Out Of The Mailbag: (Flatbush Kiddush: Tznius & Drinking Out Of Control)
The following two letters were written by two separate people, and submitted to YWN on Motzei Shabbos:
Letter #1: Dear YWN,
I was sickened this Shabbos morning. Someone made an Aufruf for their son, and in addition to it made this huge Kiddush - the Tznius was atrocious, with the teenage girls dressed practically like the chayos on the street, except worse, since on the street I'm used to walking with my head down - I expect to be able to be in my shul without having to be in such a ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (If You've Got It, Flaunt It)
I know this issue has been going on since forever, but I think it has sunk to new lows.
What I am referring to is the mentality of "If you've got it, flaunt it".
The “Look at Me” generation.
It has gotten ridiculous! The house that we build and the cars that they drive are way above what is needed, even if one wants to live a "comfortable" lifestyle. That doesn’t mean that everyone has to live the same lifestyle but do we really need to be so ostentatious?? For what? So ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (Juggling Credit Cards)
There is a new phenomenon lately which many refer to as 'Juggling Credit Cards'. The basic meaning of this term is that when your credit card bill comes and you can't make the payment, you just pay the minimum amount due. You continue doing this until it is about to 'catch up on you', and then you transfer the balance to........a new credit card. The cycle goes on and on, and on and on, and on and on...
The more realistic meaning of this term is that you buy things you don't desperately ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (Be Nice, Think Twice)
Dear YWN Editor,
I'm a married woman who is currently looking for a job.
The reason I'm writing to you is because I'm fed up with everybody's sage advice, regarding my unemployed status in general, & how I should spend my looooong day specifically.
Typical everyday scenario: I meet someone on the street. (The telephone doesn't discriminate either.) The hello/how are you's are exchanged, and then comes the dreaded question: "So where do you work?" pause.
"Well.. I'm actually ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (Bear Minyan - Hatzlacha vBracha)
To the Bear Stearns Minyan, one last time:
After two great years at the Bear, and having been observant for about the same amount of time, I have chosen to exit galus and the world of gashmius (at least temporarily) in order to immerse myself in the ruchnius that I hope to find at Ohr Somayach in eretz Yisroel. I had been planning to go learn at some point, and despite having had a potential opportunity to go over to JPMorgan, the events that took place in mid-March made my decision that ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (Jewish Paparazzi)
Dear Editor,
I hope that I am not being too radical by expressing my feelings about this issue. Actually, I wondering whether you will even post this letter at all, but I really do wonder what people feel about this issue.
It seems that in today's fast paced world, everything has become everyone's business.
What am I referring to?
Personally, I believe that the laws and customs of Tzniyus were not just meant for mode of dress. A person is supposed to live his life in a modest ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (The Other side of the Mechitza)
A little while ago I went to a wedding – the first one that I have been to since my own. I am not quite sure when the chuppah was called for, but my wife told me to be ready by seven.
When six forty-five came around, and I was just starting to do the shaving thing while at the same time deciding what to wear. This was really my wife's chasuna – it was a friend of hers that was getting married – and I figured that there wouldn't really be anyone there that I knew, so why wear that fancy ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (Students Need More Tests)
Dear YWN,
This topic is something that I have never seen mentioned on this site before.
All through our school years, we were always subjected to tests and homework. The rationale behind it was to reinforce what was being learned during the day.
As we got older and went to yeshivos, the number of tests that we took started to go down.
By the time we got to Bais Medrash, there were no tests at all (at least in the yeshivas that I attended). There were some attempts at testing ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (NO Shidduch Crisis!)
Dear Yeshiva World,
I am writing this in the hopes that perhaps it will be read by your readers, and I can hear others feelings on this issue.
Many people have lately been under the impression that there is a massive shidduch crises occurring right now, and we must ALL do EVERYTHING that we can to rectify this problem.
I recently had the fortune to read a letter to the editor in a newspaper, entitled "The Shidduch Crises Crises". The letter illustrated the point that the REAL issue ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (Baal Haabos Proposes Parnassa Solution)
Dear YWN readers,
As a nation constantly in pursuit of chesed, I have a proposal that is both simple, and has far reaching positive consequences.
As is well known there is a dearth of young people in many, once thriving Jewish communities across North America. Their schools are becoming economically unviable as the enrollment drops, the bulk of tuition falls on the few "Town Tycoons" . Their future is bleak and the communities recognize the threat to their survival.
We also have an ...
Out Of The Mailbag: (Frustrated Boy In Shidduchim)
Dear YWN,
Every Shabbos in my house it is a race as to who can grab the newspapers first. When it comes my turn I quickly turn to the letters to the editors section to see what people are complaining about this week. Week after week i read article after article about this "shidduch crisis". After reading so many articles I have come to the conclusion that the crisis is none other than ourselves.
We formulate this picture in our head of who we see as our future wives and if she does not ...
Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Where is The Friendship?)
Dear Friends,
I am a single girl aged 21, who is still awaiting my bashert, while almost all of my friends are married.
To my friends: I happily went to all of your Simcha's, your Lechaim's, Vort's, wedding's from beginiing to end, and helped out in all your wedding preparations.
Why is it, that the minute your wedding is over, our friendship is over?? How many nights did i spend talking to you, helping you prepare all that you needed, and all i get is a slap in the face?
I ...
Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Liberal Money Vs. Conservative Morals)
Dear YWN,
With the political campaigns starting to heat up, I wanted to bring to the forum something that troubles me about some frum people's political leanings.
As religious Jews, I would think it would behoove us to try and support politicians that represent conservative values. Whether abortion, immoral marriages, and all of the other "party line" issues, I would think that the orthodox vote would be 99% in favor of Republicans. However it seems this is not the case. Many people ...
Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Cautionary Fire-Tale)
Dear YWN Editor,
I have a cautionary tale that I would like to share with the general public.
My husband and I live in a basement apartment here in Lakewood with four children. On Erev Pesach, right after we had left to go out of town for Yom Tov and my landlord had also traveled out of town, there was an electrical fire in our house. The circuit breakers are located in the basement apartment and that is where the fire originated. It was complete nissim that no one was home at the time. ...
Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Why Chareidim Don't Stand During The Memorial Siren)
You drive your car every day, day in and day out.
One day your car doesn't turn on. You try and try and try, but the engine won't start.
You take it to the mechanic who fixes it, and you're back on the road.
Will this mechanic receive a special award? No.
Will he celebrate this great accomplishment? No.
Why not? Because it's his job, and he has received the needed training to get the job done.
The same thing with the Chareidim.
We live each day with Emunah and Bitachon.
Each one of ...
Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Chol Hamoed Chillul Hashem)
As I walked down the Boardwalk in Coney Island this splendid and glorious Chol Hamoed, I was truly enjoying the beautiful weather and the sweet sounds of many kinderlach laughing and playing in the sand!
After our few hours in the sunshine, we returned from our stroll on the water to the wooden boardwalk and to put it mildly, we were starving!
Luckily, we had packed along the regular Pesach snacks-Matzah, box drinks, lady fingers.... And suddenly I was struck by the amount of garbage that ...
Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (From Jewish Inmates Of Otisville Prison)
Editors Note: Just before Pesach, YWN had posted an article which had appeared in the NY Magazine regarding the Pesach Seder in Otisville Federal Prison Camp. The inmates at the prison have written a response to that article, and have sent it to YWN. [The text of the original article is posted at the bottom of this post, or it can be viewed by clicking HERE].
Dear Yeshiva World,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Jewish inmates incarcerated at the FCI Otisville, Federal Prison Camp. ...
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