Rabbi Shlomo Kanraek, the owner of many schools in Lakewood New Jersey, told the Planning Board :

“You know I’m running schools for a little north of 36 years in Lakewood, and obviously we don’t intend to sell any schools. We run schools to serve the children of the community. This is one big property with the boys on one side and girls on the other, and it’s staying under one owner. We never sell parcels. This is being ridiculous. This is one property, one school, one application, and we don’t intend to break anything up. Never has it been that I’ve sold a school or split a school. This is being ridiculous.

Our sources tell us that this is not accurate. At two separate times, Rabbi Kanarek sold a school for a hefty profit.

In the first, Rabbi Kanarek had taken ownership of the Beis Hatorah school, upon the resignation of it’s previous management. Rabbi Kanarek ran the school for a few years. He then sold the operation to another individual, while still retaining the real estate for himself.

In a later unrelated transaction, Rabbi Kanarek sold Beis Reuven Kamenitz to Meir Gutfreund. Now Rabbi Kanarek is in contract to flip the Bais Shaindel building on Rt 9 to Mr. Shaya Prager.

The planning Board is passionate about schools and approves many things it would not do for others. Kanrek enjoys taking advantage of the boards generosity towards schools, by getting approvals for things that are unimaginable.

Last month Kanarek asked the board to approve a school for 12000 kids and wedding hall, without minimal parking and without room for bussing. The board members mentioned it is apparent from the plans that he is putting in 2!! wedding halls (see attached notes from the meeting). Kanarek’s partner from Regency Development, Mr. Abe Auerbach strongly denied this, without explaining why the plans call for 2 huge halls.

The Lakewood community is B”H still undergoing phenomenal growth B”AH. There is barely room for such growth as is truly needed. In addition, many neighbors (Jewish and Non-Jewish alike) have complained that the over-building of schools and wedding halls, in areas that by their nature require very expanded variances, cause a great deal of stress to normal lifestyle expedience.

Couldn’t Rabbi Kanarek find other areas to invest in without potentially jeopardizing future needs for Lakewood Growth?

We appeal to him and to the Township to reconsider.

We have included a full copy of the Zoom video conference of the planning board

https://www.townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=88&id=34402

When you open the link, please advance to minute 2:29 to 2:37 to see the above remarks by Rabbi Kanarek.

Additionally we have included a copy of the minutes as recorded by the planning board.