Jerusalem – A several years old forged letter calling for mechitzas on Lakewood/Brooklyn bus routes has been circulating in recent days, this time with the additional signatures of two respected well known Israeli poskim.
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Leaders at Beis Medrash Govoha told VIN News that the previously published letter, which calls for increased vigilance in gender separation on the popular bus route, was written several years ago by a group of Monsey activists, who copied and pasted their message onto yeshiva stationery.
The original letter, purportedly signed by four prominent Lakewood rabbonim, urged busses serving the Lakewood/Brooklyn route to be outfitted with mechitzas in an effort to preserve “kedushas hamachane.”
According to people in Israel with knowledge of the letter noted that both the original letter and the updated version were cut and pasted onto the yeshiva’s letterhead without permission, a false and improper use of the Beis Medrash Govoha name.
The signatures of Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rabbi Yeruchem Olshim, Rabbi Dovid Schustal, Rabbi Yisroel Neuman and Rabbi Matisyahu Solomon on the original letter, as well as those of Rav Aryeh Leib Shteinman and Rav Chaim Kanievsky on the updated letter, were all unauthorized.
The undated letter, which bears no date, ran today on Israeli website B’Charedi Chareidim and several other Israeli news sites, saying that today’s turbulent times require additional stringencies to maintain the purity of klal yisroel and says that as a city of Torah, built through mesiras nefesh of great rabbonim, Lakewood residents are obligated to exercise strict cautionary measures.
“Therefore our request is being sent to all those who travel on busses that serve our community to guard the holiness of our city by ensuring a separation between men and women by having a curtain acting as a mechitza between men and women. In the merit of this extra effort to maintain the holiness and purity of our camp, we will merit all of the blessings that were promised to those who guard the holiness of klal yisroel.”
A Monsey Trails spokesperson confirmed that there is currently no mechitza in place on the Lakewood/Brooklyn route which operates over three dozen busses each week between Flatbush, Borough Park and Lakewood and that as of now, there are no plans to put up any curtains to separate men and women.
“There are a lot of things involved here,” Sruly Goldberg of Monsey Trails told VIN News. “It’s not just having a mechitza.”
Goldberg declined to discuss the intricacies involved in installing the dividers, saying that it was a topic for a much lengthier conversation.
Monsey Trails was sued recently by a woman who alleged that the Chasidic owned bus company refuses to hire women drivers, as reported by the New York Post. Goldberg denied the charges, saying that Staten Island bus driver Diana Luckey had ulterior motives for filing the suit.
“It’s very simple,” said Goldberg. “She applied for an office job. We didn’t hire her for whatever reason and she decided that since we don’t have any women drivers she was going to get back at us that way.”
Goldberg said that Monsey Trails typically does not get female applicants for bus driver positions.
“We got one once, years ago,” said Goldberg. “Technically, if someone wants to be a driver, they could become one after they completed all of the necessary training.”
My chasdish yes chasidsha rabbeim rode to the city buses to yeshiva daily. Its so sad to watch the world become so crazy frum.
Lest al the commentors tell me oh when I grew up pritzus wasn’t so bad. Oh please I am not that old and then just as now ladies wore short tight pants sleevless ect.. in the summer. Women’s attire did not change so much in the past 20 years. You can argue that the internet is more pretzuis but the dress codes have not changed much. Yet we all took city buses. Today if you chalila cathc a chasidasha yungerman on the city bus oh vey!
Mishiga velt!
Why would Israeli paper making claims that are for Lakewood and Monsey.
And so are many other letters signed by Rabbonim……
This letter is real
Making Mechitzas help abuses on the right side of the mechitza on bus. Someone told me this happened on a heimishe bus to him, he was too young to get the full picture. Men, buy some glasses with contact paper that protect your eyes. Ive seen one in Israel.Others who depend on glasses can remove them. Dont go imposing on everyone else because your mind needs the protection. Ladies, be much sensitive and carry a shawl to cover the knee in such places. Taken care of. Done
There are crazy ppl out there & alot of very bored ppl!! A whole day new “frumkeitin” !! For those that are soooooo frum take a cab where ever you wana go. Oh & go live in a cabin in woods where there is no “pritzus”
I can understand having a mechitza if there will be davening on the bus, such as Shacharis for the morning commute. But, when there is no davening – then no mechitza should be imposed. If I am travelling with my son or husband I would want to sit next to him, nothing wrong with that.
I’ve never understood buses where the women have to go thru the men to get to the back of the bus. I prefer the side to side separation. Also please in this heat turn up the Ac so the sweat don’t smell so bad.. Thank you
When you have no self esteem and believe that Hashem hates you, you begin looking for ways to redeem yourself in your own eyes, with the mistake being that Hashem must therefore view you in this way as well. very sad. Rebbe Nachman stressed that one must always search for the good in themselves, this is our purpose, to judge ourselves and others Lcaf zchos.
there is a general feeling and acceptance that ‘frummer is better’ which really means looking like you have a connection to G-d is equal to actually being a G-d fearing person. But it is obvious that the very frum people who put out such lies (me dvar sheker terchak) are not very G-d fearing nor observant on the inside.
If the bus serves BMG talmidim they should make sure to allow smoking. Every simcha I have been to where there was a BMG contingent, they were always outside puffing away the whole time.
What ever happened to the “Sefer”? My mashpia always would encourage us to take along a Sefer so our eyes would look at the right places. A tehillim or “Chitas” work fine, “Dad yomi” for those doing it works wonders as well!
I’ve traveled on the monsey trails on buses with and without a mechitzah and I find traveling without one to be much more pleasant. The aisle on the bus is narrow and if there is a curtain you can’t see if someone is walking down the aisle on the other side and you end up brushing or banging against them as you walk, which is quite uncomfortable. For everyone who is trying to be so frum with their shmiras einayim they’re creating other problems which may be worse. I’ve seen the curtain only put up for davening and then removed which is very appropriate.
the plural of the mode of transportation is “buses”, not “busses”. “Busses” is plural for kisses. If it’s a mechitzah bus, then there won’t be any busses.
what’s next segregated MTA busses and trains – we do not live in a commune – we are in the real world – one has to be able to have the emunah to deal with the real world.
What has happened to the yiddeshe world – Have we become weaker !!!!!