Dear Matzav Inbox,
For many Orthodox Jewish families, “Yeshiva Week” has become synonymous with travel. Families have become accustomed to take a mid-winter trip to warm climates to thaw out from the New York winter.
Los Angeles is a popular destination, because of its unique combination of pleasant weather, world-class tourist attractions, and abundant access to synagogues and kosher dining. However, this year is different. We urge you to cancel your plans to visit Los Angeles during Yeshiva Week due to the city’s current challenges.
Los Angeles and its frum communities are grappling with an unprecedented wave of wildfires. The Sunset Fire, located a mere 2-3 miles from the La Brea frum community, left residents deeply shaken. One shul asked that those who had given a Sefer Torah to the shul to come pick up their Sefer Torah in case there was an evacuation order. Yeshivas are closed and the city accidentally sent an evacuation order to all residents, further frazzling people’s nerves. A separate fire in Studio City, near the Valley communities in North Hollywood and Valley Village, has left people there shaken. The Yeshiva in Calabasas has been evacuated. Homes and businesses have been lost, and the damage across the region is immeasurable. While the local Orthodox communities have been fortunate to avoid direct harm, the sense of danger and uncertainty lingers.
This is not a time for tourism. Many Angelenos are focused on aiding those directly affected by the fires, including people they know through work, personal connections, or simply Jews who are in need. The emotional toll on the community is palpable—everyone seems to know someone who has been displaced or deeply impacted. Adding the responsibilities of hosting out-of-town visitors during this time, including providing guidance on attractions, restaurants, and Shabbos plans, is an undue burden. While the mitzvah of hachnasas orchim is cherished, this year is not an ideal time for it.
Imagine being a visitor in New York shortly after Hurricane Sandy. The city was on edge, grappling with food shortages, gas shortages, and widespread property damage. While the local Jewish community undoubtedly extended help, their focus was on rebuilding and supporting those in immediate need. Los Angeles now finds itself in a similar situation.
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Love this part “tradition and excitement of Yeshiva Week travel”.
Tradition? Until four years ago I never heard of this…
Unbelievable how quickly things become a tradition.
The tradition I grew up on is that yeshiva boys never get a vacation besides for Sunday Chanukkah, girls yes, boys no, it’s bitul torah.
Learning during parshas vayechi the birchas Yaakov (and in many yeshivos the “Vaani”) that’s tradition.
Don’t know who this is being addressed to. You gotta be nuts to want to go to LA now.
It’s a shame that the more right wing yeshivas bought into this whole “yeshiva week” concept. En masse the yeshivas are deciding to close formal Torah learning for a week. I know it saves on their budget, and parents will do what they do anyways, but is this the right message to parents and talmidim? If you want to only have limudei kodesh for a week and give off the afternoon from limudei chol, ok. But closed completely??
Don’t get me wrong, everyone needs a little break, but to formalize it I feel is wrong.
And, just wondering , why is it called “yeshiva week”, it should be called “no yeshiva week”?
Actually hachnosas orchim, if done properly, protects from fire. If done wrong, can cause fire chas v’shalom. It’s a mitzvah to provide 1. food 2. drink and 3. sleeping accommodations, or an escort on the way out. אכילה שתייה ולינה
אשל is an acrostic for these three parts of the mitzvah. If one leaves out the 3rd element we are left with אש
You need to ask your local orthodox Rabbi. It is very possible that if a person needs to go thru a medical procedure and it must be done in California for personal reasons or a better Doctor or a better hospital staff at a specific dept. in a certain hospital and the place is in CA or there can be other valid reasons why a medical procedure needs to be done in CA, then you are right and there is a big Mitzva of
הכנסת אורחים
But Yeshiva Week, the Bachurim can go to a different destination, there are so many places in the USA where to go, what is the big Mitzva to visit LA during a fire, why not look for a happier place for Yeshiva Week.
Also by the way in case you did not know, the governor of CA-Mr Newsom-he signed into law a few years ago, that if a girl is walking on the streets in CA including Los Angeles and she is wearing almost nothing for business purposes, the Police are not allowed to get involved, they must leave her alone. So I ask you, is California a place for a Frum Yid?????? Is Los Angeles the place for Yeshiva Week???? The Frum Chevra who live there, they do their shopping close by and they go to their Beis Medrash, but if a Bachur comes for a week, he probably wants to tour around and he will definitely by mistake bump into these evil people and when he returns to his Yeshiva, everything will just be downhill.
You can gladly google what I wrote.
Yeah, big talker. Do you host guests including sleeping in your house?
Oh really? And what about those Jews whos parnassah’s will suffer because they were counting on this tourism?
who on earth can afford such tourism
The author of this article didn’t think things through before writing it. Just want you to know that myself and others in Los Angeles just lost parnassah as a direct result of this article. There are many of us here who count on Jewish tourism and many short term rentals are available to house visitors. There is no burden on the community by visitors; quite the opposite. It’s a burden on the community when nobody comes to LA because of these things.