target matzah bakeries.

However, this regulation is to save our lungs from further damage. The air quality of these levels is harming our quality of life. It is up to us to change that narrative and save ourselves from further damage.

The state is not making you change the appliances in your home or make everyone drive an all-electric car. Nor are they telling you not to use these harmful gases and wood. They are trying to control some of the commercial pollution. This does not mean we can call it communist. The air quality in New York City is known to be of the worst in the country. Maybe, the people who say this don’t understand because it does not affect them or the ones they love.

This article has caused much conversion and controversy. Many comments are saying that “common sense states like Florida are not instating laws and regulations like this.”

What they don’t understand is a state such as Florida does not have these issues, as half the
state is trees and parks and the other half is on the ocean/water.

However, the state of New York, especially the city, is not in the same situation. Nevertheless, people do not understand. This shows us the importance of public education. It is up to us civilians to get the facts straight.

This regulation is not an act of communism
or anti-semitism. As a frum Jew in the community, I understand the issue with antisemitism and I see the issue every day.

That being said, not everything the state does is against the Jews or to make our lives harder. Countless people suffer from high AQI (air quality index) and never find out why they feel ill. This pollution not only affects the air outside but creates an even bigger issue inside. The pollution gets trapped in our homes. Meaning this is the air we inhale while we sleep, the air our children breathe in, and the air our sick and elderly breathe in.

This is why proper research needs to be done before making bold statements like these. There are people out there who spend their entire lives researching issues like these. This way we have the proper education to educate ourselves and others. But, if that material is not read then what is the point?

Many people are not properly educated on such subjects. Which we can’t blame them for, but we have ourselves to blame. Which is why I have taken my time to break this cycle. We need to inform and guide our fellow family, friends and neighbors in the correct direction. This way they can assist in a healthier earth and a better life for everyone.