Orthodox, Hasidic Populations Fuel Growth in Ramapo

The large spike in the populations of Ramapo’s Orthodox and Hasidic communities fueled a townwide increase of more than 16 percent, according to the latest census figures.

The increases made sense to Israel Spitzer, deputy mayor of New Square, the Hasidic village that saw its population increase by 50 percent to a total of 6,944.

“It’s families expanding,” Spitzer said. “We have close to about 100 weddings each year. We have a lot of births each week.

”It’s a growth in the community,“ Spitzer said. ”Teenagers are maturing and starting their own families, and we pray to God (to) bless them all with health and wealth.“

Kaser, home to a large Hasidic community, saw a 42 percent increase to a total of 4,724 residents.

Ramapo had the largest population increase among Rockland’s five towns between 2000 and 2010, census figures show. The town saw a 16.24 percent uptick that brought its total population to 126,595.

Ramapo now has 42,408 more people than the town with the second-largest population, Clarkstown, which saw a modest 2.56 percent increase that brought its total population to 84,187, according to the census.

Mona Montel, a modern Orthodox Jew and a longtime Ramapo resident, said the growth across the town was a positive sign.

”It is really a testament to the fact that Ramapo is a wonderful place to live and raise a family,“ Montel said.

She is also chairwoman of the Ramapo Democratic Committee and the town’s director of purchasing.

Ramapo has been experiencing significant growth for a number of years, and the situation often has pitted residents who say more housing is needed against residents who want to halt building to preserve open space.

”To me, (the growth) proves there’s room here for everyone regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion,“ Montel said.

”There are enough resources for everyone,“ she said. ”Progress and growth is something that not only New York but the U.S. in general was based upon. We should welcome everyone with open arms.“

Michael Castelluccio, another longtime town resident, is active with Preserve Ramapo, an organization that has been critical of town government and wants less development and more open space.

He said the new census numbers were not surprising but highlighted the need for more sustainable practices because overdevelopment had become rampant and infrastructure , including the sewer system, was being neglected.

Castelluccio also voiced concern that the villages with significant growth might not be paying their share of the tax burden.

”The big picture is, it’s getting to look more and more like a train wreck,” Castelluccio said.

Spring Valley and Montebello each saw an increase of about 23 percent, bringing their populations to 31,347 and 4,526, respectively.

Montebello Mayor Jeffrey Oppenheim attributed the growth in his community to construction of The Pines, a single-family housing development of 200-plus homes.

He said the village had not felt overwhelmed by the new housing in terms of the impact on quality of life such as traffic congestion because Montebello had spent years planning for it.

Additional double-digit increases were seen in Wesley Hills, with a 16 percent increase for a total of 5,628 residents; Pomona, with a 14 percent increase for a total of 3,103 residents; and Airmont, with a nearly 11 percent increase for a total of 8,628 residents.

All three villages have seen an increase in the numbers of Orthodox and Hasidic Jews living within their boundaries as families search for housing.

Suffern saw its population dip by 2.6 percent to 10,723 residents, and Sloatsburg saw a population decrease of 2.5 percent, leaving it with 3,039 residents.

They were the only two villages to lose residents in Ramapo.

The census is conducted once a decade in keeping with the constitutional mandate of one-person, one-vote.

The newly released census numbers will be used to redraw local, state and federal voting district boundaries in coming weeks and months.

The Rockland County Legislature already has launched an effort to have its 17 districts redrawn in time for the November election. It plans to have new districts in place by June, when would-be candidates begin gathering signatures to get on the political ballot.

Redistricting isn’t the only area that will be driven by the new census numbers. Billions in federal aid are also at stake, and Ramapo’s population increases will likely bring more aid into its communities.

The Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, estimates that the 2000 Census numbers determined how $447 billion in federal aid was dispersed in 2008-09, amounting to $1,469 per person.

For a family of four, the number adds up to $5,876 per year, or $58,760 for the decade.