Lakewood, NJ – The Yeshivishe community of Lakewood, NJ is all astir at the biggest exposé to hit the bastion of Torah Judaism in years. Join our WhatsApp group
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After initially duping a number of reputable organizations, leaders, rabbis and volunteers, a non-Jewish individual who in recent court proceedings has stated his name as Ted Riley Floyd continued a years-long charade of posing as a Jewish baal teshuvah of Marrano ancestry. In the process, he deftly fooled an entire community to whom he was, for all they knew, a returning Jew deserving of their loving embrace.
“They took care of him panim v’achor,” says his former Partners in Torah study partner, who was taken in by Mr. Floyd’s convincing act for over six years, he told VIN News. The partner asked to remain anonymous.
Floyd succeeded in his subterfuge partially by assuming the identity of a deceased individual, introducing himself as Nathaniel James Levi—and later as Natan Yosef Levi—to Partners in Torah when in December of 2002 he first contacted the organization and filled out an application. He was living in Wichita, Kansas at the time. Not suspecting anything untoward, the organization shortly provided “Levi” with a partner; the two progressed fairly quickly.
In the summer of 2003, Floyd met his partner for the first time when the latter took him on a personal guided tour of Lakewood, where the ostensibly “newly-frum baal teshuvah” declared his love for the community and his interest in relocating from Kansas. Keeping up his assumed role, he said there was difficulty obtaining kosher food in Wichita, and expressed unhappiness with the local “Conservadox” synagogue.
As for any conversion concerns raised by his purported Marrano ancestry, Floyd claimed to be an “authentic” Marrano, therefore required no giyur misafek.
Floyd moved to Lakewood, first dwelling in a rented basement and later purchasing a home in the town’s Forest Park section. According to his Partners in Torah friend, Floyd claimed to have sold his Wichita home.
Once living in Lakewood with his wife and children, who were accepted into local chedarim, he quickly became known as Natan (or Netan, as he spelled it on his MySpace.com page), a progressively-literate baal teshuvah whose growing knowledge in Torah continually impressed his long-time Partners in Torah volunteer, whom he regaled with claims of constant learning at Beth Medrash Govoha, a claim that seems to have been largely true. Floyd perfected the role of a Torah-observant Jew so well that he was even in the process of penning a sefer on hilchos kesivas sefer Torah.
In like manner did Floyd regularly attend minyanim at his local shul, integrating into the community well enough to start his own graphic design business, LevyDesign.org. Among other things, the company created LimudNet.org, an online resource of mussar shiurim by Rabbi Ezra Zafrani, a leader of Lakewood’s Sephardic contingent, to whom Floyd had become close.
All along, his PIT chavrusa would occasionally call to learn that he and his wife were doing well. “He came to us for Chol HaMoed Sukkos,” the chavrusa tells VIN. “I couldn’t say, ‘I knew something was wrong from the beginning.’ He was different, but in the same way baalei teshuvos are different. It wasn’t anything unusual.”
“Levi” apparently was even featured in an article on Partners in Torah that ran in the Mishpacha magazine in 2006.
All that came to a shocking end on Monday, March 24, 2008, when Floyd and his family were exposed.
VIN has received confirmation from the U.S. Marshal’s Service that the FBI was not involved in Mr. Floyd’s sudden disappearance from Lakewood, as erroneously reported elsewhere; neither was he arrested by the FBI.
The facts are these: after departing Lakewood some time early in the week, Mr. Floyd personally appeared for his own volition on Monday, March 24 in the United States District Court of the Kansas District for a detention hearing, after having been previously released on bond by the Court’s District of New Jersey. But after the U.S. government attorney presented evidence of “serious risk” of flight, including the facts that the New Jersey bond was placed under the false name of Levi, Floyd’s Lakewood home had been acquired through some fraudulent mortgage loan, and the existence of two outstanding warrants in two Kansas counties, Floyd was denied release and is currently being detained by the federal government.
According to court sources, the case against Floyd was filed in February of 2008, with charged of submitting a fraudulent passport application in Kansas. His passport was scrutinized, resulting in evidence that he was not who he claimed to be, leading to an investigation by the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. Apparently, Mr. Floyd was contacted by the government without fanfare or arrest, prompting him to face his past—and to flee Lakewood.
What this man’s goal was in integrating so smoothly into the Lakewood Torah community still remains a mystery of the sketchiest nature. But as this story unfolds, VIN News will keep its readers posted.
A word to March 27, 2008 8:35 AM: If you weren’t born into an already frum family and given the opportunities you so obviously take for granted (i.e., growing up in a religious family, having religious relatives, a yeshiva education), how “authentic” a Yid do you think you would be? My children have the exact same education as yours but with 1 very big advantage: they are taught to appreciate the opportunities they are given and not judge unfavorably others who were not afforded the same opportunities. The last time I checked, baalei teshuva did not translate to “second class citizen.”
It is for this reason that the Syrian Jewish community does not accept converts. Our rabbis have declared an edict that nowadays, no one can be trusted to be legitimate in their conversion. Our community would never have allowed this man to live among us, pray in our synagogues, spend Holidays with us, or g-d forbid marry one of our members.
I guess I’ll have to wait a little longer for his sefer.
Maybe they should sell the house with the option to have ones child placed in schools automattically. maybe things will change
I heard his girls were accepted to a good school that people cant get in.Does anyone know the school with the free space …………..
Anon. 12:37PM. …They are now erasing the last part of the Sefer Torah…
Noch a Mazl that they (de Heilige Yidn) are not Brisker! they would (CH”V) have to erase the entire Sefer T… (That’s what being a Brisker is all about).
p.s.: Now watch the flood of posts describing the CHUSIDS. (What is a CHUSID, anyway. Probably some kind of animal?!)
Anon. 2:22PM. …Was he makpid on Shekiya, shmoozing in middle of davening, etc…. He didn’t have enough time (wasn’t there long enough?) to acquire all of the Chassidishe and Litvishe Mishigass’n!
p.s.: Rabbi? Levi (yes, we heard of cases where there were Goyishe Rabbis. I personally? know one. Ehr hot a vaase yarmulke. Si zeyt ous vi er iz grite tzi gine shluffen) Anyway. Ignore my “sidebars”. Are you having a GOOD laugh while reading this silly comment and others?! How you FOOLED a whole town!
p.ps.: In my [not so humble] opinion, ALL the NOVEL writers should pay you royalties of their [future] Book and Magazine articles.(There will be a flood of them. (the first prediction was made here!)
anon. 11:31AM …We had a BIG miracle here. Had this been going on he would have become one of the Gedolei Yisroel… (paraphrasing);
What is the worst thing that coud have happened?! Maybe the [fiction] novel writers would have an extra chapter [or two] in their book.
IM(p)HO He LOOKS very [much] Jewish! Therefore, there’s a high degree of probability that this part(Sephardic-Jewish ancestry)(Marrano, a bad, shameful name, given to the Jews by their spanish tormentors should not be used) part of his story checks out. Even though, where Halacha is concerned, it’s [way] not enough. But, it might explain his attraction [and proficient blending-in] to/with Yiddishkeit!
(Judaism, for the [as yet] uninitiated)
Only in Lakewood could such a thing happen. Only in a town that is so diverse and open minded and accepting of all types. I live in Lakewood and my lanlord is a baal habus from Flatbush. Next door to me is Bal Habus previously from Russia who wears a KIPA SRUGA. Across is a yemenite, and down the block is a lubavitcher with the rebba in his window. We all get along just fine and all of their kids are in the local chadorim. Was this the ”LAKEWOOD”you guys are talking about?
Whats Going on? Are there any updates? Is it true, what did he want etc.
Why does “Lakewood” get bashed? Most people, who live in Lakewood, grew up in other communities. For 20 years they lived with you, went to your schools and shuls and then went to Lakewood. A person may have learned in Lakewood for 2 years and now he is “Lakewood” you had 20 years to reach this person!
This man must be driven — in part, at least — by a deep, spiritual striving for Torah. If he merely wanted a hand-out or a hiding place, there would have been easier options than steigen in the beis medrash to a point where he was ready to write a sefer! So please don’t treat this ONLY as a scandalous deception. There is more to the story.
Many goyim in the United States are circumcised.
didnt anyone ever see him go to the mikvah?
be dan lkav schus- htere are 2 sides to this story- there is a real chance you will all him an apology once this is all clear–
1. there is a real chance he is jewish –
2. there is a real chance he was chozer ltshuva and is now truley frum
3. his kids very likly are frum kids (jewish)
anycase- dont be judgmental – be dan lkav schus
This is scandalous of course, but why are you all bashing lakewood? It’s this person who should offend you. You’ve never heard of people posing as doctors or lawyers or plastic surgeons? It’s not very difficult to behave piously. (He must’ve been behaving really well in the house because how many 5-6 year olds don’t blab about their home life without their parents knowledge?)
In any event Jewish people have to treat ba’alei teshuvos well – and gerim – you cannot remind them of their past lives etc.
Again like some of you mentioned I feel the worst for the PIT – partner he had all these years. How horrifying it is to learn that all your effort was for naught.
But a gam zu l’tovah is in order.
I’m sure there was a huge kiddush hashem for the misras nefesh of helping this imposter all these years.
I think if we can focus on how Lakewood is known to be a place of torah learning – which is one of the three pillars the world stands on. We can have hakaras hatov to the learning community of Lakewood.
Also I think we should let the community take care of itself – there are many smart men and women living there and if they feel that their quality of life is diminishing with their children not being accepted into their school of choice well let them try to open up a new one with Rabbinical approval and qualified teachers and rebbeim to help mold our future generations. Cut the negativity and work on the positive! SHEESH!
DArn – Lakewood should keep him as the in house SHABBOS GOY!
his wine was nesech
Anon. 11:03AM. The summary of most of the posters is that there is a lot of anger [and hurt] just below the surface. Also, that a large part of the population feels they are snubbed by the other? part!
I can’t understand all the comments assuming he is not Jewish. What if his father was Floyd and his mother was Jewish?
Also, instead of struggling so hard to understand the facts of this story, why are we not struggling to understand the MESSAGE? Isn’t this also min shamayim?
May I propose a punishment?
He should be extradited by Kansas to Lakewood and placed for 25 years in Lakewood’s infamous “freezer”.
This guy DELIBERATELY tricked everyone. It wasn’t something wrong with the community.
(although for marriage, there would need to be research, now that we see what can happen)
“How ironic that authentic Yidden can’t get in, but a so called Bal Teshuva’s kid can get in.”
Are you saying that Baal Teshuva is not authentic?
“Bemakom Baalei Teshuva Omdim Afilu Tzadikim Gemurim Ainom Omdim”
This is hilarious. It seems that what really bothers all of you Lakewoodites is the fact that, despite your careful scrutiny of eachother, someone, Jewish, not-Jewish, who knows, lived the life and in doing so, made fools of all of you. Seriously though, it speaks to the incredible complexity of the issue and how the superficial (e.g. certain dress, behaviors) can be mistaken for the deep (i.e. actually being Jewish). Of course, now everyone in Lakewood will become suspicious of everyone else – welcome the Lakewood KGB! ldt
Crown Heights Matza Bakery, also had a scandal last year that the Matza was not Leshem Matzas Mitzva because one of the workers were found to be non-Jewish.
12:18 – the same thing happened in Miami a few years ago but the amount was much higher.
This goy also became gabbay of the shul and youth leader. He did marry a Jewish woman who had no idea (he had a Jewish father and a Cuban mother) whom he left her alone with young children to raise by herself.
All of you who are using this story to bash Lakewood, your comments make no logical sense. Lakewood is not one person, it’s not one entity. It’s a very large town with all types of people. I don’t think it says anything about the town that it happened there. Stop reading deep meanings into this. Stop coming to the conclusion that “Lakewood”, as if it’s a person, is a bunch of fakers and at fault for not creating enough schools fast enough for the growing population just because the residents aren’t suspicious that every neighbor and friend might not be who they say there are. If someone would be suspicious to that level, I’d call them paranoid. Who would have dreamed of such a story? It’s very easy to blame people in hindsite.
“You Lakewood people are always beating up on others for not doing things “right” (ie, YOUR way!)…”
You sound like an anti-semite. Who exactly is “you lakewood people”? Last I checked, Lakewood is made up of 10s of thousands of people who do things all different ways from the most yeshivish to modern.
Excuse me but just because he used a false name doesnt mean he wasnt Jewish.
A very plausible explanation is that he could really have been a decentant from Marranos but was smart enough to know that the name Floyd wouldnt fly in Lakewood…thus the indentity fraud. Why not go through the Geirus then ? Unfortanatly he might have been worried about the possiblity of stigma.
Mr/Ms. CONFUSED, I think you are a little confused!! It IS a Federal offense to steal someones idendity and SS#, that’s first of all!!! Putting that aside..would you want his GOYTA of a daughter marrying YOUR SON????
This story is much more informative than the other frum news blog. Keep upthe good work. I heard many people say yesterday if VIN didnt report it yet then the facts must be wrong. How true.
CBS was duped big time.
Question: Who said this guy is not jewish? He might be a criminal, but he can be a jewish criminal too. There are plenty of jews with american sounding names.
Was he a chosid or litvak? Makpid on Shekiya, yoshon? Did he speak during davening? Just curious.
This version of the story is far more clear, better written, and less hysterical than the other frum news blog. Well done!
Anonymous said…
who is supposed to verify s/o identity before they enter the community? Lakewood is nt small enough to acknowledge and investigate everyone entering the “community”.
March 27, 2008 12:51 PM
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Who is LAKEWOOD to investigate anyone. This is a free country . I can live where i want under any religion i want to.
Maybe we should investigate you and peek into your closets.
Are your front steps as clean as a whistle? Does your Rabbi know how many hours you are spending on the Internet and going to questionable sights?
Im justifying this fella but who are you to make suggestions of investigating people??
Whats the BIG deal? He tried assuming a new identity to cover for fraudulent past. It could have R”L been MUCH worse.
Of course he got his kids into the Lakewood school – he wanted it more than anyone else!
The thing is, what can WE NOW LEARN from this – not just to bash Lakewood (however much I like to) but to be a little more cautious in the future and hope that we can be as sincere about our Yiddishkeit as a non-Jew was.
Uh I don’t get it. Is it a Federal offence to make believe you’re Jewish? Why did the Feds arrest him?
To those commenting on his abilty to get his child into a Lakewood cheder, his child was not enrolled in one of those ‘difficult to get in Lakewood schools’. His child was enrolled in a Sephardic cheder.
who is supposed to verify s/o identity before they enter the community? Lakewood is nt small enough to acknowledge and investigate everyone entering the “community”.
this is so funny– it is like when the megillah tells us that רבים מעמי הארץ מתיהדים– that they converted or became philosemites. But here it was less פחד than admiration and reinvention. Let us hope Rabbi Levy returns to finish his book on Ketivat Sefer Torah and is welcomed by Lakewood. What a Kiddush Hashem!!
cbs news removed the story from their website
there is now a whole shayla regarding the sefer torah which he is seen holding the chuppa he may have written an ois they are therefor erasing the last part of the sefer and having a sofer rewriting it
“If I was running a business who would I want to hire nepotism or an energetic candidate…”
“Bad example to use. It just so happens that nepotism is the usual way to go in our community.”
Perfect example for his point – he’s trying to say that legitimate baal teshuvas are often more sincere than FFB’s, because they chose this life rather than being born into it. This doesn’t mean they’re better or more frum, but in many cases they are more sincere and enthusiastic. (I used to teach in Bais Yaakov, and I agree.)
Some 20 – 25 years ago a non-Jew of unknown origin (stated he was from Italy) moved to Monsey and portrayed himself as a sincere ger, even to the point of having a Bris. He made a very favorable impression, and was accepted into Ohr Sameach. Many people in the community invited him for Shabbos meals etc., and he lived in Monsey for perhaps a year or two.
After a while he got a number of people to invest money with him in ventures that paid a high interest. Anybody who wanted out would immediately be paid the high interest, and people invested sizable sums with him.
One Shabbos day he disappeared into thin air with some $250.000 and was never heard from again. (His Gemara was still open on the desk in his room).
I was reminded of this story when I read about the Lakewood con-man. Why would a goy want to portray himself as a frum yid? Maybe to lend legitimacy and cover for fraudulent dealings….
10:24 says it all.
In the UK they check every kesubah before you can be married al pi Halacha.
That should be the NORM, not the exception here too.
“If I was running a business who would I want to hire nepotism or an energetic candidate…”
Bad example to use. It just so happens that nepotism is the usual way to go in our community.
I think we still do not have the whole picture. First of all did he marry his wife when he was already posing as a Jew? In that case perhaps she is a real giyores and married him without knowing his true background. Second of all as far as the schools his kids went to – The older one was onlt 6 and was not in a mainstream Yeshiva as I heard the story and the younger was in a kindergarten, which even in lakewood is not impossible to get into, because, they are all privately run, by individuals and are not part of a school. What I don’t get is how could a goy pull the wool over everyone’s eyes for so long and why would he want to pose as a Jew in the first place. There is definitely something fishy here. I for one would not know how to pose as a goy. He gets an A for excellent acting.
We have a BIG miracle here!
Had this been going on for few more years, he might have even become part of the “Gedolei Yisroel”
IF Rabbi Yehudah Ben Besira was around he would have known what to do. See Pesachim 3B.
Also see Pesachim 3B. Tosafos “V’aano” “From here is no proof that anyone who come forth and says that he is Jewish we should believe him…”
I still dont see any SOLID proof that he is a GOY. Just because he is in trouble with the law does not mean he is a goy, nor does it mean that we need to lynch him and his family. And haVING a name like floyd means nothing. Do u guys lynch every FRUM person out there who is in trouble with the law? And you call your self a WARM community? what a disgrace.
This is similar to a story in Bnei Brak 40 years ago, but in reverse.
For a number of years The Rabonnim in Bnei brak used to sell the chometz from the major local factories to a local fellow who claimed to be a goy.
Hed died a few weeks after Pesach. While going through his papers it came to light that he really was Jewish!
Anonymous said…
I’m amazed that he was able to get his kids into the notoriously difficult to get into Lakewood Chadorim.
How ironic that authentic Yidden can’t get in, but a so called Bal Teshuva’s kid can get in.
Bal Teshuva’s ARE AUTHENTIC YIDDEN. STUPID COMMENT!
and more so because they CHOOSE it
If I was running a business who would I want to hire nepotism or an energetic candidate…