Coronavirus: An open letter to the Lakewood community | Rotberg
First published in the Asbury Park Press on April 3, 2020. As a resident and rabbi in beautiful Toms River, I would like to share a few thoughts to my friends in Lakewood. As someone who was born in Paul Kimball Hospital in Lakewood and spent the first 38 years of my life there, […]
Coronavirus in Lakewood: the pandemic has ‘changed the way we live and celebrate’
First published in the Asbury Park Press on April 1, 2020. LAKEWOOD – After seeing and hearing all the negativity targeting Lakewood in this novel coronavirus pandemic, a Howell man decided to take a drive and see for himself. The video travelogue that 28-year-old Boruch Perlowitz created reveals a township that is ostensibly on lock down, its […]
Coronavirus in Lakewood: A Facebook Live chat with Rabbi Aaron Kotler
First published in the Asbury Park Press on March 31, 2020. The Asbury Park Press will host a Facebook Live chat with Rabbi Aaron Kotler on Wednesday, April 1 at 12 p.m. Editorial page editor Randy Bergmann and Lakewood reporter Gustavo Martinez will join Rabbi Kotler for a discussion and will be taking your questions live […]
We need STEM teachers, Orthodox schools say. $5M grant will help pay for them.
Credit: Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com First published in NJ.com on February 26, 2020. By Steve Strunsky The K-8 Toldos Yaakov Yosef yeshiva in Lakewood does have its own science and math teachers, officials of the K-8 school say. But, added Principal Baruch Hochman, “They’re not certified.” And therefore, Hochman said, STEM-related classes for Toldos […]
Lakewood growth: What’s in it for all of us?
Credit: APP First published in The Asbury Park Press on December 16, 2019. Lakewood Neighbors is appreciative of the APP’s Unity Project, with this article being a perfect example of how it’s building bridges in the community. Mary Jander When the horror of last week’s shooting in Jersey City was revealed as a possible anti-Semitic attack, I was […]
N.J. Orthodox and hate crime: Be part of the solution
Credit: APP First published in The Asbury Park Press on November 17, 2019. Hate crimes in New Jersey rose for the third straight year in 2018, according to a new report from the FBI. That should come as no surprise to anyone, certainly not anyone living in Ocean and Monmouth counties, where much of that hate has […]
Becoming a model for neighbors
LAKEWOOD, N.J. (Religion News Service) — Like any rapidly expanding exurb, this town of 103,000 residents 1 1/2 hours south of Manhattan along the Jersey Shore has received its influx of outsiders with trepidation about the changing nature of their home turf. One thing that makes Lakewood different is that nearly half the town’s population […]
Special Envoy discusses stopping hate
On Tuesday, September 10th, Lakewood Neighbors hosted Elan S. Carr, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at a meeting on tolerance and combatting hate. Special Envoy Carr participated in an open discussion about the challenges facing our region and his thoughts on how to prevent bias. The meeting was held at the Lakewood Municipal […]
A evening of crafting, kindness and community
An evening of building community and kindness by bringing people together to craft. About this Event: Join us in Mancini Hall of the Toms River Library for an evening of kindness, community and crafting. Bring your family, friends and neighbors to this free community event aimed at bringing together the diverse populations of Ocean County. […]
Letter: Thank You, Lieutenant Butterworth
Credit: The Lakewood Scoop First published in The Lakewood Scoop on July 15, 2019. To whom it may concern: I wanted to express our gratitude and let you know that yesterday our family was the recipient of exceptional service from the Lakewood, NJ police department. Lt. Butterworth of the Lakewood police department went out of […]
Lakewood Police Chief Greg Meyer hosts ‘Building Community Relations’ event
Credit: The Lakewood Scoop First published in The Lakewood Scoop on June 11, 2019. Representatives from Lakewood’s Hispanic and Jewish communities came together this evening for an evening of unity, hosted by Police Chief Greg Meyer. The Hispanic community got to hear first hand how the many volunteer organizations within the Jewish community operate, and […]
Focus on similarities, interdependence in building relationships
By Stacie Smith, associate managing director and senior mediator at the Consensus Building Institute. First published in the Asbury Park Press on June 17, 2019. As part of Lakewood Neighbors’ commitment to address the social and civic challenges facing Lakewood, my colleagues and I came to Lakewood in February with a goal of understanding as […]
Situation Assessment for Lakewood Region
Background Lakewood NJ is the fastest growing township in NJ, and the most populous in Ocean County. The population includes diverse constituencies – the majority is Orthodox Jewish, with a sizable Latino/Latina population, as well as other ethnic groups. Lakewood also has a significant senior citizen population, as it has been a popular retirement location. […]
A Blueprint for Lakewood’s Future
Since we formed in late 2017, our primary mission has been to address the social and civic challenges facing Lakewood and the region. As a continuation of that mission, we engaged the National Charrette Institute (NCI) and the Consensus Building Institute (CBI) to help form a collaborative process for fostering a shared blueprint for […]
Armin Shimerman: From Lakewood to Star Trek
Photo: Shout! Studios Perhaps best known for his run as the space bar proprietor Quark on the series “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” from 1993 to 1999, Armin Shimerman’s Lakewood childhood followed him all the way to the stars. In an interview with the Asbury Park Press, Shimerman discussed how memories of his Ocean County […]
Lakewood: A Leader in Charitable Giving
Time and time again, Lakewood’s residents have demonstrated their giving spirit. Whether it’s been through gathering members of different communities to break (and bake) bread, or celebrating the hard work of local law enforcement to keep the community safe, Lakewood continues to display its key values through action. Most recently, Lakewood’s spirit of philanthropy […]
Connecting Ocean County neighbors through challah
It’s no secret that Ocean County is home to a diverse cross-section of cultures, working together to bridge barriers and better the community. As an extension of this spirit of fellowship, a group of more than 100 women gathered in Toms River last week to make challah, a type of bread that serves as […]
Inside the Charrette Process
As part of our mission to address the social and civic challenges facing Lakewood, we proudly engaged the National Charrette Institute (NCI) and the Consensus Building Institute (CBI) to help form a collaborative process that will foster a shared blueprint for Lakewood’s future. The process has two phases: an assessment that consists of interviews with […]
This Lakewood Company is Revolutionizing the Pharmaceutical Industry
Think of the last time you visited your local pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Did you know how much it would cost before you were asked to pay for it? For most people, the answer is “no.” To address the clear lack of drug pricing transparency in the pharmaceutical industry, Ezriel Green founded EzriRx, […]
Altruism in Action: Simcha “Sim” Shain of ParaFlight EMS and Aviation
Lakewood has produced more than its fair share of community figures that work hard for the greater good. Over the years, we’ve heard numerous accounts of volunteerism from township residents across a diverse range of backgrounds, and it’s one of the many things that make our community great. One of the good neighbors that characterize […]
Founding Member of Lakewood Neighbors Interviewed by NJ.com
Rabbi Aaron Kotler has a lot to say about Lakewood. As a founding member of Lakewood Neighbors, the CEO of Lakewood-based Beth Medrash Gohova, and a member of the Lakewood vaad, Rabbi Kotler has played a pivotal role in fostering community-building in the township. Earlier this month, he sat down with NJ Advance Media in […]
Lakewood Neighbors coalition engages international collaboration experts to foster community planning
Lakewood, NJ — To address Lakewood’s regional growing pains and foster a shared blueprint for its future, the Lakewood Neighbors coalition engaged the Consensus Building Institute (CBI) affiliated with MIT-Harvard, and the National Charrette Institute (NCI) affiliated with Michigan State University to provide an “Assessment and Process Design for Community Action Planning” prior to forming […]
Celebrated LHS Graduate to Perform at the Strand
Emmy- and Tony-nominated artist William Goldstein, the world-renowned composer and pianist—a 1959 Lakewood High School graduate, and an inductee into the Lakewood High School Alumni Hall of Fame—will be performing at the Historic Strand Theater, 400 Clifton Avenue, Lakewood, at 2:00pm on Sunday, October 28, 2018, to benefit the Lakewood Historical Society. Goldstein, a recording […]
Lakewood Community Unites at Festive “Night Out Against Crime”
Cities and towns across America celebrated the 35th annual “Night Out Against Crime” on Tuesday, August 7, and the Lakewood Police Department hosted a particularly robust event. A diverse cross section of the Lakewood area community gathered at Pine Park to enjoy free rides, prizes, fireworks, shows, pizza, barbecue, live music by the Wilbur Whitman […]
Piners Pride On and Off the Field
Big cheers for some extraordinary Lakewood students, including two LHS seniors, who received Academic All-Shore Awards. The recent honors were for the All-Shore Conference encompassing forty-three teams for football in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. It’s important to note that only two athletes could be nominated per school, but LHS had at least three more who […]
LTC Consulting Services: Where Positive Attitudes and Actions Lead to Success
The Lakewood Blue Claws are not the only winning team in town – LTC Consulting Services also is known to hit home runs and throws strikes with pinpoint precision in its field. As LTC says on its website, “The world of healthcare financials is always changing. We’ll help you navigate the complexities.” So, when it […]
CHEMED Awarded Highest Recognition
The Center for Health Education, Medicine and Dentistry (CHEMED), a federally qualified health care center (1771 Madison Avenue, Lakewood, NJ) has been recognized at the highest level as a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) by the National Council on Quality Assurance (NCQA). The NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition Program, the most widely adopted evaluation program […]
Night at the Cabaret
From Lakewood’s Hotel Heyday What was Lakewood, N.J., like in the 1960s—the era of countless hotels and star hotel musicians who made Lakewood a destination vacation resort that challenged the Catskills in appeal? Meet some of the musicians and entertainers at “A Night at the Cabaret” as Jimmy Givens, the last of the Lakewood hotel […]
Discovering Next Generation Problem Solvers in Lakewood
Questions for Lakewood High’s Ben Lieberman Benjamin Lieberman is the coordinator for Lakewood High School’s new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) Academy. He teaches Calculus, Pre-Calculus, Engineering, and Introduction to Engineering and Design. Following the announcement of UNEX Manufacturing’s engineering scholarship, we asked him about ways the school is identifying today’s problem […]
Walk Safely | Lakewood Safety Campaign Begins with Pedestrian Safety Cards
Lakewood—Several Lakewood Township agencies and organizations met recently to design a safety campaign for the town that will feature Pedestrian Safety Cards in English, Yiddish, and Spanish, among other safety tips. Many injuries and fatalities happen because drivers and pedestrians simply don’t see each other. Each organization will distribute the Pedestrian Safety Cards as part […]
APP: Lakewood’s 2,500-Year-Old Party
A deafening live band — thump thump thump — provided the metronome fueling the frenetic atmosphere overnight inside synagogue Kollel Ner Avrohom, tucked behind Georgian Court University on Arbutus Drive. Take a look inside the party in the video at the top of this story. Richard Roberts, a former pharmaceutical company executive and political donor […]
APP: “Mr. Lakewood” is Oscar Orellana
APP: On Sunday mornings, he (Orellana) coaches in a sports league for children with disabilities. On Monday nights, he helps run a literacy program for Latino families. On most Tuesday nights, he’s coaching and mentoring at the Escape Wrestling Club, a free program he started to introduce underprivileged kids to the sport that changed his […]
APP Video: What Exactly is a “Shul?”
Many residents of Lakewood and surrounding communities have added a new word to their vocabulary—”Shul.” Yiddish in its origin, the word is a synonym for a synagogue and widely used in the Orthodox community to refer to a house of prayer and worship. Please be neighborly and watch and share this video.
Lakewood Neighbors Coalition: Facing Challenges Together
Over 50 leaders from Lakewood and across Ocean County gathered for a dinner on Wednesday night to form Lakewood Neighbors, a coalition to address the social and civic challenges facing the region and develop a shared vision for the future. They will be reaching out to concerned citizens to join them in the coalition, and […]
8th Day: Building Bridges Through Music
Most times, a bridge that connect communities is made of steel and concrete. Other times, a bridge of music can cross community boundaries and provide a connection. That was the case this fall at Ocean County College, where the band 8th Day performed and then took part in a question-and-answer session with a diverse audience […]
NJIT Profiles Lakewood’s Ruth Fiore as “First-Gen College Student”
For Ruth Fiore, a freshman from Lakewood, N.J., studying biomedical engineering, being a first-generation college student has presented her with a host of challenges—particularly since she is also the youngest in her family and the only one of the five children to pursue higher education. Read the full story >
Barber never cut ties with his roots in Lakewood
LAKEWOOD, NJ — Edgar Gallegos cuts hair for a living, but when it comes to giving back to his community in Ocean County — and his entrepreneurial spirit — he cuts no corners. The native of Ecuador’s background reads like an American success story, New Jersey style. He came to the U.S. with his family […]
Infographic: CHEMED’s Language of Caring
One of Lakewood’s recent success stories is the leading-edge Center for Health Education, Medicine, & Dentistry (CHEMED). This Federally Qualified Health Center is dedicated to providing primary health care, disease prevention, health education, case management services, and social service referral to all residents. The infographic captures CHEMED’s mission of promoting health and wellness to diverse […]
Lakewood’s Presidential Pedigree
Historical Quick Takes: The POTUS Connection LakewoodNeighbors.org connected with Stan Lipson, president of the Lakewood Historical Society and member of the Lakewood Heritage Commission, to deliver a series of historical snapshots of our hometown connection to towering figures from American history. LN: Which president had the deepest connection to Lakewood? SL: The most important president […]
Lakewood man lends a hand in feeding Houston after Hurricane Harvey
Joseph Mutterperl lives and works in Ocean County, but when Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, his heart — and culinary talents — landed in Houston. After the Category 4 storm devastated Southeast Texas, with as much as 60 inches of rain and winds up to 130 m.p.h., the owner of South Side Sandwich Shop and Smokehouse […]
Lakewood’s Diverse Community Rallies to Mexico’s Aid
Once again disaster struck, and once again Lakewood’s diverse community came to the aid of distant victims. Shortly after a deadly 7.1 magnitude earthquake ravaged Mexico last week, Alejandra Morales of La Voz Latinos rallied a relief effort, and the heart of Lakewood responded. Soon a steady stream of supplies, including water, non-perishable food, clothes, […]
Lakewood Family Welcomes APP During Sukkot Observance
Local news website APP recently featured the Kotler family of Lakewood and their celebration of Sukkot.