I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent viral “investigations” by Tyler Oliveira focusing on the Kiryas Joel and Lakewood communities. While we are used to being misunderstood by the outside world, these videos represent a particularly dangerous shift in how our private and communal lives are being harvested for digital “content.”

What is most disturbing is how he obtained and presented footage regarding “seizing” housing or community expansion. By featuring distinguished members of our community and the Agudah—such as Rabbi Lefkowitz—discussing housing developments and natural growth into areas outside Lakewood, he strips these conversations of their legal and professional context. I wonder how he even obtained these videos of Rabbi Lefkowitz; it’s likely he is scouring our own public archives or scouring the internet for clips he can rebrand as “secret” evidence. He creates a false narrative of a conspiratorial “takeover,” visually manipulating routine planning through “secret camera” angles and ominous editing to make the legal right to purchase and develop land look like a heist.

In this digital age, we must be far more vigilant about what is said and what speeches are posted online. We need to realize that even when we are posting videos intended for the community’s benefit, the entire world has access to them. What is spoken in a room full of people who understand our nuances can be easily weaponized when shared with a global audience that lacks that context. Every public or semi-public address is now a potential “soundbite” for those looking to harm us. We must ask ourselves before hitting “upload” or “share”: how can this be twisted by someone who doesn’t have our best interests at heart?

In a time when antisemitic sentiment is at a boiling point, these videos provide a roadmap for those looking to justify their biases. We must remind our fellow community members that engaging with these influencers, even to “set the record straight,” often provides them with the exact “chopped” footage they need to serve their agenda. We cannot allow our legal right to live and grow to be rebranded as a “seizure” of resources simply because we weren’t careful with our own recordings and public discourse.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Yid

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