No More Lakewood Power?!

 After much investigative work, we have uncovered the following.

It seems there is a plan underway to slowly change the dynamics of Lakewood power.

We will be featuring a series of articles on this topic written by one of our esteemed journalists. The following is his first article on the topic:

Lakewood, New Jersey: A Community at the Crossroads

For years, a heavy silence has hung over Lakewood, New Jersey - a silence born not of peace, but of resignation. The town, once a beacon of spiritual growth and communal unity, has come to feel, for many, like a dystopia ruled by a single, unyielding power: the ruling cabal. Their grip, forged through a radical worldview and an insatiable thirst for honor and control, has left deep scars across every layer of the community. Rabbanim, Roshei Yeshivos, and ordinary families alike have felt the weight of this dominance; none have been spared its reach.

The ruling dynasty, whose legacy stretches back to the founding of Beth Medrash Govoha in 1943, has undeniably shaped Lakewood into a center of Torah learning, with the yeshiva growing from 15 students to 10,000. But alongside this growth, a different narrative has taken root - a narrative of power consolidated, of history rewritten to serve the interests of the few, and of dissent quietly, but ruthlessly, suppressed.

The effects have been far-reaching and devastating. Issues of shalom bayis, financial disputes, the mishandling of abuse allegations, anti-Zionist extremism, and even the spread of anti-vaccine conspiracies have all been exacerbated by the climate of fear and control. Every decision, every psak, is weighed not just for its truth, but for its potential to draw the ire of those in power. Rabbanim find themselves hesitating, calculating: Who will hear about this? Will it anger the ruling circle? Is someone waiting to use this against me?

This oppressive atmosphere has only intensified over time, especially as the ruling leadership ages and grows more entrenched, increasingly viewing themselves as the rightful heirs and sole guardians of Lakewood’s spiritual legacy. The sense of suffocation is palpable: tzaros await those who step out of line, and the community’s leaders often feel their hands are tied.

Yet, beneath the surface, something is shifting.  Was the final straw the anti-Eretz Hakodesh movement? Was it the idolatrous wigs movement or Erase-the-Lace? We may never know. What is certain, is that the pushback, once whispered and tentative, is growing louder and more organized. Grassroots resistance-covert but determined-is taking shape. Rabbanim, askanim, and even the gvirim who once fueled the status quo are beginning to realign their loyalties and their resources. The cash flow that underpins the community’s power structure is being quietly rerouted, and the old certainties are starting to crumble.

These changes may seem imperceptible at first, mere ripples in the vast pond of Lakewood life. But their impact will be profound. The community stands on the brink of a seismic transformation, one whose effects will be felt for generations. In twenty years, Lakewood may look back at this moment and marvel at how the seeds of change-sown in secrecy and nurtured by courage-grew into a new era of openness, accountability, and genuine spiritual leadership.

The era of silent suffering is drawing to a close. The story of Lakewood is not yet finished, and the next chapter promises to be one of hope, renewal, and the reclaiming of a community’s soul.

Stay tuned as we follow this unfolding story.

DISCLAIMER: There is C”V no intention to accuse any Rabbanim or Roshei Yeshivos with any wrongdoing. The blame lies squarely with those who attach themselves to these great men, taking advantage of their connections and using these great men. They do the greatest disservice to these great men, and are the cause for much lashon hara wrongfully said on these great men.