BREAKING – UPDATED: Cancelled Siyum event sparks protest in Lakewood’s streets; Multiple Bachurim pepper-sprayed, hospitalized [VIDEOS & PHOTOS]

A Siyum Kumzitz event scheduled for Bachurim this evening in Lakewood was cancelled, and the Bachurim aren’t taking it well.

According to sources, the event, which was to feature Divrei Bracha, a Siyum and music with Isaac Honig and Beri Weber, was apparently misrepresented to some Rabbonim by two Yungerleit. In response, the Rabbonim asked the Bachruim to cancel the sold-out event.

In response to that, Bachurim sent out mass messages telling all to attend a protest on Pine Street, near the home of one of those who instigated the ban – and the message went viral.

Hundreds of Bachurim showed up to the protest – which included Bachurim bringing out their guitars. The crowds are now singing and having a Kumzitz in the streets.

UPDATE: Multiple police officers responded for crowd control, and mutual aid is being called in from local towns. K9 was also called in.

UPDATE: At least one was already arrested. A police van was brought in. Multiple arrests expected.

UPDATE: At least three protestors were pepper sprayed, and hospitalized (see video).

UPDATE 12:25 AM. The crowds have begun dispersing.

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132 COMMENTS

  1. So, let’s understand, you wanted to make a Kunzitz, with a siyum and Divrei Chizzuk and someone was AGAINST IT ? What was their problem with it ? And why did you gave in ??
    Why can Mir Yeshiva dinner have music and Bonei Olam have singing and a Time has a siyum and dancing and you cant ??
    It makes no sense.
    There are, sadly, many people in this town, with too much time on their hands, who will he moche on everything. You can not give in to them. Every fund raiser has a kunzitz. Hatzolah had Pumpidisa, you can go down the line. Eatontown had Nissim Black. I dont chap why you couldn’t do a Kumzitz. This is crazy and getting crazier.
    Thanx, R’ Yosef, for all ur efforts on behalf of the bochurim of this town. May your next event be a smashing success.

  2. Say, what…

    I couldn’t agree with you more. These 1 or 2 farbissen people probably have no say when in their personal lives but somehow hold sway over the broader community so they flex their muscle that way.

    Pathetic people they are…

    And if bochurim now resort to unseemly entertainment because they lost out on a kumzitz, let the record show that it is the fault of these 1 or 2 clowns.

  3. I’m completely befuddled about why the event was cancelled. Anyone with Mesivta boys will attest that Bein Hazmanim is a huge challenge. Learning all day and helping Mommy clean the kitchen just doesn’t cut it for most boys. This was something many, many boys were looking forward to. The boys spent a long winter zman learning, there is no reason why they can’t have a boys only, yeshiva atmosphere event. I sincerely hope it can be rescheduled or done for next Bein Hazmanim. It is sorely needed.

  4. I applaud R Yosef efforts in arranging such an event, he doesn’t do it to make money, he does for the sake of the klal.
    My question is why because of some crazy people that have way to much time on their hands to make a fuss about such a great event does it have to be canceled can’t we ignore those people.

  5. I’m not judging anyone and I’m sure there were right intentions but just wanted to answer to the first comment by “Say, What? ” …your comparison to other events you mentioned like the MIR dinner, Hatzlolah etc. All those events do not turn out to be a “hang out”, those are controlled events with adult people. When you make bochorim events it almost always turns out to be a hang out , that just a metziyus. So I guess the fear was that it’s going to turn out to be one big hang out. I’m not taking sides , I’m just saying.

  6. well, they now see what the alternative is. instead of a harmless concert, the bachurim were now involved in a hafgana!
    did anyone burn any dumpsters?

  7. To all of you jumping in deciding who’s right and who’s wrong none of us really have a place to say anything until you hear both sides clearly. As for the boys running around making noise ignore the cops getting arrested Lakewood Police department having to call mutual aid from the surrounding township’s there is no bigger chillul hashem than this . The adults and the boys that are behind this I’m going to have a lot of answering up to do to the one above. How do you think tomorrow morning’s headline is going to look like in the local newspapers?? they’re not going to see the beauty of these boys and how they work so hard all year long they’re going to say look at these unruly Jewish Orthodox boys that even Lakewood Police department can’t handle it they need to call police departments from all around the area. Hashem should have rachmanus on all of us

    • What is wrong with the cops!?! why couldnt they just let them be? or call chaveirim? Investigate them! who decided that? who decided to call in brick k-9?

    • @Moishe24/6 I’m not condoning how the boys acted. There’s never an excuse to making a chilul Hashem by not listening to cops. BUT let’s put things in perspective- the majority of these boys are learning seriously all zman. They finally have an event scheduled to enjoy themselves and BOOM- it gets taken away. The individuals who forced the original event to get shut down- should have realized the disappointed boys would need away to let out their steam. Did you think a thousand 15 yr old boys would just say, ‘it’s fine’ and go learn in the bais medrash to occupy their free time?? It would have been far better to have a kumzintz/concert than what transpired in forest park.

  8. Whether it was correct or not to cancel, I don’t think it’s a kiddush HaShem to protest. There are menchlich ways of going about a disagreement. Where are the parents of these boys? How can they allow this?

    • ST, not that I am condoning the protest, but are there other ways to go about it? From my understanding everything was done properly by the organizers to make sure there was no problems and that it would be a positive event, yet it was still cancelled last minute, due to a few individuals on a power trip. What would be some of these mysterious ways to go about preventing a couple of individuals from doing this?

  9. 2 wrongs do not make it right

    Concert should not have been cancelled but going out into the streets, making noise, doing things that result in arrests is terrible. It is not the way we act.

  10. whether the cancellation was right or wrong, we fell to a new low, protesting in the streets causing a full blown chilul hashem, we have enough trouble without this can some sane peopleput a stop to this

  11. The ppl that wanted this event canceled don’t have any bachurim at home! In 10 years from now,they will hopefully understand that it was the wrong thing to do!
    I don’t know of any better &kosher activity than a kumzitz for our bachurim!

  12. Just saying- and if it turns out to be a hang out?! bh our boys are hanging out within a kosher setting amongst bochurim and not Chas vishalom in other bad places! This is exactly what they need a kosher place and venue to hang out in!!!
    What is wrong with this town?!?!?!

  13. There are those whom are selfless understanding people just wanting to help bachurim by bringing them some kosher joy and happiness during a generation where joy means drugs and alcohol. Then you have some selfish people whom claim they are leshma and have no clue what challenges bachurim are going through today. Show the bachurim that yidishkit can be full of joy and happiness when living responsibly! Why take away happiness from them and fill it with hatred for religion? Wake up Lakewood! There are boys and girls dying among us running to drugs and alcohol simply because they hate religion let’s allow happiness into our lives and the lives of our bachurim. Being a Yid is enjoyable not painful.

  14. Whether is it was right or wrong to have this event in the first place, is irrelevant. Their chaotic reaction is actually the real concern. That police officers were dispatched is totally unacceptable. Forget about where these bachurim are “learning”, where were they raised?!

  15. wether the events cancellation was fair or not- the Bachurim are now retaliating by creating bitul torah for the young boys that do still have yeshiva and do not have bein hazmanim ( they can’t sleep do to the noise/crowd) Dont take one wrong and make it into thousands of wrongs.
    go back home -say gam zu l’tova!
    everything that happens is for our own good- maybe something was going to happen at the Public school that could have been a terrible catastrophe…
    think of the guy who missed the plane to Ethiopia…..

  16. Everyone is all upset it was cancelled. That is fine. But be mature about it. Now there is a big chillul Hashem going on. Mutual aid was called in from Howell, Jackson, brick, and Toms River. Do not be shocked if this ends up on Ruoc. People are getting arrested. Think is this what Hashem wants. If it was paskened that it has to be canceled then we have to listen to our rabanim (which included Rav Shmuel Kamanetzsky). If you want to make a small kumzitz in your house fine but to go to such length as this is a real chillul Hashem. Make a Siyum in a different way. Have we forgotten that if a Talmid Chatham says that our left hand is our right hand and vice Vera’s then we have to listen no matter what, even if it’s hard. Think before you do.

  17. This decision that was made to cancel this event by these two individuals was clearly not das torah it was das yeshivish “vihameivin yavin”

  18. I understand that what those 2 men did was highly wrong and unforgiving but to have the whole Lakewood come and protest about it now that’s even worse look at what you have become what a chilel hashem I can’t believe it

  19. To those saying this wasn’t the correct reaction – what is?
    Things like this have been happening in Lakewood for years. I remember a year or two ago, a similar kumzits in Gourmet Glatt was cancelled by the rabonim. People have complained so many times, but that hasn’t accomplished anything. I’m usually not for protests, but maybe now that there’s awareness to the issue, the rabonim will understand the real story, and hopefully bring an end to these kind of things in the future.

  20. Wow! This is better than any concert!! Take notice “Mechanchim” “Parents” “Roshei Yeshiva” where many “Bochurim” are actually holding. It may be time for a reality check…

  21. @embarrassing you have the most true and to the point comment here. You seem to be the only person who legitimately knows what they are talking about

  22. Our township officials are a little embarrassing…
    Every time there is a half serious fire, mutual aid gets called in from all surrounding townships, looks like even the police can’t handle a teenager protest and call in mutual aid from all surrounding towns, seriously….

  23. Nobody including the organizer himself had nothing to do with this protest.
    The point is if you don’t give bochrim a kosher outlet this is what it can turn into.
    Which event was the better the first or the second ?
    Nobody is justifying what the bochrim did – but the reality is this was the outcome – a massive chillul Hasamen as opposed to a massive kiddush hashem ( 1000 of bochrim using their Ben Hazmanim in a kosher atmosphere)

  24. These Askanim are amiratzim that have a distorted view of yidishkiet. And make up their own halochos. But are completely clueless about most of the actual Torah. They should be put in charim immediately with many others in Lakewood who think that being frum is all chitzoinios lakewood is fakewood

  25. This is the story of the krach from the chaos. You can’t even make this stuff up if you tried. What in the world is wrong with a kumzits? Not one comment has explained why this event was actually canceled…

  26. This is insane that kumzitz and kiddush hashem had to be cancelled and turned into a chillul hashem thanks to a group of people who think they are doing the right thing…and the guy who lives in forest park should be the one put into charem for making this chillul hashem

  27. I just have one point to say ur right it was a chillel Hashem but what should they have done no one ever cares or listens what they have to say. I’m not saying it was right but u tell me what they should have done.

  28. All of the sudden it’s a chillul hashem and they shouldn’t say anything.
    So what should they do. Living in a town where if someone has a good idea and makes all the bochurim pumped up and then it gets canceled because 2 people decided to cancel it. It’s not a chillul hashem it’s a kiddish hashem it’s showing that maybe there’ll be a time in this town we’re we won’t all be told what not to do because one person decides what’s not right. Maybe there will be people that have to answer to the klal and not just go alone to rabbanim.
    They should have sat Down with the organizers and if the rabbanim actually thought it was bs after going through all the sides then there would’ve been a normal cancelation
    #likadeshshemahomayim
    And as far as the residents of forest park. They were prob having a good time enjoying the music and the action.

  29. How embarrassing for us! We are better than this.
    Not everything works out the way we want it to. We have to learn to deal with things that don’t go our way
    God in heaven isn’t proud of us tonight

  30. Nothing that happens is mere coincidence. This bachur that was niftar this morning and these events tonight are directly related. I hope the right person can put these together so we can learn something.

  31. Now we know why there are so many boys OTD!!!

    Everyone has to be cut out of the same mold, follow the same SHNIT, and if not then we will make your lives miserable!!!

    I really think that the 4 great Rosh Hayesivas that we have in Lakewood, should make it a point, that this SIYUN/CONCERT/DIVRI HISOROROS, gets rescheduled for before Yom Tov, and show what a big KIDUSH HASHEM these BOCHURIM can make.

    I am not telling the Rosh Hayesivas what to do, CHAS VSHALOM,its just my opinion!!!!

  32. All their lives these kids where told Daas Torah. And their seeing contradictions.
    These kids are pure. They know sheker when they see it. Their protesting the lies that they’ve been told their entire life. If this is Daas Torah then we are all in trouble.

  33. (moderated) The blood of OTD Yidden is on their hands and this is why Rav Ahron would move back to Boro Park if he saw Lakewood of today. It’s a disgrace. Taliban tactics and lying to the R’Y because you’re a jealous lo yutzluch?

    • +1000 they should go to the chemed building next to yapchik and sign up for the accounting degree and they should have done it years ago ,

  34. After this has happened numerous times before that events got cancelled that were ment for bachruim this is the last straw that blew the lid off they got sick of it bec of some self righteous yenta trying to have it his way and the rabbonim looking for a pretext tocancel the event anyway just believed this guy and didnt check the facts out
    Thanks

  35. Why are people calling a protest for what is right a chillul Hashem on the contrary it was a KIDDUSH HASHEM!! In Eretz Yisroel the Yerushalmi’s protest when the government makes laws against the Frum and we all agree it’s a kiddush hashem because they are protesting for hashem here also the idea of a Siyum/kumzitz was a kiddush hashem. Then came along MR. MOISH CHINNUCHSTEIN and had it shut down! that’s the chillul hashem!! Besides it was protested in a very nice none violent way!

  36. (moderated)

    Where were the self appointed “askanim” ?

    Then we wonder why kids are up to trouble.

    Bedsides, for a town that supposedly doesn’t have smartphones, all the boys got the message pretty quick.

  37. Why not let the bochurim have some kosher entertainment. So what if some on the fringe were preparing booze and soft drugs for sale, They would have asked for age carding. And marijuana is legal in this state!

  38. I was at the V’harev Na chasuna this past Thursday night in Monsey. What a sight. Hundreds & hundreds of boys (not the most “Yeshivish”) plugging away a 4 hour retzufos seder, followed by hundreds boys being mekabel thousands of blatt Gemara to be learned over bain hazmanim, followed a massive seuda with explosive speeches by Rabbi Frand & R’ Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz, and dancing with performances by the Freilach Band, Shloime Daskal, Shmueli Ungar, followed by a kumzitz (gasp!) by Baruch Levine & Eitan Katz.

    The message? Wake up and smell the kugel. It’s not so complicated. Authentic chinuch works when it’s authentic chinuch. With emesdikeit, love & joy.

  39. I am happy the boys did this. The people behind the cancellation should be ashamed of themselves!!!!!!!!!!! Crazy yeshivish fanatics! We have so many problems, why pick on the kumzitz??????? Craziness!!!!

  40. I don’t think anyone’s REALLY happy the boys did this, including the boys themselves, but I’m afraid they are the very last ones to be blamed. How can we expect them to act like pure malachim when this is the chinuch they get? Honestly.

  41. I say this respectfully but perhaps all the RYs that pushed to cancel the event have been made aware as to the needs and level of their buchrim. There were two YOUNG married men who are not rabbeim (one the individual who lived in Forest Park) who spearheaded the campaign to assur the event. Reb Mendel Slomowitz was coming to speak at the event until the tumult was made!

    While I do not have daas torah, I am a normal individual who lives in Lakewood and sees what buchrim are doing. I think the RYs are not aware of it. If they were, they would dance from the rooftop that the buchrim went to a kumzitz and not the other places.

  42. So who are these 2 farbissene yingerleit that made a stink about it? The boys should have then gathered at the local movie theater for some relaxing entertainment…. or better yet, all joined NCSY for their Chol Hamoed outing and their Shabbaton (moderated)

  43. Curios that’s not even right! Whom ever it was let’s stop spreading lies Nd hate!! As I was saying I didn’t see anything wrong but boys singing peacefully. Why weren’t they able to sing like they were in the streets it’s not like they were going around breaking things or people’s house unreal. Baruch HaShem

  44. Even though it was 100% a huge chillul Hashem and should have never happened…why did they let in the plans for the concert happen in first place Dont tell the bucharim there will be a kosher event and the day of cancle it cuz it’s not “kosher”….if it wasn’t “kosher” it shouldn’t have been told to whole lakewood!!!!!!and now it’s the bucharims fault when the express how the fell when you take the concert away from them!!!!!

  45. The boys need a outlet Dont get mad when when they protest you taking away their chill!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think someone should sponsor a bbq with kumzitz for whole lakewood bochrim unlimited food!!!!!!!!

  46. The issue of the cancelling right or wrong pales in comparison to the mistake and misjudgement of the protest which was totally wrong, showing hefkeros, arrogance and no mentorship. The making and cancelling of the event is not relevant NOW, rather it brought out a much bigger problem of showing where certain (not all) bochorim or non bachorim are holding.

  47. The fact that they were young is a very good point and I wish would have been considered before the decision was made.
    When I was young I thought this too. But now that I have a mesivta boy, my whole viewpoint has changed. We can’t expect in this generation to have the boys sit and learn all day bein hazmanin too. They need to get out and have fun. What other fun/relaxation are they suggesting? My son’s yeshiva strongly discourages even bagel nosh and my son accepts it and that I can understand because of Ta’aruvis. But a boys kumzitz only?

  48. There was a kumzitz for bochurim with Yehuda Green held in lakewood on thursday night of Chanuka, ORGANIZED BY SOME OF THE SAME ORGANIZERS of this scheduled event. You can find coverage of it online with a simple google search. As you can see for yourself, it was a beautiful and Torahdike evening for the bochurim.

  49. they should of let the bochurim sing for 1 hour and they would of went home.
    who called the police? the bochurim arent breaking windows and arent dangerous. just when the police came there alaways some bad apples who take advantage and incite the police

  50. The video shows a relatively peaceful crowd. can any one explain why the cops were brought in let alone mutual aid with dogs and pepper spray?

    • because some of the boys were lighting fires and damaging vehicles . it was not many but that is no way to behave . needed to be broken up for safety. most of the boys were peaceful but as with any large groups there are bad apples

  51. The people who were mocha are not any different then the bochurim who protested, they both have too much empty time on their hands. the difference is the bochurim are teenagers and this is what they are supposed ot be doing.

  52. I was taken aback by words written in the article . “was apparently misrepresented to some Rabbonim by two Yungerleit”. If that is true the proper thing thing to do is have a respected member of the community publicly apologize to these bochurim and arrange an alternate environment where they can get together at a different time to make up for it, showing that their needs are acknowledged.
    This has happened in the past when boys needed an outlet and were ignored and started hanging out at the lake every shabbos until they were shown we care about them and alternative arrangements were made for them.

    These boys heard “No” for everything they asked for. at some point in time we will ask them for things and they will show they learned well ans say “No”.

    We have an opportunity to correct a grave error. Lets not get caught up in our ego’s and apologize and make it up to them,

  53. when will we as a tzibbur finally push back hard on these paranoid fanatics that wish to assur everything.
    From the bachurim’s perspective it goes like this:
    You make it almost impossible to get into school
    You make it very hard to get into yeshiva
    You work our parents to death to pay tuition so your son in law can go to the country for vacation all while on your payroll.
    We can’t go to a lavyay or we will get thrown out.
    we cant go to the library or we will get thrown out.
    we can’t be too poor (as to not afford tuition) or we get thrown out.
    we can’t have a phone like you do or we will get thrown out.
    We cant make any hachanos to go to work (like getting a decent english education)
    Our sisters can’t get into school because they had a growth spurt and their skirts are now 3.57 inches below their knees.
    We can’t go to visit bubby and zaidy because they live in florida.
    We can’t play sports because its not yishivish.
    Can’t go to the store because there is a mixture of tznius dressed females there (like mommy!)
    Can’t get a seat in shul (no Room)
    can’t volunteer to visit sick patients in hospitals
    can’t do anything but sit and learn on bein hazmanim.
    Game over. This is JUST the start. Make Lakewood Sane again!

  54. Herein lay the problem,when the decision makers mske their decisions based on the say so of some people without getting all the facts.This leads to the erosion of the respect for Torah authority. How can their decisions be trusted when they make them without all the facts. A psak based on half truths is no valid in Halachah why should it be valid when it is a question of Haskafah.
    To much is at stack for this reckless behavior.

  55. Nothing wrong with bochurim having some simcha durring their bain hazmanim. Ever wonder why so many boys in Lakewood 20 years ago went off? It’s all from the “old school” mentiallity, now you know why. GIVE THEM SIMCHA!

  56. And there is a way to express ones emotions…. Sadly a massive Chillul Hashem was caused. I am completely shocked by the way all these Choshuva Bachurim dealt with their disappointment.
    A more appropriate way to have expressed themselves would have been to have gone to an empty parking lot in a non residential place and had a beautiful and meaningful Kumzitz together.

    • That may be more appropriate, but not effective. What happened last night was a wake up call that its 2019 and bochrim need to have an outlet. The bochrim didn’t protest outside the home of the Roshei Yeshiva, their protest was directed at these farkrumte kanayim aka chosid shoyte.

  57. And there is a way to express ones emotions…. Sadly a massive Chillul Hashem was caused. I am completely shocked by the way all these Choshuva Bachurim dealt with their disappointment.
    A more appropriate way to have expressed themselves would have been to have gone to an empty parking lot in a non residential place and had a beautiful and meaningful Kumzitz together.

  58. Probably mistake to cancel event. But our boys did not represent themselves well with this protest. Not the way b’nei Torah should behave.

  59. I grew up in this strict Lakewood yeshiva mentality
    When I was 18 I had enough and became lubavitch. 2day B”H I am learning in lubavitch yeshiva in E”Y. I look around at my fellow lakewood teens still stuck in this abyss and my heart goes out for them

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