Many YWN readers recall the many problems which occurred last summer, at the Thursday night Mincha/Maariv gathering location at the Sloatsburg Rest Area (on the NY State Thruway). Last summer YWN had posted letters and warnings from the NYS DOT and the NY State Police pleading with everyone to cooperate – or the area would be shut down.
Much hard work was put into keeping this area open to the thousands of folks travelling to the Catskills. Numerous meetings and planning has gone into it, and all is needed is a bit of cooperation from the people who are using it.
YWN has spoken extensively with Mr. Richard Newhouse, who is the Assistant NY Division Director of Operations with the NYS Thruway Authority, and with Rabbi Bernard Freilich, special assistant to the Superintendent of the New York State Police regarding this issue.
Due to the tremendous crowds and traffic caused by the Minyanim, the Thruway Authority will no longer allow the street level parking area for davening. All minyanim will now take place on the second level parking area which is level with the second floor restrooms. In the event of rain, minyanim will be allowed in the stairwell.
Everyone who will be participating in the Minyanim is urged to drive directly to the second floor – and not park on any grassy area – or your cars will towed immediately from the tow truck which will be stationed at the rest area specifically to deal with this problem. It is interesting to note, that the second floor is much better suited for the Heimish Oilam’s needs, as there is much more privacy, Tzinus, and easier access to the rest rooms (which are located on the same level).
Additionally, there will be zero tolerance by the Thruway Authority and the NYSP regarding the selling of food. As YWN had reported last summer, Rabbi Freilich was working tirelessly to arrange for one vending machine to sell Kosher Le’Mehadrin products inside the building. This idea has finally come to fruition, with one machine selling Kosher products.
There will also be zero tolerance with people collecting Tzedakah (AKA: panhandlers) – which is illegal.
In closing, Rabbi Freilich is asking everyone for their cooperation. “Please use the area which was so wonderfully given to us by the NYS DOT – for Davening ONLY. Do not make a Chillul Hashem by ignoring their complaints which will result in this Mincha / Maariv area being shut down,” Rabbi Freilich told YWN.
Each Thursday night, there will be two inspectors from the Thruway Authority stationed at the Sloatsburg Rest Area – along with Rabbi Mordechai Friedman (who is an Askan in Kiryas Joel) – to oversee the operation. (Rabbi Friedman can be reached at 917-578-1818.)
YWN also spoke with the noted Askan Rabbi Edgar Gluck, who was the architect of this area many years ago. He too voiced his concerns – and urges the public to follow the simple rules and regulations posted above, to ensure that a true Kiddush Hashem is made.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer!
(Yehuda Drudgestein – YWN Desk)
(Photo & image by YWN)
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39 Responses
i very rarely if at all comment however
i never understood this minyan area,the reason we daven is to be mekadsh shem shoymayim.
in my humble opinion the exact opposite is what happens at this area every single time without fail.
is it really that difficult to plan your trip ina diferent way and daven before you leave or when you reach your destination!
we must remember as much as some of us would like to think that we own the highway we dont!
if i told everyone at this minyan area i will pay you 100 dollars to daven before or after you leave
i think its safe to say that most of the people would find a way to do that .
its really just a matter of mind set
Baalei Tzedukah should not be referred to by the derisive secular term of panhandler (whether they can collect in this area or not.)
I have a couple of comments. First of all, to Joseph, let’s get real, the people collecting at Sloastburg are not Baalei Tzedukah – they are schnorers, period. It is amazing that whenever a large number of yidden gather, it doesnt take long for the schnorers to appear. Second, you can get off the highway at exit 14B and find many minyanim in Suffern/Monsey without causing all this chilul hashem. (of course, this doesnt help those using NJ Route 17). Chofetz Chaim on Highview Road (1 mile off the thruway) has a mincha minyan every day at 6.
It’s amazing bzman hagolus what steps clal yisroel takes to get a minyan. Now, just as important… to learn a SOLID hour each day.
Joseph,
The dictionary of the modern world that we live in states:
pan·han·dle 1 (pnhndl)
v. pan·han·dled, pan·han·dling, pan·han·dles Informal
v.intr.
To approach strangers and beg for money or food.
v.tr.
1. To approach and beg from (a stranger).
2. To obtain by approaching and begging from a stranger: panhandled money.
If you look like a monkey, smell like a monkey, talk like a monkey, and act like a monkey, well guess what? You are a monkey! The same is true with a Panhandler! They are what they are! They are also illegal! Whether on the Thruway, at a Chasanah or at the Kosel! Deal with it!
I alos agree with #1. It is important to form a Minyan Kavuah, but to do it with a Kidush Hashem! Some of us have forgoten what that means. When we all learn this lesson, then Mashiach will be most welcome!
Yissi
joseph, the term is being used as a legal one to explain why it’s an illegal activity.
Imagine that groups of Muslims would demand prayer areas along the highways and traffic would have to slow down 5 times a day! Be grateful we have good government people who are willing to accomodate us Jews so that minyanim are available on the road.If worst comes to worst,someone who discovers he’s on the road and the z’man is getting late,could daven in his car b’yechidus,too. Prepare ahead before your trip and daven before you leave or leave early enough to be able to still daven when you arrive.We do not have a right to DEMAND this “right” to daven with minyan on the road.This is a real special privilege which we should appreciate.
to “kolisrael”
you say that you rarely comment, then I would suggest that you continue not commenting. Do you really know everyone’s scheduling that you can say a general comment that “is it really that difficult to plan your trip in a different way…”. Many people leave directly from work and sit in traffic and would miss even the latest zman for Mincha if not for this wonderful davening area.
Also, I find it very offensive that you would even suggest that people would give up the opportunity of Tefillah Betzibur for your offer of $100. Are you that knowledgable that you could a price on this??
Bottom line, don’t judge everyone until you have walked in their shoes.
This piece of information should be posted in all shuls & public areas (I’m sure it will). Many people do not visit theyeshivaworld.com
Yisroel Kedoshim heim.
If anyone needs justification for my original comment, the problem lies with them; no one else.
workingman/#3, “schnorrers” is another derogatory ter unbecoming of a Jew. (Albeit this one is in Yiddish and not a secular one as panhandler.)
yissi/#5, Per Merriam-Websters, panhandle is to “accost” which (again, per Merriam Websters) is “aggressive.” If you view the Yidden giving YOU the OPPORTUNITY to fulfill the greatest MITZVAH of TZEDAKA, I urger you to reevaluate your core values.
chaya13/#6, that isn’t the definition of the term. It is a pejorative one.
yissi; collecting tzeduka at a chasuna or the kosel is NOT illegal in fact it is a great mitzvah. pity the poor man who prevents being mikayim the mitzvah of tzeduka. how could someone stop such a mitzvah?? hashem yerachem!
I am just waiting for the first arrest to happen (and you all know it will happen). Everyone will scream that its anti-semitism, the cop is a mamzer, etc. Unfortunately, there are those among us who just don’t care about LAWS. Like parking at bus stops/hydrants or double parking, the law was meant for someone else. Yissi (#5) mentioned about collectors at the kotel. I had the privilege of going there this past winter for the first time in my life. I don’t mind giving tzedaka, but when I’m standing at the wall trying to daven, and people have the chutzpah to interrupt me, I am all for banning them completely. The shnorring is out of hand. I cannot daven, shop, buy lunch or dinner, etc without having a hand in my face. The other day I was getting off the Monsey bus at the park n ride and there were 2 people standing there with their hands out.
#8 YOU EXPLAINED IT BEAUTIFULLY YOU ARE 100% RIGHT
to # 9 very well said, most posters dont think twice before they add their 2 cents (senseles)worth(less). to #1 can you refer us to where you took that “davening is for mekadis shem shomayim purpose..” never came across such din in shulchen urech…. to #5 yissi…its not relevant what mr webster has to say about panhandler..to us ehrliche yidden we do not refer to them as either panhandlers or shnorrors, whatever the reason they collect for, they are mezakeh us with the mitzvah..”gadol hamass”..this “minhug” goes way back, generations..the gemmorah ktsubes mentions, men zol nist darfen, “v’habonim ychzor al hapsochim”
Will Hill,
Is you house open for anyone to come in and disturb your sleep, relaxation or meal time. or does someone have to fist knock on the door and be invited in?
By a Chasanah, the wedding hall is an extension of your house, to accomodate your guests. Someone who is not invited should knock before entering. By my own Chasanah, a “Schnorer” approached me as I was walking out of the Yichud room! They do not belong there if they are univited!
Joseph,
That is exactly waht they do! they accost! It is one thing to give to an organization to give out to those who are in need. it is another, that when walking to the Kotel, I am accosted by no less than 20 frivoulous panhandlers! The same goes for a Chasanah. I am enjoying my evening and the Simcha. I certainly do not want to be accosted.
Please give me your addresses, and I will make sure that all the Panhandlers come to your homes 24 hours a day, after all it is the biggest Mitzvah in the world! Hashem Yerachem!
Yissi
yissi –
You should have thanked that “Schnorer” at your chasunah from the bottom of your heart for having given you the OPPORTUNITY to do such a humongous MITZVAH immediately after getting married. What a way to start off a new life and marriage… IF only you would have had the sense to take advantage of the opportunity that presented itself to you! A once in a lifetime chance…
Get my email address from YWEditor (they don’t allow posting in comments) so you can send me ALL the “panhandlers.” I do not want to miss out on this great mitzvah with even one of them.
To charliehall and all:
You can check godaven.com for local zmanim. I highly recommend stopping in at Taryag Judaica just 2 miles off Palisades exit 11. Theres a daily mincha at 4:00 and they are working on Thursday night maarivs (and free cholent) for exactly this reason – a good alternative to Sloatsburg.
I’ll bli neder post details when I get them.
to #4 lafdafke..we assume that you dont learn a “solid hour each day” so you assume others dont, so open your eyes and see how many thousands and thousands of sheurim are all over..we know plenty of laymen who learn much more then that a day..
So, before lunch i wrote comment number 14. I then went out to have some lunch at a place on 34th street and when I walked out the door, guess what!!! A guy came up to me with his hand out. Although I gave him a couple of bucks, I could not stop laughing. The Ribbono Shel Olam has a sense of humor.
#17
i hope, for your sake, that the Ribbono Shel Olam does not act towards you mida kneged mida, when you come schnorring to him 3 times a day.
#14 basicly I agree with you. I have no problem with collecting by Chasunas. It’s an old tradition to collect LN Reb Meir Baal Haness but it’s gotten out of hand. The other day I was by a Chasuna and this person (might have been the father i don’t remember)was schlepping around a blind little girl from table to table collecting most people that have that age children got sick to their stomach. It literly affected the Simcha. I think it’s exploitation to the first degree. Same by davening unfortunatly alot of people including myself daven “chap lap” sometimes you get the urge to daven bekavana as you close your eyes and try to connect with the eibershter somebody is in your face disturbing. He can’t wait till after Kedusha? When I was in Yeshiva nobody was allowed to collect till after Kedusha. They had to sit down or come back.
#18 How much to you give pp?
I agree with Joseph … although he just came out of the yichud room, Yissi might have been better off just doing the mitzvah of tzedoka rather than getting angry. I’m very sorry to tell you Yissi , we do not make these mitzvahs up and how they are to be performed! Torah as explained by the Talmud does. –L dafka
for the last 19 years B”H I take the palisades pkwy (exit 11) i go in to new square to daven its a pleasure
feivel/23 – Shkoyach. A gut vort.
yosself/24 – Even if its a QUARTER. No one can question you on the amount. A mitzvah is a mitzvah. Do not send away ANY Baalei Tzedaka empty handed.
I do agree it is wrong to collect during davening or to be aggressive anytime. If someone is aggressive (i.e. rejecting a donation for being too small), it is a sure sign of a faker.
kolisrael
I agree with you. To begin with minyan is an aseh d’rabanan (obviously if you can do it, great) and it seems that “yotzoh shoro b’hefesdeh” to an extreme degree. It’s a nice thing if you can to daven with a minyan, but it seems that this is counterproductive and let R. Frelich not have to kill himself to put this together.
Feivel,
Davening and praising Hashem is not “Schnoring”. I don’t know which yeshiva you went to, but maybe you should read the words you are saying. Buy an Artscroll Sidur, it does help!
Yissi
#30 yissi
“Davening and praising Hashem is not “Schnoring”
exactly!
In response to #28:
The amount apparently DOES matter. I have recently had both a US quarter and an Israeli half-shekel (about 15 cents US) thrown back at me. Not handed back, as I nicely handed it over, thrown at my face. As I cannot afford to give folding money, I now have to say I have nothing to give.
I thank hashem for every “schnorer” he sends me, so i manage to take a share in tzedaka of all kinds and colors. And I thank hashem that i don’t have to be the one stretching a hand to collect. On my way back from my chupah an israeli yid approached me for tzedaka, I was extremely happy to hand him a dollar, I felt so honored to bump in to such a mitzva right after I had the zechia of getting married.
Yissi, yes, davening is schnoring.. “give me”, give”, “grant me”, “help me” “please”..
Yissi; I hope YOU are a BEGGER when davening to Hashem! You should be sticking your hand out for alms from your creator who gives you more than you deserve. Would you be happy if Hashem only gives you what you deserve and no more?? I hope not or you are in deeper water than I thought.
Why be derisive about others asking for tziduka when you get tziduka from Hashem EVERY DAY.
#20 ( jent 1150) : With all due respect, I do learn a solid hour (min) everyday , (I personally feel empty if I don’t). what drives me to say what I’m saying: It’s a fact, there’s no comparison to the amount of people davening- to the amount of people dvng/also learning , it’s just the way things are and I think a lot of people are missing out… sad.. –L dafka
workingman and Yissi, you think you’re “hot stuff”? You should thank Hashem you have what to eat. Think about those who don’t.
This morning I borrowed $9 from my 10 year old son, because I am pennyless. (Yes, I am a workingman, but I am going through very hard times.)
Remember how fortunate you are, and give the poor guy a small place in your heart! How cold-blooded can one be?
For those who may not be familiar, there is an orthodox Jewish town, located a short distance off of the Thruway at Exit 14 and 14B, called ‘Monsey’. A minyan for mincha and/or maariv can be found at the most convenient times. If there is an interest in publishing a list of zmanim as well as places and maybe directions, post your request hear and someone will respond אם ירצה ה’. Or maybe YWN can provide that info. I believe the monsey weekly ‘Community Connections’ has such a listing – not to mention Viznitz has minyanim…
to #30 yissi..you dont understand..the eibishter deals with us like we deal with our fellow yidden and just like we have rachmunis on a collector no matter what thats how HE responds to you and visa versa after all we have plenty avairos and are not worthy..but in merit of tzedakah..and yes we are compared with our tfilos “keuni doifek al hapesach”..”as a poor man knocking at the door”..tfilah rosh hashanah…so we dont need an artscroll,you need more mussar as how to have rachmonis on you fellow yidden..
h
to # 35 lavdafke… regarding #20..to us it seemed that you made sacastic remark, so we wre addresing it, if not then so vie kimt dos du arein in de shmuss fun de minyun un sloatsburg ?
to #26..YACKOV YOSEF…but not everybodys name is YAKOV YOSEF…( just kidding, this is meant in jest…)
amein ve’amein! Thank you Pashuteh Yid.
I don’t understand this gaavah’dige attitude among many here. I’m important, employed, self suffiient, etc, & “he” is the shnorrer. how dare u look down upon your fellow jew like that! Place yourself in the
‘shnorrer’s’ shoes (if he has shoes at all) for a second. Imagine that you starved all day because unfortunately you’re deeply in debt & out of a job, for whatever reason. You seriously do not know where the next prita will come from. choives iberen kup & de vibe shrite az oib dee brengst nisht parnassa…………….
So you muster up the courage to actually approach others for a neduva. (In the back of your mind you tell yourself that it’s hopefully only a loan)
b’kitzur hamaase when a person actually puts his dignity at a side & lowers himself to come to others’ chassadim, he must be in real “poor” shape, because shnorring isn’t fun.
So next time you accidentally bump into an outstretched hand (that you nebech tried so hard to avoid..) have rachmanus for a change! think for a minute of the plight of this evyon & put something (according to your means even if it means only a quarter) into his skinny hands.
to yissi…this minhuk of having poor people at a simcha has mekor from avrohom avinu see rashi breishis 22 pasok1…also have reymoz, not actual reyoh,from story of the taneh reb akivas daughter regarding giving to a poor man on day of her wedding that saved her life..see mesachtes shabbos 156b