To the YWN staff, I would like to start off by expressing my appreciation to for your kosher coverage of daily news. It is to my astonishment though that such positive press is being given to Jewish “ParkBusters” and frum elected officials involved in illegally reopening public parks through New York City. It would be one thing for an overly zealous individual to break the law and destroy public property in an act to champion the cause and plight of the Jewish Community. However, it is quite disturbing to see how our elected officials and representatives are joining him in his acts of vandalism.

Dear YWN, I’ve lived in the Five Towns my entire life and I grew up always in the middle between Yeshivish and Modern, and recently due to the conversation of Minyanim the split has me confused. Although I understand the concept of the extreme Chumra we have on Pikuach Nefesh its been really bothering me how come we cant have a Minyan in a backyard with x’s to mark off spots and a guard to make sure its enforced. I always pride my self in having extreme Emunas Chachamim so of course I will listen to my Rabbonim, but the issue I am about to bring up is the final straw for me. Governor Cuomo recently announced that the beaches will be open for Memorial Day.

Der YWN, Last week, YWN published a letter from the father of a Kallah regarding the insane spending on Chasunos. Please publish the following from the mother of a Kallah: When I first read about the Simcha Initiative, I found myself nodding along in mutual agreement with the project’s ambition to minimize the unnecessary extravagance and expense that so often accompanies our community’s Simchos. Naturally, I would add my name to the hundreds of others who have already joined the movement. Who wouldn’t? The idea of going over the top, and over the budget for some is by no measure a way to continue marrying off our children. Allow me to preface by saying that I have a daughter who is B”H engaged and am in the midst of the typical wedding preparations.

Dear YWN, This letter is in response to the outrageous letter by NY State Senator Jen Metzger (Metzger@nysenate.gov) published by YWN a few days ago. Let me start by saying that in no way shape or form am I saying or implying that you are a racist or an anti-Semite, or that you encourage hate, I am sure that you are a very decent person. Having said that, I will introduce myself, I live in Brooklyn NY, I am an Orthodox Jew, and I am one of the owners of a secondary home in the town of Thompson, that you referred to in your letter. While the majority of the people in Sullivan County are decent, hardworking, polite, neighborly etc.

I am not a huge follower of politics and I can’t say I know every detail of what goes into the decision making process of the mayors and governors. I’m also not a doctor and don’t know precisely how any disease spreads, let alone COVID-19. In fact, I don’t even think doctors know much about it. And lastly, and most importantly, I am not G-d so in truth I know close to nothing about this disease or really about anything. All that being said, I do feel strongly about protecting human life and I have no doubt that that is something that G-d Himself deems important. So while I can’t say exactly how COVID-19 spreads or what decisions should be made in terms of reopening the world, I am going to take the liberty to express to the public my opinion on the matter.

Dear YWN, After seeing the letter from a Chosson last week, here’s a letter from a “Father of a Kallah”. Sitting in Quarantine under very trying circumstances, I have been made aware of this new Simcha Initiative that you are bringing to the fore. I laud you for it! I was delighted to read about it and happily affixed my signature to the myriad of names already signed on. You see, to me this has particularly hit home. I believe there’s a lot more to do in curbing the extravagance that has become the norm, but this is definitely a good start. Let me give you a little background about myself and why this is so personal to me. I live in my own home in Brooklyn NY.

I am a choson a few short weeks away from my chasunah. Being engaged brings about many new feelings and emotions in all that experience it, but very few have experienced an engagement like mine, considering that, as mentioned, I will iy’H be getting married in just a short time, but still do not know where or exactly when my chasunah will be. What would have been utterly impossible and totally frightening for any choson or kallah to even imagine just a few short months ago, (who can even remember the world pre-corona?) is something that myself and many others now have to face as harsh reality.

I recently got up from Shiva for another of Corona’s victims and immediately sat down to write this short article in the hope that my family’s experience using Zoom for the Shiva will help others during this unfortunate time. May it never be necessary, but should someone have to sit Shiva, the lessons we learned from our experience may prove very helpful. As a member of a large family בלע”ה with many siblings located around the world, each of whom was sitting alone in their own home, it was imperative that we find a way to connect with mutual relatives and friends, and each other. None of us wanted to act as an overburdened switchboard operator struggling to process an overwhelming call load and it was unreasonable to expect our relatives to call every single family member separately.

This is not the America, I once knew. I used to be immensely proud to be an American. This country provided oxygenation to me and all its citizens, based on the fundamental principals of the first amendment. We were a nation that fought for civil rights and social justice and valued personal freedom and democracy. The key tenets of the constitution are still in place. Recently they have been violated by the Governor of New York, during the current coronavirus pandemic, thus failing to uphold the inalienable rights that Americans have trusted for decades – Civil Liberties and Human Rights. On March 18, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued an advisory regarding hospital visitations. All visitations were suspended, except where end of life decisions needed to be made.

This is in response to the person who is taking on the chevas daas of the 57 Rabbis in the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community Rabbis who have banned even the safe minyanim.  Their reasoning is that people will copy the safe outdoor minyanim but will not adhere to the safety standards and it will cause the deaths of even more people and lead to even more chillul Hashem. By the way, it is not just the 5T/FR Rabbis. It is Passaic, Rav Meir Stern. It is Chicago, Rav Shmuel Fuerst. It is Rav Asher Weiss. It is Rav Yitzchok Berkowitz and so many others. Also, virtually every frum doctor in America thinks it will lead to more deaths. The concept of Tekias Shofar on Shabbos can be instructive too. When Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbos – we should blow shofar by Torah law.