Dear Matzav Inbox,
I am writing in response to the nauseating trend that has become all too prevalent in Jewish publications — ads for children’s clothing that display models who look absolutely nothing like Jewish children. It is beyond disturbing to see young children — some as young as five years old — being paraded in these ads with expressions and postures that reflect nothing but the toxic chic of the secular world. Where is the chein? Where is the modesty? How is this acceptable in a community that prides itself on maintaining a way of life that revolves around modesty, holiness, and living with Hashem?
These ads feature children who seem to be no more than props for the secular, materialistic ideals of the world around us. They strut across the pages with the types of expressions that belong in high-end fashion magazines, not in a publication meant for Jewish families. These children are dressed provocatively, their poses suggestive, and their faces exude an attitude that is alien to the values of Yiddishkeit. Five to ten-year-olds are now being encouraged to adopt looks that glorify the very lifestyle we should be distancing ourselves from — one that celebrates vanity, materialism, and a blatant disregard for modesty.
How did we get here? How did we allow these disturbing images to be presented in publications that are supposed to reflect our values?
The modeling of these children’s clothing lines is not just an innocent act of showcasing fashion; it is an outright betrayal of the core principles we hold dear as a community. It is an advertisement for an identity that is completely divorced from Torah values. The children in these ads look more like they belong on the covers of secular magazines than in our homes, classrooms, or shuls.
Where is the wholesomeness? Where is the innocence that should be preserved in our children?
What kind of message are we sending to our young ones, the very ones who are supposed to grow up immersed in Torah, in modesty, in chein, in the beauty of living a life of sanctity? Instead of teaching them the true beauty of Torah values, we are selling them an image of a world that is obsessed with superficiality and self-promotion. We are inadvertently telling them that looking like the secular world, adopting its values, and aspiring to the very things we are supposed to avoid, is somehow acceptable — even for children.
The next generation deserves better than this. We must insist on a standard where children’s clothing ads feature children who reflect the innocence, modesty, and beauty of our Torah values. We need to set an example for our children, not one that leads them down a path of emulating a culture that is diametrically opposed to everything we stand for.
If we continue to let this slide, we will only continue to erode the values that have kept us strong for thousands of years. This is not living with Hashem. This is alien to Yiddishkeit. It is time to put an end to this disgrace and demand that our advertisements reflect the beauty and sanctity of Torah life, not the hollow, empty standards of a secular, godless society.
Sincerely,
Disgusted in BP
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Once again, the innapropriate AI image… ironically proves the point of the writer.
Come on!
The ads are soooo cute! Adorable! Leibadik! We need simchas hachaim!
“Once again, the inappropriate AI image… ironically proves the point of the writer.”
That was my first thought too.
Add the mens ads as well. Why can’t mannequins be used?
Truth.
This particular picture looks like AI, artificially generated intelligence, not real kids.
One of the problems is that the frum publications do not allow women or older girls to appear in ads. So, the companies need to substitute little girls.
I don’t know, the article’s pic is not one you’d ever see in mainstream Jewish publications (not that their ads are ok, but a boy and girl together in an ad won’t be found in the typical rags), so I don’t know what the author is talking about. Btw, this pic is the first time I’ve seen a “chulent-tup” looking good!
Dear disgusted or whatever name you choose to be for whichever letter you are writing,
So don’t buy the publication. For the most part, we stopped buying these publications a number of years ago. Why should I pay for 80 pages of ads until the table of contents? Aren’t they making enough money from ad sales that they don’t have to charge exorbitant prices for the magazine? I don’t have to pay for the ads, especially when I have zero interest whatsoever in any of them or in the places they are advertising.
I usually ignore Matzav Inbox but this one is 100% correct. The ads are disgusting. No other description. Besides spending exorbitant amounts of money on children’s clothing, the models and styles are foreign to anyone with Jewish values. I am very tolerant and even live out of town and do not subscribe to uniformity, but these ads are beyond the pale. (not a fan of ridiculous jewellery, kitchens, meat boards etc. either but that is live and let live. Seeing these kids in the magazine is terrible.)
Finally someone speaking up! These advertisements are geared towards the frum community only, no reason to portray pictures of kids that don’t reflect our standards.
simple solution… go into marketing and make ads for customers
The whole concept of advertising is against torah, period. And all these publications “kasher” what they do with some photos of Rabanim/Rebbes etc. and then give their brilliant opinions on the collapse of the mesivta registration process, as if they are some daas torah (or daas period).
What issue, please?
Couldn’t agree more!
Advertising seems to have no boundaries. One of my all time favorites was an add in a local publication that displayed “ Choose your Pesach program like you choose your esrog”.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I have found these ads to be pushing the wrong ideals into our heilige community time after time! They use models from poland etc, and don’t even bother putting yarmulkes on the boys, forget about the girls all dressed up with makeup etc… Terrible trend.
Dear Disguted:
I’m with you. Every word you write is true and I feel the same way. This is “nihiye kechol hagoyim bais yisroel”. I am so fortunate to have instilled the proper values in my children……………I really feel sorry for this generation nebach!
As long as you don’t have a smartphone sticking out of your pocket, all is good and heilig.
You are so honest. A name shows the essence of a person. Perhaps look into changing your name and davening and Hashem can do wonders. You might find that you have a brain after all.
we have bigger issues. chill zich
what a brilliant comment
If everyone just says that and doesn’t take action then nothing gets resolved. This writer chose to bring up an important issue to raise awareness so improvement can be made. What are you doing to resolve the “bigger issues”?
You sure do.
Rabbi YF from brooklyn what say you?!
Correct. We should contact the magazines that this is not acceptable.
Ur voice counts!
Start a boycott.
Don’t shop there.
You and your friends and your kehilla.
Obviously the vendors don’t think like you.
Otherwise they wouldn’t spend that kind of money in such ads.
Also, you have to think about the kids parents who are making money here possibly to keep sitting in a kollel and learn for more years..just like the magazines are making tons of money in these ads to support their offspring in kollel and to support all the kollelim in Eretz yisroel.
This is what the rosh hakkollelim from
Israel say: Americans have lots of money for the sole purpose of supporting kollelim in Eretz Yisrael.
A true Kollel parents would never allow their children or their picture to be used in such a way.
What’s wrong with supporting Torah and learning in Eretz Israel?
1000% agree. You wrote everything I have been wanting to write for years. It’s disgraceful.
The example here is very not Jewish, SICKENING. Sadly, the heimishe oilem goilem with no self-confidence and no self-respect fall for these ads because they want to “be in style”, e.g. tight pants for boys AND men like tights, DISGUSTING; little kids and toddlers in very short pants with long sleeves in the winter because that’s what the style is today!! NUTS!
Simple solution to this and many other similar ‘problems’: CHINUCH! Empower your children with the strength, beauty and emes of your conviction and your own proper Hashkofos. Educate, teach, explain and show your children the right way. If you are strong enough in your Hashkofos, then you children won’t be tempted or confused by other people’s hashkofos. Consider yourself fortunate that your mesorah and your Mehalach Hachaim in on a higher level then those of the people who the ads are trying to reach. Don’t leave a vacuum where your children will be effected by the Goyim on the street, by the less religious neighbor across the road or by some advertising agency that you let into your home by purchasing their sponsored publication!
Also don’t expect any school, shul or even your Rav or Rebbe to take your place in being mechanech your children.
Best comment!
Well said!!!
I hear
Thank you for this. I have written to some of the Lakewood publications protesting exactly what you write about. I was thanked once for bringing an obnoxious ad to their attention and they published the same ad the next week!
You are 100% correct The children in the ads look angry, sullen, pouty, and bored , and have non of the temimusdike, refined, happy, open looks that have been the hallmark of Jewish children.
Huh? Going by the pic associated with the letter, they look very content, happy, well-adjusted (albeit not Jewish), so I don’t know what you’re seeing that I’m not…
Thank hkbh that this is your big worry and worthy of a letter.
You are spot on. It is disgusting.
But I will up you one. What about the food ads we see in the “Heimishe” magazines? They are dripping with gashmiyus, ta’avos, and prostkeit.
How about t he ads for mid-winter vacations? And not to be outdone – the ads for Pesach hotels with pictures of succulent steaks, list of singers and entertainment, and scenery – of course the are non-gebrokts and “do the Daf”.
I wonder whether the Rabbonim that give the Hashgochos ever see these ads.
Oy vey!!!
Could not agree more.
Such a long-winded, boring speech. I would much rather watch those cute kids in cute clothing than read your drivel….
May Hashem protect your family from you.
Just cancel your subscription.
These weekly inbox letters are becoming a nuisance.It’s a free country but some of these letters are so petty and usually only address a personal grievance that distracts from real issues that need to be addressed. To this letter writer none of our publications have any female over 12 as models. If the clothing is tzniusdik then there should be no problem. If you don’t like it swallow hard and bite your tongue.
Yeah…..the chinuch of our children (and their parents) are only a “personal grievance”.
We have much bigger issues to address…….like????
It’s not just the publications. The Jewish clothing stores websites have pictures that are all inappropriate
I agree wholeheartedly and reached out to express my outrage and disappointment many years ago, with no response or change. I don’t agree that it is because they won’t use girls and/or women in the ads – that has nothing to do with it. I stopped getting the magazines largely because of this crass depiction of children . We have slid very far down the slippery slope- so much so that we seem to have lost sensitivity to these issues. It is sad for us. We need to hold more tightly to being am Am Kadoesh, not a lesser entity that runs after the secular world.
Why stop at clothing? What about all the ads for the fancy new cars for sale or lease?
I remember when a Chevy Station wagon with a dent in the driver’s door, broken passenger door handle, 2 missing hubcaps, a sagging headliner & a radio with a cassette player was considered a luxury & let the rest of the Yidden know, “You made it”
Rabosai:
Advertising is an industry. It employs many people. It also covers much of the cost of the publication. We’re stuck with that. If an ad is in good taste, it should be okay. I’m no fan of any of the frum publications. I find much of the content irrelevant, and childish. The bombardment of advertising is extreme, and I almost never buy any. Not the mags, newspapers, or the freebies. Lots of litter. Saves me money and labor.
Is the next inbox post about gashmiyus overdone in foods, simchos, etc?
So let all magazines and Jewish newspapers cease to exist. Let’s go back to spending our Shabasos and Yamim Tovim learning. Those in the industry will get jobs elsewhere. If they are all that talented, let them become actual authors and write books. Write seforim.
It’s interesting that you chose to publish your letter regarding inappropriate ads featuring display models who look absolutely nothing like Jewish children on this platform that unfortunately has no problem posting pictures of ADULT display models regardless of their gender…
This ad is for items created by FRUM designer if you look closely at the boys vest it’s a modified version of the holy yeruashalyimer kaftan.
It’s utterly disgusting not only for it to be marketed the ad showing a boy and a girl together is treif and we are responsible
95% of ALL advertising is SHEKER ! why would you choose to see falsehood!?
Clickbait