New Square, New York

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New Square, New York
New Square, New York is located in New York
New Square, New York
New Square, New York
Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 41°8′23″N 74°1′42″W / 41.13972°N 74.02833°W / 41.13972; -74.02833
Country United States
State New York
County Rockland
Area
 - Total 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km2)
 - Land 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km2)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 492 ft (150 m)
Population (2005 [1])
 - Total 7,830
 - Density ~19,500/sq mi (~8,500/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 10977
Area code(s) 845
FIPS code 36-50705
GNIS feature ID 0971939

New Square (Hebrew: ניו סקוור‎, Yiddish: שיכון סקווירא) is an all-Hasidic village in the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Hillcrest; east of Viola; south of New Hempstead and west of New City. Its inhabitants are predominantly members of the Skverer Hasidic movement who seek to maintain a Hasidic lifestyle.

Contents

[edit] History

New Square is the anglicized form of Skvyra, a town in Ukraine, where the Skver Hasidim have their roots. The village was established in 1954, when twenty families moved from the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, New York City to a 130-acre (0.53 km2) dairy farm under the leadership of their Rebbe, Yaakov Yosef Twersky. The founders planned a group of five-room cottages and streets named after Presidents of the United States. The founders intended to name the settlement New Skvir; a typist-generated error Anglicized the name.[2] In 1958 the settlement had 60 families.[3]

New Square's neighboring communities began to protest against the development of New Square as the non-Jewish people and Jewish people wanted single-family homes in a manner described by Jerome R. Mintz, author of Hasidic People, as "well-delineated" as opposed to "a crowded and disorganized urban sprawl." The concerns were related to property taxes, sewage systems, property values, and control of school districts. Town of Ramapo leaders discovered that one Cape Cod-style house had a synagogue in the basement and that secret private businesses existed in private homes. Many families occupying single-family houses said that they belonged to extended family. The town authorities found that some of the houses had multiple unrelated families living together. In 1961, when the community asked for a building permit so it could expand the basement synagogue, the town attorney requested the condemnation of the entire New Square community, citing that it threatened sewage lines. In response the community requested incorporation as a village.[4] When New Square applied for incorporation, the Town of Ramapo refused to process the application and sued the Hasids for the deeds to the streets and sewage systems. The Hasids refused to turn over the deeds unless the town processes the application.[2] In July 1961 New Square incorporated after the New York Supreme Court ruled in favor of the village.[4]

When it incorporated, New Square set its own zoning and building codes. Therefore the existing houses were legalized and the liens disappeared. Lots sold, with seven new houses opening by 1963 and an additional ten by 1967. The businesses in basements began to sell openly. Three knitting mills and a used car lot opened. The elder Skverer rebbe died in 1968. David Twersky, the son, succeeded his father.[4] In 1963 the settlement had 85 families and a total of 620 inhabitants. By 1967 this increased to 126 families and 812 total residents. The community celebrated ten marriages in 1967. In 1970 the village had 1,156 inhabitants, with 57% of the population under the age of 18. During that year the village had the lowest per capita income of the places in New York State. The village had around one hundred births, evenly divided between males and females, each year from 1971 to 1986. By that year the village had 140 one, two, and three family houses, a 45-unit low-rent apartment complex, 2,100 people, and 450 families with an average of 7 to 8 children per family. In 1980 the village retained having the lowest per capita income. During the late 1970s the Town of Ramapo denied New Square's attempt to annex land. Six years later, in March 1982 New Square gained the legal right to annex 95 acres of land.[3] The increases in the children in families further strained financial resources, so attitudes towards accepting government assistance changed.[5] In 1963 four persons received welfare due to illness. One dozen people received welfare in 1975. In 1992 the village administrator said that in 1975 about two thirds of the families received food stamps and Medicaid.[6]

New Square's population increased 77.5% between 1990 and 2000. In 2005 the village contained approximately 7830 residents; 1350 families, with 5.8 persons per family.[7] Robert Zeliger of Rockland Magazine described New Square in 2007 as "a densely packed haven where Hasidic residents live largely by their own customs and laws."[8] In November 2008 a new water tower serving New Square and the hamlet of Hillcrest opened, increasing residents' water pressure.[9]

Four Hasidic men from New Square, Benjamin Berger, Jacob Elbaum, David Goldstein, and Kalmen Stern, created a nonexistent Jewish school to receive $30 million United States dollars of education grants, subsidies, and loans from the U.S. Federal Government.[10] The men were convicted in 1999. In October of that year all four men received prison sentences ranging from 30 months to 78 months. Two other suspects who were indicted left the United States.[11] Hillary Clinton met with New Square-area Hasidic leaders as part of her senate campaign. Michael Duffy and Karen Tumulty of TIME said that "as far as anyone knows, that was a campaign event only; no pardons were mentioned." Hillary Clinton attended another session with the men, who wanted to see the four Hasidic leaders released. After Hillary Clinton was voted in as a senator, during the morning of December 22 Twersky and an associate visited Bill Clinton in the White House Map Room in Washington, D.C. and asked him to pardon the four men. Hillary Clinton attended the meeting; she said that she did not participate in it and did not discuss the meeting with her husband.[12] On January 20, 2001 President of the United States Bill Clinton commuted the sentences of the men; Berger's sentence became two years and the other men each had 30 months. Federal prosecutors investigated the pardons to see if they were made in exchange for political support.[11] A 2001 ABC News article stated that some people wondered whether the pardons occurred as a kind of favor because the Village of New Square had voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton for her first senate term (1359 out of 1369 votes) or if the pardons occurred as part of a quid pro quo swap for votes.[10][12] Hillary Clinton said that she was not involved in the pardons and that her husband pardoned the men out of clemency.[11] In 2002 the prosecutors closed the investigation with no action.[13]

[edit] Culture

The community in New Square is made up exclusively of Hasidic Jews, mostly from the Skverer Hasidic movement, who wish to maintain a Hasidic lifestyle while keeping outside influences to a minimum. The village is self-sustainable, with its own business and shopping areas, private primary and secondary schools, and charitable organizations.[14] The predominant language spoken in New Square is Yiddish.[15]

People typically marry around 17 to 20 years of age. Girls typically finish high school at around age 17 and then marry. Custom dictates that women who marry people who studied in other Hasidic communities leave New Square. This is because, on previous occasions, women who married men from other Hasidic communities found that the husbands had an allegiance to their rebbes and the women left. In addition community leaders felt that a man who studied elsewhere may produce an alienating feeling. Some women who left settled in the Borough Park community in Brooklyn and the Monsey community of the Town of Ramapo, where the community is not as tightly knit. Men who marry women from outside of the community are encouraged to stay in New Square.[6]

Throughout New Square's history, young women, prior to entering marriage and one year after the marriage, worked as teachers, secretaries, and bookkeepers; some of them worked in the New Square shopping center as cashiers and clerks. Some of the women, after having children, worked as bookkeepers in their homes. Many young men worked as teachers, bus drivers, deliverymen, and store clerks. Some worked as computer programmers and some worked as craftsmen and entrepreneurs in the diamond industry. Many studied in the kolel, a yeshiva for married men, and received stipends to support their families. Jerome R. Mintz, author of Hasidic People said that it is said that the older Rebbe did not want to see young men immediately move into the business world, so he wished to see them remain studying for two years after marriage so they can introduce learning to their families. Because the Hasidic couples marry young and have many children, the generational age gap is relatively short.[16]

In 2005 the community's rabbinical court ruled that women should not operate cars.[17] In a 2003 article Lisa W. Foderaro of The New York Times described New Square "extremely insular" and said that the community's residents do not own televisions and radios.[18]

[edit] Geography

Location of village within the Town of Ramapo and Rockland County, New York.

New Square is located at 41°8′23″N 74°1′42″W / 41.13972°N 74.02833°W / 41.13972; -74.02833 (41.139745, -74.028197)[19].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.4 square miles (0.9 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[20] of 2000, there were 4,624 people, 820 households, and 786 families residing in the village. The population density was 12,811.8 people per square mile (4,959.3/km²). There were 838 housing units at an average density of 2,321.9/sq mi (898.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.95% White, 1.64% African American, 0.89% Asian, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population. 87.26% speak Yiddish at home, 7.68% English, and 4.11% Hebrew.[21]

There were 820 households out of which 77.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 92.6% were married couples living together, 2.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 4.1% were non-families. 3.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 5.64 and the average family size was 5.81.

In the village the population was spread out with 60.5% under the age of 18, 13.9% from 18 to 24, 15.9% from 25 to 44, 7.1% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 14 years. For every 100 females there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $12,162, and the median income for a family was $12,208. Males had a median income of $21,696 versus $29,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $5,237. About 67.0% of families and 72.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 77.3% of those under age 18 and 14.7% of those age 65 or over.

2007 and 2008 reports from the State of New York stated that 89.8 of the village consisted of low-income and moderate-income residents.[22][23] The 2007 report also stated that each year one half of the women between ages 18 and 25 gave birth.[23]

[edit] Government and infrastructure

As of 1992 the Village of New Square has a mayor, a mayor's assistant, a board of trustees, a village clerk, and a justice of the peace. The mayor's assistant performs the bulk of administrative work. The justice of the peace mainly handles harassment cases perpetrated by outsiders within New Square.[24]

The Hillcrest Fire Department (also known as the Moleston Fire District) provides fire protection services to New Square. In March 2007, the fire district met with Town of Ramapo supervisors and proposed removing New Square from its fire district after a February 7, 2007 fire that destroyed two buildings in New Square. New Square is the site of frequent fires, from intentionally set nuisance fires in dumpsters and piles of refuse, to far more serious structure fires that quickly consume homes due to their sub-code construction and local reluctance to report incidents in a timely manner. New Square loses at least two to three residences a year to fire. Further hazards stem from only one main access road- Washington Avenue- and the failure of some residents to yield to emergency vehicles, or to crowd streets surrounding an incident. There also have been isolated cases of residents tampering with fire equipment while responders are on scene. The fire department felt concern about a lack of fire protection in buildings in New Square. On March 29 Ramapo town officials met fire district officials and fire department chiefs. On April 4 of that year the fire district announced that New Square would remain in the fire district. Christopher St. Lawrence, the Town of Ramapo supervisor, said that the town is considering a "public safety loan program" to help New Square residents install life safety devices such as smoke alarms and sprinkler systems.[25]

New Square is within the 95th Assembly District in the New York State Assembly. As of 2008 Ellen Jaffee represents New Square.[26] New Square is within Senate District 38 in the New York State Senate. As of 2008 Thomas P. Morahan represents the district.[27]

[edit] Education

The town is within the East Ramapo Central School District.

Avir Yaakov Boys School and Avir Yaakov Girls School, private Jewish PreK-12 schools, are in New Square.[28]

[edit] Kiryas Square

The Skver have expanded to a new town for its members in the town of Spring Glen, New York. The village is named Kiryas Square.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Jewish Upstate Directory, 2005-2006
  2. ^ a b "Mystics in the Suburbs." TIME. Friday March 3, 1961. 1.
  3. ^ a b Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People. Harvard University Press. 1992. 202.
  4. ^ a b c Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People. Harvard University Press. 1992. 200.
  5. ^ Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People. Harvard University Press. 1992. 202-203.
  6. ^ a b Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People. Harvard University Press. 1992. 203.
  7. ^ Jewish Upstate Directory, 2005-2006
  8. ^ Zeliger, Robert. "Culture clash." Rockland Magazine. August 31, 2007.
  9. ^ Clarke, Suzan. "Water tower targets Hillcrest, New Square." The Journal News. November 17, 2008.
  10. ^ a b "Questions Mount in Pardon Saga." ABC News. February 4, 2001. 1.
  11. ^ a b c Anderson, Nick. "Hasidic Clemency Case Entangles Hillary Clinton." Los Angeles Times. February 24, 2001.
  12. ^ a b Duffy, Michael and Karen Tumulty. "Pardon Me, Boys." TIME. Sunday February 25, 2001. 1.
  13. ^ "Has Clinton been vindicated?." CNN. June 24, 2002.
  14. ^ Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People. Harvard University Press. 1992. 205.
  15. ^ New Square community profile
  16. ^ Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People. Harvard University Press. 1992. 204.
  17. ^ Weiss, Steven I. "Hasidic Village Keeps Women Out of the Driver’s Seat." The Jewish Daily Forward. Friday October 14, 2005.
  18. ^ Foderaro, Lisa. "New York Town Mourns a Generous Friend." The New York Times. August 20, 2003.
  19. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  20. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31. 
  21. ^ Modern Language Association, Data center results for New Square, New York. Retrieved on 2008-03-26.
  22. ^ "V. of New Square Sidewalk and Curb Construction Project." New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. 2008.
  23. ^ a b V. of New Square expansion of Aim B'yisroel." New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. 2007.
  24. ^ Mintz, Jerome R. Hasidic People. Harvard University Press. 1992. 204-205.
  25. ^ "Fire service to New Square won’t be interrupted." The Journal News. April 4, 2007.
  26. ^ "Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee 95th Assembly District." New York State Assembly. Retrieved on November 14, 2008.
  27. ^ "Map of NY Senate District 38." Thomas P. Morahan. Retrieved on November 14, 2008.
  28. ^ "Directory of Non-Public Schools." East Ramapo Central School District. Retrieved on November 13, 2008.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 41°08′N 74°01′W / 41.133°N 74.017°W / 41.133; -74.017

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