Newburgh bowling alley refutes report on denying service to Orthodox Jewish families

The management of a bowling alley in Newburgh is pushing back against a news report that it refused service to Orthodox Jewish families because of their religion, stating it was unable to accommodate large groups due to Covid-19 capacity mandates.

Last week, the news site TheYeshivaWorld.com published a story that 20 Orthodox Jewish families were prevented from using the Pat Tarsio Lanes 173 S. Plank Road (Route 52) in Newburgh on Oct. 7 after calling in advance to ensure there were available lanes. According to the news report, the families claimed they were denied service “when they arrived and staff members saw that they were Orthodox Jews,” even though everyone had a face mask and practiced social distancing.

One of the families quoted in the TheYeshivaWorld.com report added that a similar incident with Hasidic families had occurred before this situation. However, the report did not identify any of the individuals making the charges and claimed the management at the bowling alley could not be reached for comment.

The management of the Pat Tarsio Lanes used its Facebook page to defend its adherence to Covid-19 guidelines and protocols on venue capacity.

“We cannot accept large groups of open bowlers during the week or on weekends,” the company said on Facebook. “In phase 1 of opening, we found that it was too difficult for our staff to monitor any groups that extend beyond one pair of lanes, and in the interest of safety for both our patrons and staff, we will continue to be unable to accommodate large groups. There are also no parties (birthday or otherwise) being accepted until further notice.”

While the Facebook statement made no specific mention of the accusations from the report in TheYeshivaWorld.com, Pat Tarsio Lanes added, “Our ultimate goal is to keep our doors open and the community and our staff safe. Again, we thank all of our patrons for your continued support and thank you for understanding.”