Woodburne’s Chalet Hotel (Chalet Vim) was hit by a massive inferno early Shabbos morning – which practically destroyed the main 10,000 square-foot building. The fire started at around 6:30AM and according to a report in the Record On Line, originated in a basement laundry room.
Most of the building was engulfed in smoke and flames. The report further said that the fire spread up from the basement to the kitchen and dining room, where it was fueled by linens, wooden tables and chairs. The inside of the building and much of its roof was destroyed.
Boruch Hashem there were no injuries to any of the 400 visitors currently in the hotel.
Since all food was destroyed in the building, local firefighters reportedly drove a truck from a nearby camp to bring food and other necessities for the hundreds of visitors.
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19 Responses
b”h no injuries. thanx to the local firefighters for bringing ‘heyse chulent’ to all the guest.
I wonder how they transported the meat in a truck with a goyish driver. How did they make proper chosamos on Shabbos without being able to tell them what to look for?
It could be that they sent packaged meat, or maybe they didn’t even send any meat.
Baki: Good point, but I’m guessing they “sealed” it in such a way that they would now if it were tampered with, and they probably sent someone over to check it out when it got to the Chalet.
If you go to the source of this news article at the Record you will get an eye-opener when you read the comments on that post
SO WHAT IF IT WAS A GOYSHE DRIVER B”H WE WERE ABLE TO EAT, SHHEEESSSSH
what do the posts say at the Record?
Having perused the posts, one of the major complaints is that some people feel that Chasidim do not show proper respect to those who are not like them. I think there is always room for improvement…and all os us, Chasidim or not, should try really hard to show respect to all human beings that we encounter every day. We must go that extra mile to make a Kiddush Hashem wherever we find ourselves. As you may have read, I believe it was Rabbi Yakov Kaminetsky, tz”l, who would say good morning first to the nun across the street from his house. (If I have mixed up the details a bit, please forgive me..but you get the point.)
Moshe4765,
Meat that was left in possession of Goy without simanim is assur to eat even with best shechita. Only muttar if someone was checking up on goy which is not the case here. People should be careful when they leave the house for hours and leave goyetta in house. Meat can become neelam min haayin……Ask your Rabbi….
Moshe: With all due respect, since it was a goyishe driver, you were halachically forbidden from eating that meat, unless it was supervised by a Jew.
Your exclamation of “Sheeessssh” (ironically, while saying “B”H”) seems to indicate that eating kosher is not of any importance to you.
While you are entitled to set your own standards of observance, surely you understand that the typical reader of YeshivaWorld, as its very name implies, is interested in the Kashrus aspect of the story.
Moshe4765 –
Have you ever heard of “Bossor shenis’alem min Ha’ayin?” Shheeesssh
maybe a jew followed the truck from down the road? SHEESH! (which is in fact how it went down by the way)
I can’t believe this happened! I was actually a lucky visitor at the hotel before shabbos and had a wonderful time. The staff are the nicest ppl I ever met and really accomodating. What a loss! Does anyone know if all the visitors had to leave? I feel terrible for this financial loss. B’H no one was hurt.
My daughter was just up there only about 1.5 weeks ago as a mother’s helper. She had a gr8 time there and was saddened by the fire. I have heard that they were selling the property anyhow. Is this true?
I HOPE I HAVE NOT OFFENDED ANYONE. MY POINT BEING WHETHER IT WAS SUPERVISED OR NOT, ONE MUST EAT. FOR EXAMPLE IF ONE WAS STRANDED IN A STORM OR ON A DESERTED ISLAND AND THE ONLY FOOD WAS NOT SUPERVISED, (MEAT) WOULDIT STILL BE HALACHICALLY FORBIDDEN? HOPING ALL A GOOD DAY.
I know from a family member that Rav Yaakov was very respectful to the nun(s) across the street.
this is fact.
Personally, I think I could have gone the whole shabbos without cholent or chicken. Everyone brings drinks, nosh, etc to the hotel with them. I wouldn’t have starved if I had been there, but if there was any question of kashrus, I would have forgone the food brought by fire truck. Still I wouldn’t have judged those who decided to take it. The Torah creates a fence for us, and we all create our own fences within the parameters of that fence. We have to respect eachothers’ parameters.
MOSHE THAT WOULD ONLY BE IF IT IS LONG ENOUGH TO BE A DANGER TO THE PERSON’S LIFE, AND ONLY IF THERE IS NO KOSHER FOOD TO EAT. ONLY THOSE IN DANGER MAY EAT IT. THERE ARE SOME SUMMER HOMES THERE THAT WERE LIKELY ABLE TO PROVIDE ENOUGH FOR THOSE IN DANGER.
I happened to be a guest at the Chalet this summer, and I can tell you that three different Dayanim (no names needed, ) both litvish and chasidish gave heteirim to eat the meat.