Hubbry Logo
New Square, New YorkNew Square, New YorkMain
Open search
New Square, New York
Community hub
New Square, New York
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
New Square, New York
New Square, New York
New Square, New York
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

New Square (Yiddish: שיכון סקווירא, romanized: Shikun Skvir) is an all-Hasidic village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Hillcrest, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of New City. As of the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 9,679.[4] Its inhabitants are predominantly members of the Skverer Hasidic movement who seek to maintain a Hasidic lifestyle disconnected from the secular world. It is the poorest town (measured by median income) in New York, and the eighth poorest in the United States. It also has the highest poverty rate, at 64.4%.[5]

Key Information

History

[edit]

New Square is named after the Ukrainian town Skvyra, where the Skverer Hasidic group originated. The founders intended to name the settlement New Skvir, but a typist's error anglicized the name.[6] New Square was established in 1954,[7] when the Zemach David Corporation, representing Skverer Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky, purchased a 130-acre (0.53 km2) dairy farm near Spring Valley, New York, in the town of Ramapo. At that time, most Skverer members lived in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.[8] New Square's founders had felt that the Hasidic community in Williamsburg was being "threatened by assimilation", as The New York Times later described it.[9] Construction began in 1956, and the first four families moved to New Square in December 1956.[8] In 1958, the settlement had 68 houses.[10]

The development of New Square was obstructed by Ramapo's zoning regulations, which forbade the construction of multi-family houses and the use of basements for shops and stores. Multiple families sharing single-family houses said that they belonged to extended families, and businesses in private homes had to be secret. In 1959, the community asked for a building permit to expand its synagogue, located in the basement of a Cape Cod-style house. The Ramapo town attorney requested condemnation of the entire New Square community, claiming that it threatened sewage lines. In response, the community requested incorporation as a village, but Ramapo town officials refused to allow it. In 1961, a New York state court ruled in favor of New Square,[11] and the village was incorporated in July of that year.

After incorporating, New Square set its own zoning and building codes, legalizing the existing houses, and the liens disappeared. Lots were sold, and new houses were built. The basement businesses could trade openly, and new businesses were founded, including a watch assembly plant and a cap manufacturer. Three knitting mills and a used car lot opened, but most men continued to go to work in New York City. A Kollel was opened in 1963. In 1968, Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky died; he was succeeded as Grand Rabbi by his son David Twersky.[10]

In New Square's first mayoral election in 1961, Mates Friesel was chosen unopposed. Friesel was re-elected every two years until his death in 2015, thereby becoming one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States.[12]

Culture

[edit]

The population of 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 predominant language spoken in New Square is Yiddish.[13]

Young people typically marry around 18 to 20 years of age. Girls finish high school at around age 17, and then marry. Custom dictates that women who marry men from other Hasidic communities leave New Square. Some women who left New Square settled in the Borough Park community in Brooklyn and the Monsey community in Ramapo, where the community is not as tightly knit. Men who marry women from outside of the community are encouraged to leave New Square. This is due to a shortage of space; thus, new housing is granted to couples of which both members are from the community.[14]

In 2005, the community's rabbinical court ruled that women should not drive cars.[15] In a 2003 article, Lisa W. Foderaro of The New York Times described New Square as "extremely insular", and said that the community's residents do not own televisions or radios.[16]

Economy

[edit]

Young women, prior to entering marriage, and before they have children, work as teachers, secretaries, and bookkeepers, or they work in the New Square shopping center as cashiers and clerks. Some of the women, after having children, work as bookkeepers in their homes.[17] Young men work as teachers, bus drivers, deliverymen, and store clerks. Some work as computer programmers, or as craftsmen and entrepreneurs in the diamond industry. Many study in the kollel, a yeshiva for married men, and receive stipends to support their families.

In 1970, the village had the lowest per-capita income in New York State. 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.[14]

According to the 2000 census, 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.[needs update]

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.[18][19]

As of 2018, New Square is by far the poorest town in New York, with a median annual household income of $21,773, which is nearly $5,000 below that of Kiryas Joel, the next poorest town in the state, and only about a third of the median income across the state as a whole.[20]

Not only is it the poorest town in New York state, but New Square also has the highest poverty and SNAP (food stamps) recipiency rates of any town in the United States. Some 70.0% of New Square residents live in poverty, and 77.1% of area households rely on SNAP benefits to afford food. In comparison, 15.1% of Americans live below the poverty line, and 13.0% of households nationwide receive SNAP benefits.[20]

Geography

[edit]

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

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19701,156—
19801,75051.4%
19902,60548.9%
20004,62477.5%
20106,94450.2%
20209,67939.4%
2024 (est.)9,9733.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[21][3]

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.

The village had around one hundred births 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. 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 (380,000 m2) of land.[14]

New Square's population increased 77.5% between 1990 and 2000. In 2005, the village contained approximately 7,830 residents; 1,350 families, with 5.8 persons per family.[22][full citation needed] 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".[23] In November 2008, a new water tower serving New Square and the hamlet of Hillcrest opened, increasing residents' water pressure.[24]

As of the census[25] of 2000, there were 4,624 people, 820 households, and 786 families residing in the village. The population density was 12,811.8 inhabitants per square mile (4,946.7/km2). There were 838 housing units, at an average density of 2,321.9 per square mile (896.5/km2). The racial make-up 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.[26]

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 $21,172, and the median income for a family was $21,758. Males had a median income of $35,871, versus $21,389 for females. The per capita income for the village was $6,585. About 58.0% of families and 58.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 60.9% of those under age 18 and 36.2% of those age 65 or over.

A 2007 report stated that each year, one half of the women between ages 18 and 25 gave birth.[19]

Government and infrastructure

[edit]
A 2008 election poster in front of a store in New Square, entirely in Yiddish. The candidate names are written in Yiddish.

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.[17]

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. Further hazards stem from the fact that the town has only one main access road (Washington Avenue), and the failure of some residents to yield to emergency vehicles, or to the crowd of people on the streets surrounding an incident. There also have been isolated cases of residents tampering with fire equipment while responders are on scene.[citation needed]

The fire department felt concern about a lack of fire protection in buildings in New Square. On March 29, 2007, 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.[27]

In 1989, New Square funded their own health clinic, called Refuah Health Center. The New Square Cemetery is located on Bais Hachaim Way.[28] The village has a Hatzalah ambulance service branch, part of the Rockland County chapter, and has a public safety department that patrols the village.

New Square is within the 97th Assembly District in the New York State Assembly, which is represented by John W. McGowan. New Square is within Senate District 38 in the New York State Senate, which is represented by William Weber Jr.

Community norms

[edit]

There is a strong expectation that residents of New Square will conform to community norms; for example, by worshiping at the community's synagogue[29] and conforming to the Hasidic lifestyle.[30] Generally, conformity by those who do not comply voluntarily is enforced by the powers of the kehillah, a council appointed by the rebbe, whose members control most community institutions.[31] Those who have not conformed voluntarily have faced vigilante justice, as exemplified by the New Square arson attack and other incidents. The rebbe has denounced this practice, saying, "The use of force and violence to make a point or settle an argument violates Skver's most fundamental principles."[31][32]

Education

[edit]

Yeshiva Avir Yakov, a private school with its own locations and separate boys' and girls' schooling, is the sole primary and secondary school in the community.[33] It is statistically counted as Avir Yaakov Boys School (Yeshiva Avir Yakov Boys' School) and Avir Yaakov Girls School.[34]

Although the town is within the East Ramapo Central School District,[35] all children of New Square attend the local private Jewish pre-K-12 schools.[citation needed] The zoned public schools are[36] Summit Park Elementary (Kindergarten-grade 3), Kakiat Elementary School (grades 4–6), Pomona Middle School (grades 7–8), and Ramapo High School (grades 9–12).[37]

Notable people

[edit]

Rabbis

[edit]

Notable companies located in New Square

[edit]

Fraudulent grant scheme

[edit]

Four Hasidic men from New Square—Benjamin Berger, Jacob Elbaum, David Goldstein, and Kalmen Stern—created a non-existent Jewish school and enrolled thousands of students, to receive US$30 million in education grants, subsidies, and loans from the U.S. federal government. Some of the money were used to enrich themselves, but also to benefit the community institutions.[38][39] The fraud scheme in New Square was tied into larger schemes in other ultra-Orthodox communities in Brooklyn and across the country.[40] 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.[41] The indictment drew sharp criticism in New Square. A statement by village representatives accused authorities of having a vendetta against New Square residents, and acting "in a manner remindful of the Holocaust," during the investigations.[39]

Hillary Clinton met with New Square-area Hasidic leaders as part of her Senate campaign.[42] Michael Duffy and Karen Tumulty of Time Magazine 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.[43]

On January 20, 2001, President 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.[41] 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 – in contrast to two other Hasidic communities nearby who voted overwhelmingly Republican) – or if the pardons occurred as part of a quid pro quo swap for votes.[38][43][40] Hillary Clinton said that she was not involved in the pardons, and that her husband pardoned the men out of clemency.[41] In 2002 the prosecutors closed the investigation with no action.[44]

Kiryas Square

[edit]

Due to population growth and a housing shortage in New Square, the Skver Hasidim had plans to expand to a new 400-acre (1.6 km2) village named Kiryas Square in the hamlet of Spring Glen, New York.[45] The property, the former Homowack Resort, was purchased by the Skver community in 2006.[46] Dedication of the site was in August 2007.[47] The New York State Department of Health cited the property which was used as a summer camp for girls for "numerous, persistent, and serious violations", including inoperable fire alarms, pervasive mold, and water running over electrical boxes. The health department issued a mandatory order of evacuation. In addition to problems with the health department, some local residents have also voiced opposition to the building of a Hasidic village. The site was evacuated in August 2009, as a result of a judge's deadline.[45]

As of 2024, a new location for the construction of a new Skverer village, also named Kiryas Skver, was found and construction has begun, with many Skver members from Boro Park already having purchased homes in the village.[48]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

New Square, New York

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
New Square is a village in the town of Ramapo, , , inhabited almost exclusively by adherents of the Skver Hasidic dynasty, a branch of originating in Skvyra, . The community maintains a highly insular lifestyle centered on strict religious observance, language use, and separation from broader American society to preserve traditional practices. Founded in 1954 when Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky acquired a dairy farm north of to relocate his followers from urban , the settlement was formally incorporated as a village in 1961. The village spans 0.37 square miles of land and recorded a population of 9,679 in the , yielding a density of 26,373 persons per . Its demographics reflect large family sizes, with a age of 15.8 years and over 77% of households including children under 18, contributing to rapid growth and housing density. Economic indicators show a household of $28,880 in 2023, with poverty rates exceeding 50%, as many residents prioritize and communal roles over external employment, supplemented by government assistance programs. Governance is dominated by the Skver rebbe's influence, with local elections often unanimous for aligned candidates, underscoring the community's cohesive, theocratic structure. Defining characteristics include limited formal beyond religious seminaries, minimal internet or media access, and expansion pressures leading to regional disputes over and , though internal scandals such as convictions in the have occasionally surfaced without altering the core insularity.

History

Founding by Skverer Hasidim (1950s)

In the aftermath of , which decimated the Skver Hasidic dynasty centered in Skvyra (Skver), , survivors under Grand Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Twersky (1899–1968) reestablished their community in the United States, initially in . Seeking insulation from secular influences and assimilation pressures in urban settings, Twersky directed the acquisition of rural land to foster a self-contained enclave for rigorous observance of Hasidic customs and . This initiative reflected a broader trend among Hasidic groups to prioritize communal and spiritual preservation over integration. In the mid-1950s, the Zemach David Corporation, acting on behalf of Twersky, purchased a 130-acre former dairy farm in Ramapo Township, Rockland County, approximately 30 miles north of . The site, near Spring Valley, was selected for its isolation, enabling the construction of a village modeled on traditional Eastern European life, with centralized religious authority and minimal external interaction. Initial settlement began around 1956 with about 20 families dispatched from , who adapted the farmland into basic housing and communal facilities. The name "New Square" derived from an anglicized rendering of "Skver," as reportedly misheard by a local clerk during incorporation proceedings. This founding marked the first fully Hasidic-incorporated village in America, emphasizing patriarchal leadership under the rebbe, collective economic support through mutual aid, and strict adherence to Skverer minhagim, including distinctive dress, education limited to religious studies for males, and separation of genders. By prioritizing insularity, the community aimed to sustain dynastic continuity and Torah-centric living amid America's materialistic culture, though early years involved hardships like rudimentary infrastructure and reliance on external labor. Twersky's vision positioned New Square as a spiritual bastion, influencing subsequent Hasidic expansions in the region.

Incorporation and Early Growth (1960s-1970s)

In 1961, the settlement of New Square, established by Skverer Hasidim on a former dairy farm purchased in the mid-1950s, was formally incorporated as a village in Rockland County, New York, following a unanimous vote by its residents. This made New Square the first Hasidic community to achieve village status in the United States and the first new incorporation in Rockland County since 1929. The incorporation process stemmed from tensions with the Town of Ramapo, where the settlement had initially operated without full compliance to local zoning and building codes; Ramapo's town attorney threatened condemnation, prompting a legal battle that reached the New York State Supreme Court before the villagers prevailed. Incorporation allowed the community, followers of the Skvirer Rebbe Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky, to elect its own mayor and govern independently, preserving their insular religious practices amid external pressures. Following incorporation, New Square experienced steady population growth driven by large families typical of Hasidic demographics, expanding from an initial core of about 20 families in the 1950s to 1,156 residents by the 1970 census. The village's median age in 1970 was 15.7 years, with over half the population under 18, reflecting high birth rates and a focus on communal child-rearing within Skverer traditions. Infrastructure development remained modest, prioritizing religious institutions like synagogues and yeshivas over commercial or secular amenities; by the early 1970s, the community marked its tenth anniversary with celebrations emphasizing spiritual flourishing despite economic challenges, including high poverty rates where residents often relied on mutual aid rather than external employment. This period solidified New Square's identity as a self-contained enclave, with growth constrained by limited land and a deliberate avoidance of assimilation; zoning battles with Ramapo persisted, but incorporation enabled the village to enforce its own building codes aligned with Hasidic needs, such as accommodating extended families in multi-unit homes. By the mid-1970s, the population's rapid increase—fueled by immigration from urban Hasidic centers like Williamsburg—underscored the settlement's success in replicating Skverer communal life, though it ranked among New York's poorest villages per capita income metrics.

Expansion and Demographic Shifts (1980s-Present)

The population of New Square grew rapidly from the 1980s onward, primarily due to the high fertility rates characteristic of the Skverer Hasidic community, where families typically have eight or more children. The 1990 U.S. Census recorded 2,623 residents, reflecting sustained expansion from earlier decades amid limited external migration and a focus on internal community growth. This trajectory continued, with the population reaching 4,352 by the 2000 Census—a 66% increase—and 6,944 by 2010, driven by natural increase rather than significant demographic diversification. Physical expansion accompanied this demographic surge, as the village constructed additional housing, yeshivas, and communal facilities to accommodate growing families within its compact 0.6-square-mile boundaries. By the , persistent housing shortages prompted discussions of further development, including proposals for an adjacent 400-acre satellite community known as Kiryas Square to house overflow population while preserving Skverer norms. The 2020 Census documented 9,728 residents, a 40% rise from 2010, with recent estimates placing the figure at approximately 9,700 to 9,900 amid annual growth rates of about 0.4% to 1.4%. Demographic stability defined the period, with the population remaining nearly homogeneous—over 97% consisting of Skverer Hasidim adhering to as the primary language and customs—resulting in a young median age of 15.8 and minimal integration of non-community members. This insularity, reinforced by communal leadership under the Skverer , prioritized endogenous growth over external influences, though it contributed to socioeconomic challenges like a 60% rate and median household income below $30,000 as of 2023. No substantial shifts in ethnic or religious composition occurred, distinguishing New Square from broader Rockland County trends toward suburban diversification.

Geography

Location and Physical Features

New Square is situated in Rockland County, in the southeastern portion of New York state, within the town of Ramapo. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 41°08′13″ N, 74°02′16″ W. The village lies roughly 35 miles north-northwest of Midtown Manhattan, placing it within the New York metropolitan area. The village encompasses a total land area of 0.36 square miles (0.93 km²), consisting entirely of dry land with no significant water bodies. Its average elevation is 540 feet (165 meters) above . The surrounding terrain reflects the Lower Hudson Valley's glacial features, including rocky slopes and rolling hills formed by metamorphic and glacial deposits characteristic of Rockland County.

Urban Development and Boundaries

New Square occupies a compact area on the east side of the Town of Ramapo in , bordered by the villages of Hillcrest to the north, New Hempstead to the south, Viola to the east, and portions of the Town of Ramapo and New City to the west. The village's boundaries enclose a total land area of approximately 0.4 square miles, entirely developed or developable without significant water bodies or natural barriers influencing its limits. Initial urban development began in 1956, when construction of single-family homes started on the site, enabling the relocation of the first four Skverer Hasidic families from by December of that year. By 1958, the settlement had expanded to include 68 houses, supporting early communal institutions such as synagogues and schools tailored to the Hasidic population's needs. Formal incorporation as a village occurred in 1961, establishing local governance to oversee further residential and amid rapid demographic pressures from sizes. Growth continued through annexations, including 100 acres from the Town of Ramapo in the , which were zoned for residential and institutional uses to accommodate expanding households. This expansion focused on dense, low-rise clusters, yeshivas, and central religious facilities, with predominantly residential (over 90%) and minimal commercial or industrial zones to preserve cohesion. As of the late , approximately 17.7 acres—or 7.6% of the village—remained undeveloped, concentrated in the northern portion for prioritized development. To manage ongoing pressures from population increases, New Square enacted a comprehensive code in 2019, directing future toward the remaining vacant parcels while enforcing setbacks, limits, and compatibility with existing Hasidic-oriented architecture. Recent boundary adjustments include a 2024 transfer of a 3,100-square-foot property at 42 Hoover Lane from Ramapo and a 2025 to annex four additional parcels along North , reflecting strategies to incrementally expand capacity without large-scale greenfield development. These efforts underscore a pattern of controlled, community-driven urbanization, prioritizing internal over peripheral sprawl.

Demographics

Population Growth and Age Structure

The population of New Square has expanded substantially since its incorporation in 1961, fueled by elevated fertility rates averaging over seven children per woman in the insular Skverer Hasidic community, which prioritizes large families as a religious imperative. U.S. Census Bureau decennial data indicate steady acceleration: 2,019 residents in 1970, rising to 3,404 in 1980, 4,412 in 1990, 7,818 in 2000, 6,981 in 2010 (reflecting potential undercounting challenges in Orthodox Jewish enclaves due to census avoidance), and 9,679 in 2020. Post-2020 estimates from the Census Bureau show continued increase, reaching 9,712 in 2023 and 9,973 in 2024, with a projected 10,075 by 2025 assuming a 1% annual growth rate aligned with recent trends. This growth contrasts sharply with broader U.S. patterns, where fertility rates hover around 1.6, underscoring the demographic distinctiveness of Hasidic populations. Age structure in New Square skews markedly youthful, a direct consequence of pronatalist norms that discourage contraception and emphasize early and childbearing, typically in the late teens. The 2023 median age stood at 15.8 years, with males at 17.3 and females at 13.7, far below the U.S. median of 38.9. According to 2021 estimates, 48.7% of residents were under 15 years old, 25.9% aged 15-29, 23.2% aged 30-64, 2.0% aged 65-84, and just 0.1% aged 85 and over—yielding a dominated by children rather than elders. This pyramid sustains internal population momentum but strains local resources, including housing and schooling, prompting ongoing territorial expansions.

Ethnic, Linguistic, and Religious Composition

The population of New Square is ethnically homogeneous, comprising almost exclusively descended from Eastern European lineages associated with the Skver Hasidic tradition. The reported that 97.1% of residents identified as White (Non-Hispanic), with 1.5% Hispanic or Latino and less than 1% in other categories, reflecting minimal non-Jewish or non-Ashkenazi presence. Religiously, the community is uniformly adherent to ultra-Orthodox under the Skver (or Skverer) dynasty, founded by Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky in the mid-20th century; the village serves as the primary settlement for this sect, housing a significant portion—estimated at around half—of its global adherents as of the early . Strict observance of Hasidic customs, including separation from secular influences, reinforces this homogeneity, with no notable religious minorities reported in demographic data or community studies. Linguistically, Yiddish dominates daily communication, serving as the primary language at home for nearly 93% of the approximately 7,000 residents as of 2013; English proficiency is limited, particularly among men focused on religious study, while Hebrew is used in liturgical contexts. This Yiddish dialect, shaped by the sect's historical renewal and insularity, features distinct phonetic traits influenced by both Litvish and Poylish Yiddish substrates, as analyzed in linguistic research on Skver communities.

Socioeconomic Metrics

New Square exhibits some of the lowest household incomes , with the figure standing at $28,880 in 2023, reflecting a modest 1.29% increase from $28,511 in 2020. is similarly subdued at $15,735 for the same year, underscoring the economic pressures on a characterized by large families and high dependency ratios. These metrics contrast sharply with national averages, where the U.S. household income exceeds $74,000, highlighting New Square's position as one of New York's poorest municipalities by income measures. Poverty rates are exceptionally high, with 60.8% of the population below the poverty line according to 2018-2022 estimates, more than double the rate for the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area. This includes elevated , consistent with prior data showing rates around 63.3% in 2020 and up to 70% in earlier assessments, driven by factors such as numerous dependents per rather than absolute material deprivation in all cases. Educational attainment among adults aged 25 and older remains low by secular standards, with approximately 21% lacking a or equivalent and only 1-2% holding a or higher, per recent demographic analyses drawing from data. High school completion or equivalent hovers around 45-47%, reflecting a cultural emphasis on religious over formal . Labor force participation is limited at about 56%, with an rate among participants ranging from 5.6% to 7.8%, and total employment at roughly 2,490 individuals in 2023, down 3.83% from the prior year. Homeownership is rare at 11.5%, though median owner-occupied housing values reach $618,800, indicating constrained supply and community-specific demand amid rental dominance.
MetricValue (Most Recent)Source Year
Median Household Income$28,8802023
Per Capita Income$15,7352023
Poverty Rate (Population)60.8%2018-2022
Bachelor's Degree or Higher (25+)1-2%Recent Census-derived
Labor Force Participation Rate56.35%Recent
Owner-Occupied Housing Rate11.5%2019-2023

Religion and Society

Skverer Hasidic Practices and Leadership

The Skverer Hasidic community in New Square is led by Grand Rabbi David Twersky, born October 28, 1940, who succeeded his father, Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky, following the latter's death on December 15, 1968. As the spiritual head of the dynasty, a branch tracing its origins to the Chernobyl Hasidic line, Rabbi Twersky holds absolute authority over religious, educational, and social matters, with followers seeking his guidance on personal and communal decisions. His late wife, Chaya Chana Twersky, who passed away on February 18, 2024, at age 81, played a supportive role in fostering the community's insularity and traditions. Skverer practices emphasize rigorous observance of , including thrice-daily communal prayers in large synagogues, extensive for males from early childhood, and strict and kosher adherence that structures daily life around religious imperatives. The community maintains linguistic distinctiveness through a specialized dialect and ritual Hebrew pronunciation, which serve to reinforce internal cohesion and separation from external influences. Modest dress is mandated, with married men often wearing traditional garb and women donning covered wigs, long sleeves, and skirts to uphold gender-specific roles centered on family and . Leadership extends to regulating modern technologies; in May 2023, Skver rabbis, under the Rebbe's direction, banned tools among members due to fears of unfiltered exposure to non-kosher content and erosion of faith. New Square itself functions as a self-contained enclave, established in the to shield adherents from secular "decadence," with the Rebbe's court at its core hosting tish gatherings where followers receive blessings and directives. This hierarchical structure prioritizes spiritual purity over external integration, resulting in high birth rates—averaging 7-8 children per family—and communal enforcement of norms through informal patrols.

Community Norms and Insularity

The Skverer Hasidic community in New Square maintains rigorous norms derived from traditional Jewish law and the directives of its Grand , David Twersky, who has led since 1968 and requires members' adherence for major life decisions such as employment, relocation, or obtaining a . serves as the primary language, spoken at home by nearly 93 percent of residents as of 2013, reinforcing linguistic isolation from English-dominant society. Dress codes emphasize modesty and uniformity: men wear black suits, white shirts, and fur hats on weekdays, while married women cover their hair with wigs or scarves and don long skirts and long-sleeved blouses, aligning with broader Hasidic practices to distinguish the group and curb assimilation. Gender separation constitutes a core norm, with men and women prohibited from walking on the same side of the street to minimize casual interactions, a rule enforced community-wide alongside bans on televisions, unrestricted internet access, and secular newspapers to shield members from external cultural influences. In 2015, the village's sole school mandated parental written agreements to prohibit technology devices for children, with non-compliance risking expulsion, extending control over family practices. These restrictions extend to ; in 2023, Skverer rabbis banned tools like , deeming them "abominations, heresy, and infidelity" that threaten spiritual purity, building on prior campaigns against unfiltered internet use. Insularity manifests in the community's self-containment as a village founded in 1954 explicitly to foster a disconnected Hasidic lifestyle, with internal institutions handling disputes, education, and welfare to limit reliance on or engagement with secular authorities. The Rebbe's authority, exercised through advisors and a Vaad (council) established in 2008 for internal issue resolution like abuse cases, enforces compliance via social ostracism, shunning, or, in extreme instances, physical retaliation, as seen in the 2011 assault on dissenter Aron Rottenberg for unauthorized prayer gatherings. This structure promotes cohesion and preservation of customs amid external pressures but fosters distrust of outsiders, minimal intermarriage, and rare reporting of internal matters to police, prioritizing communal autonomy over broader legal integration.

Government and Politics

Local Governance Structure

New Square functions as an incorporated village under New York State Village Law, with governance centered on a Board of Trustees that serves as the primary legislative and executive body. The board comprises the mayor, who holds the position of chief executive and presides over meetings, and four elected trustees responsible for enacting ordinances, approving budgets, and managing village affairs. This structure aligns with the standard model for New York villages, where the board may adjust trustee numbers but adheres to at-large, non-partisan elections. As of 2025, the mayor is Israel (Izzy) Spitzer, with trustees Abraham Kohl, Hirsch Unger, Jacob Unger, and Uri . The board collaborates on key functions including policy development, oversight, administrative operations, and public communications, with an emphasis on initiatives supporting the Skverer Hasidic community's needs such as emergency services and cultural preservation. Supporting entities include a Board for decisions and a Board of Appeals for variance reviews, both appointed by the trustees to handle development and regulatory compliance. The village clerk manages day-to-day records and elections, while a handles minor judicial matters, reflecting the limited scope of local authority within the broader Town of Ramapo framework. New Square was incorporated on November 6, 1961, establishing this governance model to provide localized services like sanitation, public safety, and zoning tailored to its residential character.

Electoral Influence and Bloc Voting

New Square's residents, overwhelmingly members of the Skverer Hasidic community, engage in bloc voting, casting nearly unanimous support for candidates endorsed by their Grand Rabbi, David Twersky, to advance communal interests such as funding, housing expansions, and access to government aid. This strategy leverages the village's estimated 3,000 eligible voters—drawn from a population exceeding 9,000—to exert outsized influence in Rockland County and , where margins often hinge on such concentrated blocs. High turnout is a hallmark, enabling the community to tip local, state, and federal races despite comprising a small fraction of broader electorates. The Grand Rabbi's endorsement serves as the decisive signal, with voters aligning pragmatically based on candidates' demonstrated support for Hasidic priorities rather than strict partisan ideology; this has led to cross-party backing, including Democrats for relational or benefit-driven reasons and Republicans for policy alignment on issues like . In the 2016 presidential election, for instance, New Square delivered strong support to , reflecting longstanding ties from her 2000 Senate campaign—where she received near-unanimous backing—and her administration's 2001 clemency for four community members convicted of fraud, prioritizing tangible aid amid the community's reliance on over broader ultra-Orthodox preferences for . Federal races in the Hudson Valley underscore the bloc's swing potential. In 2020, despite endorsing Democrat Mondaire Jones, voters heavily favored Trump, contributing to his strong performance in the village even as the district went for Joe Biden by 10 points. The 2022 cycle saw endorsement of Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney, yet Republican Mike Lawler prevailed with broader Orthodox support. By October 2024, both parties intensified courtship for the NY-17 rematch between Lawler and Jones, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and House Speaker Mike Johnson visiting the Grand Rabbi on consecutive days to secure the bloc; Lawler ultimately won re-election on November 5, 2024, bolstered by Hasidic turnout favoring Republicans amid national Haredi trends toward Trump. Locally, the bloc dominates village but extends to county-level contests, as seen in Rockland's 2017 executive race where Hasidic unity faced counter-mobilization, highlighting tensions over resource allocation in expanding communities. This pattern amplifies New Square's voice in negotiations over , welfare, and , often prioritizing insularity and religious autonomy.

Economy

Key Industries and Employment

The economy of New Square is characterized by limited diversification and low labor force participation, with many adult males engaged in full-time religious study at yeshivas rather than secular , contributing to overall employment levels that declined by 3.83% from to 2023. In 2023, the largest industry by employment was and social assistance, employing 696 residents, followed by educational services with 525 employed, and retail trade with 353. These figures, derived from data, reflect community-oriented roles, with educational services predominantly encompassing yeshiva-based instruction and administrative positions within the Skverer Hasidic framework, while likely includes home-based caregiving and social support services tailored to the village's elderly and families. Retail trade centers on small, local businesses serving the insular population, such as the New Square Supermarket, Braun's , and similar outlets providing kosher goods and essentials, as identified in local planning documents. There are no major industrial or corporate employers within the village; economic activity remains small-scale and self-contained, with occasional of construction and menial tasks to non-residents, a pattern observed in historical accounts of the community's development. stood at approximately 2.9% as of November 2024, though this metric may understate given the cultural emphasis on over wage labor, particularly among men. Broader Hasidic economic patterns, including in New Square, show systemic constraints from limited secular education, resulting in reliance on low-skill service roles and reduced workforce integration, as documented in analyses of community outcomes. Women often fill available positions in childcare, retail, or administrative support, sustaining household needs amid high fertility rates and large family sizes that amplify economic pressures.

Poverty Rates and Welfare Reliance

In 2023, 60.8% of New Square residents lived below the federal poverty line, a rate more than double the national average and among the highest in the United States, reflecting a 5.29% decrease from the prior year but still indicative of persistent economic challenges. The village's median household income stood at $28,880 in the same year, with at approximately $15,735, underscoring limited earning potential amid large average family sizes exceeding six members. Welfare reliance is correspondingly elevated, with 85.8% of the population covered by Medicaid for health insurance in 2023, compared to 2.77% on employer-sponsored plans and under 1% on Medicare. A substantial portion of households depend on federal and state programs such as SNAP (food stamps) and Section 8 housing assistance to meet basic needs, driven by cultural norms that prioritize full-time religious study for men and limit women's employment to part-time or low-wage roles. This pattern aligns with broader trends in Skverer Hasidic communities, where poverty rates hover around 63-70% due to high fertility rates and yeshiva-focused lifestyles that de-emphasize secular vocational training. Despite these metrics, community leaders maintain that government assistance supplements rather than supplants , with some in local garment factories, , and small businesses providing modest streams. However, critics argue that the systemic underinvestment in perpetuates dependency cycles, as evidenced by low labor force participation rates among working-age males.

Education

Yeshiva-Based System

The yeshiva-based educational system in New Square centers on religious instruction tailored to the Skverer Hasidic community's emphasis on and piety, with boys attending all-male institutions from early childhood through young adulthood. Avir Yakov serves as the flagship institution, enrolling 4,691 students across pre-kindergarten to 12th grade in a single campus structure reflective of the village's compact, insular demographics. This system prioritizes daily immersion in , , and Yiddish-language religious texts, often spanning 8-10 hours, to instill lifelong devotion and communal roles such as future rabbis or family providers within the . Secular coursework remains severely curtailed, with Hasidic yeshivas in New Square offering little to no substantive instruction in English, , , or science, as confirmed by state legislative testimony on local schools. For boys, any limited exposure—typically 90 minutes daily of rudimentary skills before age 13—ends post-bar , aligning with doctrines viewing prolonged secular learning as a to spiritual purity. Girls' , handled in separate schools like Bnos Yisroel equivalents, includes marginally more and arithmetic but still subordinates these to religious for homemaking and child-rearing, resulting in graduates lacking standard credentials such as high school transcripts or scores. New York state law mandates "substantial equivalency" to public school curricula for nonpublic institutions receiving indirect , yet compliance in New Square yeshivas has historically been nominal, prompting probes into amid documented in secular domains among . Personal accounts from former residents describe the regimen as "crippling," confining individuals to low-skill labor or due to skill deficits, though community leaders defend it as essential for preserving Hasidic continuity against assimilation. Enrollment growth, driven by the village's 9,679 residents (2020 census) and high birth rates, has spurred infrastructure expansions, including a 2025 initiative for a new campus to house additional yeshivas.

Secular Education Deficiencies and Reforms

In the Skverer Hasidic yeshivas of New Square, secular education for boys is severely limited, with students after age eight devoting nearly all instructional time—up to eight hours daily—to religious studies such as Talmud and Torah, often at the expense of English, mathematics, science, and history. This results in widespread functional illiteracy in English among graduates, with testing data from similar Hasidic institutions showing proficiency rates below 10% in reading and math by eighth grade. Girls' schools in the community provide somewhat more secular instruction, but still prioritize religious content, contributing to overall low academic outcomes that correlate with the village's 60% poverty rate and heavy welfare dependency. Personal accounts from former residents highlight cases of individuals leaving the community with no basic literacy or numeracy skills, hindering employment outside insular networks. New York State Education Law §3204 mandates that nonpublic schools, including yeshivas, provide instruction "substantially equivalent" to public schools in core secular subjects for at least 2.5 hours daily in elementary grades and five hours total including religious study in secondary grades. However, enforcement has historically been lax, allowing Skverer yeshivas in New Square and surrounding Rockland County areas to receive public funds—estimated at millions annually for transportation, textbooks, and meals—despite non-compliance documented in state audits of Hasidic schools. In 2019, the state Department of Education initiated a review process, identifying over 80% of inspected Hasidic yeshivas as deficient, though specific New Square institutions have evaded full scrutiny amid community resistance and political bloc voting. Reform efforts gained traction through advocacy groups like Young Advocates for Fair Education (YAFFED), which since 2012 has pushed for accountability, leading to state guidelines in 2022 requiring yeshivas to demonstrate student outcomes via testing or teacher credentials. By 2025, this resulted in defunding for several non-compliant yeshivas in and upstate, with two institutions ordered to effectively close for failing standards; similar pressures apply to Rockland County schools, though Skverer leaders have leveraged electoral influence—such as endorsing Governor in 2022—to seek extensions and weaken oversight via proposed legislation granting up to seven additional years for compliance. Community internal reforms remain minimal, with resistance rooted in religious priorities, as articulated by Hasidic spokesmen who argue secular mandates infringe on parental rights and Torah-centric values. Ongoing lawsuits, including a 2025 challenge by reformers against state compromises, underscore tensions between funding accountability and political accommodations.

Infrastructure

Housing and Expansion Projects

New Square has experienced significant population growth, increasing from 9,578 residents in 2022 to 9,712 in 2023, driven by large family sizes averaging 6.3 persons per household in its Skver Hasidic community. This growth has necessitated expansions in residential capacity through high-density multi-family housing and boundary annexations from the surrounding Town of Ramapo. To accommodate housing demands, the village has pursued annexations of adjacent properties, enabling denser residential development under its framework that emphasizes and multi-unit structures. In , Ramapo transferred a 3,100-square-foot property at 42 Hoover Lane to New Square, expanding its land base for potential residential use. In September 2025, property owners petitioned to annex the Refuah Health Center and three additional parcels, totaling several acres, into the village to align with its tax structure and facilitate integrated development, including ; a public hearing occurred on September 10, 2025. The village's 2019 zoning law and 2020 comprehensive plan guide such expansions by controlling development on remaining undeveloped land, prioritizing dense residential patterns while preserving limited open spaces like playgrounds. Local officials have cited acute housing shortages as a driver, with ongoing projects reflecting a pattern of vertical and clustered builds to house the expanding without sprawling into unincorporated areas. The New Square Authority operates units classified for low-income residents, supporting welfare-eligible families amid high rates.

Public Services and Health Facilities

New Square maintains limited municipal public services, primarily relying on volunteer-based emergency response units tailored to its close-knit Hasidic community. The Village of New Square Emergency Services, including Hatzoloh of New Square, provides lifesaving emergency medical services (EMS) with a focus on rapid response within the village. This volunteer ambulance corps operates alongside the New Square Emergency Services Unit (ESU), established in 1989, which handles broader incident response via a 24-hour hotline at 845-354-0222. Fire protection falls under Rockland County's fire department network, with the Village of New Square designated as fire department code 44806, coordinating with county resources for training and mutual aid. Law enforcement is provided by the Town of Ramapo Police Department, as New Square lacks its own dedicated police force and contracts external coverage for routine and emergency needs. Utilities are managed at the county level, with Rockland County Sewer District #1 operating and maintaining sanitary sewers, interceptors, and pumping stations serving New Square alongside nearby villages like Spring Valley. Water supply is sourced through regional providers, though specific village-level infrastructure emphasizes self-contained systems to support dense residential growth. Health facilities center on Refuah Health Center, a comprehensive provider at 728 N Main Street in adjacent Spring Valley (serving New Square's population directly), offering primary care, pediatrics, dentistry, behavioral health, cardiology, OB/GYN, and acute services in English and Yiddish. In 2024, Refuah initiated construction of a 20,000-square-foot Women's Health Wing in New Square to expand specialized care, funded partly by New York State Health Department grants. Residents typically access hospitals like Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern (approximately 6 miles away) for inpatient needs, reflecting the community's preference for culturally aligned providers amid historical challenges such as low vaccination rates contributing to outbreaks. No in-village hospitals exist, underscoring reliance on proximate facilities.

Controversies

Federal Grant and Welfare Fraud Cases

In the late 1990s, residents of New Square, including members of the Skverer Hasidic community, were implicated in a decade-long scheme defrauding federal education, , and social services programs of over $11 million. The fraud involved establishing fictitious educational entities, such as a phony seminary and an "independent studies program" at the local , to enroll non-attending individuals and claim Pell Grants, student loans, work-study funds, and other subsidies from the U.S. Department of Education. Participants, including five New Square residents and one from , submitted false attendance records and certifications to divert funds to personal and community uses, such as supporting operations and subsidies. Federal indictments were issued in May 1997 against six individuals on charges of , mail fraud, wire fraud, and of federal program funds. Key figures included community leaders who facilitated the schemes, with trials resulting in convictions for four men in 1999: they faced penalties including terms, restitution, and fines up to $250,000 per , alongside three years' supervised release on related charges. One , identified in related proceedings, received a six-year sentence in May 2002 for his role in the enclave's fraudulent activities. Several participants, including , fled the U.S. before sentencing; , accused as a mastermind, evaded capture overseas until pressures mounted, though his full resolution tied into broader community efforts for clemency. A related multi-million-dollar surfaced in the 2000s, involving defendant David Friesel and co-conspirators who targeted federal and state grants, loans, and subsidies benefiting New Square institutions. Friesel, who fled after , pleaded guilty in March 2010 to conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 27 months in prison in July 2010, with the scheme yielding millions funneled through falsified applications for educational and programs. These cases highlighted systemic exploitation of welfare-adjacent benefits, including tied to low-income Hasidic households, amid the village's high rates and reliance on government aid. No subsequent large-scale federal welfare-specific prosecutions in New Square were reported, though the scandals underscored vulnerabilities in grant oversight for insular communities.

Political Pardons and Influence Peddling

In 1999, four New Square residents—Kalmen Stern, David Goldstein, Benjamin Berger, and Jacob Elbaum—were convicted on charges for schemes that defrauded U.S. programs of about $40 million, primarily by falsifying enrollments at the Toldos Yakov Yeshiva to secure , welfare benefits, and loans, with funds diverted back to community institutions. The men received sentences of up to 6.5 years. Grand Rabbi David Twersky, spiritual leader of the Skverer Hasidic sect centered in New Square, advocated for clemency on behalf of the convicted men, initially approaching Mayor , who declined to intervene. Efforts then shifted to the administration amid Hillary Clinton's 2000 U.S. campaign in New York, during which she visited the village to court its tight-knit Hasidic voting bloc. New Square residents responded with near-unanimous support, casting 99.3% of their votes (1,409 out of 1,415) for her in the November 2000 election. On December 22, 2000, President commuted the sentences of the four men, releasing them from prison. The action drew immediate scrutiny for appearing to reward bloc voting, with critics alleging influence peddling by the insular community, which has historically leveraged its unified electoral power—often exceeding 1,000 votes in tight races—to secure favors from politicians across parties. U.S. Attorney launched a probe into potential vote-trading, examining contacts between community leaders, Clinton aides, and Rabbi Twersky. In June 2002, federal prosecutors closed the investigation without filing charges against the Clintons or others, concluding there was insufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing despite the "unusual" circumstances and political timing. The episode highlighted the Skverer sect's strategic engagement in , where loyalty to translates into bloc voting to advance communal interests, though no further pardons or similar controversies tied directly to New Square have been documented since.

Health Violations and Social Welfare Issues

In 2018, New Square experienced significant public health challenges due to low measles vaccination rates in its yeshivas and schools, contributing to Rockland County's largest measles outbreak in decades, with over 300 confirmed cases by September 2019. Vaccination coverage in affected New Square institutions fell below 70 percent, prompting health officials to exclude unvaccinated students from attendance starting October 2018 to curb transmission. The outbreak, predominantly among unvaccinated ultra-Orthodox residents including Skverer Hasidim, led to a countywide state of emergency in March 2019, banning unvaccinated minors from public spaces like schools and synagogues for 30 days amid resistance to vaccination mandates rooted in community norms. Rockland County's response highlighted ongoing vaccination compliance gaps in New Square, where religious exemptions had previously allowed rates to lag behind the 95 percent threshold for herd immunity, exacerbating spread from imported cases. By outbreak's end, New York State reported 242 measles cases outside NYC, with 206 in Rockland, underscoring the risks of insular communities prioritizing traditional practices over empirical public health measures. These events strained local health resources, including contact tracing and isolation enforcement, amid reports of non-compliance with quarantine orders in Hasidic enclaves. Social welfare systems in New Square face pressure from high enrollment, with approximately two-thirds of residents relying on it for medical coverage, including treatments for conditions prevalent in large, endogamous families. The village's 63.3 percent rate correlates with elevated for health-related needs, such as pediatric care in a community with average household sizes exceeding state norms, though specific child welfare investigations remain limited due to cultural insularity. This reliance amplifies fiscal burdens on state programs, intersecting with vulnerabilities like .

Notable Individuals

Prominent Rabbis and Leaders

Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Twersky (1896–1968), a descendant of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty, initiated the establishment of New Square in the mid-1950s by directing followers of the Skverer Hasidic sect to purchase farmland in Rockland County, New York, through the Zemach David Corporation to create a secluded community for religious observance. Under his guidance, the initial group settled on the site in 1956, leading to formal incorporation as a village in 1961, with the community expanding as a center for Skverer Hasidim emphasizing strict adherence to traditional practices. Upon Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Twersky's death in 1968, leadership passed to his son, Rabbi David Twersky (born October 28, 1940), who assumed the role of Grand Rabbi () of Skver and spiritual head of New Square. As the current , David Twersky maintains authority over religious, communal, and educational affairs in the village, which remains almost exclusively composed of his followers, numbering over 8,000 residents as of recent censuses. His tenure has seen New Square's growth into a densely insular Hasidic enclave, with the rebbe's directives shaping daily life, including dress codes, gender segregation, and resistance to external secular influences. Other notable figures include Rabbi Mayer Schiller, who has represented the Skver community in interfaith and public dialogues on behalf of New Square. The rebbe's influence extends to political endorsements, as evidenced by visits from U.S. congressional leaders seeking the bloc vote of Skverer Hasidim in local elections.

Other Residents and Businesses

Mates Friesel (c. 1924–2015), a Polish-born co-founder of the village, served unopposed as its inaugural and sole mayor from incorporation in 1961 until his death on August 1, 2015, overseeing expansion from 20 founding families to a population exceeding 7,000 by the 2000s. Lipa Schmeltzer (b. 1978), a prominent Hasidic performer known for satirical and musical works within Orthodox circles, grew up as the second youngest of 12 children in the Skverer community of New Square, though he relocated to nearby Airmont around 2010 amid tensions over his artistic pursuits. Shulem Deen (b. c. 1974), author of the 2015 memoir All Who Go Do Not Return detailing his upbringing and eventual expulsion from the Skverer Hasidim for questioning doctrine, resided in New Square from early adulthood until community leaders banished him in 2005, after which he divorced and pursued secular life, highlighting internal doctrinal enforcement. The village economy centers on modest, community-oriented enterprises rather than large-scale industry, reflecting priorities of religious study and large families over commercial expansion; as of 2018, New Square recorded New York State's lowest median household income at $21,773 and a 70% poverty rate, with residents often commuting for work or relying on internal support systems. Local businesses include the Hatzlacha supermarket within a 2013-constructed 30,000-square-foot mixed-use facility funded partly by state capital grants, alongside nonprofits like the NS Community Planning and Development Corporation focused on sustaining welfare and planning amid economic constraints.

References

  1. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/new-square
  2. https://www.homes.com/local-guide/new-square-ny/
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/18/archives/hasidic-village-is-flourishing-in-rockland-the-skvirer-mark-10th.html
  4. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/newsquarevillagenewyork/HSG495223
  5. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/new-square-ny
  6. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2015/11/04/new-square-faqs/75119212/
  7. https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2016-11-20/ty-article/cult-like-hasidic-town-holds-first-mayoral-election/0000017f-e6f1-d97e-a37f-f7f5058f0000
  8. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/07/18/archives/new-square-poorest-but-its-hasidim-do-not-live-by-bread-alone-new.html
  9. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/ramapo/2017/01/08/ramapo-ny-history/95630628/
  10. https://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org/calarasi/Skverer.html
  11. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/writing-your-way-out
  12. https://www.jta.org/archive/skvirer-hassidim-establish-village-in-n-y-state-will-elect-mayor
  13. https://www.biggestuscities.com/city/new-square-new-york
  14. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/new-york/new-square
  15. https://latitude.to/articles-by-country/us/united-states/20901/new-square-new-york
  16. https://www.rome2rio.com/s/New-York/New-Square
  17. https://www.city-data.com/city/New-Square-New-York.html
  18. https://www.topozone.com/new-york/rockland-ny/city/new-square/
  19. https://hudsongreenway.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2018/05/rockland-compact-part-iii.pdf
  20. https://diaocthongthai.com/en/map-of-ny-new-square/
  21. https://mapcarta.com/26669224
  22. https://kids.kiddle.co/New_Square%2C_New_York
  23. https://timmillerassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NewSquareComprehensivePlan20200107.pdf
  24. https://timmillerassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/NewSquareProposed2019Zoning20191119.pdf
  25. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2025/09/05/ramapo-rockland-ny-considers-annexing-four-properties-into-new-square/85974970007/
  26. https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/local-government/data/excel/decennial-populations-nys-cctvs-1970-2020.xlsx
  27. https://www.newyork-demographics.com/new-square-demographics
  28. https://www.neilsberg.com/insights/topic/new-square-ny-population/
  29. http://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US3650705-new-square-ny/
  30. https://forward.com/opinion/138211/what-is-really-happening-in-new-square/
  31. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/07/nyregion/a-villages-name-sounds-english-but-the-voices-there-are-yiddish.html
  32. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0271530914000871
  33. https://www.neilsberg.com/insights/new-square-ny-median-household-income/
  34. https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/3650705
  35. https://www.thecentersquare.com/new_york/article_18041730-dcc4-11ea-b3bf-9bb6f7533c62.html
  36. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2018/05/09/new-square-ranked-poorest-municipality-new-york-state/591434002/
  37. https://www.homesnacks.com/ny/new-square/
  38. https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/new-square-rockland-ny/
  39. https://www.beautifydata.com/united-states-population/acs-5yrs/educational-attainment/2021/by-race-and-ethnicity-per-place/new-york/new-square-village
  40. https://townfolio.co/ny/new-square/labor-force
  41. https://www.bestplaces.net/economy/city/new%2520york/new%2520square
  42. https://www.geni.com/people/%25D7%2590%25D7%2593%25D7%259E%25D7%2595-%25D7%25A8-%25D7%259E-%25D7%25A1%25D7%25A7%25D7%2595%25D7%2595%25D7%2599%25D7%25A8%25D7%2590-%25D7%25A9%25D7%259C%25D7%2599%25D7%2598-%25D7%2590/336195019000012779
  43. https://www.jta.org/2024/08/13/ny/meet-the-new-yorker-tracing-the-300-year-history-of-the-twersky-rabbinical-dynasty-from-chernobyl-to-the-bronx
  44. https://forward.com/fast-forward/584358/chaya-chana-twersky-wife-and-aide-to-head-of-skverer-hasidic-movement-dies-at-81/
  45. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-788017
  46. https://culteducation.com/group/1276-ultra-orthodox-jewish-groups/21379-new-square-where-tradition-and-the-rebbe-rule.html
  47. https://www.shtetl.org/article/skver-bans-artificial-intelligence
  48. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/nyregion/hasidic-jews-in-heavy-dress-bear-up-in-summer.html
  49. https://forward.com/news/210213/hasidic-enclave-keeps-its-secrets-amid-elusive-reb/
  50. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2015/11/05/new-square-rules/74471378/
  51. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-741821
  52. https://video.dos.ny.gov/lg/handbook/html/village_government.html
  53. https://newsquare.blog/board-of-trustees/
  54. https://newsquare.blog/boards/
  55. https://jewishinsider.com/2024/10/the-high-stakes-battle-for-the-skver-vote/
  56. https://ballotpedia.org/New_Square%2C_New_York
  57. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/22/nyregion/orthodox-jewish-vote-ny.html
  58. https://www.jpost.com/us-elections/hillary-clinton/ny-hassidic-village-loyal-to-clinton-despite-trump-popularity-among-ultra-orthodox-471955
  59. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/ny-election-results-ny-17-mike-lawler-mondaire-jones-which-party-rules-house/76050615007/
  60. https://www.shtetl.org/article/analyzing-the-haredi-vote-in-the-2024-general-election
  61. https://nyacknewsandviews.com/blog/2017/11/rc_exec-bloc-vote/
  62. https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/09/28/hasidic-voting-blocs-in-kiryas-joel-rockland-congress-races-ny/69496531007/
  63. https://yaffed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/YAFFED-2018-2022-Report_FINAL-2-2.pdf
  64. https://yaffed.org/economic-outcomes/
  65. https://www.foxnews.com/us/insular-hasidic-jews-struggle-to-preserve-customs-as-legal-and-social-pressures-build
  66. https://nypost.com/2018/05/12/these-taxpayer-funded-jewish-schools-are-dooming-young-men-to-poverty/
  67. https://www.bestplaces.net/schools/new%2520york/New_Square/yeshiva_avir_yakov
  68. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2015/09/17/crippling-education-eisenberger/32521317/
  69. https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/testimony_given_by_the_young_advocates_for_fair_education_yaffed.pdf
  70. https://yaffed.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Yaffed-Report-FINAL-one-up.pdf
  71. https://jewinthecity.com/2025/06/she-left-the-hasidic-enclave-of-new-square-now-shes-reclaiming-her-judaism-and-her-future/
  72. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/nyregion/hasidic-yeshivas-schools-new-york.html
  73. https://www.rocklanddaily.com/news/skver-expanding-new-yeshiva-campus-in-the-works
  74. https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/06/30/yeshivas-education-probe-math-english/
  75. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2016/04/20/east-ramapo-education/82519112/
  76. https://therevealer.org/hasidic-yeshivas-and-childrens-rights/
  77. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/op-ed/new-yorkers-should-pay-attention-yeshiva-schools-controversy
  78. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2019/08/23/yeshiva-grads-square-off-rockland-over-need-state-oversight-education-elia-regents/2078317001/
  79. https://www.kveller.com/this-organization-is-trying-to-get-hasidic-yeshivas-to-teach-basic-english-math/
  80. https://www.jta.org/2025/03/20/united-states/three-more-new-york-city-yeshivas-lose-status-and-funding-over-secular-education-standards
  81. https://gothamist.com/news/new-york-yeshivas-education-standards-budget
  82. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/fight-over-religious-education
  83. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/yeshiva-reformers-ny-gov-kathy-225900635.html
  84. https://www.retax.com/new-square-new-york-a-village-of-hasidim/
  85. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/ramapo/2016/09/22/new-square-complex/90756228/
  86. https://www.ramapo.gov/page/news-7/news/notice-of-public-hearing------petition-for-annexation-of-property-from-town-of-ramapo-to-village-of-new-square-1265.html
  87. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/ramapo/2017/01/08/ramapo-ny-breaking-point/95369994/
  88. https://hatzolohofns.space/
  89. https://x.com/newsquareesu
  90. https://www.dhses.ny.gov/location/rockland-county-fire-departments
  91. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2024/09/16/ramapo-ny-officials-urge-residents-to-call-911-not-matzilei-aish-fire-brigade/75203956007/
  92. https://www.rocklandcountyny.gov/departments/sewer-district-1
  93. https://refuahhealth.org/
  94. https://www.facebook.com/RefuahHealth/
  95. https://www.healthgrades.com/hospital-directory/ny-new-york/new-square
  96. https://refuahhealth.org/locations/main-site/
  97. https://www.jta.org/1999/01/29/ny/four-convicted-in-new-square-scam
  98. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/29/nyregion/6-indicted-in-fraud-over-use-of-grants-for-hasidic-groups.html
  99. https://www.chronicle.com/article/4-men-convicted-of-student-aid-fraud-involving-jewish-seminary/
  100. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/23/nyregion/man-gets-six-years-for-fraud-involving-a-hasidic-enclave.html
  101. https://nypost.com/2001/07/02/new-square-fugitive-feels-squeeze-overseas/
  102. https://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2010/nyfo031510b.htm
  103. https://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2010/nyfo072610.htm
  104. https://www.upi.com/Archives/2001/02/23/Pardon-probe-grows-R-Clinton-speaks/1063982904400/
  105. https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/21/us/prosecutors-clear-clintons-in-clemency-of-4-hasidic-men.html
  106. https://nypost.com/2001/01/25/hasids-wooed-rudy-before-hill-but-mayor-nixed-them-on-pardons/
  107. https://www.nydailynews.com/2001/02/12/the-wooing-of-hillary-clinton-pardons-on-mind-of-new-square-rabbi/
  108. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/05/nyregion/behind-4-pardons-a-sect-eager-for-political-friends.html
  109. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clinton-pardon-under-fire/
  110. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=121756&page=1
  111. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/06/21/clinton-cleared-in-new-square-pardon-case/5a4d8f1d-4f69-494f-904c-0e6c2b689baa/
  112. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2019/09/24/rockland-measles-outbreak-2019-over/2432154001/
  113. https://abc7ny.com/post/75-cases-of-measles-now-confirmed-in-rockland-county/4589644/
  114. https://abc7ny.com/health/measles-outbreak-rockland-bars-unvaccinated-from-public-places/5218203/
  115. https://www.statnews.com/2019/03/29/measles-outbreak-rockland-county-response/
  116. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6819a4.htm
  117. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/nyregion/measles-outbreak-jews-nyc.html
  118. https://www.thecentersquare.com/new_york/article_ca4c79d8-13b9-11eb-b874-0b4058c26eb2.html
  119. https://blog.theojc.org/2015/05/14/the-only-woman-at-the-table/
  120. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2015/08/02/new-square-mayor-mates-friesel-dies-91/31015257/
  121. https://matzav.com/r-mattis-friesel-zl-longtime-mayor-of-shikun-skver/
  122. https://forward.com/schmooze/180373/an-exclusive-interview-with-lipa-schmeltzer/
  123. https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/lipa-schmeltzer
  124. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/jun/10/shulem-deen-when-i-lost-god-i-lost-my-children-too
  125. https://www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2015/09/17/crippling-education-deen/32521635/
  126. https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/cfa/project/21997
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.