Youtubers and social media influencers coming to “expose” Orthodox Jews, especially in Lakewood, NJ, is all the rage these days.

Jumping on the YouTuber who exposed the Minnesota Somali day-care fraud bandwagon, we’ve been treated to desperate copycats – who for example at minute 6 of his Pulitzer Prize worthy Lakewood Fraud Expose saw “the craziest thing!!!” He saw, “hundreds of Jewish students eating in the cafeteria.” Jewish students eating in the cafeteria!! Who knew!?!

In truth, haters of our community have been trying to do this for years.

About 10 years ago, publications sent investigative journalists to Lakewood to uncover fraud. They found little, but did get a lot of clicks.

Unfortunately, these allegations sound true to their many eager and naive followers but bear little resemblance to actual reality. In the past it was hard to debunk many of the lies and myths spread about our community; IE We don’t legally marry in order to have our children receive more benefits by being classified as living with a single mother, or that we classify our homes as synagogues in order to avoid paying property taxes, or that we are a drain on the NJ taxpayer by receiving private school bussing, etc. But now, thanks to the wealth of information easily searchable by anyone with an internet connection, a simple search debunks this nonsense.

I decided to present that which I found, not in hopes of convincing them or their followers, but because thousands of others see these videos all over social media, don’t comment, yet assume them to reflect truth. We should be able to present truth to neutral observers, if for no other reason than chilul Hashem.

Myth 1) Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t marry legally

Myth: Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t marry legally in order to enable our women to remain “single” in the eyes of the State of NJ, and collect government benefits.

I asked Google Gemini:

“How many marriages are there in Lakewood NJ annually?”

Gemini responded:

“While there is no single “official” tracker that captures every wedding (as many Lakewood residents marry in other cities like Brooklyn or Monsey), based on demographic data and local marriage license trends, it is estimated that between 1,500 and 2,500 marriages occur in Lakewood annually as of 2026. This number is significantly higher than a typical town of its size (approx. 145,000 residents) due to Lakewood’s unique demographic profile.

Why the Marriage Rate is So High:
Demographic Profile: Lakewood has one of the youngest median ages in New Jersey. A vast majority of the population belongs to the Orthodox Jewish community, where marriage and family-building are central life milestones typically occurring in the early 20s.

Comparison to State Averages: While the New Jersey state average is roughly 5.4 marriages per 1,000 residents, Lakewood’s rate is estimated to be 3 to 4 times higher. If Lakewood followed the state average, it would only have about 780 weddings per year; in reality, the local volume far exceeds that.”

Clearly, the marriages are being reported, as Gemini is reporting “local marriage license trends.”

Then I asked Gemini:

“How many births are there annually in Lakewood NJ? How many are there from parents not legally married?”

Gemini responded:

In Lakewood, New Jersey, the annual number of births is exceptionally high, reflecting one of the highest birth rates in the United States. Based on the most recent census and health data (2023–2025 estimates), here are the findings:

Lakewood records approximately 4,500 to 5,000 births annually.

Calculated Average: According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023), there are approximately 22,805 children under the age of 5 in Lakewood. This averages out to roughly 4,561 births per year.

• Regional Context: Lakewood accounts for nearly half of all births in Ocean County (which totaled 10,507 in 2023), despite making up only about 21% of the county’s population.

• Fertility Rate: The town’s fertility rate is more than double the New Jersey state average. Approximately 14% to 20% of women aged 15–50 in Lakewood give birth each year.

Births from Non-Married Parents

The percentage of births to legally unmarried parents in Lakewood is significantly lower than both the New Jersey and national averages.

• Lakewood Statistics: While specific annual “nonmarital birth” counts for the municipality are not always published as a standalone figure, the township has a very high marriage rate. About 85–86% of households are headed by married couples, compared to the New Jersey average of roughly 50%.

Again, a simple Gemini prompt debunks the myth that we don’t report our marriages to the State. Not only do Lakewood couples report their marriages, they legally marry at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the NJ population. Anyone with internet access can see this for themselves.

Myth 2) Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t pay real estate taxes

Myth: Lakewood Orthodox Jews don’t pay real estate taxes by reporting their residence as a tax-exempt synagogue.

In truth, this allegation has been going on for decades and was debunked by the APP in 2015 and again in 2017 by NJ.com. Both reported that Orthodox Jews had just 350 total tax-exempt properties, out of 30,000+ properties.

But let’s do a deeper dive for 2026…

I asked Google Gemini how many current tax-exempt properties there were in Lakewood.

Answer: Of the more than 33,000 Lakewood properties, 2,000 are tax exempt. The vast majority of these tax-exempt properties are owned by Lakewood Township (Government), Ocean County (Government), Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus and Georgian Court University. The largest tax-exempt Jewish entity was, as you would expect, Beth Medrash Govoha, the world’s second largest yeshiva.

So I asked Gemini:

“What is the total number of tax-exempt properties owned by Orthodox Jews?”

Gemini estimated it was somewhere between 450 – 500 tax-exempt properties.

This should come as no surprise to anyone, since Orthodox Jews have approximately 52,000 children in over 164 local private schools. Those children save taxpayers likely over $1,000,000,000 (that’s $1 Billion dollars) by going to private schools and paying for their own education — but more on that later. We also have hundreds of Synagogues we attend. Again, no surprise, since Jewish men spend 2 – 3 hours daily studying and praying.

So, a simple Google Gemini prompt demonstrates that we aren’t reporting our residence as tax-exempt properties, and in fact the vast majority of the 33,000+ Lakewood properties are being taxed. And of the 2,000+ tax-exempt properties, the vast majority of them aren’t owned by Jews. And the 400+ Jewish-owned tax-exempt properties belong to either BMG, or one of the more than 164 Lakewood private schools, or local Synagogues. Again, this is easily searchable by anyone interested in truth.

Myth 3) Orthodox Jews are a drain on the system

Myth: We cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in busing costs to our private schools. Also there are Lakewood children enrolled in special education programs.

This one is easily debunked. I asked Gemini:

“Lakewood Orthodox Jews send their 52,000 children to private schools. How much money does that save taxpayers?”

Gemini responded:

Based on current data for 2026, the financial impact of Lakewood’s private school enrollment is staggering. By sending approximately 52,000 children to private yeshivas and schools, the Orthodox community effectively shifts the primary cost of education away from the public tax base.

1. The “Gross Savings” Calculation

To understand the scale, we compare the cost of educating these students in the public system using New Jersey’s average spending per pupil.

• Average NJ Per-Pupil Spending: For the 2025–2026 school year, the average budgetary cost per pupil in NJ is approximately $21,200, with total spending (including overhead and debt) reaching closer to $30,000.

• Total Potential Cost: If all 52,000 private school students enrolled in Lakewood Public Schools tomorrow, the annual operating cost would be roughly $1.1 billion to $1.56 billion.

• The “Savings”: Since these students do not use the public system for their primary instruction, the “gross savings” to taxpayers (state and local combined) is roughly $1.5 billion annually in operating costs alone.

2. The “Invisible” Capital Savings

Beyond the annual tuition, the township would have to accommodate 52,000 new students.

• Buildings: Lakewood currently operates only about 8 public schools for its ~5,000 students. To house another 52,000, the town would need to build approximately 80 to 100 additional schools.

• Land & Construction: Given Lakewood’s real estate prices, the capital expenditure for such a massive expansion would likely run into the billions of dollars, which would be funded through long-term taxpayer bonds.

3. The Nuance: What Taxpayers Do Pay

While the private community saves the public system the cost of “instruction,” New Jersey state law mandates that the local public school district provide certain services to all residents, regardless of where they attend school:

• Transportation (Busing): Lakewood currently spends over $33 million per year to provide “courtesy busing” for private school students.

• Special Education: The district is legally required to pay for specialized services and out-of-district placements for private school students with severe special needs. This cost is estimated at $50 million to $70 million annually.

• The Funding Gap: Because the state funding formula is based primarily on public school enrollment (~5,000 students), but the district’s mandates are based on the total population (~57,000 students), the district faces a massive structural deficit (currently over $100 million).

While our critics focus on the mandatory busing (which is mandated by the State and every private school child, Jew and non-Jew, is eligible), they conveniently ignore the fact that we save taxpayers well over $1 BILLION dollars by paying for our own education and the buildings that house them. This doesn’t even take into account that the LSTA which handles private school transportation, now charges $380 for each private school child’s transportation. Nor does it take into account the millions of dollars circulated into the local economy, benefitting Jewish and non-Jewish contractors who build the private schools that we pay for. The real reason for our education funding gap is because the State funding formula is severely broken.

There are many more myths circulating about Lakewood, and I’m sure those individuals will keep up their propaganda and campaign of hate. At least now you can easily copy and paste these simple search results so that neutral observers are given a fuller picture.

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Rabbi Meir Goldberg runs JX at Rutgers University and other NY/NJ/Chicago-based campuses. He can be reached at [email protected]