Is 'Rise Up Ocean County' Antisemitic?

An Orthodox woman pushes a stroller in Lakewood (JTA)

Truth. That is the name of the game here. And that is what I try and seek in all I discuss. Sometimes the truth is not flattering. Sometimes I am even mistaken about the truth. Sometimes it is a matter of interpretation. It is with that in mind and a huge grain of salt that I am about to tread on a very sensitive subject.

First let me say at the outset, that I am not there. I have no direct involvement with any of the principals in this debate. All I can do is size up the situation from here based on what I glean from the media.

The issue is the expanding population of Orthodox enclaves like Lakewood. As the JTA article on this subject notes, Lakewood’s population has risen from 60,000 in 2000 to 100,000 in 2017. Local officials say the population could double by 2030. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that all of these additional people will require a place to live. And the current borders of Lakewood will clearly be unable to house them. This is already the case. Orthodox Jews that wish to live in this largely Orthodox area are seeking homes in surrounding suburbs. So far so good. That is certainly their right.

The problem is the following. What if the current non Jewish residents there resist it? Is it their right to refuse to sell their homes to Orthodox Jews offering to buy them? The obvious answer might be yes. No one in this country can be forced to sell their homes against their will. But what if it is for what appears to be antisemitic reasons? What if it is only Jews or blacks, of any minority they refuse to sell to? That is of course a horse of another color. Because it very likely violates anti discrimination laws.

That is the current state of affairs in the Lakewood community. A situation that has many Orthodox Jews crying antisemitism. And with apparently good reason.  A group called Rise Up Ocean County, is trying to galvanize residents of Central Jersey to stop Charedi families from moving in to their neighborhoods.  Hard to see that as anything but antisemitism. But is it? They claim it is not. Although the very name sounds like it might be - I think their denial might have some merit.

My guess is that they are not against secular Jews moving in.They just don’t want Charedi Jews moving in and turning their town into another Lakewood. Is that antisemitic? I think it might just be anti Charedi. That being said, it is still discriminatory and probably against the law. 

What they say they fear is that a mass influx of Charedi Jews will change the character of the neighborhood unlike anything they are used to in ways that will not favor them - favoring only Orthodox Jews. A well founded fear if you look at Lakewood. They see the same population increase estimates we do and fear being devoured by that change. My guess is that there may very well be some secular Jews in those areas that fear the same thing. 

That still does not give them a right to discriminate. But I think it does change the picture a little bit from being antisemitic to fearing change. A change that they did not bargain for when they first moved in.

It should also be noted that Lakewood itself has experienced so much growth that many of its current mostly Charedi residents are upset by the resulting change. Just to name one complaint by a Charedi Lakewood resident I remember reading about - there has been so much development of new multiple housing units there that it has resulted in an almost impossible traffic and parking situation. Those developments were built without the proper infrastructure to support them. No additional streets or widening of existing roads have been built. It seems to be more crowded than ever!

This is happening in other Orthodox enclaves, too. Like Monsey. If I recall correctly an Orthodox woman ran for city council there on a platform to end these practices. She lost. But it should not be lost on us, why she ran. She did not run to oppose the objectors. She ran to join them in the sense of stopping uncontrolled growth. That of course hurts those who desire to live in those areas since it would reduce the number of housing units being built. But there was a quality of life issue in Monsey not unlike what groups like Rise Up Ocean County fear. 

That being said it is clear that they are currently on a campaign to prevent Orthodox Jews from moving in. And that has brought out a lot of latent antisemitism.

What about those fears? Are they warranted? Or is it just what they assume based on what they see in Lakewood? I’m not so sure those fears are all that warranted. My guess is that many of the Charedi Jews desiring homes in those neighborhoods want the same thing the current residents do. They do not want to change the countryside look and open spaces of those neighborhoods at all. That may be the very reason they seek homes there. They want to preserve that atmosphere as much as the current residents do. The father of one such individual I know told me that was his son’s reason for trying to buy a home there. He did not want to live in the New Jersey version of Boro Park. But he was rebuffed.

So we have two competing concerns here. One - a growing community that needs housing. And two - - a community that is afraid of the radical change selling homes to Charedi Jews would bring.

There is not a doubt in my mind that if secular Jews started buying homes in those areas, there would be no organized opposition to it, although I’m sure that there might be some individual opposition by the actual latent antisemites.

At the end of the day, I believe that anyone should be able to buy a home wherever they choose. Any organized attempt to stop a particular group from doing it is probably a violation of anti discrimination laws. But at the same time, I completely understand the opposition of indigenous residents. They fear the change.

 What to do?

I propose that any attempt by Orthodox Jews to buy homes in those neighborhoods should be devoid of any accusations of antisemitism. Even if there might be some - not all of them are. Screaming antisemitism will not help matters. 

It might be best if Charedi community organizations (like Agudah) would meet with their leaders and somehow give assurances that any influx of Orthodox Jews into those neighborhoods will not change its character with concrete ideas how that can be achieved. (Perhaps they already have and have been rebuffed. I don't know. But they should keep trying.)

For example city ordinances can be put in place that will keep all parks intact. And ordinances that synagogues not be permitted in private homes (Shtieblels - often found in basements) with strong sanctions for violators.  That can try and assure that their public schools will be properly funded. They can create zoning laws that forbid multi unit structures with stiff fines for violators. And no construction at all without the proper infrastructure in place first.

These are just some off the cuff suggestions. I’m sure there is more that can be done. The key in all of this is to bend over backwards and ‘kill them with kindness’ - understanding what they fear,  and to do whatever they can to allay those fears. But mostly to avoid the shouting and acrimony – even if it might be justified in some cases. (I have seen the antisemitic remarks!) 

It’s hard to convince people to put their fears aside when they see what happened in nearby Lakewood and don’t want to see the same thing happening in their town. So there will likely still be strong resistance. But as I always say you can catch more bees with honey than you can with vinegar. No matter how difficult it may be to do in some cases, that should always be the track one takes.