$1M Award By Religious Arbitration Panel Is Vacated

In Matter of Young Israel of Eltingville, Inc. v Oorah, Inc., (Richmond Cty. NY S.Ct., June 30, 2017), a New York trial court vacated a $1 million damage award entered by a Jewish religious arbitration panel in a long-running dispute between a Young Israel synagogue and the Kars4Kids charitable organization. (See prior posting.)  Apparently the litigation grew out of a disagreement over which entity was responsible for certain renovations in the building which the two organizations agreed to share.  The court held that Sidney Stadler, who held himself out as president of Young Israel at the time the agreement to arbitrate was signed, in fact lacked authority to enter into the arbitration agreement on behalf of the synagogue.