123 Responses

1. well you can’t just throw someone out of you apartment because you don’t like his nationality… There will be court cases left and right. What they could do is Higher the rents. And Daven to the Aibeshter!!!

2. Who is hiding behind the name of “prominent Lakewood Askan”

3. If they cant get rid of these thugs immediately they should at least set up systems where they’re kept busy – give them schooling, jobs, etc. and of course clean up the drugs.

4. e/thing stated by this askan is true! I support the Va’ad, they are not public scapegoats for every problem that happens. However I would like to point out that this does not mean we shouldn’t be looking at the entity that is responsible for crime monitoring – the LPD

5. Why is this askan’s opinion more legitimate than anyone else’s (other than daas Torah)?

6. lets not start pointing fingers and blame others. g-d is running this world, not us few jews, rich or poor, in lkwd. moshiach will come before that information is released to the public. theres only one rabbi in town with any guts and he put his neck on the line already when he spoke about tznius. the bottom line is big houses bother the goyim and we have to lay low, not that this victim is being punished for what he did. no, he’s our unfortunate korban and when we realize this then things will be better. until then its just a reminder from the MASTER of THE WORLD that we his chosen people are not home. lakewood is not yerushalayim. the bais hamikdosh has not been rebuilt …yet. may he have a refuah shlaymoh along with all the cholim of klal yisroel.

7. My comment that appeared with the others when you first reported this referred to the dangers of walking alone at night. I in no way meant to blame the victim and sincerely ask mechila from any family or friends I may have hurt. There are reasonable risks we all take that fall in the realm of responsible decisions.

   With my best wishes for a refuah shleimah, and that those who have been asked to clean up their acts be led to make decisions to benefit the klal and bring nachas to the RBS”O,

8. First of all I find it strange how YW is always against being anonymus yet here you did not write who this proinent askan is. Just a thought.

   Second, yes we all know that there is a major problem with landlords renting to shady people, and that should be dealt with as you mentioned. But that is does not answer the fact that many in the community feel that law enforcment is not doing all they can.

9. I work in a store downtown and I can tell you that the shoplifting is beyond a common occurence. I had one of these landlords complain to me about the price of a certain item he was reluctantly buying for his tenant and I told him his tenants and their fellow countrymen steal so much from the store that he shouldn’t complain about the 35 cent difference from Walmart. I chase these animals (the shoplifters, not my brethren who rent to them) on a regular basis and I do have them arrested when able. I will tell you I have a great working relationship with many LPD officers, the only problem is that all the downtown beat-walkers and riders were removed from downtown. The question to the political echelon is -WHY? Additionally, police depts are made up of people and you will always have some not great people in any organization but blasting an entire dept is not the way to get a response. I see all day long our people giving a hard time to the cops and complaining when they get caught breaking the law. I don’t have any problems with the police except that I want more on the street. COT

10. stop pointing fingers and get real. hes our korban for the false idea that lkwd is yerushalayim.

11. As mentioned in the article, the problem is very very deep. The same people (not all) that will be in the meeting are the ones causing they are discussing. Like everything else in Lakewood (and anywhere else) the ones making the decisions are the ones causing the problems, and NOTHING will come of this.
    This carries over to the school problem in Lakewood as well. All the meetings etc. were held with the askonim (principles) there and everything was discussed and nothing came of it.
    If you want to know the reason its because NO ONE REALLY CARES. The ones that care and want to change things are not allowed to voice their opinions.
    Before anyone starts responding to my comment, know that I am one of those askonim and I do whatever I want BECAUSE I CAN, no one really wants to stop me because they need me in other areas.
    Good Luck Klal Yisroel. This has been going on for generations.

12. It’s time to have Shomrim it’s help alot

13. HE COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER BUT NOTHING WILL CHANGE

14. Good luck!!

    We need change, but it aint so simple. We can’t deny that there’s a huge problem. What we need is for everyone to stand behind our Vaad, like it or not.

    If this askan is serious about fixing the problem, he has to come out in front of BMG, not hide behind the cloak of YW’s blog.

    Say what needs to be said PUBLICLY!!

    Let’s boycott every person who is a slum-lord. Let’s not do business with anyone who allows our city to be home to thugs.

    But, most importantly, let’s do everything with the R”Y’s approval, through the Vaad, in a civil fashion.

    And, don’t forget – HKB”H is the real Watcher, so we have to Daven!

15. ITS ABOUT TIME CLEAN OF COVENTRY

16. I don’t know who this “prominent Lakewood Askan” is, but it is quite obvious that he doesn’t rely on rentals to feed his family. So nice to place all the blame on the slumlords (as he so politely refered to them), as if they are the ones who perpertrated the crime. Do you honestly think that they have an option of clientele to rent to??? The “fineshmeckers” of our community would never consider these places as an option, so what choice do they have? Is this “askan” ready to incur all losses in parnassa that he is demanding all these landlords suffer by turning people away or throwing them out? Is there anyone who is ready to accept the loss for these landlords or is it just all talk. Would be nice to hear someone who is bold enough to back up his words with action ON HIS OWN PART!

17. Kudos to Dr.Feivel

    CHICAGO!!

18. Askan’s do not talk an askan works!
    it’s not an askan it’s a polition!
    he may be right but if he is what did ‘he’ do about it????

19. i’ve been saying this for the longest time maybe if every one would stop giving them so much kavod and treat them the way you treat peaple that bring that bring every one tzaros (ie. high taxes bec. of all the elegals in the public schools and all the crime) thay would learn a lessen. these peaple are going to give a din v’cheshbon for this.

20. raising the rent won’t help, in fact the frum olim pays less for a new townhouse then a slum
    house. now if you were to lower the rent you still wouldnt get a normal person to live in these eyesore rundown houses

21. i cry for reb shmuel and his fammily may hashem send him a true refuah sheleimah

    now for the issue on hand lakewood has african american hoodlums for as long as I can remember

    i live here 25 years

    the slum lords are a big problem but lets remember that these house where never occupied by decent induviduals they where always the slumy type its not like the white or jewish neghborhoods became latino or black
    the problem is policing our police deportment was always there to protect us but now they are not
    the jews have alianated the cops by the way they talk to them
    by the way they write about them in the fliers and newspapers
    and by demonstarting against them in front of the police department a few years ago

    we have to remember we are in golus we need the police on our side its not worth fighting with them even when we are right!

22. everything stated by this “askan” 1000% is true! In fact he left out some other important details, many “askonim” (including the Yeshiva), are the ones who OWN the properties as ‘investments’. THEY THEMSELVES are pointing to the “slum lords”, when THEY ARE THE SLUM LORDS!! They are also to blame for the rising cost of real estate and taxes etc. Their ‘investment’ for THEIR FAT WALLET, will CHAS V’SHALOM be responsible for yiddisher blood!!
    WAKE UP ALL OF YOU ASKUNIM, just because you’re a gevir (because of your real estate portfolio that is in an investment property in my neighborhood, causing my taxes to go up, and bringing Mexicans and scvartzes to my block) doesn’t mean a thing!! Tzedaka given from Treife money, is equivalent to Toyvul, veshertz beyodi / Mitzvah haboh b’avira!! Your actions are despicable, and I don’t care how many dinners you are honored at, you are causing so many yiddin to suffer!!! – Its all about your kovod, and may Hashem watch your poor souls!!!

23. While people may be under the impression that their financial success is due to their real estate properties and such, one must never fail to keep in mind that the Ribbono Shel Olam runs the world and mezonosov shel adom are ketzuvim from one Rosh Hashana to the next. If a person is supposed to get something he’ll get it without real estate properties, and if one is not supposed to get it, all properties will not help him. The ikar is to do the right thing b’einei Elokim v’adom. As everything in life, real estate is a nisayon- a big one.

24. one thing I don’t understand about frum yidden is why they are so against owning firearms? I proudly and legally own a pistol, yet whenever I mention it to people, they look at me in total shock.

    Most frum people are fairly responsible compared to the goyim around us, yet we refuse to protect our homes and families from potential invaders. The thugs know we are not going to fight back, so they take advantage of it.

    people dont break into homes so much down south or out in the heartland because they know that EVERY homeowner has a shotgun in the house.

25. i agree with article and to make this a forumn but the landlords on these properties (high point) are menahalim and school owners who put yiddishe blood on their hand,and have chutzpah to discriminate on which yiddishe kinderlach go to school and which ones dont Hashem yirachym

26. YW editor, as for someone against annonimity. How can you publish this article. Please allow us the name and contact information…

27. The problem we have with the lakewood askanum is there is not one person that the police can go to in order to solve a problem every so-called askin is out to take care of his own little group shul yeshiva and saves their connections for when they need something. as opposed to brooklyn where if you have a problem rest assured somone will be there to help regardless if you r a kollelman or a “BALABUS”

28. #27 the truth hurts ,NO? ( KESEF YEHANA ES HAKOL)!!!!

29. Any landlord will tell you that before any applicant is considered they run a credit AND criminal report. What is happening is that the renters have clean records so they get approved. Once they’re in their apts/houses, they invite all their “undesireable” friends and family to move in with them. The landlord has no way of knowing this! This is the real reason for the demonstration in front of Mayor Meir Lichtenstein’s house! The landlords are being penalized and fined exorbitant amounts for run down properties when the renters are the ones violating the law by illegally (and unknowingly to the landlord)overcrowding their homes. Insead of screaming about the problems and pointing fingers, can someone come up with solutions???!!!

30. Drug dealers are normally great tenants because they always pay.It’s hard to part from tenants who pay.

    Money talks and … walks!!!

31. #17 – maybe they should have a little more ahavas yisroel and concern for other yidden. One landlord had a house near his grandchildren’s school which was of course inhabited by …. One day his grandson was walking home and got beated up by a teenager. When his zeida found out that the teenager came from his own house, believe me, it didn’t take too long for him to clear out that house, put a little money into it and now it’s rented out by yidden.

    Do they have to wait for mishpacha to get beaten up before taking action?????

    also, btw, Tzippi, this took place at 8:00 inthe evening. Can’t a man walk on his own in an inhabited area (near his home – around the corner) or do we all need to employ full time bodyguards????

32. It may be true that it is wrong to rent to unsavory individuals on a good block, but if a landlord had a house for years on seventh street or park ave and some builders decided to build townhomes in middle of a war zone, it’s not right to demand that the landlords suddenly close up shop. If you buy a house in a bad neighborhood, expect it to stay that way for a long while. This is especially true with developments like highpoint and Woodlake. They were always meant to rented out to lower class people and if someone buys a house in a development next door they have no right to demand that all the property owners around them should board up their properties. Also, Jews are not socialists and being a “gvir”/rich is not considered a derogatory thing (at least according to my chinuch).

33. I live on a block which is 2/3 homeowners 1/3 rentals and my experience has been that the landlords who really care manage to find decent tenants. The others tell you why it’s not their fault and end up having problematic tenants

34. come on let’s stop pointing fingers at everyone.let’s find out who the perpetrators are,and who rents to them and clean them out.talk is cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!

35. Politics aside, ANY INFO ON THE PERPERTRATOR??
    (arrests, investigation, etc..)

36. The article seemed to allude to Highpoint as a problem created Jewish landlords. Please refresh my memory as to when Highpoint was a good neighborhood. The same can be said of the other areas listed.

    There has always been bad neighborhoods in Lakewood. as a matter of fact middle class non-jews do not want to live here because of the crime and the school system.

    Short of buying all homes in Lakewood and giving below market rent as an incentive to have more Jewish people people move here, housing is not the solution.

    In a small (geographicaly speaking) town, such as Lakewood, proper policing, and potrolling should keep crime to a minimum.

37. yiddeshemama: I appreciate what your saying. I, too have children that walk the streets of Lakewood. My point is that there is another side to the story. Don’t believe that a frum landlord will deliberatly rent to low lives! In fact, it’s bad business practice to do so b/c you keep the value of the property down by keeping the area bad and then can’t raise the rent. They also have to pay for all the damages to the property when these people trash the place and illegally overcrowd. The only explanation is that they do it unknowingly or out of desperation b/c no one else wants to live there. Also, it’s not as pashut as people think to throw s/o out. There is a long, drawn out and expensive court proceeding that you have to go through for each and every tenant. It may be a consideration to do it for one tenant, but not EVERY SINGLE tenant that occupies all your properties. If the criminals were off the streets, they wouldn’t be roaming the neighborhood, ERGO- NO PROBLEM! Landlords can only control so much-THEY ARE NOT POLICEMEN AND THEY ARE NOT I.N.S.!

38. What’s this meeting gonna accomplish?

    They couldn’t find the rapist & he was living in our midst, untill the Old Bridge PD found him.

39. JUST LIKE YOU THE YW EDITOR WROTE YESTERDAY IN A COMMENT TO ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO WRITE SOMTHING TO OR AGAINST THE VAAD SHOULD WRITE IT WITH THEIR REAL NAME I AGREE WITH THAT BUT IF YOU WANT TO WRITE SOMTHING FROM SOME QUOTE ON QUOTE PROMINENT ASKAN IN LKWD IT FOR SURE SHOULD HAVE HIS NAME

    FEAR ISNT FARE

40. confused, tsyisroel, and truth4ruth – are you guys guilty of being slum lords!!??
    There a many NICE AREAS in Lakewood that were once owned by upper class goyim, that moved to North Carolina etc. and yiddin moved in. in these neighborhoods. most “owner ocupier” goyim are still upper class – keep their homes and lawns nice, and most importantly are civil. The problem occurred when the civil goyim started to move out, these investors who wanted to make a buck on other yiddens chesbone came in like chazeyrim – bought up the neighborhood waiting for the price to go up and sell back to yidden at a significant profit. Well meanwhile to preserve their investment they brought filth and slime into neighborhoods that were ONCE upon a time upper class. Anyone living in these areas can tell you in an instant who’s an OWNER OCCUPIER and who’s a TENANT. NO owner occupier makes THEIR home look like trash, neither do they have 10 cars with Pennsylvania license plates parked on the grass (I mean what was once a nice lawn, now a pigsty). NO owner occupier has shady ‘guests’ coming by at all hours of the day and night. NO owner occupier makes loud noise and parties all summer long, inviting more filth to THEIR home. NO owner occupier has 6 dogs barking all day long. NO owner occupier puts out 3 blue cans of recycling full of beer etc. – you get my point. Investors BROUGHT IN FILTH TO NICE NEIGHBORHOODS AND RUINED THEM!! PERIOD! As long as THEY live in a nice big house somewhere else – ALL IS GOOD!! WELL you investors, go to sleep tonight in YOUR fancy big house, in your quiet neighborhoods – but remember at any moment one of YOUR tenants may be assaulting, harassing, or causing suffering to another yid – on your hands!!!! YOU CAUSED THIS!! YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER!!!

41. We, who live here all know that many, MANY of the “askonim” are THEMSELVES the owners of these slum properties. So why would they say such things now?

    To divert attention from where it really belongs. WHEN the police do their job and crime is still high, THEN we can seek to blame slumlords. The FACTS are that the police here do virtually nothing. People are ticketed for the silliest infractions all the time. Two new motorcycles were just bought, JUST FOR PARADES!!! Yay, what a great police expense of tax-money when citizens are getting beaten all the time. The TrimGym guy had his face and car description plastered all over town and lived right here, and the lakewood police did not get him. They are beyond incompetent. If our askonim and elected officials do not INSIST that this cannot go on and that heads must roll, then they are more worried about their cushy “relationships” than they are worried for the average citizen.

    The issue now is policing and concern for the community, not individual pet projects. There is no question that slumslords are themselves the worst possible SCUM. But when there is no policing or concern higher up, blaming them for the shortcomings of the township and police is simply WRONG.

42. living here for 20+yrs, and have seen how the whole area from clifton ave and eastward toward squankum and then to village park and beyond has turned over. there are 2 reasons behind this change. pioneers who moved there for a cheap place to live and hoped for safety, and some big developers who bought up large tracts like lawrence ave or 8th st and princeton ave. when satmar put their school there the neighbor hood was no great shakes. buyt it helped to push the goyim out they dont want to live near us either.there were some individuals(respected) that also took advantage of the tide and bought houses , rented them out to you know whats and then either sold them or have since rented to yidden. not all had bad intentions and the neighborhood is great now. in the last 10 yrs prices went from 150K for a townhouse to 400+.not bad eh? look at ridge ave and east 4th st. negba st, abrahams way shoshana and others. there was serious money at risk there if it wouldnt sell. bh it did and some people made money while others found a place to live. give them both a thank you.nobody is their right mind willingly rnet to criminals its not worth it. shomrin is not the answer. keep saying tehillim and remember in maariv tonight shomer amo yisroel and thank hashem that you live here in the ihr hatorah of america where tragedies such as this one are not a daily thing like 65 yrs ago in germany y”sh. go call the police or shomrin then a kaduches!!!

43. I for one am not afraid to give my name. Regardless y do Lakewood stories get so many comments when you arent suppose to have internet?? And by the way – the difference between a ‘macher’ and and an ‘askan’ is that an askan is married

44. frumblogger: No, I am not a slumlord, but my husband is a landlord/owner (out of Lakewood) so I know the system. First of all, I personally take offense to calling all landlords “slumlords”. My husband takes exceptional care of his buildings and hand picks each and every one of his tenents. He would rather leave an apartment vacant then take in s/o who will bring down his whole building. Also, he operates his business with “Kiddish Hashem” always at the forefront of his mind. Second of all, we don’t live in a big or fancy house, but struggle to pay our bills like anyone else. Thirdly, there are unfortunately shlechte people in all businesses who need to give din v’cheshbon for themselves. And one final question to you who seems to know it all, if a landlord has an option to rent to an upper class goy or a low life, why in the world would they pick the latter???

45. #2:who is hiding behind the name yeshivishaman?

46. to frum blogger i just said find the perpetrators and who rents to them.i think you would be surprised how many so called slumlords will take action to remove the trouble makers.and in many cases these lanlords owned these rental properties before neighborhoods became frum.and did not sell at the height of the market because it is their parnasah.these slumlords may be supporting your yashivas shuls mikvas,no one has a problem taking their money. do somthing frum blogger talk is cheap.mention names of the guilty slumlords and prove it.

47. frumblogger,

    The areas mentioned were Highpoint, Woodlake, and Seventh St. Those were never “high class” areas by any means.

    I have never appreciated investors buying in Jewish neighborhoods, due to the fact that they drive up the housing prices, however Lakewood is filled with apartment comlexes, condos, and neighborhoods that have always been low class.
    There is a reason Lakewood is an Urban Eteerprise Zone.

    The solution is proper policing.If you pay attention to much of the serious crime in Lakewood, a good deal of it is commited by non-residents.

48. BTW the shooting that occured this year on E 7th street was from an african american owner occupied home! And there are many such homes still around in lakewood proper and outskirts… True that some are frum owners but to say ALL crime is coming from gangs living in homes owned by those in our community is an outright lie. And all those big mouths out there that want to take care of this problem – there are so many homes owned by jews and others on the market right now and can be bought and remodeled… and resold without losing a penny – though from what i understand you probably wont make on the deal either – but it its l’shem shmayim where you are coming from then this is what you should be doing! And to label all jewish landlords as slumlords well you obviously are simply naive and don’t know about the many frum landlords that have not put goyim in on a jewish blocks, do not have quality of life issues in their houses and may have bought a house to live in himself one day when the community expands… and to wrongfully ticket such a guy as happened in last years court case for many things that never happened and were never the fault of the landlord makes no sense. If there is a case where a particular house is causing a problem – then that owner should be gone after – but why every single landlord it makes no sense. And just for the record the little girl that was abducted in BP this past year – abductor was not from a jewish rental. We are in golus and there is no solution to any of our problems other than the geula – may it come speedily in our days!

49. truth4ruth,
    the answer is simple – either rent to a yid, upper-class AMERICAN who is married, has a job, and has a good credit score, or NO ONE – YES keep it vacant until you can find one of the above – BTW you could lower the rent too!!!
    And if you don’t like that, then sell all your Lakewood Real Estate, or do a 1031 exchange for property in a goyishe town.

    I would never want to see ANY yid take a financial loss, but we know in yiddishkeit sometimes we make sacrifices. Now don’t pound me about “its my parnoso, so I have no choice….” Because that’s a silly thing to say. How would you react to me saying I need a parnosah, so I’ll open up a scmutz club on Clifton Avenue for all the Mexicans etc. In fact I’ll never walk inside, I’ll hire a company to MANAGE it. The vaad and entire community would put me in cherem! Well my moshul is not so far off. Parnosa doesn’t make it mutter to do a duver assur, especially when it causes another yid tzar!!
    How many times do we hear stories of the previous dor where people were moser nefesh and lost their jobs, money, etc. not to commit an aveirah. I know its hard to be moyser nefesh, but don’t put yourself in a matziv where there is a nesyon.

50. i would like to write a story my neighor is a rebbe lives in brooklyn but cant afford it so he was going to buy in lakewood and rent it out to pay off the morgatge the frum neighbors found out and begged him not to because it would bring in slum and so he didnt and continues to struggle in brooklyn yet all you investors have enough money to invest elsewere and continue to profit on your brothers back besides the fact that youre pricing out yungerleit shame on you

51. I really don’t know who this “prominent Askan” is but I can tell you one thing. He doesn’t own any real estate inside Lakewood. While I’m not declaring if he was right or wrong you can tell by his abruptness of saying that the landlords are wrong maybe think beforehand

52. Perhaps names of Lakewood slumlords should be posted in public places, and they should be fined quantitatively according to quantity of properties, with proceeds going to Gmachs.

53. I live in one of these neighborhoods where most of the houses are owned by very prominent and choshuveh “slum” landlords who dont care about the neighborhood and what type of tenants they put into these houses. There was a shooting on my block one friday night where the landlord is a “fiener” yid from the “shpitz” 14th street neighborhood and does not care about the frum families that spent their lifesavings (and even more to live in a quiet frum area (even though hes one of the “askanim” in the town). or that the there are drugdealers that sell drugs on the street corners. No I am not talking about Trenton im talking about raintree that is in Lakewood and has about 70 frum families living there.

    I wish that there were real askanim that would actually do something about this not just blog!!!!!

    P.S. we are trying to build a shul to help the community grow. (Its almost the same as giving your money to some outpost in Israel even though Agudas Yisroel is not involved.)
    Donations can be made out to:
    Cong. Kehillas Raintree and can be mailed to
    1233 Todd ct. Lakewood NJ 08701
    All donations are tax deductible.

54. whenever your trying to root out a problem. You have to start from the root. If somone cant pay rent than they cant rent a home. Now Where are they getting their rent money from? ans… Take a look at Clifton ave (nebach) and you will find that “hispanic men” are being picked up by “constuction individuals” and other “hemish” business owners here. The women are working as cleaning ladys in “Hemish” houses. So before blaming landlords and so on. Lets please start at the root. If we dont hire them than they cant pay rents, than they cant support bodages and other stores in downtown lakewood, than they cant rent store in downtown lakewood and they they will all move on to a town who will hire them. so in summary the next time you have your nice hispanic cleaning lady just remember YOU are promoting this and no one else is to blame!
    Thanks

55. I don’t mean to knock a real problem at hand, but does anyone remember who lived in these houses not that long ago.. most were owned and occupied by African-American thugs, and then Yidden slowly bought houses in these areas…. Its hard to say that all landlords have now replaced those houses with Mexican landlords, though there are landlords who don’t care, there are many and probably most landlords that do care if gangsters & murderers live in their house (they have to collect rent too). I think that authorities are trying to shift blame and point to the frum oilam, it’s a disgrace..

56. Just a tidbit about “Askanim” telling us about the “slum landlords”, as if they are not the same people:

    Without naming names or getting into any specifics, recently, a big macher and “askan’s” property was vandalized. The vandals were tracked right down to a home pretty near the property. Guess who owned the home????

    The very same owner of the property they vandalized…..

57. you all think you know what’s going on.up until the 50s the east side of lakewood was mostly jewish. the goyim donated the land for the park ave shul to keep jews here this was in 1908.in the 60″s employement agencies on 4th st imported african americans and portoricans for cheap labor.in no time 99% of the jews moved to mostly the 14 th street area that’s when it got built up.then in the 80s after the homes on the east side were mostly wrecked and abandoned and being taken back by the township for back taxes.then there was a tax sale and jewish started buying up properties and started building new condos and selling them cheap.then the market prices dropped on the west.the builders keep on building but they can’t push out t scum.by the way the east side in the 50s and 60s was safer then it is today.all you people who bought new construction on the east side with the new homes being trashed before you moved in wanted to blockbust and help the builders get rich are suffering for it now.get the builders to push out the trash they left behind. iwas born in lakewood!

58. my daughter lives in an apt. complex (owned by BMG!)one of the other tenants (black) was convicted of murder in Lakewood!

59. To Das Yoshor, How right you are! If noone supports these people they’ll leave here

60. 1. There are strict housing laws, and people cannot be evicted or denied apts because of their color. This is no different than a rule that says no Jews allowed.

    2. These apts were slums long before they were bought by the frum oilam. Its not like they brought them in.

    3. This askan is probably associated with the vaad or the police by refusing to blame those that are responsible for the lack of security.

    4. Many of those living in the slums provide for cheap labor to many in our community. Move them out, and labor costs will go up.

61. I heard that a landlord who bought property complained to the seller that he couldn’t get the high rents he thought he could get from Jewish tenants and was advised to hire mexicans and he would get his money. Also I’m surprised that Yeshiva World has not yet been assured because although nobody has internet(ha!ha!) it creates a forum and Lakewood people are finding out things they never knew (and are not supposed to know)

62. das yoshor ang greaseball: these women will not do their own cleaning no matter, for whatever reason, so thats not going to be the solution. the stores on clifton ave are fronts for drug money. thats how they pay crazy rent to the jewish? yes jewish landlords!! now they have their own types shopping in those stores. spending the gelt they earned from us jews. the money is leaving the economic circle that is found in all jewish communities. you earn , spend it local, he spends local and everybody is happy.the mosdos pay rabbeim/teachers and it goes on and on. it takes time and patience to clean up neighborhoods and so far its caused alot more good than bad. more jews in coventry than years ago, 5th and monmouth, 7th,8th and monmouth even 7th and forest for those that remember. mi kamcha yisroel !!

63. in response to #33 and all others that think that a landlord doesn’t have to get rid off bad tenants. I’m just curious is this your own ”shtikel torah” or you asked a Rav bec.you happened to be wrong acording to Lakewood Poskim it is asur to rent to them. OR HALACHA DOSENT MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING MONEY !!!!!

64. smart1,

    Do you mean a known bad tenant?

    I was told that being socher to nochrim in a makom yisroel (meaning the whole immediate area is Yisroelim, not the entire Lakewood) was frowned upon. Many landlords accept much less rent from Yisroelim than they could get from nochrim to adhere to this rule.

65. its sad and surprising how many people are defending the right of landlords to “make parnossa” on the backs of OTHER yidden. or are the few slumlords logging in under many names and peppering us with this false support level? its a shame that in the name of the almighty dollar we can justify anything. maybe even driving away the fine people of Lakewood so they can make a few bux. did we repent for nothing just a few weeks ago?

66. For those who feel it’s a good idea to require annual inspections of rental property, I would propose that homeowners should then be subject to the same rule.

    See how you’d like to be told that your house failed
    inspection because your wall is dirty and hasn’t been painted in three years, or there is a stain on the celing where your child let the sink/tub overrun, or the battery ran out on the smoke detector and although you bought a new one, you haven’t yet inserted it; your doorbell is broken……

    Also consider that many of these properties were in existence and in poor condition with unsavory
    tenants well before the area was “gentrified.” It is not easy to evict a tenant without cause (as the law percieves “cause.”)

67. I never understood why these investors insist on buying Lakewood slum house for 200k when thay could get the same thug house in Trenton or Camden for 1/4 of the price and they won’t be destroying their own neighborhoods Investors destroyed the very neighborhoods they invested in, like Hearthstone,Erica and Raintree.Its big world out there with plenty of opprotunity why destroy Lakewood???

68. tzoorba

    you start off your response with ”I was told” By who a Rav or one of your landlord friends??

69. One more point. To all those who claim that these were always bad neighborhoods.that is absolutley false I’ve been in lakewood for 32 years and its is worse than ever. Until a couple of years ago the Thugs were confined to specific areas in town that everybody knew to keep away from, but today the slum houses are in every neighborhood Raintree was not a slum area neither was Hearthstone nobody can deny that these areas were destroyed by investors. Also to those that claim that it is impossible to evict the thugs I am a landlord in slum areas and anybody in the business could tell you that most of these tenants do not stay long, so even if you can’t evict them now at least when you rerent make sure to get decent tenants.

70. Raintree and Hearthstone were never slum areas until the frum invetors came and destroyed them. Also its not that hard to get rid of the bad tenants most of them don’t stay long and when they move out just make sure the next tenants are decent. Also make sure you have a good strong lease.

71. Veery posek in monsey and bp says that it is mutar to rent to a “bad tenant” and almost every posek in lakewood agreees (with the exeption of rabbis finkel and forschiemer). I am talking about a house that was rented out before some builder put a development smack across the street of a known drug zone.

72. Lakewood is suffering from self-appointed representatives. The era of everyone relying on a single selfless askan to deal with community issues is over. The incomparable Rabbi Schenkolewski has long been pushed aside by those whose motivations are suspect.

    Today we must establish a rule: No one has the right to speak in the name of the tzibur unless he was chosen by the tzibur. Until the various neighborhoods elect representatives and make it clear that no one else represents them, the Vaad-builders-landlords-Mosdos owners-politicians-tummlers et al will continue to use OUR collective clout to achieve their personal goals.

    Believe me, the Roshei Yeshiva will welcome responsible community representatives. They cannot handle the endless issues that they are being held responsible to deal with.

    Perhaps all the shuls should elect representatives to join in a true Community Board. One rep per 250 families would mean a basic va’ad of 28 – 30 people.

    Vos zogt der oilem??

73. To jjlkwd please talk a straight sentence. You are saying fifty things. (maybe even more)

74. to whoever is comlaining about raintree and slumlords.how long ago was the first frum family to move there?how long ago did you have a minyan near there?how many frum yidden live in heathstone,the majority are owned by yeshivalite.what’s on erica area what yid lives there.if this blog were to find it’s way into local news you would all be creating chillul hashem.if someone a goy pics up a bp graphic circular and want’s to rent from you and he’s qulified you better or you don’t know what trouble your is.keep pushing this discrimination and it will happen many respectable goyim know what’s going it’s just a matter of time and all you who acuse the innocent will hide your heads in the ground and burn in you know where.talk is cheap do somthing to the guilty people make a list of all landlords in lakewood i wish you did.you are being choshed bekasherim in most cases you want a goy free lakewood in most cases.well hitler wanted a jew free europe!

75. Any updates on the meeting this afternoon?

76. RABOSAI, how many more bloody Karbanos, the likes of R’ Mordechai Moskowitz (he should have a Refuah), will it take, for us to do our Hishtadlus and insist slumlords weed their properties immediately? Does it have to be your son or daughter?

    When done seriously, crime will definitely decrease.

77. I am not from lakewood yet have numerous married children there
    a small observation
    when the same people are totally bound and committed to same donors ie;askanim nothing will ever change.

    its again and again only about money

    shidduchim, askanim, getting into schools,all the so called do gooders are a new generation of business people who will do anything for the buck.
    only money counts-sadly. how can a RH or RAV tell anyone what to do if he believes that the dollar is mightier than it all
    The generation of mesiras nefesh is gone
    yes there are yichudei am segulah who are exemplary role model of mesiras nefesh- few and far apart.
    lakewood has a huge void of leadership and hadracha and the source of all evil is our worshiping the dollar or those who have it.
    sad very sad what are grandchildren are witnessing
    dollars=kovad
    dollars=good shidduchim
    dollars=access to gedolim
    dollars=honor
    dollars doesnt guarantee good children
    ehrlechkeit,simple and committed life, a pure and focused life with a rebbe/rav to lead you does!

78. I CAN RELATE TO ALL OF THE ISSUES BEING STATED ON THIS BLOG BUT…. HAS ANYONE STOPPED THEIR RANTING TO THINK OF THE POOR VICTIM IN THE HOSPITAL…. DOES ANYONE HAVE AN UPDATE OR CARE ENOUGH TO THINK OF HIM? I HOPE HIM AND HIS FAMILY THE BEST.

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80. i agree with 1nefesh and what’s sad is that the sumlords are proving it over and over again since they have money they are the ones who get the honor and what come with it from the the one who don’t have that much money/ what nobody seems to relize is that money isn’t everything

81. 1nefesh (Post 80): You made some excellent points. The Chazon Ish z”tl(brought in Sefer Maasei Ish) brings a Maharal z”tl that says, when the Anshei Knessess Hagedolah were mispallel to have the yetzer hora for avodah zora destroyed, there had to be a substitute yetzer hora. That was the yetzer hora for money. On this the Chazon Ish commented, the yetzer hora for money today IS A TOLDAH OF AVODAH ZORA. In many case it is not basic parnossah that is driving people. It is greed and the desire for kovod and power. A truly ehrlicher Yid has to be very careful regarding how his actions will affect others. It takes a good deal of cheshbon hanefesh. I am NOT saying that the so called slumlords are not ehrlicher yidden. I AM saying not everybody thinks carefully into the repercussions of their activities. In the game of chess, a strong player looks many moves ahead. A weak player only sees the next move. Not everyone is a strong player in the game of life. I am being don l’kaf zchus. But let the recent event be a wakeup call to whoever could be a gorem to tzoros yisroel. Think about it people. Think what the Ribono Shel Olam wants you to do.

82. Dayezuger

    First of all, although you obviously don’t agree with them Rabbi Finkel and Rabbi Forscheimer are from the most prominent Poskim in town. And you yourself agree that once yidden live in the vacinity it is asur to rent to them which icludes bringing in new tenants. But that doesn’t stop investors from renting and rerenting to undesirables in astablished areas were Yidden are living for years. For exmple coventry that has yidden living there for probably twenty years and don’t tell me that all the undesirables were there for more then twenty years. I can go on and on with examples. But one thing is obvios you’re logic is full of holes and you’re blinded to the facts probably by money!

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84. Now that there is a Police sketch, we should compare the photo to all the tenants living in the frum slumlords apartments.

85. While sometimes when there is a house in a frum area rented to undesirables it is the landlord trying to make money off of the residents, sometimes it is the residents trying to make money off the landlords. I know that this sounds strange, so I will explain. First I will tell you that the only interest I have in real estate is that I own my home. There has recently been a spike in housing prices in central Jersey, including Lakewood. Even so, the houses in more slummy areas of Lakewood are lower than in the more desirable areas. Had these areas not been occupied by undesirables the houses would be more expensive. People looking for less expensive houses try to take advantage of this lower price and buy a house there. They are now saving money due to those renting out to these people. Then they want the landlords to immediately sell those houses to a desirable neighbor so that they will have an area that they like. then the value of their house goes up on the backs of the former landlord. Everyone is looking for themselves and their wallets. Not just the landlords.

86. why aren’t the rosh yeshivas from lakewood doing anything about this problem ? they have the power!!!!!!

87. DELETED BY MODERATION PANEL

88. the fact of the mater is still the same the land lord is responsable to know what he is putting in his slumms and dont tell me he doesent know what that they are bringing in more people, if they are not payin rent they know about it on the first day of the month they will have to give a din vacheshbon on all the hardships they caused on there yiddish neighbers besides all the shmutz and pritzus they bring into town

89. READ THIS AND WEEP:
    Gauze and rubber gloves still litter the ground where 53-year-old Lakewood rabbi Mordechai Moskowitz was savagely attacked with an aluminum bat. His face and head were so badly damaged that the paramedic who responded was his own nephew and didn’t even recognize him.

    “You wouldn’t recognize him. It doesn’t look like him, like anything like he used to look,” said another one of Moskowitz’s nephews, Moshe Rotberg.

    How many more victims do we need before changes are made?

90. I don’t live in lakewood, but its our achrayos to make sure this Ir Torah is protected.

91. what about a boycot on those stores who hire such people it is easy to talk why not do something

92. it is not always a matter of a shaila it is common sense if you rent to illegals they will be on the streets

93. We can read facts, but we don’t have to believe them. Some things that I have learned in life:
    1. I have worked with landlords in Lakewood on a professional basis. There are landlords that have rented to “slum tenants” for years and there are younger “yeshivaleit” and baale-batim that have gotten into the Lakewood real estate scene in recent years.
    2. Landlords who rent to “slum tenants” and provide little or no upkeep on their properties (in frum or non-frum neighborhoods) would rather have HUD tenants that have “$0” income, so they know they are getting top dollar, month after month, straight from Uncle Sam. Their second choice is the Latin Americans who will also pay top dollar, in cash. Neither of these type of tenants are your model neighbors or citizens.
    3. The landlords that buy a house, from a “non-jewish” homeowner, (yes there is a big difference between a homeowner and a renter), in a neighborhood that already has a significant frum presence, by outbidding another potential HOMEOWNER, and rent out to “slum tenants” because they are only concerned about their pocket, are unfair to everyone. Everyone has a right to a parnossa, but not at another’s expense. (The area around 12th and Princeton, what is now advertised as “Yeshive area”, and has never been “slummy” has had several such investors in the past 10 years.
    4. No blogging, soap-box oratories, or “mussar shmoozes” will change the opinion of the people who have legitimized their actions with any and all excuses. Evidently they all go to bed at night with a clear conscience. If they have done anything to harm another person, just like everyone else, they will be held accountable “achar meah ve’esrim”.
    5. After all that has occured in the past year, who, anywhere in Lakewood, does not tremble at the thought of their husband, wife, child or parent being outside after dark (or maybe even when its light). Hashem Yishmor.
    6. May Hashem grant a refuah shelaimah bkarov to a very special Yid, and strength to his family. May there be no more such korbanos. May we all be zocheh to a teshuva shelaima and find favor from Hakodesh Baruch Hu, biviaas Goel Tzedek, bimhayra biyameinu.

94. this story is so scary and sad. I know the victim and his family very well and they’re such fine ppl. to think that this could happen right here in our neighborhood. this askan might be right regarding the frum landlords but the police are definitely at fault and we need Shomrim to be much more active. May Hashem protect all of us!

95. would’nt lakewood and the rest of the world be a much safer place if all the time spent typing, reading, and arguing about this (including myself) spent learning??

96. first they should have more cops on the force not just 10 guy and second the cops should enforce the RECO law and tell the landlords what they have as a tenants

97. Let me just remind you of a few simple points. Lakewood has 2 seperate problems. 1. illegals 2. blood gangs. These two problems are not one in the same. Although the illegals can be annoying/messy/low-class, they are not dangerous criminals. As far as the gangs that recently moved into the area, this is the real pachad. Imagine that over the last few weeks, people have been beaten up and shot at -goyim and yidden- left and right in the middle of busy areas at normal times of the day. Where is the fear? There is none, because these gangs now own the streets and are not afraid of Lakewood police whose ineffective and/or incapable of “getting them”. Gangs will go anywhere they can “rule” and it’s no surprise they moved into Lakewood. THERE IS NO LANDLORD IN THE WORLD WHO WOULD KNOWINGLY RENT TO A BLOOD GANG especially in their own community!

98. Just a dumb question on a comment this “prominent Lakewood askan” made. “Criminals from the High Point neighborhood prey on the adjacent neighborhoods. One frum landlord owns some 40 units in High Point alone. Thugs from Woodlake can cruise through Lakewood at will, looking for victims. Raintree is filled with homes of dealers of all sorts. Shootings take place on Seventh Street by people who live on Seventh Street, and if not on Seventh then on another block nearby…….” Can anyone explain if there are known criminals in these areas, WHY ON EARTH ARE THEY NOT BEHIND BARS??????????????????????

99. I think you guys are all missing the boat – because this assault was done by an African-American. NOT AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT!

100. Part 1.
     I live in Lakewood and I see a bigger problem from the ‘homeless’ blacks living behind the tracks than the Latinos. The Latinos generally work and usually are to busy to do things like this.
     Rather the homeless blacks who can be seen ALL DAY hanging around the corner of Lexington and 1st St. are a huge problem. They are loud and have many times been confrontational. Supposedly many of them live in an illegal tent city on the railroad tracks and I am amazed that nobody comes to round them up. I actually live in the new building on this corner and I wish the police would do something, I watch from my window how these people cause countless problems all hours of the night at the bus station and I have called the police MANY times to report or complain of violence and other crimes. Once a drunk black man who always causes problems wandered into the NPGS parking lot and was confronting women and people trying to start trouble!
     My lease is up soon and I am seriously considering moving but many of the landlords here keep their houses in terrible condition so I would rather stay in a newer building.

     Part 2.
     As I mentioned I live in Lakewood and I must say many youth here are very obnoxious, they treat other people, not just goyim, like crap and they think they own the world. Their midot are very low quality and they have little care of the consequence. I can’t really say this is limited to the youth because last night I was in a local restaurant and I witnessed 2 different people treat the jewish and non-jewish staff with disrespect.
     The Torah is not a license to treat people like trash. If the Torah makes one true royalty, one does not have to lower other people to feel it.
     I think the Rabanut makes these people think that just by being a member of a kollel or yeshiva that they automatically are something special, this may be true to an extent but it aint true if you hang around all day shmoozing and spend all your kollel money on cigarettes!

101. #100-
     Does that police sketch look like an african american?!

102. ploini: Did you read the very first line in this very article? YW gave the details of it being an African-American.

103. lkwdfellow, ploini, truth4ruth: maybe the initial reports implicated an African American, but I agree that the sketch does not look like that’s the case. Sometimes initial information is sketchy(!) & inaccurate. I’m sure YeshivaWorld used the best information that was available in the hours after the incident. Anyway, our religion is not the one that believes in infallibility! (of basar vdam).

104. cprntr

     Your point is will taken, but you don’t have to mix in your derrogatory and biased veiws of bnai torah.

105. does anybody know any kollel familys own houses and when their hud app. gets approved they put the house in someone elses name?or rent homes collect hud and buy rental properties and rent to goyim in non frum areas and hope to move in some day?and they keep on renting when it becomes frum i’ll tell you lots,ask your friendly real estate broker or agents.is this what the yeshiva teaches them is muter?tell me that’s not stealing,a large part of kollel people do it.

106. HOW IS RABBI MOSKOWITZ DOING????

107. The sketch says on it “BLACK MALE- DARK COMPLEXION” YW editor covered over the wording with his insignia…. Not sure why…

108. #97 youre over the top, trying to make the low practice of renting to lower class a violation of RICO laws? i think we are all reading too much front page yated or something.

109. lpd is only able to give scetches of criminals but catching them, no way…..

110. UNFORTUNATLY LAKEWOODS FRUM COMMUNITY IS BEHIND THE TIMES WHEN IT COMES TO REALIZING THAT THEY NEED TO BE VIGILANT AND PATROL THEIR STREETS AND NEIGHBORHOODS AS DO EVERY OTHER FRUM COMMUNITY IN AMERICA (CALL IT SHOMRIM, CITIZEN PATROL ETC )AND CANT RELY SOLEY ON THE POLICE DEPT SPECIFICALLY THAT LAKEWOODS FRUM COMMUNITY IS SO SPREAD OUT OVER SO MANY DIFFRENT AREAS OF TOWN AND CAN BE A 20 MINUTE DRIVE FROM ONE NEIGHBORHHOOD TO ANOTHER
     THE RECENT SPATE OF ASSAULTS AGAINST YIDDEN THE RECENT ARMED ROBBERIES AND BREAKINS SHOULD HAVE ALERTED LAKEWOODS FRUM COMMUNITY THAT ITS HIGH TIME TO PUT TOGETHER THEIR OWN CITIZEN PATROL TO WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
     THE LEAST BENEFIT IT WOULD DO IS PUT THE LKWD PD ON NOTICE THAT THEY HAVE NO EXCUSE ARRIVING LATE TO A CRIME SCENE WHEN THEY ARE GIVEN LIVE TIME REPORTS
     THE UPSIDE IS THAT WHEN PERPS WILL SEE A PRESENCE OF CARS WITH RADIO CARRYING MEMBERS THEY WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE COMMITING A CRIME AND ASSAULTS AND OTHER CRIMES SHOULD DROP CONSIDERABLY
     THE OTHER OPTION IS TO IMPORT A FEW WILLI SHOMRIM THAT CAN “ESPALIN IT” TO THE CRIMINAL IN THE LANGUAGE ONLY THEY UNDERSTAND VEHAMYVIN YUVIN

111. if you want shomrim, suggest to the PD that you will call the guardian angels to set up a chapter – I would be surprised if the PD would rather have the GA over Shomrim.

112. It’s a good thing that Lakewood said no one can have the internet if you want to send your kids to school. Can you imagine how many more comments there would be?
     On a more serious note, we had the entire student body in my very out of town school say tehillim for Rabbi Moskowitz. May he have a Refuah Shlaima B’karov.

113. What is his condition?? Refuah Shleimah!!!

114. maybe some j.d.l. action

115. reb nisht ahe nisht aher, refuah shleima, say some tehillim!!

116. there are many issues brought up here and they are “farmished” and confusing. concerns and questions about halacha; bad tenants in a good neighboard, yidishe homes homes built in proximity to bad areas, bad tenants in general that bring the level of safety down in a town, rich baal habos outbiding poor lakewood kolel yungerman (i do not encourage it), etc… those are halacha shailos that EVERYONE has to abide to psak of a competent rov and it cann’t be a subject of discussion among people not qualified to pasken. anyone that acts against the Torah because they are “influencial” will get a bill after 120 r”l.
     when i read about people lashing the askonim-machers… who are they talking about? those that drive the skulener rebbe shlita when he comes and get their pictures in the lakewood circular publications? or people that host the gedolim when they come to lakewood? or people that “make sure” that when moreinu R’ AL Shteinaman shlita comes to lakewood, that “everything” is mesudar? why do they bother you? nebach, they wait for long periods of time to get sipuk. however, speaking about askonim that have real jobs in lakewood township, those are devoted people that HELP the klal (not only with traffic issues), i happen to know many stories that they really helped. some run out in the middle of the night(s)as a Hatzala member.speaking about the Vaad with such frustraton… why do they bother you? NOBODY pays attention to them. their phone lines never ring. they stopped coming to yeshiva’s dining room to promote candidates, years ago. since the askan lshem hatzibur R’ shenkolefsky left, who votes for their endorsments?
     again, the only issue is the halachos, however it can not be paskend from the “libi omer li”.

117. #109 The Lakewood landlords, should at least do criminal background check’s on all tenants and write an eviction clause into all future leases should the tenants be involved in crime. I have used a great local frum company called Tenant Safe
     At 732-942-1331 this is what all the big landlords are doing today as standard practice even in the best neighborhoods. Why rent to trouble.

118. Dear YW
     I read this post with mixed emotions. I wondered to myself, Who is this Askan you are quoting? Why does he hide behind a cloak of anonymity? Isn’t this the same web site that spewed about all the people complaining to the point that you closed the comments? In fact I paste your words here:

     “You are right. The Vaad is public, and people have the right to question what they do. But read my next sentence C-L-E-A-R-L-Y: PEOPLE WHO ARE HIDING BEHIND A FICTICIUOS SCREEN-NAME, FEEL THAT THEY CAN MOUTH-OFF IN ANY WAY THEY FEEL.

     Let them get off the Internet, use their REAL names, and start questioning the Vaad. Since EVERYONE hates them, it should be real easy to get a few thousand signatures on a petition. Call them to a public meeting and bombard them with questions. Make them answer your complaints.

     Understand? Good.

     This comment section is CLOSED.” (end of quote)

     Why the hypocrisy? Let your askan get off the internet stand in front of the yeshivah and make his feelings known.

119. Not to sound like a real golus mentality(Who said that is bad) But we all should understand that even though we might be right and win the battle but we are going to lose the war. Anyone in Lakewood should know how much friction is boiling beneath the surface they are looking for anything to blaME blame us terrible people for example.. they are knocking on my door to buy my house….They own this town……they attacked a teen’honor student’ while walking in someones backyard…they keep to themselves and are obnoxious… in their eyes its feeling left out an losing this town to us. The truth is we do have many orthodox members on many boards. What would be so wrong if the Board of Education or other boards would have more of them on it. Howell did a fine job on clearing up their mess or at least getting a grip on the situation of the education unlike here which a lot of our RE taxes goes to waste on it. If you put some of them on the board would they just totally lose it I don’t think it could be any worse than it is now. Let them be on these boards its not good for us. (The other factor is many ‘higher up in the community need to get their hand in the treasure chest’ and get their share of the pot and need us on those boards. Example Master plan for the new zoning…) I still dont understand how this whole town could let the RE taxes be raised like they have been and no one saying anything. We have to realize and acknowledge others in this town.

120. what about a reward for finding the guy

121. Does one ever think of blaming the mailman for delivering the bills that upset us?
     Blaming the assault of a Lakewood Cheder Rebbe on crime, complaining about police, etc. is missing the point!
     As ma’aminim bnei ma’aminim, we know that it’s a message to us from Hashem. What is the message? Possibly this: Our streets are unsafe! Rav Shach zt”l once told someone who questioned the many car accidents that the spiritual pritzus is making the streets unsafe.
     Please make one doable kabbalah in the area of tznius as a z’chus for a refua shleima bimhaira for Mordechai Shmuel ben Miriam.
     Thank You
     A Relative.

     P.S. Your tefilos are still very much needed and appreciated.
     Thank You

122. Does anyone know where the Choleh is? Which Hospital? Which Room? When can we visit him?

123. I was recently in Lakewood. I was surprised at how large, showy and ostentatious the homes are getting. It certainly is inconsitent with R. Aharon’s vision of Lakewood. Perhaps we are feeling too comfortable. Maybe tone down the show of materialism a bit, so we do not need any more reminders of Galus.