10 Responses

1. Not cool for the Jews in the Catskills. Trashy immoral garbage

2. Casinos provide many entry level jobs for young men and women with limited academic training and job skills in a wide range of administrative and clerical areas as well as flexible hours. Hopefully, those in the frum tzibur who desire a parnassah will take advantage of these opportunities.

3. Hey, thanks for the heads up! Was looking forward but didn’t have all the details down pat. But thanks to YWN, I do now.

4. This is terrible news for the frum tzibbur. A huge casino and all that that brings right in the heart of the chareidi catskills! Many women, during the week while their husbands are in the city, will avail themselves of the casino for their entertainment and for a diversion, not to mention all the young boys and girls running around looking for something to do, will end up at the casino. I think the gedoilim should issue a Kol Korei stating that frum people should no longer go to the catskills for summer vacation.

5. Instead of banning people from going to the Catskills for the summer, which will bring much financial hardship to many frum business owners in the region, how about people exercise a bit of self control regarding inappropriate behavior and the casino. We don’t have to ban everything (internet usage included), if people control themselves, and parents supervise their teenagers.

6. It is hard enough for adults to control themselves with temptation and easy access at all times, expecting them to be watchful of today’s teenagers is fantasy. Unless you chain them…..

7. I remember when casinos were destinations or in destination cities. Atlanta City, Las Vegas, and had massive facilities that had more than just gambling. They houses conventions and too many restaurants to count, theaters, etc.

   I’m guessing these are the boring gambling only casinos? Otherwise, I’d wonder why they couldn’t have anything at all that caters to the local community, like food.

8. Disillusioned – that is not true. Teenagers model what they see from their parents. A father who tells his teenager to go to shul, but he himself misses minyan, will have a teenager who also misses minyan. A parent who tells his kid not to hangout at the casino, but he himself goes to gamble, will have trouble keeping his kid away. Control yourself, and don’t be afraid to control your kids. And yes, I have two teenagers, and one adult child.

9. Student – let’s not confuse control with being a proper role model. Control is a belief that one can force a view and/or action, while a good role model is only there to encourage good behaviour. While children generally will copy parental behaviour at younger ages, social pressure in the teenage years along with hormones can lead to regrettable behaviour. By placing barriers in the way of easy access to temptation, you hope that reason and good upbringing will win out. Being realistic about the temptations facing our generation is part of good parenting. Remember the old saying about control? When the cat is away the mice come out to play. Leaving temptation in easy reach and focusing only on self control is a recipe for disaster.

10. Student,

    Your attitude is very very very dangerous. I don’t have the time to properly answer your comments but one pointer- you are disagreeing with chazal who created numerous “gedorim” and “seyagim”, particularly when it related to these matters. That was in their generation. Ours is oh so much weaker! Yes, self control cannot be forgotten but you cannot leave the filth of the world all at the click of a mouse or phone. To think otherwise is sheer naivete.