A Hasidic Rebel Grows Up

When stories of fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community began circulating, I grew concerned that the Haredi Jewish community, known to outsiders as ultra-Orthodox, would be next. Hours after Nick Shirley’s video about the Minnesota welfare scandal went viral in December, I saw posts calling for investigations of Haredim in Kiryas Joel, N.Y., and Lakewood, N.J. The use of welfare benefits in these fast-growing towns, where many families qualify due to their large size, has drawn criticism before.