Yeshiva World News

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (See you at the Chuppa Soon IY'H)

Dear Editor, We write to you at Yeshiva World with the fervent hope that you post our letter for your vast readership. If by publicizing our quest, even one Shidduch will come about, you will have succeeded in playing an integral part in building yet another Bais Ne'eman B'Yisroel. Thank you. The phone rings, someone wanting to redd a shidduch for our daughter, a warm, vibrant and intelligent bas Yisroel.  Responding politely, and with thanks to the caller for thinking of us, we say ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Open Letter to the American Broadcasting System / ABC News)

Sirs: On Thursday, January 10, 2008, your 6:00 am radio news broadcast carried a report by a female Mideast correspondent which described President Bush's visit to Israel and his drive from Jerusalem to the Arab town of Ramallah.  I, hereby, quote a passage from memory. "President Bush's helicopter was grounded because of fog so he and his motorcade got a first-hand look at those frustrating checkpoints." [emphasis mine] What your correspondent described as "frustrating checkpoints" ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Taken Advantage Of?)

Dear Yeshivaworld, I would like to pose a question to your readers and get their responses. I own a restaurant in a small, frum community in the Midwest. B”H, we have been operating for many years and we donate a lot of food for cost or free for tzdokos all throughout the city. There is one organization who I never charge when they pickup meals in the store to take to people in their homes or R"L in the hospital. They also have fund raisers throughout the year and they order food ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Open Letter To My Seminary Interviewer)

Dear Yeshivaworld:  Many years ago I was interviewed by you for entrance into "ABC" Seminary. I had shlepped from a very far distance, starting out very early in the morning, to the middle of Boro Park on a very snowy and icy day, and stood waiting in line with other Bais Yaakov girls for hours to finally be allowed in to see you, only to be asked to read a Rambam that I had never set eyes on before that very moment. (Even Yeshiva Bochrim are given time to prepare before a Farher!) At ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Bad News?)

Dear Yeshivaworld, Sometime I wonder. We are inundated with bad news. We hear terrible stories every day, and we are slowly becoming numb to them. But sometimes I wonder if this is truly the case. News reporting in our communities is much more aggressive now than it once was. Are we now hearing of stories that in previous years would be more localized? Our communities have grown at a rapid pace BA"H. We are now a much bigger group than we were since before Churban Europe. Bad ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (A Shadchan's Plea)

Much has been written about the shidduch crisis that has so sadly befallen girls of all ages. We have seen the blame game take many different angles and a variety of theories to explain the crisis. Some blame it on picky boys, parents, age gap, lack of money and Shadchanim. Like any other problem in the world, the victims are quick to blame others and forget sometimes that they too may be the cause to some extent of the problem. Being a successful shadchan for many years, I cannot deny that ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Using YW To Thank Strangers)

Dear Editor, I have been privileged to see the absolute best side of klal yisroel and I feel that I must express my total and complete awe and gratitude. Since this is the only public forum that I know of for all things Jewish, I would like to utilize your site to publicize what I have experienced. 3 weeks ago, a friend of my husband's was niftar very tragically and suddenly. He was 29 years old and his wife was due imminently with their 4th child. There was no life insurance as the ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Thanking Hatzolah Members)

Dear Yeshivaworld, I love your website, and read it daily. Like my friends, and so many others, I love the "out of the mailbag" letters. Although the letters all have a purpose, and give the readers an opportunity to discuss an issue (be it tuition, education, shiduchim etc), the comments are usually regarding a "negative" topic. I was thinking if we could spin that around one time. Let's pick a topic today. "Hatzolah" Practically every person has a story of how Hatzolah saved ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Asara B'Teves Gets Even Sadder)

Dear Yeshiva World,  Two days ago, I was on the subway when a man approached me (not frum). He asked me "are you fasting today?". I said yes. We started talking and then he started telling me the events of why we were fasting on Asara B'Teves. I guess showing to me although he's not "frum" he follows and knows about Judaism. I've been out of yeshiva for five years, I do learn every night......but completely forgot what Asara B'Teves was all about. I happened to bump into five ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Parking Woes)

Dear Yeshiva World, Thanks for the great job. I'd appreciate if you could print the following mailbag letter: Being that Derech Eretz Seems to be a hot topic I have a request from all of you. Mainly in NY we all know what parking is like.....it can be a true nightmare. I'm NOT talking about the double parking though. Did you ever think of someone else when you parked your car? Huh, you ask? I will explain. When I find a parking spot, I PULL MY CAR UP ALL THE WAY!! or I back ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (My Trip To Boro Park)

Dear Editor; I consider myself an orthodox Jew and proudly wear my yarmulke at all times. Recently I found myself with my fiancé in Boro Park for a few hours of shopping. I want to write about something that really troubled me. I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt at all times so please if this letter seems to shout out at you, take it as constructive criticism. No one is perfect and we all have what to work on. Our first stop was a shoe store on 13th ave. My fiancé found a ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (More On The "Rental Vaads")

Dear Yeshiva World, While there has been much controversy and public dialogue surrounding what are known as the "Rental Vaads" currently operating in Eretz Yisroel certain important points have come to the surface that your readership may be interested in knowing. It has been confirmed through sources close to Rav Elyashiv Shlita that the Posek Hador considers the methods by which the vaadim are currently operating, to be asur al pi halacha. Additionally, Rav Nachum Eisenstein met with ...

UPDATED: Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Yeshiva Recess On You-Tube?!)

[IMPORTANT UPDATE POSTED BELOW] 9:44PM EST 12/15/07: Dear Editor, I'm not sure that you are going to post my letter, but I figured that I would write it anyways. I recently came across a video on You-Tube which left me in shock, and I feel must be brought to the public's attention. The video is of the fifth grade class in Vien Yeshiva in Boro Park having recess. The video was taken inside the classroom. The boys are not doing anything wrong, other than just playing around in the room ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor ("Special-Ed" Tuition Woes)

Dear Editor, I know there has been a lot of discussion on YW concerning the "financial" crisis. I myself struggle to pay the full tuition for my kids. It turns out that one of my kids needs more of a full time special ed classroom. Do you know how much it costs for these schools? From what I have been told it costs $20000+. My issue is not the cost of the program. The school has to pay these teachers for what they are worth. Since these teachers have skills in special ed they are, and ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Chanukah Presents)

Dear Editor, I will keep this letter real short, to the point, and if you decide to post it - will allow my fellow "Chavrusas" in Yeshivaworld to discuss it! I happen to notice that the poll on Yeshivaworld asked "Do you think that giving presents on Chanukah is "out of control"? I could not help but notice, that when I wrote this letter (a few moments ago), 820 people voted, with 520 people voting yes, and 300 voted no. When did Chanukah become the Yom Tov of gifts? OK. You want ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Frum Parking Spot)

Not long ago, on a trip to one our fine frum neighborhoods east of the Hudson, I was parked in front of a bakery one Erev Shabbos. Just before I pulled out a woman double parked me in. When I got out of the car to ask her to leave, she told me with a tone of "I'm right and you're wrong" that "I have to go to the bakery, and then she walked right in, leaving me stuck there for a full 10 minutes!!! I have spoken to a few people about this and everyone has a similar personal story to tell so I ...

Out Of The Mailbag - To YW Editor (Hakoras Hatov?)

A reader writes the following: Chanukah is here did you tip your garbage man, mail person, bus driver or other service provider? Okay so we do not give gifts on the chaggos, but don't the people who service us all year deserve something every once in a while? They probably almost expect it, and receive something in the other neighborhoods that they service around the chaggos, so why shouldn't we give them something now? And yes, the large families Ke"H and ken Yirbu do cause the ...