As an introvert, both in-person and online, I rarely bother to make my opinion heard. I live my life and hope others will live theirs too, without sticking their nose into others’ business. However, there has to be line somewhere, and it was just crossed.
I was sent a video yesterday that was so appalling to me that I must speak up. I don’t know how long this video has been circulating social media, nor do I care. It has to be called out regardless.
The video, which I have included here, shows a group of bochurim apparently partaking in the levaya for a meis mitzvah. When I first opened it, I thought tragedy had struck: perhaps the well-meaning boys dropped the aron. But that’s not what happened.
As the video progresses, the boys recite yoshev b’saiser elyon as they carry the aron, and they lay it down briefly to allow for a few words to be said about the niftar. A hesped of sorts is provided, with the speaker bursting into tears.
Then, suddenly, the aron flies open and a man jumps out, visibly stunning the bochurim, many of whom jump backwards. At the same time, the individual filming the video shouts, “Color War Breakout!”
The video is cute, right? It’s funny, isn’t it? No, it’s sick, it’s disgusting, and it makes an utter mockery of the most solemn moment in Jewish life. Levayos are not a joke, they are not something to be played with, and they are not something to be satirized or parodied for your two minutes of glee as you fool young, impressionable men so you can have a “bomb” color war breakout.
As a klal, we’ve been hitting new lows in recent years. I think we just reached the cellar.
NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.
DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE POSTED ON YWN? SEND IT TO US FOR REVIEW.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
60 Responses
Baal chai nose es atzmo?
It’s pretty stupid. Really bad chinuch. Goodness
It’s pretty silly. Really bad chinuch. Goodness
“As a klal, we’ve been hitting new lows in recent years. I think we just reached the cellar…”
You must be naive. This elevator just stopped at the basement level on B-1…..if you look carefully, there are still everal madragos lower down to B-5 or B-6.
Maskim 100%
Beyond Sickly Revolting and a serious chillul Hashem !!!
These sick kids are so bored out of their “yeshivish/chassidish” lives, that they have no respect for Torah, human nature, or anything decent. What Yeshivah or Rabbanim condone this ?!?!?
Give this “chidush” to our antisemitic or our non shomer Torah U’Mitzvos brothers and sisters, so they can use it against all respectful Yidden. Great idea to spread more of this filthy “joke.” It’s a serious desecration of a cemetery, Yiddishe Levayot after so many passed away just a few years ago and every day now, a non-Jew, and a total bitul Torah on the holiest month of Elul. Hashem Yishmernu !
Something is not adding up here.
Where are the campers, that are supposed to be seeing this as color war breaks out? What are the teams? Colors? Who are the generals? This looks more like a scene from a music video that most camps put out for their video shown at the camp reunion during the winter. Regardless, yes, it’s tasteless.
This is wrong on so many levels. Besides for the ones mentioned by the writer is that it’s disrespectful as well for the actual meisim buried in the cemetery that they are in or close to(hard to tell).
Also the boys thought they were doing one of the most special Mitzvos and chassadim, burying someone with no one. To have that turned into a joke is terrible as well. People, especially young people, get dumb ideas. This is certainly one of them.
If you really think this is a wrong thing, why would you post such a video for all to see???
Thank you for speaking up. I was equally as appalled and disgusted with this video.
This is not new, I’m not just talking about this particular video, I as well have no idea when it took place. Similar breakouts have been done in camps in previous years and has been criticized the same way. I agree it’s a pretty dumb idea to say the least, but I wouldn’t overdramatize it and call it the cellar. Klal Yisroel’s got plenty of bigger and more important things to work on.
Life and death has been cheapened…
A crying shame – what is the humor in this twisted video?
Shame on all of you!
Just in case you were not informed –
It is Elul!!!!!
We need moshiach!!!
You are all deranged and need a complete Rufuah.
By the way – I am a big “letz”-
But you have to know your boundaries -speak to your Rebbaim
I am a member of CSE, to take the sensitivity of a funera let alone a mes mitzvah is disgraceful!!
At the end they begin to dance in a cemetery, I don’t find that funny!!
I couldn’t more than agree 10 billion percent with the author of this article. It’s very sad and extremely sick 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 that in 2023 heimishe jewish camps haven’t found a better way, more calm with etiquette on how to break out color war. Maybe ban color war breakouts if it can’t be done in moral taste.
Maybe a bit of an overreaction?
Loshon hara is not a good thing
Once had color war myself was councilor of some kids but the Purim chuppa that ywn wrote about meant that people don’t know that their actions have meaning like the Purim chuppa in the yeshiva can stop them from getting married or hurt a marriage from bad and evil sources that God created in the planet like that of idol
Whoever organized this stupid idea is dead wrong …in fact more dead than even the guy that was inside the box….
1. We don’t fully know the circumstances. For instance, this is likely stagged.
2. Putting this online is certainly loshon hora for all involved.
3. It’s disgusting and inappropriate and their Rabbonim should be the ones to give the mussar… not the internet.
I never laughed so hard in my life….. sorry
Wow, so many places for someone to step up along the way and say hmmm maybe this isn’t the best idea. Maybe when they were acquiring a coffin, maybe when they were putting a living person in it, maybe when they watched the video before posting it online for all the world to see. Nothing funny about it. I’ve always hated practical “jokes” which is really about laughing at a victim, but in this case it is disrespectful as well. Hopefully those involved will mature quickly.
Sick sick sick. And probably they paid the gentleman good money.
1.i didnt watch the video. 2. the biggest limud zechus for klal yisroel is the backlash and outcry against it….focus on all the people that were willing to give the ration of bread for a siddur in the concenation camp not on the ones who wouldnt give their siddur for free!!! 3.maybe another limud zechus is that people sometimes get carried away (no pun intended) when it comes to color war and all that it brings… jews in gereral have great respect and value for human life…just look at all the statistics of abortion, violent crime and end of life matter like DNR ect….in the merit of judging favorably may hashem judge us favorably in the book of life!!!
It’s pretty crazy to see tick tok reaction culture bleed over into frumkiet, what a low level we are at….
Funny how everyone is so worried about how disgusting this is and shameful.
To publicly Post loshen hara on someone else besides that its against halacha, its alot more disgusting and shameful to embarrass another yid.
There’s quite a few holes in this video and seems that at least some of the bochurim knew that it was staged. If this was a real camp and it was indeed a color war breakout (kind of a small camp if so), there are better ways to break out color war (I guess that’s why they used a non jew, so it wouldn’t be an ayin hara).
DISGUSTNG, how a yid would post a video embarrassing bochurim like that! WHO GAVE YOU RESHUS TO EMBERAAS THESE BOCHURIM???? you didn’t have the basic decency to blur their faces?? which Rav was maskim to this??
Whats wrong with it ?
I think this is really funny. Whoever arranged it must be very creative and original. Who said he did not speak to any Rebeeim to be sure it would be ok to do this? Did you consult with the head counselor and ask him? Or are you just making assumptions without any information?
Also, just because you think the head counselor did something stupid, doesn’t mean that the parents of these boys (who obviously had no idea about this plan) want their sons posted here with all this LH and flack. C’mon guys, it’s Elul now. Stop with the loshon hora and badmouthing.
to give the benefit of the doubt — it looks like the scene was a camp and not a real cemetery
also it is shortly after tisha b”av and maybe they were inspired by Rebbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai.
As sick as this is why would thw author and YWN repost the video and also have bochrim faces be shown too? Their kids they did something sick and probably had no guidance when they made the poor decision but for every poor decision we all make should it be meant to embarrass them too?
very bad taste. chilul Hashem for all those who participated. gross disrespect for the most solemn moments in the life.
I’m appalled at EVERYONE who took part, endorsed this or was involved. Furthermore, the “adults”, if they are in chinuch or otherwise work for the klal, should be fired. This is beyond horrific: how many of the boys who were duped are yesomim, or have very ill relatives? Can you imagine how they felt? How many were and are still traumatized?
If I had MY son in that camp, I’d have pulled him out. The Director should also be gone. Thank you for bringing this to our attention; even though I don’t know the camp, I’m sure plenty of YWN readers do. I hope you will pressure this camp to make huge changes…in case they open next summer. They deserve not to.
Guess what, bochurim can do pretty crazy things.Didn’t we all?
Is this the best way to deal with it? By giving it more exposure?
Surely they will come to regret their actions. But is it right to publicly put them out there and ruin their prospects going forward?
I think whoever thought of this is a creative genius. They used a lo yehudi to help them. Everyone should just relax.
The one who wrote this letter and TheYeshivaWorld are just as guilty for spreading this. Not everything should be published.
Some of the boys were trying to withhold smiles from the beginning. They weren’t shocked when he came out.
Amazing
So the response is to allow a forum to knock other jews??
Hilchos Lashon Harah applies even if they are wrong. Even if this is a bizayon to a sacred Minhag in Klal Yisroel, Loshon Harah and being Mekraig on Klal Yisroel is infinitely worse.
The Bais Hamikdash wasn’t destroyed because of silly pranks on minhagim……..
I’m not saying it correct. I’m saying, your losing the forest for the trees.
Your comment won’t be accepted by them, so what do you accomplish other than making your self feel superior?
Very true, myopionionis
I love how we hide behind hilchos lashon hara to condone every disgusting thing.
No. This video was widely disseminated wo yeshiva world.
Did you ask your rav if it’s lashon hara to post/comment on it?
Is there toeles perhaps in posting it?
Haw many times does the chafetz Chaim have to write that lh is mutar and perhaps even mechuyav when there is toeles involved before it enters your collective conscience.(learn the halachos well before acting on the heter of toeles) as the cc says when discussing the heter of speaking lh on baalay machlokes
ואף שיראותי להעתיק דבר זה מפני בעלי הלשון שכשישמעו דבר זה וכו’ מ”מ העתקתיו וכמאמר הכתוב כי ישרים דרכי ה הצדיקים ילכו בם ופשעים יכשלו בם.
If the best defense that you can come up with for this disgusting travesty is that it is LH to post it that is the biggest proof that it is actually quite disgusting
Am I the only one who actually was stifling giggles? It is pretty funny. Albeit in a vulgar genre kinda way but actually REALLY funny if you’re looking for a really creative different style.
Relax guys. At least this kid got to jump out. Most don’t.
A couple of months ago our family made a real levaya for a close relative, but even without that as a factor I strongly believe that a “fake levaya” is not appropriate.
That said, I wish the letter writer and site administrator had made their (IMO very valid) point without posting the video. While it’s true seeing it drives the point home more than just saying it, the fact that participants are recognizable concerns me. I’m not a rov, but publicizing those who had this lapse in judgement seems like LH to me, and it’s now available for all to see forever.
maybe its Tchiess Hamiesim already bh
So this is Colorwar 20………..
niht giferlech, bunch of lieidig gyers
Why did the guy pop out without a shirt? They could’ve provided him with a cooling vest, and water. The crying was so fake and you kind of knew something was already weird. Also its odd to put the coffin down.
I think the sad part is less about the skit and more about the location. It looks like there are kvarim in the distance.
To make a skit in bad taste is one thing…..but near kvarim? Are you crazy?
To the Lashon Hara niks
We don’t know anything about the bachurim so how is it lashon hara?
I find it rather amusing that the individual behind this oh-so-critical post may have inadvertently showcased their talent for causing more chaos than clarity. Let’s take a moment to marvel at the fact that it’s currently late August – a period when this video could’ve been casually lounging around the internet for a solid month or even more. Yet, lo and behold, it seems like a significant chunk of the population has only now stumbled upon it, and we can thank the glowing beacon of judgment that is this post for that newfound attention.
Now, onto the video’s content – a colorwar breakout prank, meticulously tailored for the teenage crowd. If, and only if, it had been aimed at children, one might perhaps be forgiven for raising an eyebrow. But let’s be crystal clear here: it was nothing more than a light-hearted prank. From what I’ve gathered, it didn’t send anyone running to their therapist’s office, nor did it cause any genuine distress.
So, in the grand scheme of things, what have we got here? A critical comment that seems to have set off a chain reaction of unwarranted chaos, much like a bull in a china shop. It’s almost comical how this post may have single-handedly manufactured a tempest in a teapot around a video that, for all intents and purposes, is about as harmful as a fluffy kitten. If I might impart some advice, let’s all take a moment to reflect on the virtue of discretion when airing our opinions online – especially when our targets are creations that, by all appearances, are as innocuous as they come and cater to a very specific audience.
Much more innocent that the many bochurim right now viewing unfiltered content on smartphones, tablets, & at your public library. Content that will damage their minds & future marriages. Let the bochurim keep busy with this naarishkeit & stay away from the eye poison lurking everywhere they turn.
It’s obvious it was a prank, the boys were smiling and laughing.
I think it’s much better that YWN pushed the poison death shot during the Shekerona and censored other views warning about it’s danger, making sure hundreds of real people ended up in coffins permanently!
I happen to know the head of this camp, there was NO ACTUAL COLOR WAR!! It as just to have fun. I happen to think it crossed all lines. But if you know who he is, he’s very crazy. I was not surprised when I saw this.
I cringed when that bachur said “different league”. classic Lakewood kid line.
I also know the boy facing the camera nebach hes on display.
btw I heard from someone who heard from the head of this camp (which only has 20 Bachrim grand total) that he loves the fact that its hock, the more neg att. we give him, the more he’ll do it next year. Im curious what he has in stock
אללללללללללללוווווווווווווווווווווווללללללללללללללללללללל!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel very sorry for the people out there who
HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s unfortunate, I see many adults today who take everything too seriously and it’s really affecting their children. It’s time to lighten up and have some fun. If you find yourself shaking your head disappointedly when you watch such a video then it’s time for some serious introspection….
It’s very unfortunate that there are so many people living sad and lonely lives without a sense of humor. I feel very strongly that such a lack comes really stems from severe digestive issues. Ingesting ground flaxseed or drinking 8 cups of water a day can really help move your system along. Once your issues are resolved you will find that your whole perspective on humor will change and you may start suddenly finding things funny. Hatzlacha in your endeavors!!
@Beast of a dude
I know him too, he is great guy and very funny. I would not call him “vary crazy” though.
and seems like you are one of the anti lakewood ppl. Where on earth does that come into this discussion?? Are we talking abt a levaya or abt Lakewood kids?! And i happen to know that most of the kids in the camp were NOT from Lakewood. Just a few were. So relax.
I think it is a panic!!! it is soooooooooooooo funny! nothing bad happened and it was not an unzerer in der ariyn so the is no superstition either. An inncoent prank! I think it is super funny!
thanks forr post
I find it interesting that the comments are stacked in such a manner that all the negative/critical comments comments are on top with the positive comments and the violent calling this am overreaction on the bottom.
Is that a moderator thing, or do the more open minded people get off work later?
30 years ago, I immigrated into this country. The first thing that I noticed was the superficiality that was evident in the American Orthodoxy. Over the years, I have blamed it to the superficial culture of the American Esav. There is no depth!!! 30 years later, when I have matured more, I think something else in addition: Unfortunately, our leaders focused too much on Yeshivesh Narishkaid rather than truly requiring us to be G-d fearing Jews, sticking to Mesorah, rather than a newly created culture. I still can not get over the fact that Purim which is holier than YK, has turned into CVS’ a joke! May Hashem Help all of us to learn and do TESHVA NOW!
How about the Lag B’Omer parade in Crown Heights — large crowd waving moshiach flags and parade floats going by and suddenly a pickup truck drives by with an aron on top, and then an aron flies open with a man jumping out and then the music erupts in Sheyiboneh Beis Hamikdash….