A reader writes:
You failed to include the best thing about Kiryas Joel. Firefighting services are provided by neighboring – secular – municipalities. KJ residents are known to hurl rocks at the fire trucks for violating sabbath. You cannot make this stuff up.
Another writes:
There are huge ramifications to the structures both political and governmental that Kiryas Joel embodies. Simply put, they have to my knowledge, the only publicly-funded religious school in the nation. A great synopsis of the legal battle (up to and including the SCOTUS) are in this write up from one of the plaintiffs.
Another:
A very close friend of mine lives the next village over to Kiryas Joel. This guy is a born and bred Jewish New Yorker, firm supporter of Israel and all. He tells me the citizens of Kiryas Joel have quite a few "challenged" children. These children have significant issues and in the old days would have been considered retarded. What pisses my buddy off is that the citizens of Kiryas Joel will send all their "under preforming" children to the local public schools to receive special education and assistance – ultimate town operated Charter School. They keep all the good kids but send the difficult (and expensive) ones to their neighboring public school district.
The Dish 