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December 30, 2003

Williamsburg

This picture is crawling around the web lately with all types of people commenting on it.

People in Williamsburg are protesting many things now. They are protesting the eiruv, the 'artisten', and the studio (too late). There is also the old Aaron - Zalman Leib thing going on. Everyone is screaming that their cause is important. Williamsburg will collapse! Kedishas Shabbos! What all these people don't want to realize is that Williamsburg’s collapse will come from within. A community with ZERO support for at risk teens; a community that puts more emphasis and minhogim, and some stuff that are way less than even minhogim, than on halacha; a community where questions are shunned; a community where getting 'artisten' out is more important than keeping our own teenagers from becoming that way; a community like Williamsburg is today will collapse.

There are no statistics on the matter, but if I were to guess, I would guess that up to 20% of yingeleit in Williamsburg aged 16 - 26 do not have a strong emunah or hashkafah. How can a community where there are girls sleeping (OK, it's pretty hard to sleep in a car with tinted windows,) with married men not have a support structure for teens? How can a community with MANY bucherim that smoke on Shabbos not have a support structure for them? Is the Aaron - Zalman Leib machlokes, or even the Eiruv, more important then our next generation?

But I can rant till the day after tomorrow, no one who matters will read this anyway. After all, it's the geaserte internet. However I really believe that even if I went to Rabbonim with all the different stories I know, still nothing would change.

If there is one thing that people in Williamsburg hold very strongly, it must be Ani maamin .... bechol yom sheyovo. If Moschiach will be here tomorrow, why worry about the next generation?

"Villiamsburg, a mechaya goor, svoinenen dort feine yidden..."

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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Mindy
DATE: 12/30/2003 10:04:40 PM
I am absolutely INFURIATED by this post, which is CHOCK FULL of misinformation.

Go ahead. Contineu bashing Wiliamsburg. have fun.

Why am I even reading this? This is worse than h.com.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Gishmak
DATE: 12/31/2003 11:39:18 PM
oooohhhhhhhh
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Shlomo
DATE: 01/01/2004 08:29:02 PM
What, for example, do you think is misinformation? Can you be more specific?
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Jake
DATE: 01/02/2004 03:26:06 PM
Mindy admit it there are is plenty of illicit sex going on in Williamsburg and Monroe. Homosexulaity is rampant largely due to the sexual repression and extreme segregation between bos and girls, married women are sleeping around, Chasidishe girls are sleeping with goyishe deliverymen (believe it or not) etc. Just do some research you'll be shocked at whats going on.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Shlomo
DATE: 01/02/2004 03:28:03 PM
Related Links:
http://protocols.blogspot.com/2003_12_28_protocols_archive.html#107302918519866445
http://hydepark.co.il/hydepark/topic.asp?topic_id=749608
http://www.jewschool.com/2003_12_01_archive.php#107280769148083942
http://www.gawker.com/archives/save_williamsburg_from_the_artists.php
http://www.hairyeyeball.net/jotbook/archives/002272.html
http://www.israblog.co.il/blogread.asp?blog=5801&blogcode=292654
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Mindy
DATE: 01/04/2004 07:39:20 AM
Jake has also drunk the koolaid.

yes, there are problems in every community but no, illicit sex is NOT rampant in Williamsburg. You are talking about BORO PARK.

Donno where youre taking your information from, but I've been living in Willy for 27 years and know of exactly one case of illicit sex.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jake
DATE: 01/05/2004 02:43:55 AM
right only one case... everything is so nice and perfect. wow! maybe i should move down there. And how do you know about BP though i happen to agree
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Mindy
DATE: 01/05/2004 03:07:25 PM
Did I ever say it's perfect? it's just not 1/10 as bad as Shlomo makes it out to be.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: avrumi
DATE: 01/05/2004 09:58:36 PM
I am hearing lately lots of such stories in boro park and willy, I just have a strong suspicion that a big majority of the rumors are just that, rumors.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Natan
DATE: 01/06/2004 12:53:46 AM
Instead of focusing on what's bad about Williamsburg, how about trying to focus on what's good.

For example, in my hometown of Baltimore, sure there are bad things. But there are so many good things that I think those are worth mentioning. Almost any out of towner (and esspecially New Yorkers) agree that the people in Baltimore are all very nice people, they go out of their way to help out, and there is lots of achdus. I think that the achdus factor is one of the most important part of what makes Baltimore so great. Everyone gets along. There is an eiruv that the entire city agrees is kosher. Most of us listen to the vaad harobonim.

With all the machlokes going on in Williamsburg, I think one of the most important things they have to focus on is achdus. With achdus can come many other great things.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: rinx
DATE: 08/27/2004 01:35:09 PM
Woah... I will so not believe that load of l"h... How am i to believe that a town of satmer chassidim to be that sinful? disgusting... you m?ght have proof of one case, maybe, maybe two... but a "town full" like that???? I think it wouldv'e been dealt with by now or at least be known...
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Shtreimel
DATE: 10/19/2004 04:10:58 PM
It might not be as drastic as you make it, but there’s a great number of “yungeleit” that are fed up with the system, like me. Some will just leave satmar and go to the “Kosel” the next time they visit Israel, and some will leave the whole “yiddishkeit behind them.
The majority will stay Chasidim on the out side, but be total “Goyim” in the inside, and I know ‘cos I’m one of them. And I’m not alone.

Good luck to your Blog.

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Posted by notepad at December 30, 2003 09:46 PM

Comments

wow finally there are people that are realiseing what is going on in willamsburg im wondering how come it took so long for the truth to come out and belive me this is no rumors it is the plain and simple truth what is going on in williamsburg and i know what i am talking about since im ex chasidish i used to dress like them and live.im not saying im not anymore religous im still reliogus but defnitly not chasidic and i still have many chasidish freinds that dress chasidish and their parents think they are the best bucher in the yeshiva .... i myself had some chasidish freinds over in my apartment for shabbos and i couldnt belive what i was seeing they were mechalel shabbos totally.... smoking . turing lights on and off . listening to music ... stuff that i myself would never do but i was still the shaigetz in their eyes why ??? just because i was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and a kippa sruga ( kintted kapule) thats what they teach over there if u dont long payis and u dont wear a hat then youre a goy ........ i mean i still respect them but something has to be done to the chasidish oilam before it is too late

Posted by: sam, at March 3, 2005 02:54 PM

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