BANNED: BMG Roshei Yeshiva Ban Lag Ba’omer Children’s Event at Blue Claws Parking Lot in Lakewood

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A Lag Ba’omer event scheduled for children this Friday, April 30, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Blue Claws Stadium Parking Lot in Lakewood, NJ, is under scrutiny, having been banned by various rabbonim and mosdos hachinuch.

One mosad hachinuch released a letter to its parent body stating that the event is not “lefi rucheinu” (consistent with our spirit).

A separate letter, signed by three of the roshei yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha, Rav Dovid Schustal, Rav Yeruchem Olshin and Rav Yisroel Neuman, instructed parents not to allow their children to attend, calling out the event for violating the spirit of the Torah city.

The event, to be held in the stadium parking lot at the corner of New Hampshire and Cedar Bridge Avenues, is scheduled to have separate seating sections for boys and girls, with refreshments and raffles. The event is free.

The program will feature a story told by master storyteller Reb Ari Glick, a puppet show, and live zemiros with Benny Friedman. There will also be a recital of Tehillim and a raffle for a Shas.

The letter signed by the roshei yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoah is in both English and Lashon Kodesh. The letter – not written on stationery – states that “our community has a longstanding policy that disallows concerts in the city of Lakewood, since it is a form of entertainment that runs contrary to the spirit of Torah scholars and greatly undermines the Torah atmosphere of our community.”

The letter also states that “running any event in the First Energy / Blue Claws Stadium is itself a serious breach of our community’s policies. Since the stadium’s opening, a stringent ‘fence’ has been established: not to enter or make use of the stadium for any purpose – whether for a sporting event or for a privately run program.”

The letter from the Beth Medrash Govoha roshei yeshiva states that “a concert in Lakewood, and in particular in this stadium, is an unprecedented breach of our community’s policies, which is likely to initiate a far-reaching erosion of Lakewood’s unique Torah atmosphere. We therefore urge parents not to bring their children to this event, nor to support it or participate in any way.”

{Matzav.com}


45 COMMENTS

  1. It will effect the shidduchim. Anyone caught there will immediately ruin it for any sibling that is dating.
    Orlando is fine. Lag Beomer event in your own neighborhood is not.

    • Thanks reality. You got me thinking. All the lakewood shadchanim and the lakewood boys and girls stuck in the “shidduch crisis” should all show up at the event and get to work matching up boys and girls

  2. Personally I don’t know anything about this particular event, but I would think that much more than this event, it is schools all over rejecting children that causes the far-reaching erosion of a unique Torah atmosphere

  3. Beeny singing “Zmiros” what type of Joke is that what will he be singing Lcha Dodi Or Kah Ribon or the latest Pop songs or hits and all these Gimicks like raffeling off a Shas is just trying to put a Kosher Stamp on an Entertainment that is not so kosher and does not belong in Lakewood in a Stadium

  4. I highly doubt the letter is real…let’s face it, are all the restaurants, clothing stores and the extreme “gashmiyus overload” in sync the the “ruach” of Lakewood???
    Lakewood used to be a place where you could get away from all the gashmiyus of the world – but unfortunately, with the many batei medrash and batei k’naisiyos, there has also come an overload of food, luxurious items and clothing, that are not k’fi the ruach of what a true makom torah should be.
    Is it better to have the biannual CHol Hamoed “theme parks” in the parking lot??

    • There most absolutely needs to be clear clarification directly from the Roshei Yeshiva, Sh’lita, if this letter is truly from them. There are two items about it that could well be suspicious:

      1.) It was not printed on any Yeshiva stationary or stationary of any of the Roshei Yeshiva.

      2.) Where is Rav Malkiel’s signature? Where is Rav Mattisyahu’s signature?

  5. This event that they came out again is a Chabad project. Once again, Lubavitch comes in and undermines the existing order. Where is the דרך ארץ and הכנעה that should be shown to senior local gedolim?

    די וועלט איז ניט אין גאנצען הפקר!

    Kudos to the Roshei Yeshiva for taking a stand.

    • As you imply, and as, Im Yirtza Hashem, I will show, to say that “EVERYTHING” is Assur, Assur, Assur, is absolutely NOT Da’as Torah!! Every page of our Torah HaK’dosha is filled with exhortations of many things that are Assur – prohibited AND ALSO many things that are Muter – permitted.

      A Talmid Chacham pointed out to me an observation that is literally awesome. Near the beginning of Parshas Toldos, Rashi brings the narration of Chazal who relate that Eisav HaRasha would ask his father (questions like): “Dad, how do we take Ma’sar from salt and from straw?” So, my friend pointed out that we see that Eisav was very “Frum”! He was very “religious”! He was very “Machmir,” as he was always looking for “Chumros” – always looking for ways to be STRINGENT with things. So, we see that to always look for ways to be stringent with things when there obviously is no need to be stringent, is the way of Eisav, but it is not the way of Yaakov and Torah.

  6. The שו”ת מנחת אלעזר 4-60 (Munkatch) writes “ Lag Baomer

    celebrations (Hadlakah, music & dancing etc.) are only for Eretz Yisroel.

    In Chutz La’oretz these celebrations are strange and haughty.

    כזרות יחשב וכיוהרא “

  7. The non- Yeshivish ppl can do whatever they please, only to the Lord will they need to give answers.
    But please can they officially identify as such, please stop wearing the trademark Yeshivish white shirt black pants etc. Perhaps get rid of the black hat too.

    • No. You still need the white shirt with the hat & jacket to get a “good” shidduch. That is thee most important question a parent asks, after they find out what he learns during Lecha Dodi every Friday night.

    • Hey Yapchik, its haters like you with such horrible attitude towards fellow yidden that caused my son not to come to shul anymore

  8. what were the organizers thinking? just bec. its seperate seating for boys and girls would be enuf? silly . but if they would make it for boys only or girls only and in a lower key place , then probably it wouldnt be banned. no?

  9. The Minyan Lag Beomer Event is a Bon Fire Celebration like any other Lag Beomer event that takes place in Shuls or schools or Chassidic courts

    It is not a Concert or show and not a place for all the kids of Lakewood.
    It is primarily for the members of the Minyan

    It used to take place near the Minyan on Princeton ave in Lakewood however there was not enough room and not enough parking so they moved it to New Hampshire ave behind a Parking lot

  10. As far as Lubavitch is concerned there is no indication this was arranged by Lubavitch

    Benny Friedman is an international singer who sings at all types of events in different communities

    The reason this was banned in Lakewood is because it was a concert

    2 years ago a concert for teen boys was banned in Lakewood which had nothing to do with Lubavitch

  11. The sponsors have been insisting that this has been mischaracterized as it’s only in the parking lot (as have been other events such as Dr Roberts Chol Hamoed event) and it’s not a concert. This should be simple to resolve. They can ask the Roshei Yeshiva if this is different. This sounds eerily familiar. Sort of like the Bein Hazmanim “kumzitz” turned riot.

  12. And then we wonder why countless go off the derech… ALL is asur… What is left that is not asur…. How sad and tragic!

  13. Seriously? What in world is wrong with this event? Let kids have a taste of gashmiyus in a kosher setting. If you don’t give them entertainment in a controlled setting, than they will look for the entertainment on their own R”L. If you want to know one of the reasons why kids go OTD, this is one of them.

    • As you imply, and as, Im Yirtza Hashem, I will show, to say that “EVERYTHING” is Assur, Assur, Assur, is absolutely NOT Da’as Torah!! Every page of our Torah HaK’dosha is filled with exhortations of many things that are Assur – prohibited AND ALSO many things that are Muter – permitted.

      A Talmid Chacham pointed out to me an observation that is literally awesome. Near the beginning of Parshas Toldos, Rashi brings the narration of Chazal who relate that Eisav HaRasha would ask his father (questions like): “Dad, how do we take Ma’sar from salt and from straw?” So, my friend pointed out that we see that Eisav was very “Frum”! He was very “religious”! He was very “Machmir,” as he was always looking for “Chumros” – always looking for ways to be STRINGENT with things. So, we see that to always look for ways to be stringent with things when there obviously is no need to be stringent, is the way of Eisav, but it is not the way of Yaakov and Torah.
      [

    • And who is willing to take the responsibility of tznius when ladies go shopping in Pomegranate, Bingo, Seasons, Gourmet Glatt, Aisle 9, Breadberry, Yossi’s, Gelbstein’s, etc…?

    • Listen up dude. When Roberts makes him chol hamoed events, THOUSANDS show up and no one asks silly tznius questions. If you are so holy and concerned for your tznius, what in the world are you doing leaving comments on the tumah’dige intervesh????

  14. A bonfire Thursday night with music is fine. But a separate concert out of the blue on Friday?? Not ok. It has Nothing to do w/ Lag Baomer. It comes from Chabad. We are not Chabad

    • ITS CALLED ENTERTAINMENT, cohen chavi. LKOVOD LAG B’OMER. It will allow mommies some quiet time in the house while totty will spend some quality time with the kinderlach. And if mommy wants join in, even better. Which part of that dont you understand????

  15. Lag BaOmer festival that hope will attract the Lakewood youth
    Nothing more than easy prey
    It’s standard missionary practice

  16. You can call the number that they sent out in a robo all to the whole Lakewood, to hear the organizers explain the event
    8454705511

  17. Hey cohen NB, if your kids are that vulnerable and gullible, its you who has a problem. My kids will not become chabadniks from listening to a storyteller and clapping to Benny Friedman.

  18. With the horrific calamity the occurred today in Meron, this entire discussion is most likely now not relevant, for this event along with many other Lag B’Omer celebrations will most likely be either sharply curtailed or completely cancelled.

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