Dear Matzav Inbox,
The recent report on Matzav.com about the closing of the Kingda Ka roller coaster brought to mind an issue that has bothered me for years.
In our community, we take great care to uphold high standards of tznius. We maintain separate seating with mechitzos at events, weddings, and gatherings to protect and honor our values. And yet, when it comes to amusement parks, we seem to have forgotten these principles altogether.
Think about it—our families, young boys and girls, men and women, all standing in line together, squeezed into roller coaster seats without a second thought. We seem to dismiss the reality that mixed seating in these settings is no different than mixed seating at a public event. We’ve all witnessed the situations where friends or siblings scramble to sit together, while the very values we instill in them daily seem to be set aside for the sake of “fun.”
Are we not, on some level, living a contradiction? We make demands for tznius in every area, from our schools to our simchos, but when it comes to entertainment, there’s an unspoken exception. Why aren’t we advocating for separate seating arrangements where frum families can enjoy amusement parks with a setup that aligns with our standards?
Now, this is no simple matter. I recognize that amusement parks cater to a wide public, and it might seem a stretch to expect any changes. But change often starts with raising awareness. Let’s openly address this oversight, acknowledging that our hashkafos shouldn’t be on pause at the entrance gates of a theme park. We should either seek alternative ways for amusement within our kehillos or stop going on roller coasters.
When we accept inconsistency in our haskafos, we send a mixed message to our children and to ourselves. If we’re truly committed to tznius and the values that make our community distinct, then shouldn’t this commitment extend to every facet of our lives, roller coasters included?
A Yid
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