Lakewood’s Financial Coup

I’m sure that Lakewood applied for that grant legally and truthfully. I do not believe for a second that there was any fraud involved.  And I congratulate them on a successful outcome. Lakewood certainly needs the money. But I remain with some serious concerns.

The grant was given for the construction of a library and research center. Governor Christie’s goal is “keeping New Jersey’s “best” and “brightest” in-state, while attracting new research and business partners who will bring new and better paying jobs.”

What worries me is that in spite of what I am sure was a completely honest presentation of Lakewood’s plans to the state; I am not convinced that the state’s purpose in granting them that money is even a dream in the back of the minds of Lakewood’s leaders. Nor do I believe for a minute that such a library will serve any other purpose than the stated mission of such an institution – Torah study. The kind of research that library will offer will no doubt be only in that vein. Neither am I convinced that it will result in anything near attracting new business partners.  

This project will help to retain some of the finest minds in Torah Judaism. Lakewood is the premier ‘Torah Only’ Yeshiva in the United States. It attracts the best and brightest among its constituents. Expansion means attracting more of the same. Some of whom may settle there and eventually have good jobs. (And some – not such great jobs.)

But even so, Lakewood cannot claim that as its goal. It can only say that this is a by-product of their ‘Torah Only” system.  This is a yeshiva that forbids its students to take any secular courses while enrolled there and discourages it even after they leave. This is a Yeshiva whose Rosh HaYeshiva made disparaging remarks about someone who has been a pioneer in providing higher education for students of Yeshivos like Lakewood so that they could get decent jobs… basically referring to him as a second class citizen (…full time students of Torah being first class citizens). One might even say that Rosh HaYeshiva would view someone like that as undermining the goals of a ’Lakewood’!

It is also no secret that Lakewood uses the welfare system legally for students who qualify for aid. Most of them probably do - since they do not have jobs but do have large families. Even those whose wives work (most of them, I’m sure) do not make enough money to disqualify them from some sort of government assistance.  Again, nothing legally wrong with that.

I have to ask, is there not a moral or ethical issue of misrepresenting yourself to the world in this way – even if you qualify legally? Is there not something wrong with able bodied people choosing not to work and using the welfare system as a means of income? 

And by the same token, is there not something wrong with  taking over $10 million knowing what the government thinks you are going to do with that money  - and using it for something else – even though it technically qualifies? A Beis HaMedrash may be a library. But is a $10 million Beis HaMedrash going to attract business partners who will bring new and better paying jobs?

Even if it truly a research library and not a Beis HaMedrash - it will certainly only contain Seforim – religious books - even if some of them will be in English. What kind of research will this foster - other than research in Torah studies?

I of course have no problem with such a library. I think it will be a valuable resource for student of Torah. But is this what the State of New Jersey had in mind in approving $10 million dollars to Lakewood?

Lakewood’s goal is not Governor Christie’s goal. Lakewood wants to expand its student base.  The enormous growth in the numbers of Orthodox Jews, especially among Charedi Jews of the ‘Torah Only’ persuasion, demands such an expansion. For some time now, Lakewood has been talking about doubling its capacity to over 10,000 students! 

I guess they have found a way of doing that. But is it ethical? Will the state be happy with the results? And how will this be perceived by the secular public? Will they not see this as being unethical? Is this ultimately the wisest way of raising money for their cause? Will the potential negative fallout be worth it if it happens?