I recognized that I am obligated to recognize and conform to yeshiva standards.
Please explain to me far the Kollel power extends. Is it 1 mile? 10 miles? 50 miles? Where is the doctrine that explains this?
A MO friend of mine grew up in Lakewood. She certainly didn’t conform. There was a small MO community there and I think even a coed day school. Did BMG have the power to shut them down? Did they try?
My sister moved into a neighborhood that was not really populated. I think there were 20 families when they moved in. Most of them had not even learned in BMG. So what requirements were there for them to follow the Kollel? Incidentally, the Kollel did not like the Rav who tried to establish himself there (I don’t know the backstory), so the community listened and got a new Rav.
They also didn’t try to send their kids to one of the schools that didn’t hashkafically fit them – they didnt try to come in and say “Hey I’m here get used to what I do.” They chose an appropriate area and appropriate schools for them. I don’t in any way see how my sister and her family are bringing down Lakewood. I would put my brother-in-laws learning up against any of the people in kollel (he gets up at 4 am most days to be able to learn, go to minyan, put in a full days work, come home, spend time with his family and then go to maariv and more learning). He is an amazing person that Lakewood is lucky to have. I’m sorry if some people cannot see that because he wears a blue shirt to work.
I’m trying to figure out what Lakewood stood for that the newcomers should be striving for – is it discrimination against people who have slightly different hashkafa or a halachic psak? I was under the impression that Lakewood stood for Torah, not pettiness.
Realize, that if the kollel had the power you want them to (or think they have) and the Kollel thought the restaurants were inappropriate, they would be able to close them down. Who gives the hechsherim to restaurants in Lakewood anyway?
Remember, this is a letter written by an “original” Lakewoodian looking down on newcomers – not a newcomer saying “I want to be accepted.” Maybe the newcomers don’t need your acceptance. Does that bother you?