Is Lakewood the Future of Orthodox Judaism?

Former CEO of BMG, R' Aaron Kotler (Jewish Insider)

I often talk about the need for a decent secular education in order to make ends meet in the 21^st century. And that the poverty rate among certain segments of Orthdoxy (particularly some of the larger Chasidic sects) is at least in part due to the lack of being able to find jobs without it. I have also discussed the sad fact that the the non Chasidic Charedi world has begun to move away from that kind of education, too.

In the past a top Charedi Yeshiva like ‘Philly’ used to tout their excellent secular studies program. But in recent years they have changed that tune – reducing their secular studies curriculum to a bare minimum. It is also true that in the city of Lakewood, known by many in the Charedi world as the Ir Shel Torah (city of Torah) - the more popular schools are the ones without any secular curriculum at all.

The following statistic reported by Gabby Deutch in  the Jewish Insider should therefore not be too surprising: 

According to census data, 24% of Lakewood residents live in poverty — more than double the statewide poverty rate, which is 9%.  

One might think that Lakewood’s destiny is to be an impoverished city with no tax base and no future. But that would be a huge misreading of the reality. In fact Lakewood is a thriving community where the majority of residents are well above the poverty line, many of whom are quite affluent. And Lakewood’s wealthy Charedi population is growing very quickly right along with the rest of the city.

When R’ Aharon Kotler established his Yeshiva there (BMG) he had 12 students. Today there are 7000. Making it the largest Yeshiva in the US. But there is another side to Lakewood that is not as well known as the Yeshiva side. Although the Yeshiva is the centerpiece of the town, it is no longer its only attraction. Lakewood has become somewhat of a boom town:

Over the last decade, the majority-Orthodox Lakewood was the second-fastest growing city in New Jersey. Its population increased by more than 45%, or some 42,000 people, between 2010 and 2020, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. And that doesn’t even count the corresponding growth in nearby Toms River and Jackson, two towns whose Orthodox populations have increased as Lakewood has become expensive and crowded. 

All of that growth is not an accident: Business is booming in Lakewood. Hundreds of thousands of square feet of premium office space have been built in recent years to accommodate new companies and old ones that are growing. Luxury shopping developments keep popping up. More than 13,000 people work at the city’s industrial park, the second-largest in the state. 

It appears that R’ Aharon Kotler’s grandson, R’Aaron Kotler (who until recently was BMG’s CEO) has been a driving force in Lakewood’s expansion. He has had the wisdom to invest in projects that will attract wealthy Charedi entrepreneurs and cater to their needs. The town is doing a lot towards that end – starting with a local airport project headed by Steven Reinman who is Charedi: 

(That) airport is set to undergo a transformation into a new, state-of-the-art terminal building with a high-end kosher restaurant and a large conference center. The project aims to inspire more businesses to set up shop in Lakewood and satisfy a legion of increasingly wealthy professionals already in town. 

With charter flights and helicopter rides taking people to New York City and other economic hubs on the East Coast, why not come to Lakewood, the city asks — Lakewood, where you can have the best of both worlds, learning Torah and generating income? 

The town is growing exponentially. It is true that a lot of that growth is internal because of the typically large Charedi families. But that growth includes attracting a lot of Charedim from places like greater New York.  People who are seeking a more suburban like lifestyle in a Charedi environment - as well as business opportunities.

I can attest to Lakewood’s affluence – having been there for my grandson’s wedding last summer. Lakewood has grown from a sleepy little vacation spot to a mini metropolis filled with Charedi business people and professionals. Many of them quite wealthy. 

What all of this means is that my prediction that the wave off the future is Charedi - is on track. There is no modern Orthodox town like Lakewood anywhere in the world. And far from being an impoverished town, Lakewood is a relatively wealthy town. In spite of a poverty rate that is almost triple the rest of the state. 

(To me this sad statistic still argues for the return to a decent secular studies curriculum instead of running away from it. It may not solve the poverty problem completely. But it would surely help.) 

Meanwhile the world of Modern Orthodoxy has no where near that kind of growth. While it may be growing too, relative to the Charedi world it is shrinking. The Charedi world is the dominant force in Orthodoxy. 

The Centrist Modern Orthodox community will still exist and continue to grow. Albeit at a much slower pace. Centrists will be (and already are)  integrated into the larger Charedi world because our religious lifestyles are virtually indistinguishable from theirs. We will retain our own Hashkafos but we will live as one. 

If anything points in this direction it is what is happening in Lakewood. I just hope that those of us who are Centrists remain true to our values and not be ‘re-educated’ into theirs. For that, we need to establish day schools that do not indoctrinate students with only Charedi values. 

The prototype for that kind of school is Arie Crown Hebrew Day School in Chicago. I’m not sure there is any other school like it. They have an excellent Limudei Kodesh curriculum and an excellent Limudei Chol curriculum. And they do not preach Charedi values or modern Orthodox values. That is left for the families of their students. Isn’t that the way it should be for all day schools? 

May such schools increase in all of Klal Yisroel.