Lakewood Township, New Jersey

Caroline, Sally, and Josephine), including: an exercise trail; a 4.5 mile path for walking, running, and biking; fishing; and picnicking. Row boats and paddle boats can be rented Memorial Day through Labor Day. The All Wars Memorial Amphitheater is the site of many community events and concerts scheduled throughout the summer. Most sites have restrooms and are handicap-accessible. Lakewood is one of the hubs of Orthodox Judaism and is home to one of the largest yeshivas in the world. The percentage of Jewish people in Lakewood is one of the highest for incorporated areas in the U.S., at an estimated 59 percent. Many Orthodox Jews have been drawn to Lakewood by the prestige of the town’s yeshiva, Beth Medrash Govoha, one of the largest rabbinical colleges in the world. The yeshiva is a post-high-school institution for higher education, where students primarily focus on the study of the Talmud and Jewish law. The yeshiva was founded in 1943 by a Polish-born rabbi, Aaron Kotler. In 1962, when Rabbi Kotler died, the school had 250 students; it now has about 5,000. The wider yeshiva community includes more than a hundred temples, and about 50 schools. Lakewood looks like a small, scenic town but its 25 square miles and over 100,000 residents encompass everything: large corporations, small businesses, a brand new baseball stadium, a historic theater, all types of leisure and recreation, and even an easy commute to the hustle and bustle of nearby cities. The town offers old-world charm, a hometown feeling, and solid values along with 21st century amenities. On the horizon are improvements to the Garden State Parkway, construction of a first class hotel, further redevelopment of the downtown area, and improvements to the Industrial Park, all of which will continue to keep Lakewood what its founders considered it to be two centuries ago: “The Garden Spot of the Garden State.” PREFERRED VENDOR n J. Knipper and Company, Inc. www.knipper.com