Scranton, PA – Will the Hasidic and Local Tie be Lost?

Scranton, PA – Even though he and his followers apparently will not be moving to Scranton after a court turned down his proposed purchase of East Scranton Intermediate School, as was reported here on Vos Iz Neias, Rabbi Alter Rosenbaum may yet turn out to be a trailblazer.

The same factors that prompted Brooklyn-based Rabbi Rosenbaum to make an offer to buy the closed school will lead other Hasidic leaders in New York City to consider relocating their congregations here, says Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum, a Brooklyn resident and director of the Rabbinical Alliance of America.

Rabbi Tannenbaum said Scranton possesses all the attributes the rabbis are looking for.

The city has affordable housing, a low cost of living and an established Jewish community, he said. It's also relatively close to New York City.

"Scranton is very attractive. It's a good fit." "What you have is the structure — the infrastructure is there. You have all the necessities in place, as opposed to going out into the wilderness."

"It's a very long shot," said Rabbi David Niederman, president of United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, who's been involved in several discussions about "sister communities."

Rabbi Niederman said Scranton's distance from Brooklyn and the lack of employment opportunities would be two obstacles to a significant migration of Hasidim to the city.

Hasidic families tend to be close-knit, and there would be a reluctance to pull up stakes and move 2½ hours away, he said. But jobs are probably the larger issue.

"There is a language barrier. There is a dress barrier. There is a lack of official credentials. We don't go to college. We are not doctors. We are not college professors. We are not attorneys," Rabbi Niederman said.

Rabbi Tannenbaum believes, however, Scranton is still a viable option, given the right rabbi and the right opportunity.

"I would be very surprised if it just gets dropped," he said. [Times-Tribune]