If you, like many thousands, will be traveling up to the Catskills tonight and plan on utilizing the popular Sloatsburg rest area for Davening, be sure to follow all the rules set forth by the NYSP for the designated area. The area designated this year for Mincha and Maariv is on the second floor.
All arriving to the area, are asked to drive directly to the second floor – and not park on any grassy area – to avoid being towed.
what a huge embarrassment that we have to remind people to not make a huge chillul hashem and avoid parking on the grass, shoulder and other no parking areas. Do you really think you will get credit for making the minyan if you disregard the laws of the land and make a huge chillul hashem? much better to daven alone than to do that!
Give #1 a round of applause. Well said. It’s the “chumra sheasi liday kullah” mentality that is so prevalent in our times. Apparently to combat all the beautiful kiyom hamitzvos that our generation does, the Satan has to have a timely arsenal as well. What Rav would disagree with what #1 or I have said, yet have those minyan participants asked this question of their Rav? Get A Rav, Ask Everything, and Follow. Guaranteed, Moshiach Will Be Here. Isn’t that what you wan,t after all? Think about it!
I agree with #1 (don’t know about teffilla b’yichidus, however). It’s about time that frum Jews woke up and realized that we are ambassadors for the Creator of the universe and we have to live up to that standard. No matter where we are on this planet these are our obligations and we have to ensure that we carry them out to the letter! You could be on line in a store, in a park with your kids, on a ride at an amusement park, commenting on a blog or news site, calling a talk radio show, using a restroom at a rest area…whatever it may be…for crying out loud we are princes with royal blood running through our veins and its about time we started acting like that!
Every time I go on a trip with my family I give them my little Kiddush Hashem speech and the more you drill it into them (with a little imagination and humor) the more it works. C’mon guys…how many times have you cringed when you see frum children or yes, adults acting out of line and making a borderline if not genuine chilul Hashem!
We’ve got to stop acting like little children and start taking responsibility. Our “heimishkeit” doesn’t always carry over so well in our interactions with the non-frum and non-Jewish world. They don’t always see the humor in our ‘being geshmak.”
Lets all put in the extra effort and go the extra mile to ensure that we make our Father in heaven proud!!
As crazy as this sounds I would love to put together a Kiddush Hashem project or initiative that will better educate people how to interact with non-frum elements in society. There is program that teaches chassidishe guys who go off the derech how to fit into secular society. Sad for them, but we can, as frum Jews, better educate yourself how to be a beacon of light to the rest of society (and possibly by example reel in some of those unfortunate wandering souls).
I rest my case…
I want to just add a comment to my previous posting. Its such a shame that sometimes some of us let down our guard when we are out and about. We are such a beautiful community, chock full of chesed and tzedaka. I don’t have to enumerate the thousands upon thousands of chesed organizations, gemachs and tzedakas we all involve ourselves with all year. I don’t have to preach to the choir. We all know how magnificent of a community we are and how we help each other. We all know that we are a basically crime free, drug free, gang free society that is an island of calm in a very troubled sea. (now we’ll get all the comments about some silly teenagers who are flirting with drugs to be cool, all right you get my point). It’s just a pity that we don’t always carry over that spirit and disposition when we wander beyond our borders. Because if we can truly be on our best behavior and non-Jews can point to us say “wow look at that member of G-d’s chosen people I wish we can be like them,” wouldn’t that be amazing?!
I remeber this on channel 2 news. Let’s see if the news reports the same or report’s “What a diverance in a year much better”