To the Honorable Congressman Chris Smith,
As a member of your district and as someone that is happy to have voted for you in the last few elections I would appreciate your attention to a serious incident.
As a religious Orthodox Jewish family we very much respect family unity and our children’s well-being. We have the highest respect as well for everyone regardless of race, religion, and background.
I work hard to provide for my children and do all I can to support them and provide a well-rounded education as I have been provided. I teach them to respect others that may not believe what we believe or act how we act.
However, I also take preventive measures as a parent and try to shield them from ideologies that go against god, and or that I deem as harmful content.
We go to the Ocean County Library often and I found myself cuddling up with my 5 yr old daughter as I read her a bedtime story last Friday night.
The story started off innocent but I then realized the sole purpose of the book. It was a 100% propaganda book pushed by the hard-core left looking to destabilize our children’s mental health and to encourage children to be confused about their gender.
The story is about a 5-year-old girl that felt like a boy for a few minutes. Within a few pages, the mom was having a conversation telling her she can be a boy if she wanted to and they would tell the family at her next birthday. She then got a boy’s haircut and started dressing as a boy. I leave the rest of the story to your imagination.
This is sickening. I take my children to the public library so that they can expand their reading capabilities as well as so that they can be exposed to different cultures and amazing literature.
Not so that they can be brainwashed.
There are multiple studies showing how transgender kids suffer later in life from tremendous stress and unimaginable rates of suicide. A recent study Why in the world are we using tax-payer dollars to support planting ideas into our precious children’s minds?
The world is confusing as it is. Need we confuse our children more? Need we plant sick idea’s that anyone can change their genders at any point for any reason?
Don’t we see the damage this is doing to society?
As a parent, I should be allowed to choose to consume these types of books should I want to. But to have them amongst all other books without a warning to parents is terrible and wrong. Do I need to stop visiting our public libraries? Do I need to warn the entire orthodox Jewish community that has gained tremendously from the Ocean County Library that they are pushing an agenda super contrary to basic family principles?
I strongly feel that books that push gender ideology should be labeled as such with a sticker on the front of the book or at a minimum be kept in a specific section of the library for anyone that wishes to plant confusion in their children.
I am truly horrified to have had this book in my home, and I’m thankful that I read it before 8 and 10 yr old got to it.
Can this be addressed with legislation?
I am sincerely looking forward to your response.
A loyal constituent.
TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected]
Sadly and unfortunately, a waste of time. Parents must be proactive. This is just the beginning.
I don’t believe any of this.
Any sane person would skim through the book before you read it to your “5 yr old daughter”
As the author of this letter I can assure you this is true. If you would like to come by my home I can show you the book. I consider myself sane, I dont read through my 5 yr old’s books. We expect those to be normal and healthy for 5 year old’s.
So you still have the book in your house?
Unfortunately this is the new “normal”. BH there are many libraries in Lakewood without this issue. You probably will avoid many other issues if you patronize them as well.
We have some wonderful Jewish libraries that cater to our Yiddishe Kinderlich. The one I take my einecklich to is at 1212 Todd Court. This library has a large variety of children and adult books. In today’s culture it is not a smart move to take your children to the Public Library. Now you may be able to screen the books they read. In the future, as they get older and go on their own, you will not be able to check every book they read. By making this a place that is out of limits for us they will get the message that it is not appropriate for us to go there. Rabbi Solomon, our Mashgiach, shlita, was very clear about not using the Public Library.
Correct. The Mashgiach Shlit”a said unequivocally that one should stay away. And this was 20+ years ago. Hachacham einav B’rosho.
When I was a child, other kids complained very heavily about these types of rules (the school I went to banned families from bringing their children to the public library)
Situations like these, make it obvious why such rules were necessary.
This goes to show the foresight of our gedolim and flies in the face of those who question them.
The library has certain fundamental rules about what they allow or disallow. On another note, they insist on keeping Chaim Walders books (despite many complaints they received) since they don’t remove an author based on personal life choices. Your words “expose them to different cultures” is exactly what the library is doing. Which is why, in todays sick minded liberal culture, the library is no longer an option for our children. You should be protecting your kids from this nonsense and no longer go there.
It’s so sad as I feel like i gained tremendously growing up going to the Brooklyn Public Library, but yes, I am thinking it may not be an option for our children.
This makes no sense. Chris Smith and the Lakewood library is not your Kids parents.
There are many books even 25 years ago by on many subjects that aren’t appropriate for anyone or children or Jewish children.
If you don’t look at what your kids are taking your the problem.
A few points:
Congressman Smith’s office is very easy to deal with, you can contact them directly.
The ocean county library is ran by the county so the correct people to address this to would be the ocean county commissioners.
Congressman smith can author legislation against it but the senate and president are Democrats so it will never get passed.
Amazing idea! Thanks for such a great letter.
Are you sick in the head? Why in the world would you take out a book from a public library if you are so concerned with the hashkafos that you are giving over? You are digging your own grave!
Have you ever tried the public school system it might work for you and it’s a lot cheaper than Jewish schools. If you’re by any chance disenchanted you can always write a letter to Mr singer as a loyal constituent.
I am not sure why you think this should be taken care of by Mr. Smith. The public library is public and no, it will not cater to the Jewish community. If you are uncomfortable with the books there, perhaps you should not take your family there anymore.
File this under things that never happened. As a parent, it is your responsibility to filter what your kids are reading, not the library’s. You also don’t get to demand what is available or not in a public library.