New Jersey’s fifth most populous township offers an astonishingly diverse community. However, it faces unique challenges that set it apart from other towns.
An increasing Orthodox Jewish population in this district is creating a busing crisis, as district officials have arranged private transportation for 30,000 students but mandates on special education costs and per pupil aid have caused an ever-widening deficit to arise.
Traditions
As part of this nine-day series, we will explore how a town juggles deep-seated traditions within its Orthodox Jewish population with urban expansion infrastructure demands, economic diversification and housing shortages traffic congestion, while maintaining its culture amid rapid change. We’ll also look at the community’s distinctive identity as it responds to housing shortages traffic congestion while maintaining cultural essence during rapid transformation.
Lakewood has seen significant shifts since the influx of Orthodox Jews, most visibly in public schooling. Lakewood stands out as being home to one of the highest concentrations of students attending private yeshivas relative to public schoolers, necessitating costly busing programs for these kids and contributing to a per-pupil funding deficit.
Many families live on very modest incomes; having as many as 13 children seen as religious obligations; while others devote years studying Judaism full-time at Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva – the second largest yeshiva worldwide. As a result, the town boasts one of the lowest per capita incomes in all of California, impacting everything from police budgets to school sports programs.
As well as an influx of Orthodox Jews, this town has also been greatly impacted by a recession that began in 2008 and its effects on local economies. Political climate in this town is therefore extremely unstable; Orthodox influence could play a substantial role in any upcoming elections and thus impact how this state’s most diverse city will be managed going forward.
Urban Expansion
NJ Advance Media will explore Lakewood, one of the state’s fastest growing and most complex towns, over nine days in this series. Home to a sizable Orthodox Jewish population, Lakewood’s rapid expansion has caused tensions between religious and secular society on multiple levels – we will examine how Lakewood balances deep-seated traditions within its Orthodox Jewish population with pressures of urban expansion infrastructure demands and economic diversification.
This growth has transformed the physical landscape of the town, with satellite images showing farmland disappearing and single-home neighborhoods being replaced by apartment complexes. Furthermore, it has caused a school funding crisis which exacerbates public school parents’ perception that their needs are being neglected by Orthodox Jews who sit on their board and hold other town leadership roles.
As is often the case in towns dominated by religious voting blocs, political leaders can find it challenging to represent all constituents effectively. Kean and Thomson won their district with almost universal support from Orthodox voters; however, in order to retain their seats come 2022 they’ll need to cultivate new residents who may hold differing viewpoints regarding what should be prioritized within the town.
Infrastructure
Lakewood, Ohio is balancing deep-seated traditions among Orthodox Jews with urban expansion infrastructure demands and economic diversification. We will examine how Lakewood responds to housing shortages traffic congestion while simultaneously maintaining its cultural integrity in an age of rapid change.
Communities across the region are in the midst of an explosive construction boom, replete with high-density housing ranging from townhouses and duplexes to three-story condominiums and apartments – not forgetting newer structures among older single-family homes.
Many of the town’s streets are two-lane roads that become congested during rush hours, compounded further by recent decisions to end free busing for public school students, sparking anger among families who feel their needs will go unmet.
Lakewood’s distinctive identity has enabled it to respond effectively and creatively to these challenges, finding solutions to keep its progress moving forward in an idealistic direction. Amongst this building boom, its sewage treatment plant is operating at nearly double capacity while water main repairs become an increasing burden. Lakewood prides itself on being forward thinking. It uses its innovative solutions to tackle issues head on with positive solutions for its future growth.
Town is home to an Orthodox Jewish population that favors ultra-Orthodox candidates for local leadership positions and has maintained influence within schools and township committee. But as its diversity increases, so too must its leadership.
Economic Diversification
Since 2000, Lakewood’s population has experienced remarkable growth. Now the fifth-most populous town in New Jersey and despite some ongoing issues, its numbers continue to expand at an astounding pace – partly fueled by an influx of Orthodox Jews; nonetheless, this growth notwithstanding, Lakewood remains far from being wealthy by any standards.
This rapid population growth has resulted in housing shortages and traffic congestion, and has contributed to skyrocketing poverty rates in the area. Longtime residents may find themselves being forced out.
One of the primary challenges is maintaining the culture and identity of a community amid rapid change, while also meeting infrastructure requirements for urban expansion and managing infrastructure capacity needs. Furthermore, one might wonder whether space will eventually run out for additional homes to be built if current growth trends continue.
Lakewood’s unique identity defines how it responds to city challenges. Over the next nine days, we’ll examine how this community balances deep-seated traditions among its Orthodox Jewish population with urban expansion infrastructure demands and economic diversification pressures; whether its growth is sustainable in the long term; how aging infrastructure affects economic activity and education – among many others issues – as we explore this topic further.
