Brooklyn, NY – Taking a mid-afternoon break from running his busy Williamsburg restaurant, David Lowey hustled over to a new Bushwick gym and hopped on an elliptical machine, pedaling vigorously in his full Satmar regalia.
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Tzitzit dangling from his black pants and payes swinging over his ears, the 290-pound 26-year-old breathed heavily, as he scrolled through the day’s Daf Yomi Talmud page online, from a touch-screen computer panel in front of him.
When he began working out three months ago, Lowey was the lone Satmar member of Green Fitness Studio, an eco-friendly gym that opened in December and serves a primarily hipster clientele.
But with Lowey, who has already lost 60 pounds, leading the way, more than 100 members of his community now work out at Green Fitness, some in their three-piece formal wear, others sampling the gym’s complimentary sweats.
“I pushed them a lot because I feel there’s a need in the chasidic community for [exercise] — the obesity problem is overwhelming,” Lowey said.
Green Fitness Studio is not the only Williamsburg-area gym where chasidic Jews now exercise alongside hipsters. Soma in Williamsburg also has a chasidic clientele. And fitness-minded Satmars and hipsters also interact over a shared interest in cycling, at Baruch Herzfeld’s Treif Bike Gesheft bike shop in Williamsburg.
“All too often, Herzfeld explained, the neighborhood modesty patrols lurk at the entrances of gyms and other secular venues, ready to photograph and expose those who walk in and out. But he hopes that such behavior will not deter the newest fitness fanatics from continuing their workouts. “
this is a quote from the full article – what i want to know is; this what people really do? hang out in front of gyms to take photos of chasidim trying to get some exercise? GET A LIFE, PEOPLE!!!
He is not from satmer he is from pupa
Can’t they open kosher jims
They should be put in jail or a mental institution.
#1 your kind of life is not our kind
something doesn’t make sense here. if he learns daf hayomi he’s no satmarer
the jewish week cant hide their deep cynissisim & sarcasim for the frumme , the purpose of their article is to stir some kanoim , for many yrs before hipsters there was the big gym on wythe ave w/ hundreds of members men & women & a smaller one near south 9, it closed simply bec of finances the sq footage needed for excersize is huge & pricey -the JW couldve written a nice article or better nothing at all , willy for the most part always got along with their neighbors ,be it in the projects,…the hysteria with the hipsters when they moved in was that they spoke english & were friendly ,accepting…which created a need for caution
Ideally, there should be a neighborhood solution. The SY have the Sephardic Center, Willy should have the Satmar center. They should qualify for funding from the federation just like the very exclusive Sephardic center does.
I work in Willy and have become aware of Chasidim that treadmill seriously and eat healthy.
I’m a close neighbor with Lowy, in de clinton hill area, he’s always trying to help out the community, very good person, h’shem should help him out should be Matzliach
Whats worse going to a goyishe gym with the hipsters or learning Daf Yomi???
A Satmar he is not. Or he wasn’t learning Daf Yomi. He was learning just a plain piece of Gemorrah
My Kipa is off to them for wanting to keep the Miztva of Ushmartem es Nafshoseichem…
I’m amazed how obsessed theses reporters are with us chasidic men, everyday there’s another article about us, I wonder if it’s because of our high level of education or simply because of our good looks
Mr Lowy, keep it up! Working out is great for your health!
That picture is horrendous. You work out in dress clothes, get sweaty and smelly and gross, and then GO BACK to your place of business to subject people to that filth? He works in a restaurant……that is absolutely disgusting.
We had our own kosher gym. It was very successful, then the aronim bought the building where it was housed, it had to move way to the outskirts, it was never successful there, it closed.
I was a member of the Kosher gym for years…I am now in a non-kosher gym. I’m not a fan of going to a mixed gym but I need the fitness..We need a men only gym again in flatbush
This guy has the right idea.
Even taking a brisk walk is a good idea if you don’t want to/can’t afford a gym. Get active and at least break a sweat. Even people who aren’t morbidly obese can be very unhealthy and at high risk for stuff like heart attack and strokes. Take care of yourself for your family’s sake.
Mr lowy I don’t know you but its a great idea to get people to exercise
Every pound a person you took there loses and every year of life he gets for losing weight you have a zchus
But don’t forget the lap band its also a great mitzvah
Most of the Satmars/Chasidum at the Green Fitness Studio use it after hours when it is apparently men (Chasidum) only. I believe they are connected to the Wburg Hatzolah (judging by the ambulances parked outside). I think it’s wonderful that they are working to be in better health especially as Hatzolah volunteers.
Is this man running with his shabbas cloths on and his Machar utility belt on, wow!!!
The frum community in general has paid little, if any, attention, to providing recreational facilities Why do we have to rely on a YMHA with such limited hours of separate swimming? I see people spending tons of money on their homes. Why can’t the frum community come together and build a facility ?
It doesn’t matter overweight or not the healthy way of living is by following the commands of the torha!!!
Since when this guy “Baruch Herzfeld”, is the Maven what’s going on in Williamsburg, every time He open His mouth, is only to criticize the Chassidic Community, Mr. Abraham should not give Him so much attention. This guy, “Herzfeld”, made a lot of negative comments, like this, quote “I’ve seen some chasidim get in really, really great shape,” Herzfeld said triumphantly. “I’ve seen them bulk up so they look like ‘The Situation’ from ‘Jersey Shore, The hard-line rabbis want to keep outside cultural influences out of their neighborhood so they can keep the women getting pregnant at 18 and the men without educational options, Baruch Herzfeld: The problem is not the Satmar, but the hard-line Talibanowitz Rabbis who want strict separation by sexes, and the p–y politicians who sell out to them to get their votes. Many, many Hasidim in Williamsburg are miserable and trapped by their upbringing and do not want their lives controlled by medieval rabbi, The Hasidim will soon be biking all over Williamsburg. My prediction is that in two years every Hasid without hemorrhoids will be commuting via bicycle in the warmer months. JANUARY 26, 2010 Gelf Magazine
Why waist time at the gym when you could just do the band in the stomach i hear its a style these days its innnn
I live in Williamsburg, and as a concern on overweight I bought a treadmill and trampoline, and me, my wife and some of our grown up kids do regular work outs at the convenience of my own home and at our own time frames, (I didn’t have to buy a scale, because I have a doctors scale at home for the past decade).
My neighbor is even more sophisticated, he has a full room in his his basement with various exercise equipment, a mini gym.