Thread by @lkwdwatchdog

Warning: long thread, incoming.

Some thoughts on the recent brouhaha around Rise Up Ocean County (RUOC) and the giant failure of Lakewood's leadership once again being exposed.

https://twitter.com/sbarchenger/status/1096024330977361920

@savelakewoodnj @TakebackLKWD @appopinion @sbarchenger
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First, a shout-out to @savelakewoodnj for his courage, once again, in getting up publicly to call out the establishment (or rather their stand-in stooges) to their faces. Harold is exactly right.

app.com/videos/news/20…

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As for RUOC, I have mixed thoughts. They've grown rapidly on Facebook in just a few months and they're clearly tapping into a vein that much of Ocean County identifies with. But, it's unfortunate that some of the vocal members peddle in anti-semitic tropes (to put it mildly).
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To be clear, the internet is full of bottom-feeders and I'm not sure how much to hold the admins of RUOC accountable for what comes crawling out from under the rocks. That, by no means, lets the admins off the hook for the worst of the comments.
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However... does any rational person think this entire group of 6000+ are all motivated by anti-semitism? Is it even remotely possible (#sarcasm!) that they really do care about traffic, inadequate infrastructure, destruction of quality of life and environment across OC, etc?
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Of course it's possible! How do I know? Because the vast majority of Orthodox Jewish residents in Ocean County care about these same issues! See my timeline for the past 2 years!
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If RUOC would've only stayed on point on these issues and refrained from anti-Orthodox biases and tropes, they would've found the majority of the Orthodox community cheering them on (at least in private).
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That said, RUOC is a private grassroots group, and within their 1st-amendment prerogative to say what they want - even if some of it comes off as hateful, stupid and frankly counter-productive to their stated cause.
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HOWEVER... the ones who're clearly accountable and not to be let off the hook, are our dear #LakewoodNJ leaders, starting with the committeemen (directly elected by the public) and the VAAD (who pull their strings). They're supposed to represent the community's best interests.
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By failing to address the underlying issues & valid grievances voiced by the public (not just RUOC), and promoting policies (and peddling in backroom deals) contrary to public interests - they FUEL a false narrative that Orthodox Jews don't care about any of this!
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I'm sure they (Lakewood's leaders and VAAD) take some relief (if not outright satisfaction) in the fact that the negative attention on RUOC deflects attention from their own bad policies.
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It also further justifies (in their twisted minds) and sell a narrative that only the anti-semites in OC are against the build build build policy.
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As a result, non-Orthodox residents of Ocean County observe all this, and rightfully get alarmed when Orthodox people start moving into their backyards.
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So when a large enough group starts organizing and gaining critical mass (like RUOC) and finally get the attention of Lakewood's leaders - what do those leaders do?
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... Do they look inwards and try to understand and address the concerns - like leaders with a shred of moral character would?

No! They take a combative stance, and pass meaningless resolutions to condemn them!

https://twitter.com/OglesbyAPP/status/1095668765575008256

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Is it any surprise then that these groups dig in and view Lakewood's leaders, and by extension the community who keeps re-electing them, as the enemy?!! Is it any wonder then that all this promotes hatred if not outright true anti-semitism against the Orthodox community?!
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Dear (#sarcasm!) Lakewood Committee and VAAD, you have blood on your hands for the ill-will you've wrought! There's nowhere to look other than in your mirrors! Yes, I mean you committeemen Lichtenstein, Miller and Coles! You, Aron Kotler, Moishe Zev Weisberg, Shenky, et al!
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Now, for the benefit of anyone joining my timeline late and wondering why the heck are Lakewood's leaders doing this as they couldn't possibly be this blind and naive... Well, the only thing that explains this otherwise irrational behavior, is $$ and self interests.
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This thread is already too long for me to recap it all, but briefly - not only do their self-interests blind them to how their policies and actions are ruining Lakewood and Ocean County for all...
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...but also, the anti-Orthodox reactions from the likes of RUOC helps these leaders justify (in their misguided views) their own existence and perception of an us-against-them world.
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Let me be clear again: the anti-semitic rhetoric found on RUOC's page is terrible! Much of the positions and tropes peddled there (nobody in Lakewood works, all on welfare, don't pay taxes, don't care about education, environment, corruption, etc etc) are just ill informed.
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Some of their other positions are irrational. E.g. why should the Orthodox in Lakewood fund over 80% of the public school (not to mention 100% of private schools at great savings to tax-payers) and not seek to get the bus funding they are rightfully (by law) entitled to?!
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If RUOC was really just mainly concerned about corruption and the destruction of OC's quality of life, they would do a much better job (albeit they've gotten somewhat better recently) in avoiding hot-button subjects that promote anti-religion and anti-orthodox tropes.
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However, most of RUOC's main complaints and grievances (traffic, density, Lakewood leaders bought and paid for by developers, etc) are legitimate and we shouldn't just chalk it up to anti-semitism! Doing so is intellectually dishonest and just breeds major resentment.
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I, for one, am willing to give our non-Orthodox neighbors, the benefit of doubt (and personal experience!) that the vast majority are very far from anti-semites! Don't take my word for it, ask the Orthodox ppl who moved into the surrounding towns.
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I also have NO doubt that the policies of Lakewood's leadership (committee & VAAD) are causing our neighbors to dislike and ultimately hate us! To call that a lack of leadership is an understatement and too kind!
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In Lakewood and OC, the sins of the few and corrupt are borne by the entire Orthodox community. Underlying and enabling all this are the leaders' lack of ethics and morals, their greed, and their false justification that it's OK because they help so many in the community.
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Shame on them!

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@threadreaderapp unroll this thread please - thanks!