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| Street dedication event on 13th Avenue in Boro Park |
I was amazed that
a community like this existed.
I was amazed by what I saw. Kosher restaurants all over the place, mainly on 13th Avenue which was considered Boro Park’s epicenter.
I was amazed by what I saw. Kosher restaurants all over the place, mainly on 13th Avenue which was considered Boro Park’s epicenter.
That street had just
about everything. Many stores catering to Orthodox Jewish needs. Book stores
carrying all kind of Judaica; clothing stores catering to the higher level of
Tznius most Orthodox Jews adhere to; and even a hat store catering to all manner
of hats worn by the wide variety of Charedi Jews there, form the Yeshivishe
Fedora to Hamburgs to Chasidic hats specific to each type of Chasidus, including
a variety of Shtreimels. Boro Park is densely populated. Just about every square
inch of space has some sort of building on it.
The neighborhood is old but because
of the high demand, housing is relatively expensive. One practically has to be a millionaire
to afford buying anything there. This has resulted in an Orthodox population that
has either been around there for decades or very wealthy Orthodox Jews. Which has
led to an explosion in rehabbing those older buildings by the newer and richer owners.
Yesterday, for the first time I noticed that there was practically
not a single male walking in the street that was not a Chasid. It
appears that the diversity of Orthodox Jewish residents has changed into one
that is very monolithic. Boro Park is now as Chasidic as Williamsburg. I did
not see a single man walking in the street that was not wearing distinctively
Chasidic clothing, sporting full beards, long Peyos and wearing distinctive
Chasidic clothing. Not One.
Now I am pretty sure this did not happen overnight. It has
been a relatively gradual process and has probably been largely Chasidic for
quite some time. But I only noticed it yesterday for the first time.
What this tells me is that my prediction that the
Chasidic world is growing exponentially to
the point where they will comprise the majority of Orthodox Jews may already be
happening. It also tells me that a lot of Chasidim do quite well financially.
They could not have otherwise afforded to live in million dollar (and up) homes.
Which leads me back to an issue that I have discussed quite frequently here.
One that is very dear to my heart. The quality of their education.
That Chasidim have an intensive Jewish education is not in
dispute. But the plain fact is that until recently many if not most Chasidic
schools had relatively little secular education in elementary school (if at all)
and no secular education beyond 8th grade. This is beginning to change somewhat.
But I have no clue whether what is happeing is sufficient or whether it is window
dressing with business as usual.
In light of the apparent wealth I saw in one of the biggest
enclaves of Chasidim in America, one might challenge the notion that they actually
need a secular education. They seem to be doing quite well without it.
While this might be true for most Boro Park residents. (At
least the more recent ones.) I am however still convinced that it is not true
for all of them. I believe that the majority of mainstream Chasidim (or the
Satmar or Skvere variety) cannot get decent jobs because of the lack of a decent education .
By lacking the basic education that the
rest of Orthodox Jews get, they are at a
great disadvantage competing for jobs in the outside world. especially those
that that whose language skills are amazing poor considering they were all,
born here. It is also quite well known that many of them need government financial
assistance just to make ends meet. Even if they make a relatively decent wage because
of their often very large families.
It is therefore my considered opinion that nothing has
changed. That a better education will bring up their level of income in most
cases. That Chasidic leaders in America refuse to do what just about every other
Orthodox segment does - hurts them. And I therefore continue to support doing
what ever is legally within our power to try and change things.
One may ask why I keep talking about this. Why do I care
about a group of Jews that I have so little to do with? That’s because I take seriously
the Torah’s requirement to care about fellow Jews. We are all responsible
for each other. Spiritually, mentally, and materially.
Besides it affects not only them but all of us. It does not
speak well of us when the most religious looking Jews among us use welfare as a means of income. Which can
sometimes end up as a Chilul HaShem! A better education might help reduce that dependency;
raise their self esteem; and help to avoid the Chilul HaShem.
Which is apparently the same way that Shlomo Naskow sees it.
I have no clue whether he is observant or not. The bio at the end of an article he
wrote describes him this way:
Shlomo Noskow, who grew up Hasidic in Brooklyn, is an emergency medical physician in New York City.
Be that as it may, he obviously still cares about his old
community. He does not sound like someone with sour grapes. He sounds like he simply
cares. That he somehow was able to rise about the lack of a decent secular education
does not prove that this is a realistic option for everyone.
Not everyone is
able to catch up and sometimes even surpass their public school peers. Those that do are clearly in the minority. If
that were not true, we would be seeing a lot more Chasidm like him. Nor can
most Chasdim produce the kind of income those Boro Park residents seem to be
able to in order to afford those million dollar homes.
Here in part is what Dr. Noskow says:
I am perpetually astonished by how Hasidic community leaders in New York have managed to convince thousands on the logic of keeping young Jewish boys uneducated…
I recall as a teenager spending 12 or so hours a day in my Hasidic high school in Brooklyn… There were no secular studies. No English, no math… More than 20 years later, the school still operates and, unfortunately, like many other Hasidic boys schools, it still does not provide students with a secular education…
My parents had my best interest in mind, but they acted like cogs in a system, following community norms. Hasidic Rabbis and community leaders set the norms, including school curricula…
It is perplexing that wonderful parents who deeply care about their children, allow the educational neglect of their education…
Proponents of the status quo say Hasidic boys seem to thrive. That ignores the fact that a large percentage of Hasidic families are dependent on government aid. We are essentially dooming generations to lives of poverty. Why? And shouldn’t government programs, including Section-8, food stamps and Medicaid, be reserved for people experiencing unforeseen events? The programs are not meant to be used as a way of life, the way they are being used by many in the Hasidic community.
I could not agree more.
