YouTuber Visits Kiryas Joel to Counter Antisemitic Portrayal of Hasidic Life

Caleb Snyder, a YouTuber and social media activist, recently traveled to Kiryas Joel, New York, to show viewers what he described as the community’s positive side, after another YouTuber, Tyler Oliveira, published what the article calls a deeply antisemitic video about the town. Snyder’s footage was presented as a direct rebuttal to Oliveira’s claims, which the article says relied on lies, selective editing and manipulation.

Snyder first drew attention with a separate video from Lakewood, where he filmed interactions with Jewish and non-Jewish residents and said that experience sharply contradicted Oliveira’s narrative. In Kiryas Joel, Snyder let residents speak for themselves and said he was giving viewers a more authentic look at daily life in one of the largest Hasidic communities in the United States.

The video highlighted strong family life, community values and a welcoming atmosphere. Snyder interviewed a non-Jewish garage worker who praised his Hasidic boss and said he had a good relationship with Jews. Another worker said the Hasidic community helped him with immigration authorities and paid his bail. Snyder also interviewed a Hasidic plumber and a butcher who also serves as a kosher supervisor and salts poultry, undermining Oliveira’s claim that Hasidim leave the hard, dirty jobs to non-Jews.

Snyder said he visited major construction sites and met many Hasidic men working 12-hour days in physical jobs. He also described volunteers from groups such as Hatzalah, comparing them to Israel’s Yedidim, and said, “They rescue people stuck on the roads while men their age are playing video games.” The article says Oliveira tried to enter Israel last month, apparently to film Hasidim and defame them, but the Population and Immigration Authority blocked him. It also says Oliveira recently appeared on a podcast hosted by Tucker Carlson, and accuses him of using people’s lack of English skills to stir up hatred.