After spending the weekend between Toms River, NJ, and then Pomona, NY on Sunday afternoon, this was my welcome to NYC.
I have always been a proud New Yorker, growing up in Brooklyn and attending local yeshivas, and over the years being involved in various community organizations, I was always inspired by the quality of life and the convenience of raising a family within the community.
I like many of my friends see myself anchored in Brooklyn.
The last few years the city as a whole has transitioned to a very different place a place that is reminiscing the 80’s in NYC. From a vibrant city, we awake daily to the news of killings, robberies and crime at levels we haven’t seen in the last many decades. Many of these are taking place in broad daylight. The lawlessness is also affecting our community by daily anti-semitic incidents in our own back yards.
Our quality of life has changed, our streets are littered with trash, our subways are a safe haven for crime and being utilized as homeless shelters for those in need. Our highways overtaken by unregistered cars, mopeds as well as dirt bikes and ATVs.
These crimes are being overlooked by the NYPD because they know that even if they do crack down the system won’t prosecute these criminals for their actions.
Our community and many other communities in NYC are suffering from many of the liberal policies that have been put into place over the last couple of years.
The issues will continue to spiral out of control if those responsible for the lawlessness aren’t prosecuted and punished for their actions.
From bail reform to defunding our police we are giving a green light to criminals to rule the city this encouraging residents to exit the city in masses.
Out of 8 siblings, my wife and I are the only ones left in Brooklyn, all of them fleeing this once beautiful city to live in a place that has recaptured the quality of life they want.
I no longer feel anchored down. I am no longer proud of NYC. I no longer have hope for change in NYC.
What we witness on a daily basis here is foreign to my siblings in their new communities.
Our leaders should be ashamed of themselves, I blame them more than I blame the criminals commenting crime. Because as leaders they need to put policies in place that will end this horrible cycle that New Yorkers are going through.
~A fellow NY’er
Name withheld upon request
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15 Responses
Let’s be honest. NYC was always a disaster. There was never quality of life there, as long as I can remember… It was just the in-thing to live there until the past fifteen years when everyone started moving to the outskirts of Monsey (Chestnut Ridge, Pomona, Airmont etc.) and Lakewood (Toms River, Jackson etc.). I still remember when I was in camp in the 90’s, neighborhood day had three teams, Boro Park, Flatbush and Out of Town.
“I no longer feel anchored down. I am no longer proud of NYC. I no longer have hope for change in NYC.”
Eh, Reb Name withheld upon request. We are in galus. We were not meant to be “anchored” down or “proud”. We are only passing by. We’re only passing through this world. Every challenge is from the Aibishter. You think, if you move elsewhere you’ll be totally safe and challenge free? Toms River and Pomona are free from the Aibishter’s hashgacha?! The fact that many here in Midwood/Flatbush are abandoning their Rav and Kehilla in order to move to Lakewood/Toms River/Jackson is very troubling. This is not like East New York or Brownsville where certain undesirables began to move in. No goy (and certainly not a shachor) can afford to buy a house in Flatbush and they’re not even interested. It’s the first time in galus that Yidden left a city en masse, not because of persecution but because of pleasure seeking opportunities. Let me downgrade my Yiddishkiet for a bigger backyard and a swimming pool, in a neighborhood where no Rav will tell me what to do.
@Not getting involved
People are not leaving the city for pleasure
This is why I say B”H multiple times a day. From out of out of town to so far out of town that it could barely be called a town, B”H my Grandparents rejected the idea of “Jews live in NY” What a simpler easier life growing up with parents and grandparents who were nice small town people who understood the New York rat race is a terrible way to live.
I 100% agree with Not getting involved. Yes we are in galus and no Jew should ever feel settled or a proud citizen of any city outside of Eretz Yisrael. If you say you live in NY, NJ, London, Paris Witchita, ….whatever, your attitude should always be “Nebach, what can I do. I wish I had the guts and ability to move to EY”.
On another note it is exactly this attitude of feeling “anchored down to NY (or NJ) that is a cause of so much distress and hardship in the Jewish community. Because people feel like they can not move out of Lakewood, Brooklyn, Monsey, Williamsburg etc. they kill themselves with the high cost of living. If you do need to live in galus there are plenty of viable options where you can raise your kids in a Torah environment without sacrificing a bit of ruchnius. You may need to live without having a pizza shop and sushi bar on every corner…..
To not getting involved
You said what a lot of people are thinking.
not getting involved: keep your head firmly entrenched in the ground – that way you won’t get a sunburn.
Spend a week or two in LA you’ll kiss the ground of NYC when you’re back.
besalel, from your comment, it can’t be you’re more than 14 years old. Am I wrong?
“Our leaders should be ashamed of themselves, I blame them more than I blame the criminals commenting crime. “
I blame the people that voted in the leaders
“But Sliwa said anti frum things!”
Give me a break
A previous comment mentioned “undesirables” and more.
If you’re a racist, not nicha but nicha… but an overt racist… in a public forum and speaking as a yid. You need to do teshuva. Make no mistake about it.
honestly, us yidden should all be preparing to move to eretz yisrael and not wait until the last moment when the streets become to dangerous or the anti-semites all start attacking from every direction
although the writer has some factual points, the attitude is far from a torah attitude. a non-jew could have written this article.
this writer does nor represent a torah jew’s approach to the facts.
very surprising that this would be posted here.
Not getting involved:
Excellent and accurate comment.
Yasher Koach
sickofidiots, i may be 14 and i may be 114, what difference does it make? Did you know that for every crime against Yidden reported upon, there are 10 crimes not reported upon? And about the rapes which are not publicized? You can pretend that Brooklyn is as safe as anywhere else or you can get your head out of the sand. Its your choice.