Reprinted in its entirety from www.riseupoceancounty.com
If Only We Better Understood The Orthodox Jewish Faith…sigh.
In the last three weeks the Asbury Park Press has written FIFTY articles about Lakewood, most having a somewhat favorable if not distorted slant. THere are links at the end of this post to all fifty. At a time that the optics for Lakewood are HORRIBLE (weddings, funerals, school buses, engagement parties) leave it to the Asbury Park Press to come to the rescue. Kinda, sorta.
Recently the first Jackson Township Multicultural Committee meeting took place and by all accounts it is a regurgitation of Lakewood Neighbors, One Ocean County and our personal favorite, the Unity Project, sponsored of course by…drumroll….The Asbury Park Press.
Last September Randy Bergmann, the head of the Asbury Park Press Unity Project, wrote a piece for the Asbury Park Press describing The Unity Project and posing some questions. On our Facebook page we wrote a rubuttal.
In his piece he would have you believe that if only gentiles would better understand orthodox Jews, peace and harmony would rule the land. Following his reasoning, he would also have you believe that Stevie Wonder is best suited to drive a car, in Lakewood at 3pm.
That might explain why the Unity Project is designed exclusively to vomit out orthodox Jewish propaganda and why it is doomed to fail. You can read his piece in its’ entirety here: https://www.app.com/…/nj-lakewood-orthodox-jews…/3780450002/ . For an indication of the perspective that the unity project approaches things from, please note in the link the words ANTI-SEMITISM, JACKSON AND TOMS RIVER.
Anyhow, in his most recent missive he asks a series of questions, we are happy to provide the answers for him right here and right now:
What can be done to bridge the cultural and religious gaps between the Orthodox and non-Orthodox neighbors? RUOC: Educate the orthodox by dispelling the myth that everyone is anti-Semitic. The percentage is so minute in fact that it is almost unmeasurable. Does it exist? Sure does. Is it rampant? Ridiculous. Just because we oppose high density development, the destruction of our environment, the pillaging of public school resources and the continued strains on our natural resources and infrastructure does not mean that we oppose Jews. Everything that we endeavor to do is driven by BEHAVIOR.
As an example, Kaporos. We do not oppose the ritual of atonement itself, only the needless slaughter of chickens when an alternative is available and you can fulfill your faithful requirements. WAVE CASH and donate to charity. Not only will we have profound respect for the ritual, but we might even offer matching donations to the charity of your choosing. We are a generous people.
What can be done to address the perceived and actual insularity of some members of the Orthodox community? RUOC: Let’s face it, this is NOT a case of flawed perceptions. The orthodox Jewish community is insular and is more inclined to tolerate than to embrace outsiders, and only to a point.. The question would be better phrased “what can be done to address the insularity of the orthodox community?” The answer can only come from within.
What are some of the positive contributions the Orthodox have made to their communities? RUOC: We have no doubt that the orthodox have made positive contributions to THEIR community. But that’s not the fabric of our country and it most assuredly is not what Ocean County is all about. We are all in this together which means that whatever we do must be done to raise ALL boats, not just some. In that regard, the orthodox community leaves quite a bit to be desired. Need proof? How many of the 1,500 charities in Lakewood are designed to reach out to ALL faiths? Literally none.
Is anti-growth sentiment in Lakewood’s neighboring towns inherently anti-Semitic? RUOC: This might be the most ridiculous question in the history of mankind. Does someone actually need an answer to it? If so, remove them from the Unity Project.
What steps should Lakewood be taking to overcome some of the negative perceptions about its planning and zoning practices? RUOC: OMFG, PERCEPTIONS? Reword the question to say REALITY, thousands of new duplexes with basement apartments, no plans to improve infrastructure, no provisions for new private schools, no additional revenue streams to support public schools…these are REALITIES.
IMMEDIATELY SLAP A ONE YEAR BUILDING MORATORIUM ON THE TOWN. No new applications for ANYTHING. Revisit the master plan that has already been, to an extent, ruled illegal and do it with a professional planner that is NOT invested in the F#CKING TOWN!
Quick pause here…okay, all better.
Randy says that they will also will be seeking contributions that address some of the anti-Orthodox stereotypes commonly found on social media relating to marriage, the role of women, welfare abuses, private school curriculum, Jewish law, etc. Terrific…let’s do it right now, hold my beer.
The vast majority of orthodox Jews are married in the eyes of the law and pay taxes accordingly.
Women are treated in a manner inconsistent with the values of our country and our law.
The welfare abuses are real and rampant. With nearly 60% of school aged children relying on food stamps for food, the only possible explanation is a deliberate attempt to game the system by keeping income levels below thresholds. We are aware of an enormous cash economy (and gift cards, OMG gift cards), countless “off book” businesses including clothing, food, hair styling, and childcare centers.
The private school curriculum for girls is fine and dandy, for the boys not so much. The state needs to be involved in documenting that the children in the orthodox schools are receiving an equivalent education to their peers in public schools starting immediately. And we aren’t talking about equivalent to Lakewood schools either, they are failing their children miserably. We are talking equivalent to Toms River, Brick, Jackson and Howell. In fact it would be a good idea to once again mention the URGENT NEED for the state to takeover the Lakewood School District and insure that public school children are receiving their guaranteed, thorough and efficient education.
Oh, and the ever tricky Jewish law question. In the United States of America, secular law trumps all else. PERIOD. If you are aware of a child molester in your midst you ought not to call a Rabbi, call the police. If you are aware of a financial scheme that is defrauding the public of millions of dollars, REPORT IT, not to your Rabbi but to law enforcement. If an elderly couple is beaten in your town, don’t hide the offenders identity, contact law enforcement immediately. Starting to get the picture?
Once again a friendly reminder to Randy that as long as you are approaching the Unity Project from the angle that everything is a perception problem and if only the gentiles would…you and the Unity Project are doomed to fail. So too are Lakewood Neighbors, One Ocean County
LOSTMESSIAH 
Eventually the rage of those being duped – ie: all non-UOJs – will boil over and there will be hell to pay in these communities. Hell’s already come for breakfast in Monsey and Spring Valley with a couple of thousand coronavirus positive locals spreading their contagion to all and sundry. I wonder whether the resulting death toll will chasten them. I doubt it. Their rabbis will explain it away as retribution for insufficienctly slavish adherence to their pronouncements. I feel badly for the children who’ll be hurt in the carnage.
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There are dozens of families with children that are now without at least one family. YWN’s WhatsApp network lists dozens of announcements of deaths, young and old. But then there is the Forward, whose own editor, is giving credence to the argument that secular Jews are also being haters by keeping their distance from Haredi Jews. She believes it to be anti-Semitic to not shop in stores frequented by Haredim because of the Covid factor. And, there is a recent opinion piece that states that outright. So, it’s somewhat discouraging that at the end of the day, the Haredim are going to say that this was all a great conspiracy to scapegoat them, their children are going to grow up without one or another parent and either speaking in shul or not attending shul will be the condemnation, avoiding the real question regarding not only the Haredim who did not follow appropriate instructions but the churchgoers on Easter Sunday who attended large church services.
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“In the United States of America, secular law trumps all else.” As a practical matter, freedom of religion has been allowed to trump secular law and that is the problem.
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