It Could Be You

My latest creative endeavor...and one that I truly hope will open eyes, change minds, and touch hearts. There is talk of putting together a compilation of music written and /or performed by the talented TC residents, alumni, and advocates. I would LOVE to see that happen. The notion of working with Nahdirah, Michael, Doug, and others is exciting.

In the course of recent developments - especially learning how Lakewood Township really DID sell the Tent City land to developers - I wish I had more to give, in terms of money, or a nice piece of land somewhere. But if this little song of mine can fill the recesses of the human heart - especially those who oppress and discriminate against the poor - let it be so. If God gave me the gift of creativity just so I can use it to help people in need, then I am overjoyed to use it. My Tent City friends have given ME so much - their friendship and love, inspiration, and a sense of purpose. Meeting people who are determined to be the change they wish to see in the world has been one of the most inspiring experiences of my life.

Let it begin with me. With ALL OF US.

The Essence of Community

While I was chatting with Jeff this afternoon, it occurred to me just how essential it is to a person's well-being to feel accepted by and connected to other human beings.

And even though neither Jeff nor I are residents of Tent City, we acknowledge the sense of community we feel there. It is beyond description, but I will attempt to put it into words...

First off, the people there are accepted - with open arms, and without judgment. And believe me when I tell you that if you're economically disadvantaged, acceptance is not easy to find. The sentiment among the privileged is at best, pity and at worst, contempt.

It's hard for anyone who has not experienced poverty, mental illness, or addiction first-hand to imagine what it's like to be in that situation. And for those who have not, it is most convenient to ignore the problem, blame it on the individual for bringing it on themselves or not being self-reliant enough. Ironically, it's the folks that label the homeless as "lazy" who are the laziest of all, as they themselves are too insulated and complacent to acknowledge the suffering of others.

Tent City offers not only a sense of community amid the otherwise-homeless, but among the concerned citizens who give their time, donations, and most importantly, their love to the residents. For volunteers and residents alike, there are people to greet, people to share with, people to lean on when things get difficult.

The sect in question claims to have the best interest of its own community in mind - and therein lies the problem. They recognize ONLY their community; in their eyes, the "infidels" of other races and creeds are outcasts. As they continue to pursue their separatist agenda, they ignore the OTHER communities sharing the town they occupy. In particular, they've yet to demonstrate any real compassion for the community made up of the downtrodden, the disenfranchised, and those who wish to alleviate their burden. Community is not for a select few. Respect is not a privilege. These things are basic human rights, and it's due time those in power open their eyes and live in accordance with the true spirit of their "host country:" Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Secondly, the community offers safety. People genuinely look out for one another. Newcomers are welcomed by others who understand their circumstances, rather than a disinterested, detached, overworked clinical staff member. Residents can trust one another, knowing that unlawful actions that harm others will not be tolerated, and obey the rules. There's certainly some disagreement and bickering, as there is in any close-knit community, but the atmosphere of respect for one's neighbor - AND oneself - is fostered and encouraged at all times.

Thirdly, the community offers a sense of ownership. Those tarp-covered structures in Tent City are homes, just as much as a roof and four walls are home to their more privileged neighbors. Some have makeshift front yards that they adorn with holiday decorations and little picket fences; some have chairs on which they sit like porch swings and watch the sunset through the pine trees; some rescue and tend to animals as they would on a farm or in a sanctuary. Some strum a guitar and lead in a few choruses of a Beatles song. The people of Tent City make do with what they have at their disposal, learning to do without the many luxuries we take for granted; they live by their wits and their ingenuity. That they manage to survive in such harsh conditions is not shameful; rather, it is a reason for them to be proud. And that pride affords them the dignity that society has stripped away.

To tear apart this community, however impoverished, is no more acceptable than someone else trying to dissolve theirs. And worse, to subject the needy to the inhumane conditions of an institution like Dover Woods, demonstrates that they see the poor as less than human. That they are willingly and deliberately placing profit over people.

In the Torah, Proverbs 14:31 states that "Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors Him." Refusing to acknowledge the humanity in others is an affront to the God who created them.

If you have any doubts, read that part again. Refusing to acknowledge the humanity in others is an affront to the God who created them.

And loving thy neighbor does NOT just refer to the neighbors who live in houses.

Progress, Blessings, and Fortitude

I wasn't planning on going to camp today until Jessica, who wanted to drop off some donation items, asked if I'd meet her there since it was her first visit. Naturally, I said yes.

So I arrived (a bit late on account of a traffic accident on Route 9) and helped her unload. Blankets, clothes, canned food, even candy. I showed her around the camp - or at least the parts I know reasonably well. She has twins, just like I do - but her twins are sixteen, both female, and she's got three others as well, including a one-year-old. And yet, she managed to make time to come to TC.

I told myself I'd limit my time there to an hour, then vote, go to the bank, pay my rent, and head home. But it seems like Someone had other plans for me.

Even though I saw Professor Dasgupta (aka Rumu) at the rally yesterday, today we were officially introduced. Long story short, Joe and I have volunteered to drive a number of TC residents to Social Services. The problem is, a number of people on her list don't live in TC anymore. Some don't have phone numbers. So, this could be a real challenge...

The bus has a leaky radiator, so Minister Steve was temporarily unable to assist the homeless in Red Square (the town center of Lakewood). Thus, he was on the premises pretty much the whole time we were. He's one of those people who never seems to stop moving; I am actually starting to wonder if the rumors about him never sleeping are true!

On one hand, it was unfortunate that Cindy lost one of the lenses of her reading glasses - but one the other, since I got to spend time with her on the excursion to get new ones, I considered myself lucky. She is truly an amazing person. She lives in South Carolina, but travels to New Jersey regularly just to spend time at the camp. And she's been doing so ever since Hurricane Sandy. She sleeps in a tent, like the other residents. She goes to the town square with Minister Steve, helping to unload the bus and feed the homeless people there. She helps with cleaning up the camp, from the grounds to the community bathroom.

These are the people that restore my faith in humanity, even when it feels like doubt and frustration have obliterated it.

Because yes, it SEEMS hopeful that Lakewood Township is trying to meet their November 28 deadline to place eligible TC residents in temporary housing. However, the location of said housing - namely Dover Woods - is questionable at best, and downright dangerous at worst. I was sick to my stomach after reading an article on the place (link posted below).

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/mental_health_official_poses_a.html

First off, for those familiar with the ADA, this facility blatantly violates the Olmstead Act. Secondly, its conditions are reminiscent of the institutions depicted in TV shows and horror movies. And thirdly, as a person living with mental illness (bipolar II, for those who do not know), the fact that this place even EXISTS is deplorable. For anyone, let alone a government official, to suggest that this is appropriate "alternative housing" for the homeless…Just, NO. I cannot imagine my friends - my brothers and sisters - losing the sense of community they feel living in Tent City, effectively institutionalized and accosted by the screams of patients, living in fear, sleepless, neglected by overburdened staff. They do not deserve to have their dignity stolen YET AGAIN by a system whose only real concern is the almighty dollar. This is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.

If ever there was a time I was compelled to pray, it's right now.

The Famine

There is a famine in the land today. There is a famine of justice, there's a famine of mercy, and a famine of compassion.

--Minister Steve Brigham, November 4, 2013

After a small turnout of around 50 supporters, some were left wondering if it was worth our time, if we were heard, or if we had any impact at all. It can be disheartening at times. There are moments you feel as though your voice, however powerful, is growing hoarse, and falling upon indifferent ears.

Yesterday, a friend I've known pretty much my whole life shared her experiences as a resident of Lakewood for over 30 years. How the town put their blinders on and allowed the special interest group to build on protected wetlands - home to endangered salamander species - close to her house. And how they granted a permit to build a boarding school on a standard residential lot next door to her, despite the requirement of 4 acres minimum for such an establishment. Another good friend, who lives in Jackson, is attending a town meeting because the same group is proposing a girls-only high school in his town with three variances - one of which AGAIN involves a school in a residential-only area.

Politicians, afraid to tamper with one of the state's largest voting blocs, cave in and do nothing.

One is left wondering, where does the moral famine end and justice begin?

It begins with us. One heart at a time. That's how I got involved - and by connecting with the passionate souls who are working for change, as well as the people in need, I am being transformed.

And the fire they nurture in my soul, perhaps I can spread to others. To my friends. To my children. To anyone who is ready to rise above this sense of fear and powerlessness and make this, as Minister Steve says, a nation we can be proud of.

Today it was fifty people. Next time, it could be a hundred. Because we will work to make it so.

If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention...

History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes.

-Thomas Jefferson to Alexander von Humboldt, Dec. 6, 1813.

Tomorrow, November 4, Tent City residents, volunteers, and supporters will gather in Lakewood's town square because, quite frankly, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. 

Minister Steve founded Tent City back in 2005 because both the Township of Lakewood nor Ocean County officials have failed to provide shelter for the growing homeless population. For most of that time, the residents have led their lives of quiet self-reliance with minimal interference. But within the past year, developers have expressed interest in the land upon which Tent City was erected. And Lakewood Township has made it clear that they want the poor who inhabit that land kicked out for good.

Thus, the local government has grown increasingly aggressive in their efforts to harass and intimidate the residents of Tent City. Lakewood Township has recently passed an ordinance that outlaws homelessness on "public land." Police are now conducting frequent raids to evict people who have no other place to go. And that’s not even the worst of it.

Most Tent City residents had prepared to use wood-burning stoves to stay warm this winter. But as of October 20, wood-burning stoves and campfires were banned, and anyone using said fires to keep warm will be fined or arrested. The Mayor of Lakewood has agreed to a two-week stay on the ban, but with the winter fast approaching, we now desperately need more propane heaters and propane.

These anti-homelessness laws are unjust, unconstitutional, and an assault on human rights, we feel the powers that be need to be confronted and the harassment stopped. Especially in the face of unchecked corruption by special interest groups.

Because what makes Lakewood’s Tent City so controversial – besides the simple fact that it exists in the midst of sprawling upscale homes and unprecedented development – is just how corrupt that selfsame government actually is.

For example, it’s no secret that in the Township of Lakewood, in the State of New Jersey, public funds intended for low-income tenants are funneled into land development.

A lawsuit has charged that the Township of Lakewood “is guilty of falsely validating that fair housing practices are being assured to all communities.” The State of New Jersey, even when made aware of the Fair Housing violations perpetrated by Lakewood Township, has stood idly by. Meanwhile, the town continues to allow unchecked growth of a special-interest voting bloc that perpetuates the illegal, discriminatory housing practices. And these racist, separatist practices have eroded and all but decimated the African-American community that has been a backbone of Lakewood for decades.

Lakewood is also home to many undocumented aliens who build the housing for the Haredi community. Due to their illegal status, these workers are poorly paid. They rent single family homes from Haredi slumlords who take advantage of the workers’ undocumented status and charge exorbitant rents. In order to pay the rent, the undocumented workers invite others to share the cost of living. Tenants have even been found living in closets, attics, and basements – all documented in reports with pictures in Lakewood Township's files.

The Lakewood Code Enforcement Officers, in response to complaints from neighbors, do cite the landlords. But for a number of reasons, the complaints go unheeded. Many landlords claim as their mailing address every property they own. It makes it difficult and often impossible for Lakewood to find these property owners. Summonses issued by Lakewood Township are not much of a deterrent, as the slumlords don't always show up at their court dates.

The chronic nature of these unsolved problems causes neighbors to move out. When they do, the slumlords frequently buy their property to rent out – and the problem continues.

A key player in these Fair Housing violations is Rabbi Meir Hertz – a community leader who has abused his power and consistently circumvented the laws of his “host country" in various instances:

-After stealing a million dollars from a housing unit in Newark, Rabbi Meir Hertz pleaded guilty to filing a false federal income tax return in 2000. As part of a plea bargain with the U.S. Attorney, he was required to resign as executive director of the Lakewood Housing Authority. Nevertheless, Lakewood Township has a contract with the Lakewood Tenants Organization whose executive director is? The very same Rabbi Meir Hertz. And under the auspices of Rabbi Hertz, the LTO operates a Section 8 program.

-Legal documents suggest that when the secular town government threatened to give Rabbi Hertz a yearly contract (as required by law), Hertz appealed to a religious authoritative body to appeal to the Haredi to vote out those who would oppose him. He was able to staff the town council with his own supporters – which enabled him to continue favoring Yeshiva students into obtaining Section 8 housing.

In the face of these Fair Housing violations and in the absence of a homeless shelter, the people who might otherwise qualify for low-income housing are forced to live in tents. Or, in the event that the Haredi political machine gets its way, on the streets.

And it doesn’t stop there: The Lakewood Planning Board recently approved the construction of Tashbar, a private boys’ elementary school for over 600 K-8 students. According to a February 2012 article in the Lakewood Scoop, “the new 78,000 sq. ft. building will encompass Tashbar’s plans for expansion …along with student and faculty residential units.” Indeed – about 50 duplexes – the equivalent of dwellings in all. For an elementary school. And who has been named Tashbar’s Founder and Dean? None other than Rabbi Meir Hertz.

Regarding the 2010 Census, representatives of the Haredi community stated, “The greater the voting bloc, the more influence we have on all levels of government. And an estimated 70 percent of Lakewood residents receive some form of government assistance. The more people participate in the census, the more assistance the government will be able to direct toward our kehilla. Living in a medinah shel chesed, this is the way we can fulfill our obligation as a citizen of our host country while simultaneously helping ourselves.”

What I'd like to know is, since when does being a good citizen of one’s “host country” entail circumventing its laws and oppressing the most vulnerable of its people?

It's time to step up and stop the religious special interest groups from, in the words of Jefferson, "avail themselves for their own purposes."

G'night to all, and I will hopefully see you at tomorrow's demonstration.

Fortissimo

I've doing a lot of composing lately, and one of the songs I'm working on is called, "Live Outloud." And how I've been inspired to do just that.

I'm in the process of figuring out the music, but here are the lyrics:

Long ago I thought I lost my faith
Wandering alone through the dark I’d wait
Wondered if my life was just a big mistake
Until the day I shed my fear

Now that I’ve taken what you said to heart
Now your words have made a fire start
Of the sum and the whole I am just one part
But your love has brought me here

Because you make me wanna shine my light
Opened my eyes to what’s true and what’s right
By your side I’m gonna stand and fight
And rise above the crowd

The moment that you said my name
Was all it took to set my soul aflame
And this world will never be the same
I’m gonna live outloud
Live my life outloud
Live it right outloud

We are hand in hand, and face to face
Stepping from the night to a state of grace
Putting all my doubts in the proper place
Seizing every single day

Let it pave a road, let it part the sea
Let it break the walls, set the people free
Let it build a bridge to destiny

Love will always find a way

Yeah, you make me wanna shine my light
Opened my eyes to what’s true and what’s right
By your side I’m gonna stand and fight
And rise above the crowd

The moment that you said my name
Was all it took to set my soul aflame
And this world will never be the same
I’m gonna live outloud
Live my life outloud
Live it right outloud

Yesterday, my daughter accompanied me to TC and we spent some time with Michael and Marilyn. We played with Mama Ella and her five kittens - even contemplated adopting one. After another impromptu jam session with Michael, I resolved to give Julia a crash course in music history, starting with the Beatles.

Behind the walls of a makeshift cage was a small rooster. Knowing little about chicken behavior, I thought he was either missing a leg, or rehearsing for a Captain Morgan commercial.

Come to find out, he was just trying to look tough to another rooster, who'd approached the wire mesh and started antagonizing him. And although he was not missing a leg, he was indeed disabled: they rescued him after he'd nearly been pecked to death in the woods. The miracle bird's name? Fortissimo.

Which in musical terminology, means "in a very loud manner."

Which means, my latest composition is hereby dedicated to a sweet-tempered, blind rooster. :-)

"What kind of world do you want..."

Yesterday, Chef Jeff said that a common cause brings out the best in people. It certainly seems that way. Or, maybe common causes - especially those that are humanitarian in nature - are merely a uniting factor to bring good people together. I had the good fortune of meeting another one today: Arthur, the founder of another charity, Rebuild Seaside Heights. We only spoke briefly, but it seems he has a lot to offer Tent City in terms of his experience and approach. So I'm feeling optimistic...

Tonight, during a rare quiet moment, I pondered the happy ending in "Harry:" a wealthy philanthropist purchases several acres of farmland, including an old house. Generally, I don't play the lottery, but I have an urge to start. Christmas isn't far off, and a million dollar check made out to Destiny's Bridge would be the most epic stocking stuffer in history. Ah, well. I can dream.

And then, a song on the radio - performed by a group whose frontman was a notorious drug user - launched another thought entirely.

Without his adornments - his musical career, his fame, and his millions, he is simply a human being with an addiction. Countless people are affected by addiction, mental illness, relationship problems, and poor financial management. But it seems that the more someone has "contributed to society," the more forgiving others tend to be about their bad habits and shortcomings.

If a woman born into poverty turns to prostitution to make ends meet, she is criminalized and alienated and offered no protection against . But if her john is a public figure, he is forgiven. If an ordinary man beats his girlfriend to a bloody pulp, he will be arrested, perhaps reviled as an abuser. Meanwhile, Chris Brown and still has millions of fans all over the world - many of whom are female, and many of whom jump to his defense at any opportunity.

We - human beings made in the image and likeness of God - are measured by our fellow man in units of contribution. Material success is the yardstick against which our achievements are stacked, and through which we are rewarded with respect, power, and influence. We are born equal, but in the course of life, reduced to the sum of our accomplishments.

And immediately, the discrimination against the poor that Minister Steve mentioned in his sermon on Sunday became glaringly, alarmingly obvious.

How ironic that the ignorant souls who spew their vitriol about the homeless being "lazy" are probably the laziest of all. Too lazy, indeed, to educate themselves, leave their comfort zones, and get to know the people they judge so contemptuously. Too complacent, blind, and self-righteous to accept the difficult fact that not everyone is afforded the same privileges that they are.

I have three children - a thirteen-year-old daughter and twin sons who are turning nine years old tomorrow. As a parent, I've always felt one of the most important qualities I can encourage in them is empathy. So even at their young ages, they know that all human beings deserve respect. All of them. Even the people who make our lives difficult. And they know that even the most seemingly insignificant turn of events - whether through your own doing or a matter of circumstances - can define the course of one's life. Knowing that impoverished human beings are harassed, cast out, endangered, and threatened just around the corner from us is unthinkable to them. It saddens me that people with many more years of life experience than my children either do not know, or do not accept, that same principle - that all human beings deserve respect and dignity just because they're human, regardless of their path. 

My sons wonder why, with all the commercials that use sad songs to get people to feel bad for homeless pets, why there are no commercials with sad songs to help homeless people.

For now, I have no answer.