LAKEWOOD -- A century ago, Lakewood was known as a luxurious retreat for celebrities and New York's elite. Grover Cleveland, Mark Twain and the Rockefeller family were among those who vacationed on the shores of the town's lakes.
These days, the 25-square-mile town has a new reputation.
"It's probably the most attractive place in the United States today for a young Orthodox Jewish family," said Rabbi Aaron Kotler, one of the leaders of the Orthodox community. "That's a phenomenon that certainly didn't exist when I was growing up, 20 or 30 years ago. But it's a reality today."
Lakewood was thrust into the spotlight this summer with the arrest of 26 members of the Orthodox community accused of lying about their income to collect more than $2 million in public assistance. The raids put a spotlight on the seismic changes in one of New Jersey's fastest-growing towns.
For more than two weeks, a team of NJ Advance Media reporters and photographers spent time exploring the complex world of Lakewood, from the halls of Beth Medrash Govoha, now one of the biggest Yeshivas in the world with 6,500 students, to the Bethel Spanish Pentecostal Church, which holds two Sunday services each week for 700 people, to the Laketon Inn, one of the only bars left in town.
Day 1: Race, religion, corruption and politics: A guide to the crisis in Lakewood
Day 2: 10 ways Lakewood is unlike anywhere else in N.J.
Day 3: Inside the Lakewood scandal: What sparked the investigation?
Day 4: I spent 2 weeks in Lakewood. This is what I saw
Day 5: Lakewood is a town divided. Here are the biggest issues.
Day 6: A rare glimpse at the elite college that changed Lakewood forever
Day 7: Why is Lakewood spending $32M to send kids to private schools?
Day 8: Lakewood has changed a lot in 20 years. Here's what you can see...
Day 9: What's next for Lakewood? 10 questions moving forward
Kelly Heyboer may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook.