Is there large jewish population in Armonk? (Yonkers, Rye: fit in, real estate)

[PEmom]

We are looking to move to Armonk for school purposes. But our friend who lives there told us that all their neighbors are jewish and they even go to the same synagogue. We are not jewish and we are afraid that our kids will feel being left out in the class. Also some website mentioned that besides being a snobbish town, non-jewish will have a hard time fitting in in Armonk. Is that true? Many thanks!

[Viralmd]

These people might attend the same synagogue because it's one of the few around! It takes a LOT of families to support a temple because that temple pays the rabbi's salary and for all other needs of the congregation and the building, unlike the Catholic church where the diocese supports the priest or in which the central Episcopal authority pays salaries.

I don't think this should concern you. After all, Jewish children all over the US are almost universally in the minority and they do fine. I think you're more worried than your kids would be.

[kletter1mann]

Did you read this thread? http://www.city-data.com/forum/westc...ntville-4.html

The consensus seems to support what you've heard.

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by kletter1mann

Did you read this thread? http://www.city-data.com/forum/westc...ntville-4.html

The consensus seems to support what you've heard.

Consensus? I don't think ONE person posting in a multi-post thread constitutes a 'consensus.'

[PEmom]

yes, I did read the "pleasantville vs. armonk" postings. Thanks for pointing that out. That's why i'd like to verify with people here who really knows. We actually would like to be in a racially and religiously diversified town (relatively speaking) while also have access to public good school. Armonk has excellent school (reputationally) and also offers decent tax (relatively speaking) and school bus (vs. other lower westchester towns). I don't think in lower Westchester towns Jewish is minority.

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by PEmom

I don't think in lower Westchester towns Jewish is minority.

Well, there are NONE in Bronxville. In the 1930s selling real estate in Bronxville to Jews was prohibited. And there are few or none even today.

[havoc315]

I do not think there is a single town in Westchester where the Jewish population is the majority. I have never seen accurate town breakdown, but on a countywide basis, the total Jewish population of the county is 10%.
Certainly, it is much higher in some towns. It might even be near 50% in some towns like Scarsdale, Armonk, and Rye Brook. But not really the majority.

It seems whenever there is a "minority" that grows to a significant portion of the population, there is a fear by others that the "minority" is taking over. Whether it be Jewish, black, Hispanic, etc.

I know 5 families in Armonk pretty well. 2 are Jewish, 2 are Italian Catholic, 1 is Protestant.

Armonk is not racially diverse, but it is religiously diverse.

[PEmom]

HAVOC315,

What do you think of Edgemont, Irvington, Harrison or Ardsley? Are they more religiously diversified?

Many thanks, PEMom

[havoc315]

PEMom.... all those towns are religiously diversified. Literally, except for Bronxville, every town in Westchester has a fair degree of ethnic and religious diversity, though not necessarily socio-economic or racial diversity. Some towns are more heavily Catholic (Eastchester, Yonkers), some are a bit more Protestant (Rye, Katonah), and some are a bit more Jewish (Armonk, Chappaqua, Scarsdale, Rye Brook).
But it is not as if most of these towns are segregated. There are plenty of Jewish people even in "less" Jewish areas like Yonkers and Eastchester. There are plenty of Catholics and Protestants in every town.

Some people claim that so-and-so town is 95% Jewish, or 95% Catholic, etc. This just really isn't the case.
If you wonder whether you would "religiously fit in" to a town, then just look at the churches in and around any given town.
For example, Irvington has a Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, Methodist Church, and Evangelical Church. There are no synogogues in Irvington, but several that are very nearby (Dobbs, Greenburgh)
Scarsdale, which is considered perhaps the most Jewish area in Westchester, has a Presbyterian Church, LDS Church, Catholic Church, a United Church of Christ Church, a Baptist Church, as well as a Conservative Synogogue, Orthodox, and Reformed.

The other reality, is that I would say most Westchester residents are somewhat agnostic. There are definitely many people with very strong faith, but I don't think this is an overwhelming majority. More families attend little league on the weekend, then a church/synogogue service.
So no matter what religion someone subscribes to, the children mix and socialize together. Jewish kids are invited to some Confirmations, Christian kids get invited to some Bar Mitzvahs, etc.

That's not to say these towns can't be cliquish, exclusive and competitive. They absolutely can be, especially from what I have heard about Armonk. But religious is typically not the basis for the exclusivity or snobbishness.

[Dave the H.]

Actually, those areas of Westchester where the majority of people are highly concerned about the make-up of other majorities or minorities of people -- well, that can be a problem.