Skver mile 101

Heated Opposition Erupts at Ramapo Hearing on New Square Annexation

Ramapo, NY – September 10, 2025 — A packed public hearing at Ramapo
Town Hall drew more than one hundred men, women and children from
surrounding communities, as residents voiced sharp opposition to a
proposal that would annex four properties into the Village of New
Square. The annexation petition, filed under New York State’s Article
17 Municipal Annexation Law, included parcels on North Main Street in
New Hempstead and Spring Valley, as well as a lot owned by Refuah
Health Center.

A Silent Village Board, A Vocal Public

The evening began with a roll call of the Town of Ramapo Board and the
Village of New Square Board. While the Ramapo members presided, the
New Square trustees remained silent throughout the proceedings,
offering no comment to the standing-room-only crowd. This silence
fueled additional frustration among attendees, who repeatedly charged
that New Square’s controversial “mile policy,” an exclusion zone
barring outsiders they don’t want from living near the village, has
already destabilized neighborhoods and could grow even larger if
annexation proceeds.

As one speaker pointedly remarked, “If New Square expands, so does the
exclusion zone — which is already about fifteen times the size of the
village itself.”

Appreciation for Refuah, Concern for the Rest

While multiple residents acknowledged the important role Refuah Health
Center plays in providing healthcare services to the broader
community, they insisted there was no need for the property to be
annexed to New Square. “The Town of Ramapo can approve a parking lot
without ceding land to the village,” one commenter argued.

The other three parcels raised deeper concern, with several speakers
highlighting the lack of transparency about their intended use. Some
speculated about industrial projects, including the possibility of a
chicken processing plant. Others feared the properties could be used
for purposes with hidden intentions or simply give more control to
people that has repeatedly lacked concern for the basic welfare of
others.

Only one resident of New Square addressed the gathering. While he
praised Refuah Health Center’s contributions — a sentiment with which
no one disagreed — he went on to insist that New Square is an open,
welcoming place where anyone is free to shop and feel at home. That
testimony was met with skepticism by many in the audience, who pointed
out that if the village were truly welcoming, there would be no reason
to resist fellow Jews living peacefully in the surrounding
neighborhoods.

Emotional Testimonies

The hearing turned especially somber when a community member shared
his personal experience of living near the site of a stabbing,
violence he connected to overcrowding and the discriminatory “mile”
policy. “It’s insane and unheard of in this day and age that we are
being discriminated against so openly and our wellbeing put at risk,”
he said emotionally.

Another speaker described the fear of watching houses “snatched up” by
New Square residents, and then immediately transforming peaceful
blocks into overcrowded and unsafe environments. Others cited
embarrassment from New Square residents themselves, who quietly admit
to being troubled by their leadership’s hardline policies.

Broader Criticisms: Enforcement and Politics

Residents also turned their frustration toward the Town of Ramapo
itself, criticizing officials for failing to enforce zoning and
housing violations. “We pay serious tax dollars that should afford us
safe neighborhoods. Instead, we’re treated like second-class
citizens,” one resident declared.

Speakers accused town officials of avoiding confrontation with New
Square leadership in order to preserve the bloc vote. Several warned
that without accountability or transparency, the annexation would only
deepen divisions and threaten the stability of surrounding
neighborhoods.

Next Steps

The annexation petition remains under review. Written objections, as
required by Section 705 of the General Municipal Law, can still be
submitted. For now, the September 10th hearing underscored widespread
distrust of New Square’s intentions — and a growing movement among
local residents determined to push back against what they view as an
illegal and discriminatory land grab.

https://withinthemile.com/chesed-will-not-excuse-achzarius/

If the house next to you is illegally housing multiple families, it’s very important that you take steps to protect your home and community.

The most effective way to document and address these violations is by setting up surveillance cameras. Affordable options are available.

Video evidence has consistently proven to be the most effective tool in having these illegal tenants evicted. Any footage that clearly shows multiple families living in a single-family home can make a critical difference.

👉 Set up cameras — even a basic Wi-Fi cam or trail cam works.
👉 Collect video evidence — proof of multiple families coming and going is the strongest way to get action.
👉 Share what you see —

footage is what gets these places shut down and the illegal tenants evicted.

We all want a safe, stable neighborhood. The more of us who keep watch, the quicker we can stop this problem.

Let’s look out for each other.
By working together and documenting what’s happening, we can ensure the integrity and safety of our neighborhood.

Who is Zev Gruenzweig?

Zev Gruenzweig is more than a mortgage broker—he’s the Rabbi’s financial hitman. He isn’t just pushing paperwork for houses in the Mile, he’s engineering the takeover down to the last detail. Every signature he gathers and every loan he forces through is part of the bigger plot: one property at a time.

Gruenzweig doesn’t stop at mortgages. Working through https://www.fundingsource.com/ He scouts, he screens, and he filters—making sure only those who will bend the knee and stay loyal to the scheme get approved. If you don’t fit the mold, you don’t get the house. Simple as that. He isn’t providing a service—he’s enforcing obedience.

That makes him more dangerous than anyone else. He’s the silent operator who keeps the machine alive, pulling strings for the Rabbi’s agenda.

So let’s be clear: Zev Gruenzweig doesn’t just deserve a spot—he belongs front and center on the wall of shame. A willing accomplice. A weapon of control.

Congratulations, Zev. You’ve made it all the way to the top

Hello, we’ve never met, but we’re well aware of your position. 

You’ve made it loud and clear: you want to enforce a Judenrein mile around New Square, and you’re determined to get it done.

Let’s call it what it is, arrogant, backwards, and completely detached from reality. Where did you pull the “mile” from? Why not two miles? Or five miles? Or a techum Shabbos? This isn’t Torah, it’s fantasy. 

You claim to have written some letter ten years ago requesting that Yidden not buy within a mile of New Square. If we had seen that back then, we would’ve assumed it was a joke. Who in their right mind tries to control where a fellow Yid lives, just because it doesn’t fit your kehilla’s preferences? That’s not how normal communities function.

Let’s be honest: if a different Rebbe, not yours, had told you to stop the Skver expansion, would you give it a second of thought? Of course not. So don’t expect us to either.

There was no such thing as a widely understood or accepted “mile rule” when families moved in. Not in halacha, not in law, not in any shared communal understanding. You invented it, expected blind obedience, and are now shocked that no one took it seriously.

Nobody was informed, because nobody outside of your shtetle recognized it as a real or binding concept. And even if someone had mentioned it, there’s no reason anyone would have taken it seriously, because the idea that one kehilla can unilaterally redraw the map around itself, with no halachic basis, and no legal standing, is simply not how Torah communities or civilized society operate.

So you’ve decided to escalate and pick a fight with your Yiddish neighbors. No, not with fire and arson like in 2011. You learned the hard way that violence has consequences. This time you’ve decided to wage economic and demographic warfare. Buying homes and illegally renting them out to multi-family tenants, including illegal migrants in order to sabotage the neighborhoods around you.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just shady. It’s criminal. You’re breaking Halacha and l’havdil, federal, state, and local law. Worst of all, you’re breaking the basic norms of decency that every Jewish community, every one, has upheld for generations.

You will be stopped – that’s a fact. 

The question is – how ugly and expensive it’s going to get for you.

Even before the law catches up to you, you’re already paying a price. You’ve ignited a storm. Matzav, the Jewish Velt, Lakewood, the Mikveh nies, CBN Unfiltered, Dusiznies, Imamother, WhatsApp chats, it’s everywhere, and it’s not flattering. And what’s the story? A once looked up to and respected kehilla acting like a gang of bullies and crooks. You’re becoming a national disgrace. Another scandal, another headline, you’re being spoken about in the same breath as Lev Tahor – a fringe cult that no one wants to touch. 

You built something meaningful over sixty years. Skver used to mean something. A respected name. A good hechsher. A community known for warmth and ehrlichkeit. That’s all on the verge of going up in smoke. For what? To block a few Yiddeshe families from living peacefully, that’s what you’re burning it all down for?

This was stupid. Not just wrong—stupid. You’re throwing away your credibility, your standing, your future. And you’re doing it for a cause that has no halachic foundation, no precedent in Jewish history, and no chance of success.

Skver is not self-funded. You rely on outside donors. What do you think they’re going to say when they realize their tzedakah dollars are financing mafia tactics and illegal rentals? Once they understand what’s being done in their name, support will evaporate. No one wants to fund Chilul Hashem.

What exactly do you think you’re accomplishing? 

You really think if you push Yidden a mile away, your kehilla won’t see them? Won’t talk to them? Won’t think? Won’t wonder? 

You think isolation stops curiosity? You think isolation stops the yearning for freedom? 

This isn’t about us. Your young people are leaving because of you, because forced conformity and mind control are unsustainable. Because personality cults dressed in religious clothing have a shelf life. Because when you don’t allow people to breathe, think, question, or grow, you don’t produce tzaddikim – you produce escapees.

That’s not on us. That’s on you.

And no, this is not going away. We will keep this front and center until it’s resolved. You will either sell those homes, or you will rent them out legally. 

You want to be “frim”? Start with the Gemara. Start with the Shulchan Aruch. Rent to Jewish families if you care so much about kedisha. But we don’t expect that from you. Apparently, that’s not your thing.  

At the very least, you will be forced to follow the law. Dina d’malchusa dina. The world is not hefker!

You’ve made a catastrophic miscalculation. It’s not too late to stop the bleeding. Climb down quietly – or be dragged down, loudly. Either way, this ends with your defeat. The only question is: how much of your kehilla’s dignity, reputation, and future are you willing to destroy before that happens?

Your Neighbors in the Mile

Why would a Skvere yingrman have a problem with this sign in New Hempstead??

https://chat.whatsapp.com/KcRiE24p9woKCUGez2psnU?mode=ems_share_t

A link to a very informative website!

https://withinthemile.com/

Here, you will find A lot of information and interactive maps!

and  how you can help!

Here’s a link to the full letter It’s a must read!

https://dusiznies.blogspot.com/2025/07/too-close-to-skver-what-one-mother.html?m=1

This is a Kol Koreh by Lakewood Rabbanim along with Divrei Bracha from Rav Elyashiv Zatzal from 2008 regarding purchasing homes to be rented out to אינשי דלא מעלי. Included with the signatures is the Lakewood Dayan of Skverre, Rav Avrohom Spitzer.

Scroll down for English version

די מעשה הייבט זיך אן א שיינע פאר יארן צוריק ווען די רבי האט מיר געלאזט רופן אל הקודש פנימה אין מיר אנגעטרויט אז איך בין א פאסיגע קאנדידאט, איך בין פון די אויסדערוועלטע וואס מען קען ספעציעל געטרויען מיט די הייליגע מצוה פון קויפן א הויז און די מייל ארום סקווירא, אין אריין לייגען גוים און מיט דעים מאכען א נחת רוח פארן רבין, אומר ועושה, די רבי בעט זיך אזוי שטארק, מ’זעט ווי עס סגייט אים און לעבן, אוודאי וועל איך העלפן! צווישן מיר אין דיר, ס’האט מיר גאנץ גיט געשמעקט, א קלייניקייט איך קען א טובה טוען פאר’ן רבי’ן אליין, סקען קען מיר נאך גיט צוניץ קומען!
פון דא און ווייטער איז אלעס געפארן זייער שנעל איך האב מיר געטראפן מיט א נייעם אייגנטום א הויז און די מייל! מ’האט מיר געהאלפן מיט אלעם, די מארטגעדזש, מיט די דעפאזיט, ועוד… , דאס איז דאך ממש ביידע וועלטן! וואס קען דען זיין בעסער?, סהאט זיך מיר שויןַ געוועבט זיסע חלומות, תורה וגדולה במקום אחד, גיטע צייטן אלעס אויף א גאלדענע טאץ, אפילו די טעגליכע זארגען פון טרעפן א טעננעט אין מעינטנענס ווערט מיר אזוי שיין צוגעשטעלט ביי די טייערע עסקנים, אז מיר בלייבט נאר צו שטיין אין די זייט אין שניידן די פירות,
אמת לאמתו וויל איך דא צולייגן, אז מיר האט זיך קיינמאל נישט געלייגט אויפן שכל די גאנצע מעשה מיט די מייל, איך וועל קיינמאל נישט פארגעסן די ערשטע מאל וואס איך האב געזען די בריוו אין די קאמיוניטי קאנעקשאנס, האט עס מיר אויסגעזען ווי א פלאן פון חעלעם, ממש א געלעכטער מ’גייט זאגען פאר אידן פון אלע סארטן קום נישט נאנט צו אינז! שטיי אוועק א מייל! אבער מיט די צייט ווען איך האב געהערט אז די פלאן איז פון רבי’ן אליין האב איך מיר געלאזט איבערעדן, אז יא ס׳איז א פלאן! אבער למעשה ווי אזוי וועט מען דאס אויספירן האט קיינער נישט געטראכט, למעשה מיט די צייט האט מען אנגעהויבן הערן שמועות אז די רבי האט געשטעלט א וועד וואס וועלן זיך באנעמען מיט אפקויפן די הייזער אין די מייל און מ’וועט אריין לייגן נאר גוים פאר טעננעט, אזוי וועט מען אויפטוען צוויי פאכיג, סיי אז אידן זאלן נישט אהער קומען בשכנות, אין די אידן וואס זענען שוין יא דא זאלן זיך אפטראגן!
און אזוי איז געקומען אז צום סוף בין איך גאר געווארן א חלק פונעם חעלעמער פלאן! איך האב מיר געטראפן מיט א הויז!.
ס’האט גענימען אביסל צייט אבער צוביסלעך האבען זאכען זיך אנגעהויבן טוישן, די אלע גליקן וואס מ’האט מיר צוגעזאגט האבן אנגעהויבן אויסוועפן, ס’האט זיך אנגעהויבן מיט אלע מינע פראבלעמען פון געלט ביז לעגאַל, אבער נאך מער פון דעים האט מיר אנגעהויבן נאגן מיין געוויסן, ווי קען זיין אז דאס איז גאר א מצוה? אריין צו לייגען די נידריגסטע גוים וואינען און די הייזער אין איך בין גאר א דירעקטע גורם, עס איז דען מעגליך אז דאס זאל ברענגען קדושה? ווען עס אויפן חשבון פון אנדערע אידן!
דאס האב איך מיר ווי אויפגעוועקט פון א חלום, איך אנגעהויבן פרעגן און שמועסן מיט אנדערע וואס האבען די הייזער האט זיך מיר צאמגעשטעלט א נייער בילד עס איז גארנישט אזוי גלאט ווי כ’האב געמיינט, די וואס האבען געקויפט הייזער שפעטער פון מיר, איז אפילו נאך ערגער ווי ביי מיר, זיי האבן שוין געצאלט אומגעהויערע פרייזן פאר די הייזער, וואס איז נישט מעגליך צו דעקן מיט די רענט וואס קומט אריין, וואס דרך אגב איז אויך נישט ווי אמאל, דאס איז חוץ פון אלע ציפעדיג צרות וואס מ’האט זיך לעצטענס אויסצושטיין פון די לאקאלע אינסטאנצן און די שכנים ( I don’t blame them)
איך האב מיר לאנג געקווענקלט אויב איך זאל שרייבן די בריוו אדער נישט, צום סוף אבער בין איך געקומען צו די החלטה אז אויב איך וועל ראטעווען אנדערע פון אריין פאלן אין די זעלבע פעסטאקע האט זיך עס געלוינט, עס איז א שרעקליכע עוולה פון די עסקנים!!!
צו באהאלטן וואס עס גייט באמת פאר און וואס איר לייכט זיך אריין ,עס איז נאר צרות, און אלעס פארוואס? און פארוועם? די חעלעמער פלאן!?, מען פארקויפט אינז דידן נצך, יא, יא, שיינע חלומות! די איינציגסטע זאך וואס מיר געווינן איז נייע שונאים יעדן טאג, און גאָרנישט מער! הער מיר צו מיין פריינד, ווען די פיינע עסקנים קומען צו אייך, זיי נישט קיין נער, די דארפט נישט זיין דער נעקסטער קרבן!

Here is a short translation for the English reader.

A few years ago, I received a call from the Rebbe, informing me that I was chosen for a special task. He wanted me to buy a house within a mile of New Square and place non-Jews in it, assuring me it would bring him great pleasure. I felt honored to be selected for this mitzvah and was eager to help. Everything moved quickly, and I soon found myself with a new property. The Rebbe’s people handled the mortgage, deposit, and other details, making the process seamless.

At first, I envisioned a life of Torah and greatness, with all my needs taken care of. However, as time passed, reality set in. The plan, which had initially seemed like a good idea, began to unravel. Rumors circulated that the Rebbe had appointed a committee to buy houses within the mile and rent them to non-Jews, with the goal of keeping Jews away and encouraging those already living nearby to leave.

I soon discovered that I was part of a larger scheme. The promised blessings never materialized, and instead, I faced financial and legal problems. My conscience began to bother me as I realized that I was contributing to a situation that wasn’t holy or just. I started talking to others who had bought houses under similar circumstances, and their experiences were even worse. They had paid inflated prices, and the rental income wasn’t enough to cover the costs.

I’ve hesitated to share my story, but I feel compelled to warn others. This plan is a terrible injustice, and those behind it are hiding the truth. It’s a recipe for trouble, and it’s not worth the potential consequences. Don’t be fooled by the activists who promise you that this will save “Skvere Judaism.” The reality is that we’ll only gain new enemies and create more problems.

When the activists come to you with their proposals, be cautious. Don’t fall into the same trap. Think carefully about the consequences, and don’t let yourself be misled.