18 Years and Nothing Has Changed

 In 2006 The during a contentious elections Bnei yeshiva and Lakewood residents were angry and upset at the Vaad's rule and control. The Vaad at the time put out a letter (see below) and promised to restructure and better adapt and respond to the concerns of Lakewood residents. The Vaad promised to form a "Ichud Rabbonim" to ensure the needs of the entire Lakewood Kehilla.

Fast Forward 18 years later it is now  2024/2025. The vast majority no longer listens, cares about or trust the vaad. Lakewood's population has exploded close to the 4th largest city in NJ, tens of thousands of yidden moved into the surrounding towns, yet we are at the same position no new members were added  not one Rav (outside the vaad)  in Lakewood has any say on the vaad. Its controlled by the same few who remain anonymous, were never elected, yet continue to use the koach Hatzibbur, with some critics  questioning  conflicts of interest. 

Like a bear waking up from hibernation the vaad awakens once year a few days before elections with non stop robo calls and fliers dictating who to vote for without holding any public meetings. The deals and promises from elected officials are kept secret while the grant money ends up in the same usual pockets. High Taxes,Traffic quality of life issues continue on.  Talk about The bloc vote and getting the attention of hit officials with a strong voter turnout doesn't seem to benefit the tzobbur at large  but only a few well connected who somehow always get the funding.

The vaad endorsed incumbents for township committee  didnt  have the decency to reach out to the Lakewood community pre or post election, not even  a thank you to the voters! The vaad has been silent too, following all the pre election noise.  The "we work behind the scenes excuse" no longer holds as there is no trust.

The needs of the kehilla and quality of life are continuously ignored to a point where people have given up and are told to just accept the reality or move away.  Yet they call themselves representatives of the entire town. Any opposition is quashed in the name of not keeping the "Achdus" .

Alot went on over the past few years and there's been not a peep out of anyone besides for some election time articles, puff pieces and PR through their controlled media outlets.

 They  had more than enough time to regroup refocus and truly represent the needs of the entire Lakewood tzibbur perhaps it is  time to let others represent the community through a process that is fair and transparent that would truly look out for everyone.

18 years ago the vaad wrote "We have asked Meir and Menashe to implement a forceful program of change in the way town hall is run and operates, "This will include some significant personnel changes and restructuring, backed by a continued aggressive advocacy for the needs of each and every individual in Lakewood."

Well the 2 incumbents didn't even have the decency to campaign in front of the residents while the township continues to hide from the public with zoom meetings.

It's time for the Vaad to dismantle and close down. Let the rabbonin and tax paying residents decide what is best for them.

Article in APP from 2006

Lakewood, NJ - The Vaad, an influential council of Orthodox Jewish leaders, will be restructured to better respond to the concerns of the township’s fast-growing Orthodox community, the organization announced in a letter to Orthodox residents.

A council of rabbis is to be formed for the purpose of giving guidance to the 11-member Vaad, which issues political endorsements and takes positions on various civic matters.  

“It is the intent . . . to place the Vaad under the guidance of the Ichud Rabbonim and through that to ensure that the needs of the entire Kehilla (community) are appropriately met,” the letter stated.  

The announcement of the Vaad’s restructuring was included in a letter in which the Vaad also made its election endorsements for the municipal, House and U.S. Senate races. “We sincerely recognize that the Vaad . . . must adapt in order to better represent the needs of a growing and diverse (religious community),” the letter stated

LAKEWOOD — The Vaad, an influential council of Orthodox Jewish leaders, will be restructured to better respond to the concerns of the township's fast-growing Orthodox community, the organization announced in a letter to Orthodox residents.

A council of rabbis is to be formed for the purpose of giving guidance to the 11-member Vaad, which issues political endorsements and takes positions on various civic matters. "It is the intent . . . to place the Vaad under the guidance of the Ichud Rabbonim (council of rabbis) and through that to ensure that the needs of the entire Kehilla (community) are appropriately met," the letter stated. The Vaad was created by leaders at Beth Medrash Govoha, the country's largest rabbinical college and center for Talmudic studies, which has long been the magnet that's drawn Orthodox families to Lakewood. Now, however, many of the newer Orthodox residents have no connection to the yeshiva, which has injected a new dynamic into town politics, say close observers of the Lakewood scene.

"We sincerely recognize that the Vaad . . . must adapt in order to better represent the needs of a growing and diverse (religious community)," the letter stated.

Joe Atlas, a Vaad member and spokesman for the group, said it has become increasingly difficult for the Vaad to respond to all the various concerns of residents as Lakewood's population grows. "As much as the Vaad tries to meet the needs of everybody in the community, it cannot meet with every single person," Atlas said.

The Vaad comprises 11 Orthodox leaders. The council of rabbis will include between 60 and 70 religious leaders from Lakewood's Jewish congregations, Atlas said.

The expectation is that the rabbis will be better able to keep their fingers on the pulse of the community and bring concerns to the Vaad, Atlas said.

In its endorsement letter, the Vaad wrote, "As we see it, municipal government needs to drastically and rapidly change across the board and become much more responsive to the needs of the Kehilla (community) and Yochid (individual)."

The Vaad endorsed two incumbent Orthodox committeemen seeking re-election — Meir Lichtenstein and Menashe Miller.

"We have asked Meir and Menashe to implement a forceful program of change in the way town hall is run and operates," the letter stated. "This will include some significant personnel changes and restructuring, backed by a continued aggressive advocacy for the needs of each and every individual in Lakewood.