"As everyone knows a committee has been established in Beitar under the auspices of the rabbinical authorities to supervise the quality of life in our community and to monitor all events in the city in order to maintain its holiness.For those who might say that this is strictly an "Eretz Yisroel thing", also see... VN's discussion about Lakewood Rabbonim denouncing improper rentals ...is it the same thing? No, it is not. Is it a step in the same direction? Well...
We know that there are families who rent out their apartments without our approval and as a result undesirable families move into our community. We are putting everyone on notice that these landlords and sellers must be revealed and publicized as disobeying the rabbis of the city. Furthermore all the expenses for canceling the contract or lease is their sole responsibility.."
***On the blog Daas Torah, a commenter brings up some fair points about the above situations***
Interestingly, what he discusses is a direct result of the economic realities that face such Jewish communities. If communities have a high level of poverty due to decisions made by its people to pursue certain lifestyles, it forces them to live around other low-income individuals - and poverty often breeds crime.
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one who finds the language so vague as to be impenetrable? There are Jewish landlords who insist on renting out units to "unsavory individuals" (meaning irreligious/non-Jewish, low-income, low-class people)? And in Lakewood too? Why wouldn't they rent the same unit out to a kollel family desperate to live in the area, and also low income? What exactly is the economic drive behind this behavior?
ReplyDeleteAnyone else see the parallel between what is reported here and the extreme tension existing in the Five Towns area? In the Five Towns the "old" residents are complaining bitterly that the numbers of frum Jews who have moved in are changing the character of the neighborhood, are "destroying" what took decades to build up, are responsible for the fiscal problems faced by the community, are responsible for adding/subtracting from municipal services. There has been plenty of talk about a ban on selling/renting to frum families.
ReplyDeleteIn the Five Towns case, both sides are racially the same--white. In the cases reported here a blind man could read between the lines as to what kinds of "undesireables" are being rented to.
In the past, when neighborhoods that had had long established frum communities changed, the frum Jews migrated elsewhere, Brownsville and Canarsie as cases in point. I'm not at all sure that what is being proposed is going to solve any of the problems it purports it will solve, and it may bring about some problems tht are even worse. The only way to assure "community purity"--and that seems to be what everyone is after--is to go the Kiryas Yoel route.
Kiryas Yoel
ReplyDeleteEvery time they say "Kiryas Yoel" on the radio, they make it sound like "Curious Joel" and that just sounds like "Curious George."
Sorry, I know that was really off topic but I always found it so odd!
do they care that it is illegal to prevent anyone from moving into any specific neighborhood (interestingly enough new square has something worked out with the government where only square chasidim may move into new square).
ReplyDelete