New Square, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids New Square, New York שיכון סקווירא
Village
Location in Rockland County and the state of New York.
New Square, New York Location in New York Show map of New York New Square, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Rockland
Incorporated	November 6, 1961
Area
• Total	0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2)
• Land	0.37 sq mi (0.95 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	492 ft (150 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,679
• Estimate  (2023)	9,824
• Density	26,373.30/sq mi (10,192.07/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	10977
Area code(s)	845
FIPS code	36-50705
GNIS feature ID	0971939

New Square (which is Shikun Skvir in Yiddish) is a special village in Rockland County, New York, United States. Most people living here are part of the Skverer Hasidic group. They follow a traditional Jewish way of life and try to keep outside influences to a minimum.

New Square is located near other towns like Hillcrest, Viola, New Hempstead, and New City. In 2020, about 9,679 people lived in New Square.

History of New Square

How New Square Got Its Name

New Square is named after a town in Ukraine called Skvyra. This is where the Skverer Hasidic group first started. The people who founded the village wanted to call it New Skvir. But, because of a typing mistake, the name became "New Square."

Starting the Village

New Square was started in 1954. At that time, the leader of the Skverer Hasidic group, Yakov Yosef Twersky, bought a large dairy farm. This farm was about 130 acres (0.53 square kilometers) big. Most Skverer members used to live in Brooklyn, New York. The founders felt that their community in Brooklyn was changing too much. They wanted a place where they could keep their traditional lifestyle.

Building in New Square began in 1956. The first four families moved into their new homes in December 1956. By 1958, there were 68 houses in the settlement.

Becoming an Official Village

At first, building new homes in New Square was difficult. The local rules in Ramapo, the larger town, did not allow multi-family houses. They also didn't allow shops in basements. Families had to say they were "extended families" to live together. Businesses in homes had to be kept secret.

In 1959, the community wanted to make their synagogue bigger. It was in the basement of a house. The town of Ramapo tried to stop the community from growing. They even tried to take over the land.

So, the community asked to become an official village. This would allow them to make their own rules. Ramapo officials said no at first. But in 1961, a New York state court agreed with New Square. The village officially became its own town in July 1961.

Growth and Development

Once New Square became a village, it could set its own building rules. This meant the existing houses were now legal. New homes were built, and land was sold. Businesses in basements could now operate openly. New businesses like a watch factory and a cap maker opened. Some knitting mills and a used car lot also started. However, many men still traveled to New York City for work.

In 1963, a Kollel was opened. This is a special school for married men to study Jewish texts. In 1968, Grand Rabbi Yakov Yosef Twersky passed away. His son, David Twersky, became the new Grand Rabbi.

In 1961, Mates Friesel became the first mayor of New Square. He was re-elected every two years until he passed away in 2015. He was one of the longest-serving mayors in the United States.

Culture and Lifestyle

The people in New Square are all Hasidic Jews. Most of them belong to the Skverer Hasidic movement. They want to live a Hasidic lifestyle and keep outside influences to a minimum. The main language spoken in New Square is Yiddish.

Young people in New Square usually get married between the ages of 18 and 20. Girls finish high school around age 17 before they marry. If women marry men from other Hasidic communities, they usually move out of New Square. Men who marry women from outside the community are also encouraged to leave. This helps manage the limited space in the village.

In 2005, the community's religious court decided that women should not drive cars. In 2003, a newspaper article said that people in New Square do not own televisions or radios. This shows how much they try to keep their community separate from the outside world.

Economy and Work

Young women in New Square often work as teachers, secretaries, or bookkeepers before they get married and have children. Some also work in the New Square shopping center. After having children, some women work from home as bookkeepers.

Young men work as teachers, bus drivers, or store clerks. Some are computer programmers or work in the diamond industry. Many men also study in the kollel, a religious school for married men. They receive money to help support their families while they study.

New Square has a lower average income compared to other places in New York. In 2018, the average yearly household income was about $21,773. This is much lower than the average for the whole state. New Square also has a high poverty rate. About 70% of its residents live in poverty. Many families also receive food assistance benefits.

Geography

New Square is a small village. According to the United States Census Bureau, it covers a total area of about 0.4 square miles (0.9 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population Changes

In 1963, New Square had 85 families and 620 people. By 1967, this grew to 126 families and 812 people. The village continued to grow quickly. From 1971 to 1986, about 100 babies were born each year.

By 1986, New Square had 140 houses and 2,100 people. Families often had 7 to 8 children on average. The population of New Square grew by 77.5% between 1990 and 2000. In 2005, there were about 7,830 residents. The average family size was 5.8 people.

In 2008, a new water tower was built. This helped increase water pressure for the residents of New Square and nearby Hillcrest.

In 2000, the village had 4,624 people. Most people (96.95%) were White. About 87.26% of people spoke Yiddish at home. The median age in the village was 14 years old. This means half the population was younger than 14, and half was older. A large part of the population (60.5%) was under 18 years old.

Education

All children in New Square attend private Jewish schools. The main school is called Yeshiva Avir Yakov. It has separate buildings for boys and girls.

Even though New Square is part of the East Ramapo Central School District, children go to the local private schools. The public schools for this area include Summit Park Elementary, Kakiat Elementary, Pomona Middle School, and Ramapo High School.

Notable People

• Mayer Schiller
• Lipa Schmeltzer

Rabbis

• Ephraim Padwa
• Yehoshua Rokeach of Machnovka
• Menachem Mendel Hager

Famous Companies in New Square

• Monsey Trails
• chesed24/7
• Ostreicher's Cookies

Kiryas Square: A New Village

Because New Square's population has grown so much, the Skver Hasidim planned to build a new village. This new village is called Kiryas Square. It was planned for a place called Spring Glen, New York. The community bought a large property there in 2006.

However, there were some problems with the first location. Health officials found many issues, like broken fire alarms and mold. The site had to be emptied in 2009.

As of 2024, a new location for Kiryas Skver has been found. Construction has started, and many Skver members are buying homes there.

See also

In Spanish: New Square para niños