Why are so many Lakewood Yungerleit carrying and pushing strollers in Lakewood on Shabbos

Why are so many Bnei Torah and choshuve Lakewood Youngerleit carry and go with carriages and strollers on Shabbos. It seems it increased exponentially since they started putting up signs in the last few years than one should not carry in the Eruv on shabbos.

 1. Halachic Background:

Lakewood's Eruv has long been subject to serious halachic debate, particularly among senior poskim such as:

• Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l was opposed to making an Eruv in Lakewood.
• Rav Shneur Kotler zt”l and Rav Matisyahu Salomon shlita maintained that the Eruv should not be relied upon.

Lakewood's Eruv is based on leniencies regarding:

• Whether the streets meet the halachic status of a reshus harabbim d’Oraisa.
• The acceptability of tzuras hapesach (posts and wires).
• Gaps in fencing or natural borders, etc.

 2. Why Do So Many Use It Anyway?

Despite the strong halachic resistance by many Roshei Yeshiva and local Rabbanim, more and more families do rely on it. Here are key reasons:

 A. Alternative Halachic Rulings Exist

• Some reputable Eruv experts and Rabbanim permit its use and even maintain it l’mehadrin.
• Baalei battim and even some yungerleit follow poskim outside BMG (e.g., the Eruv in Flatbush is also controversial but widely used).

 B. Practical Pressure

• Young families with many children, especially when both parents go to shul or for meals, feel a strong need for strollers and diaper bags.
• Some rationalize: “If I don't carry, I can't go to shul, or my wife will be stuck home.”

 C. Social Shifts

• Once more people were seen using the Eruv, social pressure flipped. Early users may have felt awkward, but now non-users feel they’re the minority in many neighborhoods.
• Families moving in from other cities with established Eruvin (Monsey, Baltimore, etc.) often come with a default of using it.

 D. Lack of Clear Messaging

• Many young families were never told clearly why not to use the Eruv, or believe it's a personal stringency and not a communal standard.
• Some may be unaware that their Rebbeim do not rely on it.

 3. The Effect of the Signs

Why did use increase after the signs went up?

Many never realized that there was an Erev in Lakewood, but when they see signs about the Erev, they don’t read the entire sign, just the part that there is an Erev.

• Backfire effect: Signs sometimes generate curiosity or a reaction of independence. ("Why are they pushing this so hard?")
• Polarization: It drew attention to the machlokes, and some decided to "side with the lenient view."
• Visibility: More people realized “everyone else is doing it,” even among Bnei Torah.
• Desensitization: Once people saw choshuve families with strollers and bags, the social hesitancy to carry faded.

 4. The Reality Today

• Many choshuve yungerleit carry not because they believe it's 100% mutar, but because they feel stuck between values and realities.
• Others genuinely rely on heterim from Rabbanim they trust.
• Some don’t realize it’s still a serious issue to many Gedolim in Lakewood.

 In Summary:

It’s a complex mix of halachic leniencies, practical pressures, and changing communal norms. But just because “many are doing it” does not mean it’s right or acceptable in the eyes of all poskim — especially those connected to the  mesorah.