Government
Brooklyn's Hasidim and Playing By New York Rules
Self-organized groups of religious enforcers should not feel free to intimidate community members into silence.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has gained notoriety in recent years as ground zero for urban hipsterism in the United States. But the neighborhood has always been a diverse one, encompassing a large Latino population and a still-significant Eastern European demographic.
It is also home to a big and growing group of Hasidic Jews, as many as 60,000, by some estimates. Most of these are members of the Satmar sect, and the group has become increasingly vocal and powerful in city politics, influencing zoning decisions and elections.