An article was printed in the NJ Examiner two days ago, regarding a resident in the town of Roosevelt NJ who recently complained at the May 14th Borough Council meeting about a group of Yeshiva Bochrim – from Yeshiva Me’on Hatorah – who play basketball in the street. She claims that “at any given time there are 20-30 boys playing ball in the street” and that “the activity is very noisy”. This article comes on the heels of the Asbury Park Press article (reported HERE on YW) about the Yeshiva in Belmar NJ; where a resident complained about rodents seen scurrying in and around the Yeshiva premises amongst other complaints. Most of those complaints were unfounded by a councilman who did an investigation. What is this? Boredom? Discrimination? Anti-Semitism?
The article:
A neighbor criticized activities at the Homestead Lane yeshiva during the May 14 Borough Council meeting.
Melissa Branco, who lives on Homestead Lane, told the council that two basketball hoops have been placed on the town’s right of way in front of Congregation Anshei Roosevelt, which leases its building to Yeshiva Me’on Hatorah.
According to Branco, between 20 and 30 youths play basketball on the street in front of the synagogue at any given time. Branco said the activity is very noisy, starting as early as 8:30 a.m. and continuing until dusk.
Branco asked the council to request that large groups of people do not obstruct traffic.
Borough Administrator William Schmeling said he did not know if the borough has an ordinance that prohibits congregating on borough streets.
Mayor Elsbeth “Beth” Battel said the basketball hoop issue first came up a few years ago when people were playing on Lake Drive.
Resident Bert Ellentuck, who also lives on Homestead Lane, said there are currently nine basketball hoops facing streets throughout the town. He asked the council how the hoops could be removed.
Schmeling said the matter is generally a policy decision made by the governing body. If the council addresses one hoop in town, he said, it must address all the others.
Schmeling said he could send a letter to those with basketball hoops in rights of way. The letter, he said, could state that if the hoops are not removed within seven days, the borough will issue a summons.
Joshua Pruzansky, vice president of the yeshiva, said the boys in his school play basketball as do any other children in the borough. He also said he hopes that fingers are not being pointed specifically at the yeshiva boys.
Branco addressed another yeshiva-related matter and alleged that the organization is using homes at 28 and 18 Homestead Lane as dormitories.
Pruzansky would not comment regarding Branco’s allegations.
The yeshiva is leasing the Brottman residence at 53 N. Rochdale Ave. to house students, which is a matter that has been brought before the borough’s Planning Board.
Branco told the council that she had registered a complaint with the zoning officer regarding 28 Homestead Lane. Schmeling, who also serves as the borough’s zoning officer, said he inspected the property and discussed the situation with the borough attorney.
In addition, Branco told the council that she had registered a complaint in September about 18 Homestead Lane. She said the use of the property has increased from a residence to an office and a part-time dormitory.
Branco told the council that she had gone before the Planning Board to discuss the situation at 18 Homestead Lane but that the Planning Board could not do anything about her complaint until the zoning officer inspects the property.
Schmeling said the Planning Board has not set a hearing regarding Branco’s complaint.
Last month, the council passed an ordinance permitting the development of houses of worship, public and private schools, athletic facilities for public and private schools, and dormitories for private schools in the borough’s R/AG-400 zone, which historically was used for farms, nurseries, greenhouses and single-family detached dwellings.
According to the ordinance, any dorm would have to be located on the same property as the school facility for which the dorm is providing boarding services. Dorms must comply with state law and make provisions for affordable housing. They would also have to supply one parking space for every adult supervisor and one space for every two students ages 16 1/2 years of age and older, as well as supply one loading space for every 20,000 square feet of floor area.
The Homestead Lane residences allegedly being used to house yeshiva students are not located in the borough’s R/AG-400 zone.
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20 Responses
Anti-Semitism. Some years ago there was a shul built in Lakewood after there basement became too tight and cramped. After that, a new organization came about, the Lakewood Improvement Association whose only goal is to limit the growth of the Jewish population of Lakewood.
I don’t think she is bored or Anti Semitic – if she lives on the block and drives by three or four times a day she is probably frustrated that she has to wait for a group of boys to stop playing each time and nervous that their ball will hit her car etc. I think we would all be upset if there were high school boys playing on our private block on a daily basis too.
Anti-semitism, boredom, and plain old rabble rousing are facts of life for us Jews in the US (not to exclude Israel or other countries).
That being the case, it would be wise for us not to give people the opportunity to express those feeling by condemning us. Without commenting on the Roosevelt Yeshiva in particular, it may be worthwhile to review all applicable laws and ordinances before opening up a yeshiva.
A better idea would be to open a yeshiva away in an area that does not have other houses. For the price of the few houses that many of these yeshivos occupy, you can easily by a few acres or farm land and put up a cheap building with a B”M, DR, and dormitory facilities. This would solve the above problem, as well as many others.
Excellent idea, “Who knows”. I have always felt that the Grand Canyon woud be the best choice. It is also great for his bodidus. And with the exception of the occasional shreak of an eagle, they would be bothered by no-one. I also hear that for a cheap price you can buy one of those Indian caves for a gerat price!
Just check Google earth for the 50 mile radius around 08701 and you will find thousands of undeveloped areas that can be used. You don’t have to go to the Grand Canyon. There is no need to make yeshivos on the same block as non Jewish neighbors.
And once we are on this topic, imagine what would have happened had the powers to be of BMG had some foresight. Before buying The simcha room, before renovating the simcha room, before buying Jamewsay, before bulding the Beren building, before buying the looney house…. that’s only like 20 years ago. They could have sold their properties, and bought a big area near Lakewood. (If you ever traveled the 70 to Cherry Hill there is miles and miles of forest).
On that land they could have built loads of buildings, not have to worry about parking, about GCU, all the Roshei Yeshiva and extended families could have lived there and also some kolel families. There would be room for almost infinite expansion. Something similar to the NIRC campus or Telshe-Cleveland, or ever Peekskill just much bigger.
Instead, they keep on pouring money into a few portions of a few city blocks. Does that make sense?
Yes and No. Do you recall that whne Rav Aharon ZTL opend the yeshiva there
were very few bochurim? Who would have imagined its explosive growth? Granted that it may not be the sane thing but anytime someone needs to add to his house he doesnt move out! By the time thye yeshiva – which orignally opend up in a resort area – expanded, many families were already living within the proximity of the yeshiva. I am ceratain you would not want them to move either!
This article makes me wonder: How many cats does this old hag own?
“Who knows”: Exuse the pun but you don’t know. You say “Just check Google earth for the 50 mile radius around 08701 and you will find thousands of undeveloped areas that can be used.” Ever hear of zoning regulations? Or Pinelands? Or laws that prevent non profits from owning any land altogether, as in Jackson NJ? Wake up my friend! Life ain’t that simple in this neck of the woods. The truth is there is very little land within a 50 mile radius of Lakewood that can be used for a Yeshiva and whatever is, is probably very expensive.
I would imagine its pretty annoying to hear 20-30 kids playing basketball outside your house at 830 in the morning. Why is that anti-semitism. noone would want that.
Why are these kids even allowed to play in the street?
Seriously, whose yaldim, yaldot (young children) are playing basketball at 8:30? Come on…a charedi v’doti ema would allow such a thing. YW readers: Look at the symantics, and the logic of this story.
Dear Sephardic Pride,
C’mon! This yeshiva is an off-shoot (no pun in tended) of Riverdale Yeshiva. Do you really think they are playing basketball that time of the day? And forget about that – HOW MANY MESIVTA’S ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT PLAY BALL THAT TIME OF THE DAY?? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT DURING THAT TIME YOU ARE EITHER: A. EATING BREAKFAST; B. STILL DAVENING; C. SLEEPING; D. ALL OF THE ABOVE!! 🙂
who knows,
your always on the mark with your great innovative ideas. You should be appointed as the Rabbon Shel Kol Bnei HaGolah.
Oops. Then we wouldn’t be able to follow your ideas, as that would constitute Daas Torah which in your opinion is unnecessary.
People who are complaining about the noise should be happy that theyre neighborhood is being filled with happiness and B”H not crime. They should complain about crime not about a bunch of bachurim playing basketball.
Aside from that what bachur plays ball at 8:30 AM theyre davening or eating etc.. as said above.
@homeboy: A 50 mile radius gives you close to 8,000 square miles. After you take off a nice chunk for the Atlantic, you’re left with approximately 5,000 square miles, more or less the size of the State of Connecticut. If the ideal size for a BMG campus is half a mile by half a mile, that means there are 20,000 geographical spots. Of those 20,000, there’s gotta be dozens of places that can be converted into a yeshiva campus, without being “very expensive” for it’s size.
@y.k.: Thanks! All great people were innovators!
iameckstein: you could be right- but I was just going according to the article. If the woman is lying then it very well might be antisemitism- but if it isn’t and they arte playing ball at 830 then its quite understandable to be upset.
It might not even be ball playing- I would love to have a yeshivah next door to me, but you must admit it must be annoying for some goyim to deal with these jewish schools that pop up overnight and it seems like they take over the block. I’m sure the parking situation isn’t ideal for this woman.
I love all the more yeshivot should open- but you gotta hear it from her standpoint as well.
Look at the whole picture. this yeshiva has had trouble from the very beginning. The town fired their mayor (or something like that) because of it!! They are still annoyed and will do anything to get the yeshiva out. Esav soneh es yaakov.
On the one hand, I agree that we should try to minimize antagonizing Goyim. If this Yeshiva is indeed an offshoot of Riverdale, than they should be aware of all of the issues involved with openinng a Yeshiva in a hostile urban area, and should have found a more appropriate place. It doesn’t really make sense to open a Yeshiva on a residential Goyish block.
But the woman’s complaints seem kind of odd. As others have mentioned which Yeshiva allows their boys to play Basketball before Shacharis? Does the Yeshiva even have 20-30 boys, it’s only a couple of years old? Is it a Yeshiva for ‘at-risk’ teens that might need the outlet of sports? Doesn’t seem likely if it’s an offshoot of Riverdale. And just OT, I wonder what niche does the Yeshiva fill?
What was in this ‘residential block’ before the Yeshiva? Look at Waterbury, CT. That was a declining neighborhood with a huge college campus that will only benefit by the Yeshiva, and yet there are still complaints and zoning issues.
So we really need to know a bit more background before knowing whether or not this is purely anti-semitic for no good reason or anti-semitism that we could have potentially avoided by more careful planning.
THIS IS: Discrimination by an old Anti-Semite brought on by Boredom !
I was in six seven yeshivas over the course of my (glorious) education, including St. Louis, Dallas, Denver, New Haven, and a few in Israel. I was also in a yeshiva elementary school. In most of them we would sometimes play ball after breakfast and before shiur or Bais Medresh. I’m surprised that none of you experienced this. In the more, ah, flexible institutions bochurim could be seen on the court, sometimes with a rebbe and sometimes without, throughout the day.
Seems to be like this is just a crochety old lady that has a bee in her bonnet. If there’s anti-semitism, I don’t know. What I do know is that crying antisemitism every single time someone is critical of a Jew or a Jewish institution compromises our credibility in the world’s eyes and take our focus away from ourselves, which is where we should be looking. What are we doing and is it correct and can we improve ourselves and our interaction with our surroundings.
Just my opinion.
I am amused by the comments recorded re: the article “Roosevelt- Bored Lady…” For the record, my wife is neither a spinster nor a widow. We do not own pets. We are not Goyim but Jews and Roosevelt is not an urban community but an exurb of fewer than 1000 people. The Yeshiva has over 60 students and is located next to my home in a residential neighborhood of single family homes. I can assure you that the boys play basketball on the street at various times from early morning until sunset. I would be happy to meet with any one who is interested in seeing present conditions rather then relying upon their preconceived opinions and prejudices.