Lakewood NJ , Jewish community (Edison: neighborhoods, high school, living)

[nsa162]

Originally Posted by jconyc

these are the problems with the lakewood orthodox community:

What in the world does that have to do with the lakewood orthodox community?

The Mayor is Raymond coles who is not an orthodox woman.

What exactly does a group of migrant workers living in the woods have anything to do with the orthodox community? Toms river has this problem as well

The eyesores are not within the orthodox commmunity but in rental houses where the tenants are supposed to take care of the lawn but dont.

Where did you read this? Without the jews in Lakewood paying all the property tax into a school system they dont even attend,all the public schools would go to hell without any money. The residents should be thanking the jews of lakewood for giving them all the money to have any public school. Do you really think the illegal immigrants fund the public schools?


i think this town is a shame. it was a beautiful summer resort that the rockafellers used to vacation in. there are beautiful homes and land. the orthodox community does not take care of anyone but their own and they are filthy about the wauy they keep up lawns and yards and have multiple families living in individual family homes.

since it is such a sexist religion, i cannot imagine the atrocities that happen mentally and physically to women and children behind closed doors.

Sure it used to be a resort town but it was not a resort town for quite a while before the influx of jewish people moved in. When air travel became more common,people went to florida instead.

Oh is it really a sexist religion? There is no decision made in an orthodox household without the approval of the women. Women are independent and most of them have professional jobs. I am not saying there is no physical abuse in any orthodox household because it happens in all circles but its very low compared with the rest of the populace.

[stevemorse]

Originally Posted by jconyc

these are the problems with the lakewood orthodox community:

- my friends live there i a retirement community and when i goto visit by public transportation - i am petrified of the bus stop. it is more crime laden and shady than nyc port authority was in the 80's.

- when i say i am going to call the police and have a cop car come by they get scared and say - "oh no don't do that, the mayor of the town says it is an nj transit issue". the mayor is an orthodox woman. they vote in blocks so the orthodox run the town - and they run it down bc they don't care about anyone besides their community.

- no wonder there is a homeless camp of migrant workers living i the woods?

- no wonder the yards in certain parts of town are complete eyesores?

- no wonder the private religious school buses are paid for by public tax dollars?

i think this town is a shame. it was a beautiful summer resort that the rockafellers used to vacation in. there are beautiful homes and land. the orthodox community does not take care of anyone but their own and they are filthy about the wauy they keep up lawns and yards and have multiple families living in individual family homes.

since it is such a sexist religion, i cannot imagine the atrocities that happen mentally and physically to women and children behind closed doors.

Wow, I am glad someone finally said it, filthy!!!!!! I am shocked you had the guts to say this!!!!! Here is what I will say, my problem is they have the defective driving gene!!!! I am still shocked that someone here had the guts and was not politically correct and said this. Good job, good post!!!!!!

[AnesthesiaMD]

Originally Posted by ic18

I grew up in lakewood - and although I have not lived there in more than 15 years, my family still does. We are not jewish. The town has changed dramatically and I wish I could say it was for the better. The schools are in deplorable shape and a big part of it has to do with the funding. The jewish community has bought up a tremendous amount of real estate (and continues to do so) and they are eating away at the money that is available to the schools. They do this by not passing the budget each year as they have no desire to fund the education of the non jewish students. This is a detriment to the community as a whole. I personally have no problem with the jewish community, however, they are very isolated and have absolutely nothing to do with the outside world. Unforutnately I do not think this will ever change and although for the most part things are not "dangerous" - there are always those few bad apples (both jews and non jews alike) that will ruin it for everyone.

OK. I'm trying to understand this.

1. I still dont understand how tax payer subsidized lunches are ending up in private schools. Is this really happening?

2. If they are sending their kids to private schools, then their kids are not drawing money from the system. Does that not mean that ANY tax dollars received from them is pure profit for the public schools?

3. But you cant tell people how to vote. My kids are going to public school. Barring anything outrageous, I personally feel it is in my best interest to vote to approve the school budget. Thankfully, most people in my community feel the same way I do, but there are still plenty of people (senior citizens, private school families, etc...)who vote against it. That is their right. I dont see any way around this. They probably feel like they pay enough money into a system that they dont even use. On an individual level, I cant say I disagree with them, although Corzine's new school budget scheme should even things out a bit for towns like this. Please dont take this as an endorsement of Corzine. I didn't vote for him and will not in the future. I was just stating a fact.

[RABBI JOE]

since it is such a sexist religion, i cannot imagine the atrocities that happen mentally and physically to women and children behind closed doors.

I''m not sure what you might have had to drink, or otherwise, to make such outlandish statements.

Let me tell you two things.

Firstly: they Mayor of Lakewood, is a Catholic Male. An upright honest individual, just check lakewood's wedsite.

Secondly: I'm an ordained Rabbi. I can tell you from an insiders perspective that there is thank G-D no atrocities at all taking place. Perhaps though - since you are so very well informed - and have a blessed and vivid imagiation, perhaps all you have to say is a fringment of it, and all the information that leads you to imagine the way you do.

My suggestion to you is: Keep you horrible anti-semetic imagination to yourself!

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by NewHomeHappy

I'm curious about this Ultra Orthodox Jewish culture. What are their views on the outsiders?

From my personal experience, I find them to be rude & miserable.

I have held doors open and smiled, to UOJ women with strollers to receive nothing in return. It's like I'm not even there. Or worse yet, like I'm dirt. Never a smile of the womens face. They glare or turn their back to you. I'm a friendly person & I like to chat with other shoppers. What is their problem?
Same day, I tried again. Waiting in line at The Gap, I turned to see the most precious little girl with big blue eyes and a head full of curls. I could not resist complimenting her Parents on the beauty of their baby. "Oh what a beautiful little girl you have, is she about 2?" I said with my smiling and friendly face. Both parents stared at me blankly, then turned away. I was hurt. Was this necessary? Is this what their God teaches them?

I wondered the same things. I visited Lakewood for the second time in years last Sunday because my friend just moved there.

I stopped in town and they were all over shopping(I could tell due to their very distinctive style of dress). No offense but they reminded me of the Amish.

Anyway almost everyone walking down the street was dressed in black,I don't know if there were other people just getting out of church or what.
I went into a local store and when any of them came in to buy something they seemed kind of anxious & 'uptight' and were very short with their interactions with the clerk.

That's about all I noticed so I got curious and came to this forum

[b75]

I don't think they do it to be rude - I believe it is against their religion or custom to really interact with outsiders...It does feel weird in that situation though. Generally I am polite to them and don't really attempt to converse with them since I know it will probably make them uncomfortable. There are some interesting books written I guess for the teen demographic from the POV of an Orthodox teen boy around the time of the Zionist movement in the US. If I can remember the name I'll post it, but it explains alot & really helped to personalize about their customs. I believe it was part of a series & I really enjoyed it (I am not Jewish myself).

ETA: The series of books is written by Chaim Potok and the first in the series is "The Chosen" followed by "The Promise." Another good book written by him was "My name is Asher Lev." It really addresses alot of these things and is quite eye opening, imo, regarding the community and I am really glad I read them as a teenager myself.

Originally Posted by StuckPA

I wondered the same things. I visited Lakewood for the second time in years last Sunday because my friend just moved there.

I stopped in town and they were all over shopping(I could tell due to their very distinctive style of dress). No offense but they reminded me of the Amish.

Anyway almost everyone walking down the street was dressed in black,I don't know if there were other people just getting out of church or what.
I went into a local store and when any of them came in to buy something they seemed kind of anxious & 'uptight' and were very short with their interactions with the clerk.

That's about all I noticed so I got curious and came to this forum

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by b75

I don't think they do it to be rude - I believe it is against their religion or custom to really interact with outsiders...It does feel weird in that situation though. Generally I am polite to them and don't really attempt to converse with them since I know it will probably make them uncomfortable.

That sounds like alot of New Jerseyans in general to begin with

[RABBI JOE]

I wondered the same things. I visited Lakewood for the second time in years last Sunday because my friend just moved there.

I stopped in town and they were all over shopping(I could tell due to their very distinctive style of dress). No offense but they reminded me of the Amish.

Anyway almost everyone walking down the street was dressed in black,I don't know if there were other people just getting out of church or what.
I went into a local store and when any of them came in to buy something they seemed kind of anxious & 'uptight' and were very short with their interactions with the clerk.

That's about all I noticed so I got curious and came to this forum

I would like to point out that if you trully and earnestly wanted to find out more about the Jewish people, you would find a proper venue, and not waste your time coming to a sill thread on a very basic forum.

I will inform you as well, that any knowledge given to you by any one other then a full fledged orthodox Rabbi, will be limited, to say the least. In all probability inacurate.

(Ortodox are the only segment of Judiasim to still maintain all costoms and codes of the religion, and the only segment of Judiasim that still full studeis and applies all sources of religious texture to maintain their life style and outlook. As opposed to other segmenst.)

My suggestion to you as well is, that you investigate to makes sure that your sources are correct and accurate.

The following is a link to a renknown and reliable Jewish Orthodox website.
By the way, if your are sincere, spend three weeks or so in Israel - it might be an eye-opener for you!

Spirituality

[fischfan13]

Oh puhlease!!!
These (Yes, I labeled them "these") people come to our country and they do not want anyone that is American, may it be African-American, Irish-American, Italian-American, Polish-American, Latin-American, to associate with them, nor do they want to associate with anyone else.
I am sick and tired of when people say to me that we should "understand" these people.
Did anyone ask my grandparents how they should be understood when they came from Europe to this country?
People who live close by to Lakewood have heard the stories, we have read the newspapers. People think that we are out of our minds when we tell them about how the Hassidic's treat others.
Do these people teach their children about American History?
In most cases, NO. They are like a cult.
There are Orthodox Jews in this country who have no problem mixing in with the rest of this country...and then there are the Hassidic's from Lakewood.

And BTW, RabbiJoe, I find it unreal that someone who labels himself as a "Rabbi" cannot spell Judaism or Orthodox.

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by RABBI JOE

I would like to point out that if you trully and earnestly wanted to find out more about the Jewish people, you would find a proper venue, and not waste your time coming to a sill thread on a very basic forum.

I will inform you as well, that any knowledge given to you by any one other then a full fledged orthodox Rabbi, will be limited, to say the least. In all probability inacurate.

(Ortodox are the only segment of Judiasim to still maintain all costoms and codes of the religion, and the only segment of Judiasim that still full studeis and applies all sources of religious texture to maintain their life style and outlook. As opposed to other segmenst.)

My suggestion to you as well is, that you investigate to makes sure that your sources are correct and accurate.

The following is a link to a renknown and reliable Jewish Orthodox website.
By the way, if your are sincere, spend three weeks or so in Israel - it might be an eye-opener for you!

Spirituality

I agree and actually did some searching online to learn about this.
There are supposedly some of the Russian Orthodox here in northeast Philadelphia,although I have not seen anyone walking around in that style of dress as of yet.