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Dear Yeshiva world editor,
I ask you to please post this letter, as I think it is extremely important and raises a major issue that is affecting the Jewish Community at large.
As my wife was flipping through the pages of the Jewish Press one Friday night, she was shocked at a certain advertisement and called me over to have a look. What I saw might not cause such a reaction to many people, which is a problem in itself, but for this advertisement to appear in a “Frum” weekly newspaper was mind boggling to me. The ad was a picture of two women who where modeling shaitels for a certain Shaitel macher. I can’t understand how the Jewish Press allows such ads in their paper. The women are posing in such immodest ways; the advertisement belongs in People magazine not the “Jewish Press”.
I am definitely not someone who is on a level to give mussar and tell people what’s right and wrong, however I feel very strongly about this. Advertisements’ like this have to be part of the reason why the Jewish community is suffering so much pain recently. Tzinous is so very important and having the Jewish Press advertisement immodesty for a few bucks shows how far our community has fallen.
In the words of Rabbi Yaakov Salomon….”Something to Think About”
Ari Taub
Brooklyn, New York.
ive noticed in the past and totally agree thanks for posting this
Comment by ZigZag — March 18, 2008 @ 12:59 am
Yes, this major issue is affecting the Jewish Community at large. It rivals the great controversy over the 4 pictures of women wearing wigs in a store window on Coney Island Ave, whose ramifications are still reverberating in the neighborhood. Let’s hope this latest outrage will be successfully resolved, least our community suffer some grave misfortune.
Comment by yitzy99 — March 18, 2008 @ 1:08 am
So why are you kvetching ? dont buy the jewish press! its not a free weekly, nor is it under any sponership..
We are in the trouble we are in now because of sinas chinam.. stop looking for “crisis” which do not exist.
Comment by elchonon1 — March 18, 2008 @ 1:19 am
Moshiach wont come from musar, rather ahavas chinam.
I learnt in the sefer vedibarta bam though I cant remember who he quotes “why does it say hevai k’talmidav shel ahron, ohev shalom v’roef shalom.. ohev es habriyos umekarvam latorah”
Even one who’s only good is that he is a “briah” we must still love.. how do we draw someone close to torah ? by loving a fellow jew.
Enough already.. dont read the jewish press if you dont like it! ive done fine in 5 years in eretz yisrael without it!
Comment by elchonon1 — March 18, 2008 @ 1:23 am
“Advertisements’ like this have to be part of the reason why the Jewish community is suffering so much pain recently.”
What chutzpah! They have to be? Who made you Hashem’s spokesman?
Comment by KeenObserver — March 18, 2008 @ 1:31 am
Get a life!!!
Comment by Shasman — March 18, 2008 @ 2:15 am
What do you expect from the Jewish Depress ?!?
Comment by kitzur_dot_net — March 18, 2008 @ 2:24 am
Well Ari, your point is an excellent one. This issue is not new of course, and really hasn’t changed much in the last twenty five or thirty years.
And there you have it. A very large segment of the yeshiva world hides behind the letter of the law, that is, a woman’s hair must be covered, and a peah nochris fulfills the requirement lechumrah. There are those who even make the absurd claim that there is no “spirit of the law” here, only the letter.
So Rav Ari, your concerns are proper and your priorities are in the right place, but the battle for the true intent of this halachah was lost a generation ago. Very unfortunate, and a very prominent stain on the frum community.
Comment by onlyemes — March 18, 2008 @ 3:36 am
Quite frankly, the Jewish Press is hardly the newspaper of the frum community and anyone who brings it into their house must be aware that not all content will be according to chareidi standards.
Today you have the Hamodia, Yated, Mispacha, Bina etc.. and although JP has many interesting articles and covers many subjects that the chareidi papers keep away from, there will always be things that will not meet your standards.
I don’t think we need to have a Kol Koreh against the JP now. Just don’t buy it!!
Comment by rbsyid — March 18, 2008 @ 3:36 am
If you don’t like the advertisements in the JP, don’t buy it. Most likely, you are not its target audience anyway.
There are Haredi periodicals that have no questionable ads.
The JP wouldn’t hesitate to tell you their target market is not the same as the Yated, Hamodia, etc.
Comment by Who knows — March 18, 2008 @ 4:04 am
Ari- you bring up an important issue but…. Why on earth would your wife call you over to ‘have a look’? Also not to validate the JP but the people reading it are usually not dressed much more modestly than the women in these advertisements. You don’t have to look very far to see women not dressed in a tzniyis fashion- just look at how our daughters are dressing!
Comment by sholoim uvracha — March 18, 2008 @ 4:41 am
Reb Ari:
Thank you. But have you spoken to the Jewish Press and what was their response?
As their phone numbers and e-mail addresses are published in their paper and at their Web site, the proper Derech Eretz is a private “Hochaiach Tochiach” before going public.
Comment by Avraham — March 18, 2008 @ 5:01 am
Thank you Ari for your letter.
IMHO you should not have that paper in your home, especially if you are sensitive to Torah values. Now it may be that things have changed in the last ten years, but I guess you now see for yourself.
Don’t expect any better from them.
Comment by samuelbilner — March 18, 2008 @ 6:19 am
If you read the Yated or Hamodia and leave the Jewish Press to yellow on the news sellers shelves they may get the message
Comment by fmlogic123 — March 18, 2008 @ 6:22 am
Anyone who is offended should stop buying the Jewish Press. There are other weeklies always available.
Comment by themathprof — March 18, 2008 @ 6:42 am
This, unfortunately, is hardly news.
I believe it was Reb Yaakov Kaminetzky that replied already many years ago when asked if it was permitted to bring the Jewish Press into the bathroom, that the real shaila is if it is permitted to take the Jewish Press out of the bathroom.
Comment by Joseph — March 18, 2008 @ 7:00 am
Let me get this straight - your wife saw an untzniuzdig picture in the paper and called you to take a look?
I looked in the Jewish Press from the last two weeks and failed to see any such pictures.
Comment by cml613 — March 18, 2008 @ 7:14 am
get a life! i read the jp and saw the ad–immodest? how else does a company advertise wigs? and if you are so “frum” why read newspapaers–only seforim i say! what do you want — a burka? or even better yet–dig yourself a cave and go hide in it! why don’t you just pick yourself up with all the women in your life–wife and daughters and go live with the lunatics in the mideast? they also think themselves religious–but they and you are simply fanatics–none of which applies to real frumkeit. last i checked kanaous is NOT ok by G-d– so if you don’t want to see terrible pictures and rad terrible things–why are you on the INTERNET!!!???
like i said–get a life or get lost
Comment by ontheotherhand — March 18, 2008 @ 7:19 am
How old is your wife? Sheitels in magazines and other newspaper appear to be attractive, so they can sell. Would you buy a sheitel from a fat frumpy woman in an ad, or an attractive one. Tell your wife to grow up, and if she doesnt like the ad, she should flip the page.
Comment by classymom — March 18, 2008 @ 7:19 am
It’s high time the frum community bans this paper from its homes (yes, even from their bathrooms!). It has been a major thorn in the eye of any Torah orientated family and it keeps on surprising me how many people still buy it
Comment by Imanonov — March 18, 2008 @ 7:21 am
Why are you writing this here? Why don’t you just tell the Jewish Press?
Comment by Shmuel A — March 18, 2008 @ 7:21 am
Dear Ari,
How old is your wife? The ad is trying to sell sheitels. Would your wife rather see a fat frumpy worn out woman modelling that sheitel. She bought the Jewish Press, not a sefer on tzinius, and if she doesnt like the ad, now that she is a big girl, she can turn the page.
Comment by classymom — March 18, 2008 @ 7:23 am
Definitely an inappropriate ad for a man to look at. Why did your wife want you to see it?
Comment by ebpeuka — March 18, 2008 @ 7:28 am
You are 100 percent right, that is one of the reasons that I don’t let things like the Jewish Mess in my home. You should only be bringing into your house things like the Yated or the Hamodia which don’t let things like this in their paper.
Comment by AbiMlebt — March 18, 2008 @ 7:45 am
I agree, you cant even switch on the radio anymore.
Comment by yidishnamen — March 18, 2008 @ 7:56 am
have you consulted with daas torah whether it is muttar to read this paper? maybe this is the problem.
Comment by zalmy — March 18, 2008 @ 8:02 am
good morning
the jewish press shouldn’t be in a jewish home.period.
halivai the ads should be the worst problem.
it is a paper full of pritzus and adults/children shouln’t read it.
Comment by lgbg — March 18, 2008 @ 8:02 am
This is very interesting, I recently wrote a very similiar letter to a local jewish publication about the exact same topic:
Dear Baltimore’s “The Advertiser”,
I ask you to please post this letter, as I think it is extremely important and raises a major issue that is affecting the Jewish Community at large.
As I was flipping through the pages of The Advertiser this past Friday night, I was shocked at a certain advertisement and called my brother and his wife over to have a look. What I saw might not cause such a reaction to many people, which is a problem in itself, but for this advertisement to appear in a “Frum” weekly newspaper was mind boggling to me. The ad was a picture of two women who where modeling shaitels for a certain Shaitel macher…with their faces blurred out.
I can’t understand how The Advertiser allows such ads in their paper. The women are simply posing, not in an immodest way; such an advertisement belongs in a fanatical religious publication not “The Advertiser”.
I am definitely not someone who is on a level to give mussar and tell people what’s right and wrong, however I feel very strongly about this. Advertisements’ like this have to be part of the reason why the Jewish community is suffering so much pain recently. Tzinous is so very important and having The Advertiser advertise this as what passes for immodesty shows how far our community has fallen.
In the words of God….”Bar Yochai, go back to the cave! You are no longer fit for the company of other human beings”
GF
Any place but Brooklyn, New York.
Comment by G — March 18, 2008 @ 8:21 am
I am more offended by the ads for diamond encrusted watches that cost tens of thousands of dollars. These ads are mixed in with articles preaching modesty, unlavish lifestyles, and tzniut. And, do not forget the ads for the Pesach vacations.
Comment by bek721 — March 18, 2008 @ 8:25 am
Dear Mr. Taub, since you are so rightous & better than the rest of us, I would like to inform you that any paper that has advertisements in it is ASSUR to read on SHABBOS & that includes Yated, Hamodia, Jewish Press, Mispacha,this is not Chassidus this is a Halacha in Shulchan Urach so why are you reading this paper friday night instead of learning in a Sefer.
Just for the record I dont buy any of the papers that i have listed above as they have nothing to do with Yiddiskeit at all. end of discussion, they are there for one purpose & one purpose only to sell advertising space & no ifs ands or buts.
Contrary to what anybody will tell, no they dont spread Yiddiskeit or Kedusha & no matter who the founder or who the writer of the paper is or was.
no matter either who supports the paper they should not & are assur to be read on SHABBOS & beleive you me you dont miss anything by not buying them never mind reading them
Comment by levtov32 — March 18, 2008 @ 8:34 am
why single out the JP, the ESRA, Jewish LIFESTYLE, Country Yossi, are loaded with this!?
Speaking of woman, how will the yated & hamodia cover the news if Hillary gets elected? Will we have to suffer to see Bill again gracing our frum papers, his picture back to back with divrei torah?
Speaking of which, why does the yated & hamodia (chareidi papers) print pictures of arab murderers, lowlifes, and adulterers in the SAME pages as Reb chaim Kanyefskey, Reb Steinman etc. etc.??
At least the JP doesn’t profess to be the “TORAH” newspaper
Comment by 08701lakewood — March 18, 2008 @ 8:45 am
#27: I’m glad you know what a Jewish home should have in it. Let me ask you: do you know what level every family is holding by? Personally, I find the Yated and Hamodia a bit too right wing for my taste. It happens to be that I don’t get any newspaper, but when I go to my parents, they get the Yated, Hamodia, and the Jewish Press. From all 3, I enjoy the Jewish Press the most.
I know other families that get non-Jewish newspapers delivered every day. If they would be willing to skip these newspapers and get the Jewish Press instead, would you tell them it doesn’t belong in a Jewish home? Maybe if you told them that, they’d get the Yated instead, right? Actually, no, they’d probably go back to the Daily News or the Post or whatever paper they were getting originally.
Yes, the Jewish Press may not be right for some people. But to say it doesn’t belong in any Jewish home is just plain stupidity.
Comment by Feif Un — March 18, 2008 @ 8:47 am
grow up. if you dont want to see ads of attractive women, dont buy the jewish press. hamodia doesnt publichs pictures of women, attractive or otherwise (notice theyve never had a picutre of hillary throughout the entire campaign). Your wife needs to get a grip. sounds like someone is insecure because she saw a picture of a pretty woman in a magazine. perhaps she needs to see a therapist and discuss her issues. or maybe shes just ~that~ ugly. you dont want to see the pictures, dont buy the paper. no one is forcing you to read it.
Comment by house77 — March 18, 2008 @ 8:50 am
I haven’t picked up this piece of trash in ten years, since the time Harav Lazer Ginsburg blasted the paper for a children’s beauty contest they were running. He called it a mayse Achashvarosh. They promote kinship and love for theTtzioni rotzchim. They had a big problem on there hands when there heroes like Ariel Sharon betrayed them.
Comment by Straitthinker — March 18, 2008 @ 8:50 am
Does anybody have a shovel so we can dig Ari Taub’s head out of the sand?
The Jewish Press caters to the Zionist, Modern Orthodox, Lubavitch, YU crowd. When the advertisements start to annoy the above mentioned communities, only then can you expect a change. Until then, if you don’t like it, leave it on the newsstand.
Comment by ani oymer — March 18, 2008 @ 8:54 am
While most of the comments cover the obvious issues (The Jewsih Press does no belong in a chareidi home, and that there are b”h more appropriate papers such as the Yated and Hamodia), I want to bring up a point that was missed.
Assuming that one may read the Jewish Press, can someone please tell me what part of the paper is muttar to read on Shabbos. There is nothing in there that would qualify as something you are allowed to read on Shabbos al pi halacha.
Even if there is, it is definitely Assur to read the advertisements on Shabbos (especially not tsniusdike ones!).
YW Editor - Just a side note, why does every “Out of the Mailbag” headline have to be called a “Crisis”. While there may (or may not) be a “Shidduch Crisis”, “Divorce Crisis”, etc. I never exactly lost sleep over the “Jewish Press Crisis”. Are we kind of over doing the “Crisis” bit? (Maybe this is a “Crisis Crisis”?)
Comment by gemorakop — March 18, 2008 @ 8:56 am
I used to buy the jewish press ,but after they had an article having some clown ‘’rabbi'’ say that the lomdai torah in eretz yisrael are sinners because they dont go to the army. I realized this paper doesn’t belong in any torahdik house.what about the gemorra in avoda zarah daf 98b that says ‘’anyone that that says ma ah hani la chachomim'’ meaning what do the people learning all day do for klal yisrael . the gemorra calls that person a ‘’apikaros'’ a hearitic.
Comment by rob613 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:01 am
…there were few times that i saw ads in that paper..eg. from airlines which usually have pictures of…on the beach called a few times and advised, politely, about oversight…but kept seeing them (not too often, but once is also too much) so stopped buying .maybe they are so big b’h that no one to keep eye on proper pictures..like mazel tov pitures with chasson kalleh to` close past nist fer ben torah to see …see ktsubas 8b yes some out there will say “so whats wrong…?”… well then you dont understand the the mitzvh easa d’oraise one says twice a day “…v’achray einaychem..” you wont find those pictures in any chareidy newspapaers….stopped buying fews years ago so maybe they watch better …but according.too above…???
Comment by jent1150 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:01 am
to Ari:
This is not another crisis. It’s a for profit paper and these sheitel ads have been there for years. Like it or not, I’ve yet to attend any simcha ( Satmar excluded ) including chareidi simchas, that women didn’t wear attractive sheitels. If you and your wife don’t like the ads portraying sheitels in an attractive manner, don’t buy the paper and don’t patronize their advertisers. Please grow up.
to #9
” Quite frankly, the Jewish Press is hardly the newspaper of the frum community and anyone who brings it into their house must be aware that not all content will be according to chareidi standards.”
I still don’t understand this continued implication that only the chareidi are frum.
to #11 sholoim uvracha
“not to validate the JP but the people reading it are usually not dressed much more modestly than the women in these advertisements”
Can you inform of us the study and analysis upon which you made this sweeping allegation?
Comment by lesschumras — March 18, 2008 @ 9:06 am
It is so sad to these some of these comments that are not phased in the slightest by ads of women appearing in a supposed Jewish publication. This generation has stooped so low. When “frum” walk around that look like shiktzhas, when ads appear in paper that are not very kosher we hear them say get a life. These people have no regard for morality, if thats ok then other things are also ok. We as orthodox jews have an obligation to instill tzenius in our every day lives. When someone is bothered by inappropiate images appearing in a Jewish publication, he deserves to be commended not ridiculed.
Comment by Rav Mechel — March 18, 2008 @ 9:09 am
Youre kidding, right?
Comment by lovebp — March 18, 2008 @ 9:10 am
No one is shoving the JP down your throat, if you dont like it dont read it!
Its not “The Frum Press” its “The Jewish Press” Elliot Spitzer is also Jewish it dosent mean e/t he does represents frum ideals. The Jewish Press certainly does not reflect frum yeshivishe values, the only problem here is that you, Avi, allow it in to your home!
Comment by anon. 6.12.07 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:19 am
I strongly agree with all the people who don’t bring this paper in their home. I don’t either!!!! YATED HAMODIA … the way to go!!!
Comment by rebmoish — March 18, 2008 @ 9:20 am
Our family used to buy the Jewish Press only when we were looking for an apt when a sibling got married. NOW - we would never take it near our home. The paper is full of pritzes, movies advertisements….
Why dont you read the Hamodia, Binah ( I love it!)- they are really kosher and great reading material!!!
Remember: Shmiras Anayim applies to all - old or young, male or female….
Comment by S — March 18, 2008 @ 9:21 am
You are all missing the point. Even the writer misses the point. The point is not that the ad is in the Jewish Press, or whether the Jewish Press should be read (No, I don’t read it, nor have I seen the ad) , or even whether the wife should be showing her tzadikel husband such pritzusdike pictures.
The point is that this ad is aimed directly at the shaitel wearing yeshivishe crowd. Any advertiser will tell you that he designs his ads for maximum response from a specific target audience. And apparently, the specifically targeted yeshivishe crowd responds to these ads, and therein lies the problem.
Comment by onlyemes — March 18, 2008 @ 9:35 am
Let’s not forget that the JP prints articles from people like Nosson Slifkin as well. It doesn’t belong in a frum home.
Comment by mosherose — March 18, 2008 @ 9:41 am
Thank you for your letter Ari. You are definitely right that there is an insensitivity to tzinious that is growing in our community, just look at the way so many ladies are dressed as they run their errands, or attend simchos. However, I do not think that the Jewish Press goes into the category of a frum publication. I’m too young to “Remember When,” and if it ever did represent frum hashkokos and ideals of gedolim, but it definitely doesn’t now.
Also, many gedolim have pointed to lack of tznious as the cause for tzaaros.
And to all of the comments telling R’ Ari (and other letter writers) to mind their own business- first of all, regarding tzinious in particular, if the people in question are prancing around in their inappropriate dress by our community’s stores and by it’s simchos and functions, then how is it NOT my business. Secondly, MYOB (mind your own business), is NOT A JEWISH HASKOFA! We are supposed to be sensitive when things our fellow yidden are doing are making a chillel Hash-m, and not giving nachas to Hash-m. We are ereivim to each other- for better or for worse, and if your brothers and sisters are not behaving properly (by standards drefined by halacha; not your own), then it SHOULD BOTHER YOU! It troubles me that so many people unfortunately are so scared of being told how to act (and to chas ve’shalom improve themselves), that they try to make it a taboo for people to point out chesronos in our community that needs some attention. We always need to improve, and we should seek to hear, and accept the musser whenever it comes.
Comment by krunch — March 18, 2008 @ 9:42 am
Hey Ari- how is this for a Rabbinic decree.. Stop buying the Jewish Press!
People were created with something called “brayra”
and some people were created with common sense. the latter Ari, seems to fail you.
Comment by Challahback — March 18, 2008 @ 9:43 am
What is People Magazine?
Comment by starved — March 18, 2008 @ 9:44 am
Please note the CHOFETZ CHAIM, yes, the CHOFETZ CHAIM says the the tzoros in klal yisroel derives from tznius issues. Preach about ahavas yisroel. Beautiful. But it doesn’t address the issue. I find ahavas yiroel constantly brought up whenever someone brings up sensitive issues which would require rebuke. One does not negate the other.
Please note that it is not only the Jewish Press. I’ve been recieving mailings lately from sheitel companies-on postcards- with the same unbecoming mode of dress. How contradictory to the purpose of covering the hair. The objective wasn’t for a convenient fashion statement
Comment by amhaaretz — March 18, 2008 @ 9:58 am
ari you are right
simple solution: don’t read, buy jewish press
Comment by Mar — March 18, 2008 @ 10:09 am
Chas v’shalom the writer or anyone who agrees that this is a “crisis” should have to deal with real problems and challenges in life.
Comment by justajew — March 18, 2008 @ 10:15 am
to elchonon1: this is definintely considered a crisis that needs to be addressed. It’s a tsnius crisis!!! Boycotting the paper and buying another paper instead is ok for the individual but certainly not for the klal. The klal should definitely protest.
Comment by The Queen of Persia — March 18, 2008 @ 11:01 am
MY DAD ALWAYS CALLED IT THE SEWAGE PRESS.
Comment by SARAHSARAH — March 18, 2008 @ 11:02 am
FIRST OF ALL. THE JEWISH PRESS HAS TAKEN A BIG HIT FINANCLLY WITH THE RISE OF THE HAMODIA AND YATED! ALSO MY REBBI USED TO CALL IT THE “JEWISH PROST”
Comment by elik — March 18, 2008 @ 11:05 am
OK everyone calm down and we are not here to make another issue of “SHALOM BAYIS” here. stop putting down his wife, and lets just deal with the situation. everyone should focus on their own levels of tznius and WORK on them, and then worry about adds in the Jewish press. if the adds bother you don’t get the paper.
Comment by cholent — March 18, 2008 @ 11:07 am
u don’t like the jewish press??! don’t buy it!! and leave the rest of us alone.
did u ever think that what might be right for one may not be right for some? how about live and let live? keep your madeup chumros/sinas chinam to yourself.
I for one will enjoy reading the jewish press as they deal with issues and crises in the ‘frum’ community - some very delicate issues that need to be addressed. they are the only ‘frum’ paper that deals with these issues. unlike some of the other ‘holier than thou’ publications (some of them mentioned above) that would like to pretend these issues don’t exist,and prefer to bury their collective heads in the sand. if I want to read about the latest ‘kol koreh’/bans i’ll turn to those rags.
Comment by torahis1 — March 18, 2008 @ 11:08 am
You need to vote with your pocket. Don’t buy the Jewish Press. For me it’s the opposite. I refuse to buy the Modiah or Yated and buy only the Jewish Press
Comment by BaalHabos — March 18, 2008 @ 11:10 am
If u’ve got a prob w that, just stop buying it. If u would mean leshemshmayim u would contact them n not make a whole fuss here in ywn.
get a life!
Comment by bsmiles — March 18, 2008 @ 11:16 am
#47: You are wrong! Mind your own business is a Jewish concept. Yes, it says to let your friend know if he’s doing something wrong - but that only applies if you think it will help him to stop. If you know the person will do it anyway, you’re not supposed to say anything, because then it can at least possibly be considered a shogeg or an oneis.
Comment by Feif Un — March 18, 2008 @ 11:28 am
Firstly, there are much worse things in the Jewish Press then advertisements for sheitels. Secondly, did you ever think that this paper basically caters to a different crowd? Perhaps they are putting in these pictures leshem shomayim, perhaps they are trying to induce woman, who would not normally wear a sheitel, to try wearing sheitlach because of how great they would look in it and then metoch shelo lishmo bo lishmo, remember, this paper does not gear itself to the Hamodia and Yated crowd, that is what we have our papers for, and we can’t try to bring the world onto our level. We need to first build up our yiddishkite and Tznius, and then perhaps the others will emulate us, but we can’t put our gedorim on them as they may not be holding there and we may just be pushing them away.
Comment by lkwdbubby — March 18, 2008 @ 11:38 am
i agree one hundred percent with Mr. Taub.
the jewish press was never as bad as it is today. it dd start out to be more like the hamodia…
the adds are just out of hand…forget about the sheitel add. what about the prosta pregnant lady adds…i mean c’mmon lets not fool ourself.
and the family issue part is also geting quite out of hand.
p.s. this has nothing to do with sinas chinom…this has to do with making the tznius between us yidden much better.
Comment by PG87 — March 18, 2008 @ 11:50 am
fief un
one question: are you comfortable for your kids to read the jewish press?
Comment by lgbg — March 18, 2008 @ 11:54 am
What’s the difference between seeing a woman in a sheitel on the street, at a chasunah or at a kiddush, and in a newspaper? I would imagine in person it’s worse. Do you propose keeping women with sheitlach from leaving their homes?
Comment by sane — March 18, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
“The point is that this ad is aimed directly at the shaitel wearing yeshivishe crowd. Any advertiser will tell you that he designs his ads for maximum response from a specific target audience. And apparently, the specifically targeted yeshivishe crowd responds to these ads, and therein lies the problem”
– onlyemes (#45),
these ads are NOT targeted at the yeshivishe crowd. That crowd doesn’t buy that rag. Its targetted at the MO, YU crowd.
Also, I agree with most of the posts previously that this rag doesn’t belong in a torah home. I remember probably about 25 years ago there was an article in there explaining why mixed swimming is muttar. So these shaitel ads, as much of a problem as they are, are the least of it.
Oh, and house77 (#33),
nice going! If you don’t like what someone says, attack his wife’s looks! Great way to win an argument! Did it occur to you how she may feel when she reads your cheap shot? And no, I don’t personally know who Mr. or Mrs. Ari Taub are.
Comment by charlie brown — March 18, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
The advertisers are only going to put ads that appeal to their core audience. If people didn’t want to wear such unbelievable looking sheitlach, no vendor would be advertising that way. Every wedding I’ve been to has women in incredible looking sheitels. The teachers in the frummer school in my own city wear very natural looking sheitels. I don’t blame the vendor for marketing his goods to those willing to buy. If you want to change the world, start at home and the vendors will follow.
Comment by Orthonomics — March 18, 2008 @ 12:09 pm
Taub,
If you are such a pious individual (?), how would you know what is typically shown in People magazine?????? Where are you looking when passing the candy stores, or newspaper stands. You are certainly in no positon to mussar the crowds.
I doubt the Gedolei Yisroel are familiar with or even know of or heard of the magazine called People. You are certainly not from the Gedolei Yisroel. There are more sensible means to having your name appear in YWN if that is what your life’s ambitions are.
Comment by NonKollelman — March 18, 2008 @ 12:10 pm
I agree with the writer’s view that these ads are inappropriate,
The Jewish Press is clearly geared toward YU/MO/Lubavitch readers. Those crowds, unfortunately, see nothing wrong with showing pictures of attractive women in attractive poses and expressions to a mixed crowd.
Therefore, there is no chidush that the JP runs these types of ads. As to the Pesach ads, that’s why you need a Rav to figure out if it’s something that’s appropriate for you; for some, a pesach hotel serves a tremendous toeles, and the proprietors/organizers deserve to make a parnassa on their programs just like anyone else does.
Personally, I feel that these sheitel ads, were the manufacturers/retailers to care, should show the sheitel on a “sheitel-head”, or dummy, rather than on a live person. I imagine the schar for doing so would more than offset the slight marketing disadvantage of using a slightly less-attractive presentation.
Comment by HaKatan — March 18, 2008 @ 12:23 pm
Most respected frum family actually stay away from the Jewish Press. I know a lot of you will say who am I to say that, speak to frum families and see if they would bring it in the house.
It’s been said (not sure if true or a joke) that one of the Gedolim were asked if you can bring the Jewish Press into the bathroom (there are some Torah thoughts there) and he responded with yes, but I’m not sure you can bring it out.
Comment by chesedname — March 18, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
Where is this ad? I looked through the last 3 weeks and din’t see this. Do you have the right paper?
Comment by yeshiveshman — March 18, 2008 @ 12:40 pm
lgbg: I don’t have any kids yet. IY”H when I do, I will have no problem with them reading it.
Comment by Feif Un — March 18, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
fief un
poor kids
Comment by lgbg — March 18, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
lgbg: When you see someone wearing a kippah srugah, do you tell your kids that the person isn’t frum?
Comment by Feif Un — March 18, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
Oy. Is this what we have come to? We spend years in Yeshiva and Beis Medresh educating ourselves as to what is appropriate for us and what is not and yet we have to run to seek the guidance of Daas Torah on what newspaper advertisments we look at? Yidden!! It is time to look at what Hashpo’oh you can have on the world instead of constantly obsessing over what influence it has on you! Do you have so little confidence in your upbringing and your Jewish education, in your community and your conscience that you fear the influence a half-noticed ad will have on you? How are you going to be mekarev a woman who doesn’t happen to be dressed to your impossibly high standards of modesty? How are you going to fulfill your responsibility to your fellow Jew, who might benefit from your knowledge, your committment, your connection with thousands of years of Torah tradition?
One of the previous posters mentioned burkas. The problem is not that Frimme Yidden want to be dressed modestly. That’s their positive choice. No. The problem is frimme yidden want the entire world outside their community to disappear. Jews, Non Jews, Good, Bad, it doesn’t matter. if its not in my arba amos, I’M NOT INTERESTED.
Do you think that the gift of Torah and Mitzvos is a treasure for you to hoard like Gold in a safe bechedrei chadorim? DO you think that you are fulfilling your responsibility as a Jew by cloistering yourself and patting yourself on the back for keeping out the wig ads from your home? That kind of self righteousness is just another form of koichi v’otzem yodi.
For myself, I don’t read the Jewish Press because it is in general poorly written and sensationalistic. I can’t live in the real world, paying for my children’s Jewish education and our frum lifestlye, interacting with other Jews and other good people, without encountering, unfortunately, everything in that ad and more. The challenge is not to look away - that goes without saying, and is the easy part. The challenge is to have some emunah, have respect for what your parents spent their lives and their hard earned dollars teaching you about yiddishkeit, with the expectation, I hope, that you wouldn’t treat it all like buried treasure.
Comment by yichusdik — March 18, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
Putting images of women, attractive or not, is a violation of halacha. Readers should be concerned with it. That being said…
“Let me get this straight - your wife saw an untzniuzdig picture in the paper and called you to take a look?
I looked in the Jewish Press from the last two weeks and failed to see any such pictures. ”
Let me get this straight, you heard of an untzniuzdig picture in the paper and went back to JP from the last two weeks to take a look?
Also I highly doubt People magazine is going to advertize wigs for women to wear to conceal their hair out of modesty.
Comment by doom777 — March 18, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
Dear Reb Ari,
If you dont like the Jewish Press dont Buy it, the Jewsih press is a modern othodox newspaper. If you dont like the modern orthodox jewish lifestyle dont let it out on the Jewish Press. And if you are NOT Modern orthodox, then why are you bloging on the internet. As far as I know basicly EVERY SINGLE chareidi gadol came out against the internet many times. (the NAME Yashivaworld.com is hypacritical in itself, after all the Gedolim of the real yeshiva world are against internet)
So reb Ari it seems you need to find yourself first. What are you REALLY?
Comment by Haimi Himelstien — March 18, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
feif un
how can you compare the two scenarios?!kippah sruga and the jewish press??
and no i would never ever say such a thing to my kids
Comment by lgbg — March 18, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
lgbg:
Pitying my future kids is just as bad in my eyes. You don’t like the Jewish Press. You don’t have to read it. But telling someone else who doesn’t mind it that they’re doing something wrong is complete stupidity. It’s just another example of the close-minded Ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn attitude. If you don’t live your life the way they think is right, they think you’re a sheigitz.
Comment by Feif Un — March 18, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
I didn’t see the ad, nor do I care to, but I cant imagine it is any more provocative than the gyrations of many of the performers in todays “music” business.
More than anything, I think that collectively, we yidden, are suffering from an identity crisis. Every other “crisis” pales in comparison.
Comment by theshmoozer — March 18, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
doom777 wrote:”Putting images of women, attractive or not, is a violation of halacha. Readers should be concerned with it. That being said…”
Source, please.
Comment by KeenObserver — March 18, 2008 @ 2:55 pm
As a side point, there are halachic problems with looking at advertisements on Shabbos. (The article states that the ad was seen on Friday night).
Comment by KSN — March 18, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
Since I was a child, my family and grandparents always had the Jewish Press around, and it brought a lot of good, though the headlines were a bit over the top.
I was inspired by many of the stories of the gedolim such as Reb Levi Yitzchok Berditchev and others. There was a lot of pride in just being Jewish. We read about the Nobel prize winners, and laughed at the stories in “I Remember When” about his dopey brother Berel. We followed the news in Israel before there was instant communication from internet.
We read halachic decision from R. Avraham Steinberg z”l (was that his correct name?), and were inspired by the columns in “My Soul Thirsts” by Reb Zalman Aryeh Hilsenrad.
The children had puzzles and brainteasers to do. When a godol passed away, a long and respectful hesped was always written, no matter which camp he was from.
All those years I never saw improper ads. Even the Maxwell House coffee ads always had women in long skirts.
I have not had the chance to read it lately, so I can’t say whether those shaitel ads were untzniusdig or not. But I really find it hard to believe that they would allow it all of the sudden. Why is it necessary to put everything down? Some people got a lot of chizuk, especially in remote locations with very little contact with the larger Jewish communities.
Where does it say you must knock everything. Doesn’t it say in Avos “Al tehi baz lchol adam?” This holier than thou attitude about everything and anything is so sickening.
Can’t one enjoy yiddishkeit from within oneself without using it as a tool to knock someone else on the head? Is that the only chiyus you have? Is that the only thing that gives you a ruchniusdig feeling? The “I’m better than you?”
Some people simply don’t seem to get the Torah’s number one message: Anivus.
They thereby deprive themselves from real simcha.
Comment by Pashuteh Yid — March 18, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
# 74, Yichusdik said:
“Oy. Is this what we have come to? We spend years in Yeshiva and Beis Medresh educating ourselves as to what is appropriate for us and what is not and yet we have to run to seek the guidance of Daas Torah on what newspaper advertisments we look at? Yidden!! It is time to look at what Hashpo’oh you can have on the world instead of constantly obsessing over what influence it has on you! Do you have so little confidence in your upbringing and your Jewish education, in your community and your conscience…”
Right on the money my friend, I’ve often wondered this myself. We have for the last several decades enjoyed what is arguably the most extensive yeshivah system in Jewish history and all it seems to have produced are people who think that a Torah lifestyle means bothering a talmid chacham every time you have to make even the most trivial of decisions.
I know I’m in dangerous territory here, but maybe our Roshei yeshivah and poskim actually intended for us to make occasional use of our yeshivah educated brains, so that we can let them spend their time on the important stuff.
Comment by tvt — March 18, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
Yichusdik: You say you don’t read the Jewish Press but then claim it’s poorly written and sensationalistic. Obviously you haven’t read it in years. Most of the paper is actually quite well written, and I challenge you to give me an example of something “sensationalistic” from the last few years. I’m a professor of English and a freelance writer, and I find the Jewish Press to be far beter written and less sensationalistic than its competitors. It’s easy to make empty charges — back them up, please.
Comment by boychik — March 18, 2008 @ 4:35 pm
first of all, there are a lot of modern orthodox women out there who actually do wear sheitels. so the ad isnt targeting yeshivish only. heck i have even seen some MO women who wear sheitels and wear pants , but thats a different “crisis”.
If the JP took out those ads, they would have to do away w/ all pictures of women too, the pictures of couples being honored at dinners, the women who write the articles , they all have their pictures printed etc. they all look pretty in their pictures, they are being published for all to see, so they give it their best while posing. maybe we shouldnt look at those either.
what about pictures of children? their are some who will then say leave out their pictures too. g-d knows we are unfortunately living in a world where people abuse children.
its all stupidity. if you get upset by a ladies face in a magazine/newspaper, then you must be wearing a bag over your head as you walk down the street everyday! Maybe you should buy a matching bag for your wife so no one looks at her!
Comment by ses — March 18, 2008 @ 4:41 pm
The women are posing in such immodest ways*******IS THAT FACT OR FICTION?
Comment by zionflag — March 18, 2008 @ 6:55 pm
Yichusdik in Comment #74 says: Do you have so little confidence in your upbringing and your Jewish education, in your community and your conscience that you fear the influence a half-noticed ad will have on you?
I would respond that Chazal tell us “Al taamen b’atzmecha ad yom mos’cha”. We are told never to act like we have confidence in ourselves. We must ALWAYS be careful not to expose ourselves to influences and challenges that are unneccesary.
There is a famous story of a bochur in Kfar Chasidim who asked R Elya Lopian ztl for reshus to go to a chasuna in Tel Aviv. R’ Elya expressed concern for the hashpa’a that the sights on the streets of Tel Aviv would have upon him. The bochur replied that he didn’t think it would affect him. R’ Elya’s famous response was, “I am over 80 years old and blind in one eye, and it still affects me”.
There is NO SUCH THING as confidence that things like that won’t affect you.
Comment by midwesterner — March 18, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
to #85..from you language “h–k” “g-d knows”..we derive your not eidel frum..we dont use this languasge so what you doing this site? you say “its all stupidity” yes to open minded people but to closed minded (aka.proud gehtto jews who observe the whole torah) its not stupidity. you dont seem to know what the mitzvos esay of “…v’chraye ineichem entails.. to #83 you can spend all you want in the yeshivah, once you go out in the world of tumah you lose your dass torah becomes interwined with das shmutz from the goishe gass, etc.so you have to hang on to your rosh yeshivah,rebbe etc etc mishne says “asy l’cho rav..”thats what it is for
Comment by jent1150 — March 18, 2008 @ 8:01 pm
To all those who posted nasty comments directed at the letter writer or other people who submitted comments : Why is it mutar for you to be mean to a fellow yid just because you are anonymous?
nebach…Hashem Yiracheim…
Comment by kiruvwife — March 18, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
I have another issue with the above crises, how about the way everybody is writing to each other- with such animosity!! IF you feel strongly about an issue, you don’t have to write such negative comments to those you disagree with. Where is our ahavas yisroel? Isn’t sinas chinam the reason we’re in galus? We can debate in a more diplomatic manner, not by throwin such aggressive comments at each other eg. dig yourself a hole etc.
Comment by chalish — March 18, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
to #75
Being female, I have no problem looking for that picture.
Comment by cml613 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:24 pm
everyone just relax. if you dont like it, dont buy the jewish press. parents know whats in what they buy and they make a decision to buy it. This shows one thing: people think way too much about nonsense
Comment by bais20 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:31 pm
While the Jewish Press is not perfect in its sometimes unwholesome topics of discussion, I will continue to subscribe to it as long as it still acknowledges the existence of women in our communities by publishing our pictures. No matter how good a magazine Mishpocha is, I will not buy it as long as it refuses to print pictures of tzniusdek women.
Comment by jakyweb — March 18, 2008 @ 9:37 pm
wow people on this world think way too much about stupididty. if you dont like the jewish press dont buy it. and if you do buy, shut up about it
Comment by bais20 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:39 pm
The reason why people actually buy the jewish press is because it is the only jewish paper that you can actually read an intelligible article. Conversely, in papers such as your hamodia or yated you are more likely to read illiterate articles. So whomever this is stop complaining and go back to your “paper.”
Comment by random1 — March 18, 2008 @ 9:52 pm
feif un
thank you for the compliment that im a close minded ultra-orthodox.
I appreciate it, you made my day.
Comment by lgbg — March 19, 2008 @ 8:02 am
Feif un
I hope you know I’m refering to a yeshivish home.
Comment by lgbg — March 19, 2008 @ 8:10 am
#95-
reading your comment “YOUR hamodia,” “YOUR ‘paper’” it’s a wonder that people accuse the more yeshivishe element of OUR society, to be divisive, polarizing, and closed minded. Your attitude clearly shows a lack of brotherhood that is frankly disturbing.
Comment by krunch — March 19, 2008 @ 8:12 am
I dont understand why everyone has to be so negative about this letter. like lets dig him outta the sand and all. He raised a point that is bothering him and you have a right to agree or to disagree but why do you have to commenty not nice things about him? dont comment badly abi to comment and start a whole thing
Comment by starved — March 19, 2008 @ 8:35 am
lgbg, there is a difference between being close minded in how you want to live your life, and being close minded in considering how others live their lives. I don’t want you to change the way you do things. If you think something is wrong, kol hakavod, don’t do it. But to tell me that I’m doing something wrong, just because you think it’s wrong, is dumb. Living my life the way do so doesn’t make me any less frum than you. Believe me, the Ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn crowd can learn a bunch of things from the Modern Orthodox, YU crowd about being frum.
Comment by Feif Un — March 19, 2008 @ 8:38 am
feif un
I actually accept all types of frumkiet there is.
I don’t look down at someone based on their frumkiet. So don’t go judging me. Thank you.
What I meant by not having the jewish press in a jewish house, I was refering to a yeshivish house.
I brought in asking you if you’ll let your kids read it, because usually a kid is the most important thing to a parent, and most parents want to shelter their kids from garbage. Which the jewish press has.
Comment by lgbg — March 19, 2008 @ 9:13 am
to mr FeifUN..first you dont seem to know of the klall “kol yisroel areivim zah l’zay..” second, from most of your postings one can see your hashkafos and you aply name yourself “feifun”…the derech hatorah..
Comment by jent1150 — March 19, 2008 @ 9:37 am
lgbg: You judged me. You said “poor kids” regarding my future children. if that’s not judging, I don’t know what is.
#102 (jent1150): I don’t feif un the derech haTorah, I simply have a slightly different derech then you do. Ever hear of “eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim chaim”? I don’t tell you how to live your life, and tell you that your lifestyle is wrong, please grant me the same courtesy.
Some of you feel the Jewish Press has garbage in it. I disagree, as do most people in my community. You feel the Yated and Hamodia are great. I happen to think the Yated and Hamodia have nothing in them about what’s going on in the world (except for pictures of Rabbonim at the latest simcha), and get my news elsewhere.
Comment by Feif Un — March 19, 2008 @ 9:55 am
Ummm… if I was flipping through a magazine or newspaper and saw something not tznisduik, WHY would I bring it to the attention of my husband?
Comment by PuhLease — March 19, 2008 @ 9:57 am
Oy! Such anger! People, simmer down. Why do you have to attack each other? Or the writer of the letter. As mature adults, I’m sure we can all express ourselves without name-calling or sarcasm.
There are really TWO issues (or “crisises”):
1) The value of the Jewish Press (no nasty nicknames needed)
2) The issue of shaitel ads looking so glamorous,etc. (as well as SHAITELS looking so glamorous but that’s another crisis)
For #1, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it. It has its own readership and writers, so if you don’t agree, fine. It does bring Yiddishkeit to many who may get “turned off” by the very “frum” newspapers you prob. prefer.
For #2, this is an issue, better adressed by complaining to the advertisers themselves.
Just a thought: do you think most people will buy a shaitel based on a pretty model (face/body showing or not?)? I think word of mouth is a much more likely source of sales.
Comment by smh1 — March 19, 2008 @ 10:33 am
feif un
no, I wasn’t judging I was just stating a fact, that’s all.
and if you think the jewish press gives you all the news you need. kudos to you. read it, enjoy it.
Comment by lgbg — March 19, 2008 @ 11:07 am
lgbg: You didn’t read my other comments, did you. If you had, you would have seen that I don’t get ANY newspapers. I just happen to think that saying anyone who reads the Jewish Press is doing something wrong is stupid, and just leads to more separation between different sects of Jews.
Comment by Feif Un — March 19, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
feif un
ok, I think we can call this miscomunication.
before were going to attack eachother, please rephrase. thank you.
Comment by lgbg — March 19, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
What a shame that on the heels of Purim, which many say is bigger than Yom Kippur, we yidden have to engage in such richilus. Whoever first posted this complaint obviously has issues deeper than a mere ad and perhaps this submission shouldn’t have ever been accepted by yeshivaworld for all the loshon hara is caused. This site should be about NEWS not about speaking ill of others. Take a step back from all this nonsense and examine who is behind all this.
Comment by Gershun — March 19, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
to #109 first something that anybody sees for him selve eg.newspaper etc. is not b’gader rechiles,on top of that if its machshil es horabim .if the camplainer has legitimate tayne if if goes b’klal “…v’achray einichem”…..now loshon hora nobody knows who is who on this postings
Comment by jent1150 — March 19, 2008 @ 2:40 pm
Let’s get tothe bottom of this, what really must have happened is the wife saw a picture of this, while she was leafing through the Jewish Press on Shabbos and decided that she reaalllly liked that Sheitel. She called her husband over and showed it to him, basically saying ‘what do youthink of this” while she may have meant ‘isn’t it beautiful and I really should get one for Pesach’ his reaction, when he realized what this would cost him was ‘how could the newspaper put in such pictures” and made a stink about it, she should forget about the sheitel. From this we learn, don’t look at ads on Shabbos, it is like making plans on Shabbos it isn’t going to happen, and look what you started instead
Comment by lkwdbubby — March 19, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
The joke is on all the responders. Doesn’t anyone realize that the author is stam making a Purim spoof here? Some have noted that the JP’s standards are quite different from those of the average reader of Yated or Modia, in many areas. The original writer is just making fun of the “erasure” of women from the “chareidi” publications. And you all took him seriously?
Comment by sarah yarok — March 19, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
You really need to get a life. The Jewish Press is a great resource for our community and has been for many years. If you are too weak to control yourself when you see a head shot of a woman in a wig than reading the Jewish Press is the least of your problems. At first I thought the letter was meant to be Purim Torah.
Comment by honestlyfrum — March 19, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
first of all if there is something halachically wrong with an ad that ios tryign to sell something that requires the poser to look attractive (which there probably is)and this is a jewish paper that is violating said halacha then he has a chiyuv to speak up about it, arguing if u don’t like don’t read it is absurd because b/c of this ad people are ovair issurim and why would that not bother you? strangely after reading the comments not one person has suggested that there is no halachic issue but they just attacked this guy and got offended. why?
Comment by mr yeshivish — March 19, 2008 @ 8:47 pm
#114 Mr. Yeshivish, If you feel there is an issur, please quote a source. Why should the burden of proof be on everybody else to prove the absence of an issur?
Secondly, having not seen the actual ad, I know that JP has had strong decency requirements in the past, including the ads and fashion pages which always had properly dressed women. If all of the sudden somebody has dreamed up some new issur that one can’t show a picture of a woman with a shaitel, at least have the courtesy to show the source. In all the biographies of gedolim I have seen from Artscroll and the like, they always show the godol’s wife and parents. Is there some new system that says that even if one is dressed properly one must still take a poll to find out whether the person is still too attractive? Is it now some kind of rating system that determines the halacha? In every frum home there are pictures of the children from many simchas on the wall (choson and kallah, etc.) Are we not allowed to go into somebody else’s home because they have pictures in their living room? Where does this mishigas end?
Comment by Pashuteh Yid — March 19, 2008 @ 11:03 pm
I’m not saying i agree but how can so many fruma yidden just wright “get a life!” Maybe you and I are not on such a madrega to be makbid on this so at least we can respect it & not agree, but to say get a life?!?! Life is just to short… if we cant use ours well thats fine, but lets not mock someone trying to do whats right!
Comment by shtark — March 20, 2008 @ 12:08 am
to #114 see #110, #120 #47 and few other
Comment by jent1150 — March 20, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
#116, I agree with you that the Wright brothers were great men and they would often write Wright, right?. However I disagree that they were frum or even Wright wing in their political views, although they strongly believed in the use of both the Wright wing and the left wing in their work on airplane design.
Comment by Pashuteh Yid — March 20, 2008 @ 10:51 pm
#98 you are a hundred percent right I am sorry and would like to apologize to anyone who might have been offended. It was wrong to stereotype like that. Once again, I am truly sorry.
Comment by random1 — March 21, 2008 @ 8:38 am
#118 your write i’m wrong but your not funny! It was a good point.
Comment by shtark — March 23, 2008 @ 12:16 am
There hasnt been much of anything “jewish” about that rag in ages! They were the ones to “report” news about 750,000 year old sunflower seeds found in E”Y! That is total k’fira!
Comment by mark levin — March 24, 2008 @ 11:19 am
Don’t speak Lashon Hara, it’s a terrible thing to do.
Comment by grada — March 24, 2008 @ 8:42 pm
To #121 Mark Levin,
Total k’fira? Wow, that’s some comment to make. Regardless of the sunflower issue, I think that you are displaying intolerance and ignorance simulataneously.
Comment by onlyemes — March 25, 2008 @ 4:13 am
#121, Inappropriate language.
First, there is a Tiferes Yisroel on mishnayos who says that old artifacts may be remnants of earlier worlds about which the medrash says that the Ribono shel olam created and destroyed.
Second, I believe that much of the problem with current newspapers is the fault of the whole generation, not the newspapers. Years ago, a frum person could probably be a newscaster without any embarrassment. Today, having to announce what is going on often requires speaking about uncomfortable topics. A newspaper needs to make a choice whether to leave out half the news, or to report even the unpleasant stuff. Either way, there are disadvantages.
Be honest, whatever news is not reported in the frum papers, I am sure many frum yidden are not totally ignorant about. This means they are getting it from possibly worse sources than the Jewish Press. If you are one of the yechidei segulah who only reads the frummest papers, and absolutely nothing else, then you are consistent. If you ever read other sources, how can you possibly criticize the Jewish Press?
Comment by Pashuteh Yid — March 25, 2008 @ 10:29 am
So now the Jewish Press is a “Crisis”? If we are suffering from anything that has reached crisis proportions, it is probably an identity crisis.
Comment by theshmoozer — March 25, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
Wow. All that happened here was that a person observed something that disagreed with his morals values and concerned, he wrote in about it. Who cares if it was shabbos or he has heard of People?? What kind of “People” would make such harmful comments about a fellow Jew theyhave never even met??
Instead of bringing unity and support to the floor, all it did was stir up nasty feelings people have toward one another.
This guy holds a certain level of modesty should be standardized in the observant- (I won’t say religious because I will either be torn apart for not being religious enough or knocked down for being too religious) -community. Instead of people respecting him as an adult and fellow Jew, his statements spiraled into this feeding frenzy of “where are you sources”"modern orthodox”"close minded ultra orthodox” and so on. And tznius is our biggest problem??? I understand that there are many different sects, levels, and halachic standards throughout our Jewish society. Everyone is attacking each other’s belief systems. I don’t know what the outcome of A.T. observation was supposed to be, but this was NOT it. I have never seen more hatred within our community. You all have different views of religious observance. That’s fine and OK. However, this dreck posted up by most of you has nothing to do with religion. In fact, it should never, ever, EVER, be associated with being a Jew. I may not know everything about the Torah or Judaism. I do know one thing though- Your wasted words are VERY FAR from Torah and is NOT Judaism on any level. As a Jew, you all should be embarrassed and ashamed of yourselves. I know I am.
Comment by denafriedman — March 30, 2008 @ 12:58 pm
Anyone who is so frum to start complaining about how untznius the Jewish Press is probably is violating their own principals and Rabbis right now by being on the internet which has such a higher potential to cause you harm than the JP.
We would really like to know about the so very frum people who complain on here about things which are not against Halacha, just against their Chumras, and dare to be on the internet when so many Ravs have spoken against it unless it is for work and if anyone is reading or posting on here it is definitely not about work.
Comment by frombklyn — April 14, 2008 @ 9:24 am
I don’t understand the frum world. Your grandparents and parents never advocated such nonsense as not allowing pictures of women in newspapers and magazines. Why, suddenly, is it such a bad thing?
Think about this: don’t you think it’s possible that all these chumras upon chumras against seeing any part of a woman are making women all that much more mysterious to the male public, and making those males even more eager to actually see what a woman looks like? Don’t you think that if women’s pictures could be displayed without question that the mystery aspect would disappear and then the mere sight of one of these pictures wouldn’t throw yeshiva bochurs into a tizzy? It would be no big deal.
One of these days it will be forbidden for men to read my comment because it will have been written by a woman.
Comment by Hannah — April 14, 2008 @ 10:40 am
this must be the most hilarious comments i have read in my very shrot time on Yeshiva news…thousands of Jews are intermarrying, eretz israel is under constant threat, the economic future of our kids is in flux and the “crisis’ is…..the jewish press! give me a break!
Comment by rabbiofberlin — May 16, 2008 @ 1:52 pm
Dear 129. But in the end of do it says ‘’Bschiyus nashim tzdkoniows shbdor nagalue'’ so we sure do have to worry about tznius more than anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Bike — September 9, 2008 @ 1:07 pm