Shabbos of Chizzuk; Courtesy of Lakewood

So, next shabbos, the Monsey community will be the recipient of chizzuk, courtesy of the Lakewood Roshei Yeshiva. This is the second year that Beis Medrash Govoha has done this, and they did this program in Brooklyn as well. This is, of course, a thinly veiled fund-raising event, but I have a couple questions surrounding this concept.

1) Why should the Monsey Jewish Community be made to feel as if we need Lakewood in order to get chizzuk? We have our own rebbeim and roshe yeshiva.

2) The concept of tzedakka. No one is saying that supporting torah isn't important. But, mosdos in Monsey are struggling - the chedarim, shuls, schools, and tzedakka organizations that support our community. Why should I give money to Lakewood? It's not "aniyei ircha kodem" and it's not Eretz Yisroel.


I believe that the Rabbonim of the 5 Towns instituted a policy that communal money should stay and support local mosdos. All communities should do the same thing. I fail to see the importance of financially supporting out-of-town yeshivos, which Lakewood is albeit on a larger scale, while local mosdos are struggling. Communal money, as a klal, needs to stay local.