Toms River, NJ – New Jersey GOP candidate for Governor Jack Ciattarelli today visit Toms River as the shadow of the Project Veritas leaked video from the Phil Murphy campaign loomed over.
Instead of addressing that video and Phil Murphy’s alleged plan to implement a statewide COVID-19 vaccination mandate after next Tuesday’s election, Ciattarelli switch gears, addressing another problem that faces Ocean County.
Ocean County is a changing county due in part, in the north, to the expanding Orthodox Jewish population. Until a few years ago, Orthodox Jewish community members chose to settle down in Lakewood proper. Now, as buildable land in Lakewood is growing scarce and overdevelopment has led to overcrowding, traffic, and congestion, Orthodox Jews moving into the area are now seeking more affordable options around Lakewood.
The towns of Howell, Toms River, Brick, Jackson, and even Manchester have become desirable alternatives for young Orthodox Jewish families looking for affordable solutions in the new and growing Lakewood greater metropolitan area.
That influx into those communities has brought cultural clashes between Jewish residents and the people who live in the communities where they are resettling.
Allegations of overdevelopment and a change in the social fabric of long-established neighborhoods are being met with cries of antisemitism from the Orthodox Jewish community.
Ciattarelli today vowed to fight against antisemitism in New Jersey
“This morning, I attended a roundtable discussion with members of the Jewish community in Toms River,” Ciattarelli said. “As Governor, I will lower property taxes, support local and state police, have zero tolerance for anti-Semitic acts, and get our schools back to basics. “
The Orthodox Jewish community in Toms River recently won a battle against the township after an intervention by the U.S. Department of Justice. After denying religious houses of worship, Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill (R) and Councilman Terrance Turnbach (D) lead the effort to reduce acreage limits for houses of worship township-wide. Previously, houses of worship were limited to ten-acre requirements. Now, due to a code change approved by Turnbach and the Toms River Council, that acreage has been reduced to two acres.
Today, Ciattarelli met with the Toms River Jewish Community Council who pressured the Department of Justice and township officials to force the zoning change.
Photo by Jack Ciattarelli for Governor, Inc., Facebook.
