In response to last night’s incident in West Gate, Snaps owner Yussi Weisz tells TLS Snaps will not be opening today, February 28, “as our staff is healing and trying to recover from a trauma incident that unfortunately occurred at our restaurant last night.”
Yussi stated, “After spending $1000’s of dollars on advertising awareness, private security guards, 100’s of FREE cholents Thursday nights, for our 1 on 1 program, we are forced to stop, refocus and regroup, to see how or if we can tackle the Westgate troubled teenager issue of terrorizing the Plaza. We need to feel safe coming and leaving work, we need to stop the troubled teenagers from disrupting our business and livelihood.”
He added, “We don’t wake up in the morning, put in a 12-hourwork day, so we be disrespected by a few troubled teens on a daily basis. This needs to stop. We are open to any help with solutions. Private security, Township security etc. or anything that will keep the calm, respect and safety our customers and staff deserve, so we can continue servicing the community with “good food fast”.
“We thank all our loyal customers for your past patronage and hopefully for many more years to come,” Yussi said.
thank you Yussi for all that you did and continue to do for the kids that need the extra help
Hashem should bentch you with loads of success in everything you do !!!!!
Yossi Lakewood is with you!! Lakewood is proud to support your establishment and all your hard work is noticed!
This is crazy! Why don’t you call the police and get a restraining order on them, and then trespass them when they come back?? They will go straight to jail!
We can’t have this in Westgate anymore. I’m scared to go shopping at night with this stuff going on.
Trespassing is not effective. A LPD police officer told me that Quickcheck tried it, and it didn’t work.
Go to jail? Nah. If carjacking doesn’t put someone in the slammer, why would tresspassing be any different?
Moiser
It’s so sad that our community puts the blame on these teenagers yet they grow up being told what they cannot do but not giving them any things to do every night.
The Lakewood Township had a community center but they sold the property so Lakewood has no center now. It shouldn’t have to be solely up to Mr. Weisz, to deal with this problem every day.
Instead of preaching all day every day against the dangers of technology why don’t we preach about the dangers of our children not having something to do in their downtime. Would you rather these kids do what they do now or have a place to hang out and watch baseball football or any other sport in a kosher environment?
The biggest issue seems to be Westgate so maybe the township should have a community center opened there.
On a sidenote why are high school boys trying to hitch in the dark at 11:30 at night on route nine and 70?
I dont think you will agree because you, like every person, seem to have a strong opinion of a way to mend this issue.
But let me tell you, there are MULTIPLE programs in place, there are MANY organizations to accommodate kids who watch sports at night, and a lot worse.
What yourself and many others need to understand, contrary to the idiocy we see from a large number of “motivational speakers”, “Rabbis” who arent actually Talmideai Chachamim, and a LARGE number of “therapists”, is that there NO EXTERNAL CURE for people who are, r”l, at this point in their life, RA LEV!
Thats it. SImple as that.
YES, each individual must do what they can, WITHIN THEIR PERSONAL, REASONABLE, ability (and dont ask them for more), to influence these children for the good.
But there is such a thing as a bad apple.
Back in time people understood that peoples choices define who they are. And while theres always makom for teshuvah (reish Lakish?), we cannot buy in to the madness of amalek that every bad action is someone elses fault, whether parents, yeshiva/beis yaakov, or community. Thats alvin Braggs position. You agree with that?
Let me be clear, this doesnt mean these kids are doomed for life, this doesnt mean that they weren’t troubled, this doesnt mean that someone, at some point didnt wrong them terribly.
What this means is though, is that the way these kids are responding to it, is beyond what can be tolerated.
And it shouldnt be. On a community level.
There is definitely room for heiligeh people to be the ones to still reach out and help.
But that cannot be the community standard, At this point, tolerating it is enabling.
And before you, or anyone jump down my throat about the suffering these kids have do to, things as terrible as molestation, neglect, and whatnot.
there are MANY MORE CHILDREN (and adults) who’ve been through those horrors r”l and suffered terribly, but knew how to be a mentch and not translate their hurt to others. Theres simply no excuse for it.
And the second thing I would caution you along those lines, is, dont EVER tell someone “you cant have that opinion because you dont know what thats like”!
Besides the inherent fallacy of that thought process, i would ask you..
Really? Every person who’s been a victim must confess that to you before they voice their opinion…?
I’m sorry someone hurt you
U on the other hand, really do not get it!
They should have curfew period
Couldn’t agree more!
Thank you for all you have done in tried hard to keep up with in had your staff and customers dealing with the situation on a daily basis should you have hatzlucha ibrucha in quick reopening and serve further the community
You say it like it is.. don’t beat around the bush and after yesterdays incident, you are still looking for an idea or solution to this ongoing problem! wow! you are a hero in my eyes!
Best part of the article is “put in 12 hours of work”
This guy is open 4pm-10pm, that’s much less then any other restaurant in town
My office is located in Westgate and the store is always closed, was never able to make it there
I guess you think running an officiant restaurant is like flipping real estate while sitting on your comfortable office chair with your feet up on your desk.
They put in more hours prepping a day then you probably do playing on your phone.
As a part-time commenter, who makes absolutely zero dollars from posting asinine comments online, I take umbrage with your comment.
Do I sit on a comfortable computer chair while I’m contemplating my next asinine comment? I admit, I do.
Do I put my feet up on the desk, while thinking of my next nonsensical comment to post online? No, I do not, but I would definitely do that, if I felt it would make me more comfortable and make my part-time, non-profit job of commenting easier.
Truth be told, I’ve never flipped real estate before, but as an avid reader of TLS’s comment section, I DO indeed flip through many of the comments in the comments section, and let me tell you, comment-flipping is a time consuming, laborious act of love – and I’m sure that flipping real estate is just as difficult as flipping through comments sections. “Flipping” just about anything, is an extemely tough job!
Let me make this perfectly clear: Sitting back comfortably in a high tech office chair, with one’s feet up on the desk – for many real estate flippers – is probably an absolute necessity.
So please don’t judge the office chair sitters, and the feet-on-the-desk flippers, whether they’re real estate flippers or comment section flippers, until you’ve tried out their lifestyles for yourself, and until you’ve seen just how expensive it is to clean off your high tech computer desk from dirty shoe markings.
You obviously never owned or worked in a restaurant. You need to prepare the food prior to opening for business. You also need to cleanup after the business is closed.
Wow! Couldn’t be further then the truth
You must be sitting in a comfy chair up there looking down 🙁 .
Do you know how much work goes into opening a restaurant/takeout at 4:00pm? Answer is: Most eateries have staff in the early morning hours to be able to accommodate their patrons later in the day
It’s appauling that people continue to make excuses for this behavior.
Mr. Weisz is trying to make an honest living and is unfortunately situated in the new hood.
Please let’s support him and appreciate what he’s done to try to ameliorate the situation until now. Giving free food and encouraging parental supervision did not alleviate this troubling situation. He’s definitely done his all!
Thank you and Hatzlacha Rabba.
For the rest of us, let’s stop making excuses. If it was our business on the line, we would hold the line against these kids.
I don’t live in Westgate, but, I think it’s terrible what’s going on over, there in our town. Why are there so many troubled teenagers out there? Did our schools fail them? I’m sure that for the most part, they come from good normal families, so why is this happening?
you and the those like you, blaming others for the choices of the wicked.
if it would be one individual, you would be correct for blaming bechirah chafshis. However, we seem to be dealing with many such individuals, in which case we should be looking for a root cause that can be fixed. (As for the question of what percentage indicates a communal problem, I look forward to hearing from wiser keyboards than mine.)
I would contend otherwise.
“Mi’ut b’arayos, rov b’gezel”
“rov ganvi yisroel”
Just look at history, even among the frummeh there were always “letzanei hador” and “sikrikin”, not talking about the non-frummeh, like tzedukim, misyavnim, reform…
Avraham and Yitzchak Avinu raised their children right, yet they still had 50% go of the derech…
Stop pointing fingers and become the solution!
100%
So sad that a business can get destroyed by a few teenagers lakewood police should be there every night isn’t that a right he has??
Grow up seriously
Dear Yossi, I really feel Honored to be an acquittance of yours. your true love for every person in Klal Yisroel permeates from you, you are just an unbelievable bubbly and chearfull person that would give the shirt off your back even for these kids that antagonize and terrorize your store. Don’t think for one second that Lakewood doesn’t see and appreciate all you tried to do for these and all the troubled teens around town with your numerous programs that you do for them. May Hashem Bless you with so much hatzlachah and Bracha in every you you do Ad Sheyivlu Sifsosechem Meyomar Doy Doy Doy!!!!!
Why isn’t Westgate management taking care of the issue? They should hire security
He is the problem
He was the first st one to attract these boys with his free wifi not caring what kids would be on open internet just to bring costumers to his store now it’s biting him back.
You’re the reason people hate Jews.
Huh?
that’s a ridiculous comment. although this is probably lashon hora to accept
(though it may be common knowledge so perhaps not, but i will not accept it as true just yet) this still would be a VERY important factor to know.
The famous story of the person attacked by dogs in the town of the Chofetz Chaim, where the CC said he’s been waiting for many years to see the retribution, as that person had caused the son of a pauper to be kidnapped by the russians…
What happened to Peninah after she tried to help Channah???
She hurt Channah’s feelings.
So please tell me Rabbi Westgater–What exactly happened to the family of Penina after her way of talking to Channah???
I want to add that Peninah meant it LeShem Shamayim.
Westgater, i dont know who u are. But i do know yussi since i am a child, he is a fine ehrliche yid and if u discuss with him any issue he will be more than happy to accomodate and honestly discuss. To say lashon hora, or probably motze shem ra and sheker, on a public platform is wrong.
Just FYI: There is no open internet wifi at Snaps, and as many times I asked for the wifi password, they wouldn’t give it to me
Westgater, that is so very unfair
You are going to blame him for the ruckus that the westgate kids cause? I suppose it’s his fault that they dropped out of yeshiva too?
Is that right?
You can talk to him about open internet, he’s a reasonable fellow – but to blame him for the felonies/atrocities of these out of control hoodlums???
just FYI: There is no open internet wifi at Snaps, and as many times I asked for the wifi password they wouldn’t give to me
Yossi, as always, is 100% right and now he’s at the end of his rope.
The police can’t stay there every night and private security is very expensive.
I have a solution:
Have a rotation of 4 Responsible adults there every night during those peak hours to act as Security.
Everyone will take 1 night every 2-3 months.
I’d be more than happy to take a shift.
Hatzlocha Rabbah
Westgater – I bet that you are a DemocRAT. You just make up FAKE stories that is believable. You should ask Yussi for mechila or it’ll bite you back in your….
Or a RINO, I bet his last name is Santos.
As someone who lives in Westgate, please please lock these kids up. They do not listen to authority and will never learn to shape up unless they are restrained physically from looking for trouble.
We have such a beautiful community here – we want it to improve.
Well with all the respect but I remember when all this troubled teens and non troubled kids used to hung out there every night and on Thursdays. They love that place for the good food but mostly because he offered free wifi !!!!!
Mr Weiss didn’t care if the parents agreed that their kids and mesifta bochurim will be on wifi.
Some of those kids are now OTD.
Also there’s a video going around that he hurt the troubled kid first and the kid defended himself , then they went outside the restaurant and Mr Weiss went to continue fighting with the teen . That’s not normal. The teen is a minor , why Mr Weiss didn’t call the cops? Who gives Mr Weiss permission to touch a teen and punch him on the face ? Obviously the teen will try to defend himself!
A confused westgate resident
Confused indeed. I’m sure when you grow up and move out of your mothers basement you’ll have to start supporting yourself and hopefully a family…. You might not be so confused anymore.
Westgate is not a hood it’s just a couple of kids who think that they’re thugs, OK so they slap someone around a little get over it, y’all getting too comfortable living in complete security and safety. It’s good to get slapped around a little. Welcome to reality.
wishing you a speedy recovery from whatever slap knocked your noggin off-kilter
The more you give these teenagers the more trouble they will cause!
Can somebody explain to us why this is happening here in Lakewood & we haven’t heard of this in other Frum cities? I’m not blaming anyone for this, just trying to understand why it’s happening here. Or is this actually not unique to Lakewood?
I spoke to a mechanech involved with struggling teen boys a number of years ago & he claimed that our unsuccessful boys have no skills at all for life. Our chinuch system exclusively focuses on limud hatorah to the exclusion of other skillsets. (This is our mesorah for the most part) The boy that never fit in academically because of a learning or emotional disability, comes out a complete boor. Lacking gemara skills, social skills, vocational skills, or self esteem. I’m not excusing anyone’s behavior but we should at least explore the source of this & hopefully save the struggling younger boys that haven’t hit the streets yet. Imagine a 16 year old waking up in the morning feeling unsuccessful in every area of his life with no idea how to change that, where will that lead?
If we can’t save this group of teens, at least we should try to save the youngsters likely to be in the same place in a few years Ch’V.
correct, this only happens in Lakewood . And MO teens don’t go off the derech.
Actually, this mechanech taught in a modern orthodox school for many years. He said that he never saw this level of dysfunction in the school graduates. There were enough areas in school or out of school for the boys to excel at something & become productive members of society. This isn’t about going off the derech, this is about teens who have no life skills to participate in society & live a normal life. Instead they engage in addictions & lusts to fill their empty lives. Let’s think about the young boys at risk of ending up in the same place as these teens.
As someone who was involved in MO schools [maintenance in their camp] I can say first hand that what this “mechanech” told you is UNTRUE. There were very sweet kids there but a few VERY nasty fellows as well. (knives, drugs, girls, etc)
And the real joke is, that the kids you reffer to are LITTERALLY IN programs that teach them skills and things.
You got your points all messed up.
My comments will be divided into two categories; Boy and Girls.
First the Girls:
1) Are they problematic because they did not do well in Gemorah? They are not taught Gemorah or Mishnayos.
2) Are they not doing well because they do not have secular studies in HS? But they have a full secular studies curriculum!
3) Are the troubled because they are not taught social skills or their talents are not being drawn upon? But they have plays, chagigahs, chessed projects, etc.
4) Are they becoming burdens on society because they are not being encouraged to become professionals such as PTs, OTs, nurses, Graphic Artists, Doctors, PAs, Medical Assistants, etc.? We know that is certainly not the case.
Now the Boys:
1) Are the main supporters of the hundreds of Mosdos HaChinuch, Tzedakah va’chesed, kiruv, etc. being supported exclusively by the Modern Orthodox or not-frum, or not-Jewish communities or products of the same “system” we are all crucifying?
2) Are the majority of the fathers in the vast majority of our local mosdos products of that system and are learning full time?
3) Are the doctors, dentists, accountants, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, contractors, store owners, etc. whom we use products of our mosdos or perhaps are primarily non-Jews or stam “not Yeshivish?”
Is it possible that we have a small group of parents, or not so small a group, who because they want their children to attend only the one or two specific schools of their choice for what ever reason, and then balk at all the rules of the school and the Rabbonim of that very same community (phones, internet, vacations, sheitles, etc.) that we have children who balk at their teachers and Rebbeim?
Is it possible that by sending their child who needs special attention to the large schools, mainstream mosdos who are simply not capable of providing that level of one-on-one, is making the problems worse in spite of the fact that they can boast their child is in the best school in Lakewood?
Agree one hundred percent! Teenage boys have only one way to shine and if they don’t succeed in that they are doomed. Nowadays there are so many wonderful kids with ADD or other behavorial/ emotional issues that make it impossible to learn all day. Does it make them bad? That’s how Hashem made them! We must build these kids up by giving them place to blossom into healthy adults regardless if they can or can’t ten hours a day.
My heart goes out to Mr Weisz who has devoted his life to giving and caring for others. Mr weisz a member of hatzola from saving lives on a frequent basis to giving free cholent for his Thursday program and not receiving credit for it.
And trying to earn an honest Parnasa that is being disrupted by these young goons.
Regardless what those kids are struggling with, there is a legal system for a reason which doesn’t discriminate of one’s struggles.
didint post my comments?
One second… did I read that right? Lock them up?! Is that how you deal with problems in your life? I wish you luck with that. Let me tell you a quick rule- the more you ignore or run from issues the more ever present they become! This is a massive nisayon of our generation and we need our gadolim and professionals to guide us.
I find it a bit strange that Mr Weisz is trying to deal with this problem on his own we are led by our rabbis and we give them much respect because it is their responsibility to deal with these situations and or avoid them in the first place. The silence is deafening we haven’t heard anything from the rabbinate besides a letter to lock our cars and doors. Where am I going wrong?
Yussi I’ve always been your biggest fan. You’ve been a hero all your life. Always reaching out and helping those in need. Lakewood is lucky to have a man like you living there.
Maybe it’s time to find a new location for Snaps.
Something doesn’t seem right. Why is this happening always by Snaps and not by the pizza shop, kosher west, ice cream store etc… Yes there are troubled teens all around lakewood but the “coincidence” of this location being the target again and again is odd.
because its a night hang out
So are 1/2 of other places in lakewood… cars exist
Too easy of an answer. There are problems e/w and somehow Snaps is always involved in WG drama. I guess any publicity is good publicity. I just find the reoccurrence specifically here at this location, time and again, to be questionable.
Maybe it’s the same reason Westgate has fires stabbings, guns, cars stolen, storefront windows shattered and residents terrorized on a daily basis ? Hmm
Wake up and smell the coffee cooking, instead of blaming a store owner trying to earn an honest living.
I don’t understand, I’m assuming that all of you people commenting believe in the Torah you should all be ashamed of yourselves for the thing you are saying about these kids no they are not troubled teens and not goons that is pure loshon horah all I’m seeing is hate what these buchrim need is love you guys have no clue what these kids are going thru and all they see is adults constantly hating on them grow up not everyone one is the same just because one teen got into a fight doesn’t mean every Lakewood kid out of school is like that you can talk about an individual not about a whole group of guys you all should be ashamed of yourselves
(Help! You and some others here)
Please use commas and periods. I had to struggle to figure out what you were saying.
I have no education because people have sent me out of school before I learnt
Its time for the lawlessness to end. This specific story was a youth who has a very unfortunate history and been in trouble with the law many times. He happens not even to be a resident of NJ. Until the justice system is taken seriously in this town, there is very little to deter a troubled teen from perpetuating violence. He has attempted assault on teen girls and other such awful acts, but because its all shoved under the rug by the police department for whatever reasons they feel, but its making this town look like Harlem.
You’re probably not going to post it, but it has to be known. Time for askanim to step back and let kids learn through natural consequences. Until that happens, Lakewood is going to look like the hood.
Lakewood is the new Babylon
if people would only take themselves out of it. these kids are in pain I suggest for the most of us to pray for them
Why don’t all of us adults take our comfort level and put it on the side. These are kids in pain. It doesn’t matter why they are. The fact is the fact. The only way that we can help them instead of sweeping the whole issue under the rug (like locking them up)is to show them genuine love and understanding without any judgment. Yes, I am talking to the parents. First we need to train ourselves, not the kids.
As a parent of kids in pain, I agree with what you’re saying as a general rule. BUT, if a teen is violent and a threat to safety of others, as a community, the safety of its people is first and foremost. If you came face to face with an angry teen brandishing a knife or gun, are you going to be showing them love? No, you would call the police and rely on law enforcement to make sure this kid is not a danger to society. This isn’t sweeping it under the rug.
Well said
I came here to say exactly what Sylvana said. Kids don’t go off the D or rebel “because it cool”. These kids are hurting inside and need LOVE! But because they don’t dress or act like one of “us” they’re looked at like rebels. Every one of these kids has a beautiful Neshoma inside, and I know it because I work with them. Look at the pnimiyis and not the chitzonyis and perhaps you will see the light. Anyone who thinks otherwise is purely selfish.
I agree these children are in pain and we need to do more to help them. It’s easy to judge these children until you have a struggling child.
I am a mainstream yeshiva guy abd have a daughter that’s struggling and ut hurts me tremendously the way poeple judge these amazing children. They are hurting inside and we need to support them.
The real problem is that we are not dealing with violent “boys” the way we should be.
We have to decide which way we want to deal with them, the Torah way or the legal way.
We are not dealing with them the legal way because we are afraid of being a “Moiser”, we are not dealing with them the Torah way because most of us don’t know what the Torah way is.
Surprise! In both, the law and in the Torah there and no room for violence and in both a violent person should be locked up. In case you missed it RASHI brought it down 2 weeks ago in Parshas Mishputim that a person hitting a person is being locked up until the person that was hit is fully healed!!!
By law a violent person is being arrested and by the Torah a person hitting someone is being arrested and pays money to his victim. By law a violent “boy” is being kept in juvenile detention, by the Torah once you hit the 13 you’re no longer a “boy”.
Just picking choose if you want to go according to the Torah or according to the law. Stick to one of them and you’ll see that the problems will all vanish.
My message to those who say that these youngsters are hurt and need love: CAZAK say KOL HAMERACHM AL ACHZURIM SOFO LEHISACHZER. Anyone being MELAMED ZCHUS on violent “boys” is a ACHZER.
ANYONE VIOLIN SHOULD BE LOCKED UP AND I’M TOTALLY OKAY THAT THAT LOCKED UP PERSON SHOULD RECEIVE ALL THE LOVE HE DESERVES WHILE BEING LOCKED UP.
Whatever programs they have out there for these kids to attend that night isn’t the solution because they they are very limited hours for the girls and the only way the boys and girls can hang out together is in a restaurant because the programs are separate. That’s why the kids are there.
So far there has not been a place for them to hang out together. Families of these kids in pain have homes with other children that they cannot allow a mixed crowd over. So they are forced to the streets or stores.
But at the same time worse things happen the later the night goes on and there is absolutely no reason why the police are not enforcing curfew and bringing these children home safely to their parents who are waiting up late at night for them.
The only way to keep these children home and enforce curfew as apparent is to handcuff them because they are so resourceful that they just leave and until I was in this position I did not understand what it means to not be able to get your child to listen to you or follow your rules. The only people they will listen to or have fear of once they get to this….. Are the police.
I am infuriated that the police don’t enforce curfew.