Slaotsburg, NY — Every summer there's an interesting sight on the New York State Thruway: dozens of men gathering to pray on public property in Sloatsburg.
Which leads some to wonder, Is there more than meets the eye? And why are state officials concerned?
Prayer Gathering On Thruway Concerns Officials
Slaotsburg, NY — Every summer there’s an interesting sight on the New York State Thruway: dozens of men gathering to pray on public property in Sloatsburg.
Which leads some to wonder, Is there more than meets the eye? And why are state officials concerned?
CBS 2 HD went undercover in investigating these questions, and in the process found people at the gathering selling raffle tickets, while serving and eating food and often leaving behind a mess.
Ramesh Mehta, he New York Division Director for the Thruway Authority, was unhappy to learn what our undercover camera found at the Sloatsburg rest stop. “In my opinion, it should not be permitted,” Mehta said.
That’s because the activities have apparently been banned according to Thruway regulations.
Still, Sloatsburg is where every Thursday during the summer, Jewish men heading to the Catskills gather to pray in groups, as required by their religious law.
Years ago, they prayed right on the road near the exit for the Catskills, creating a danger. So in 1993 the state set aside a specific “meeting area” in Sloatsburg, and told the community it was strictly for prayer.
“This is the permission only — to do the prayers,” Mehta said.
A prayer area on public land might seem like a violation of church and state, but even the ACLU signed off on the Sloatsburg setup. That’s because the meeting area is actually open to all faiths even though right now it’s only used by Orthodox Jews.
But recent years have brought problems, with some of the gatherers selling items, collecting money, and serving food to those heading to the Catskills. The serving of food has drawn complaints from the fast food vendors who pay lots of money for space inside the rest area.
Warnings about improper activities have been passed along via Jewish Web sites.
“The Thruway Authority has been extra nice to give them this location,” said Judah Eckstein, an editor from TheYeshivaWorld.Com.
Eckstein posted his own warning for YeshivaWorld readers. “Be clean, do not leave a mess, keep the place clean and be thankful,” he said.
Not everyone is heeding the warning though.
“If there is a need to do some enforcement, we will put a trooper there also, but we cannot allow this activity to go on,” Mehta said.
The Thruway Authority hopes to avoid a confrontation by asking, again, for cooperation.
Akiva Shapero
If we would just keep it clean. But it looks to me that if the govt. put out more trash cans, problem would be solved.
Yid
OK ,
Total waste of time; the news has nothing better to talk about then a bunch of Jews eating on a rest stop; the guy in charge -some Indian- “does not like it”. The Chasidim will never buy from the vendor because they don’t serve kosher food.
All I think this shows is the organization of the Satmar community and how they help each other out.
Crown Heights should learn from them.
Please don’t tell me its “Illegal” because I bet your not so careful yourself
anon
its silly for the people that own the eateries inside to complain about the food being served to those who pray. they wouldnt eat the chazzer treif food sold inside anyways. but, they should clean up after themselves.
to Akiva Shapero
So the mess is the fault of the Government? Is walking the extra few feet to the nearest trash can really that hard?
shmichi
It is such a beautifull sight to see all differant kinds of Yidden from all differant walks of life getting together this is the spirit that will bring Moshiach. And the potato kugel isn;t bad either.
AB
this reminds me of the sukkos story – where the guy is given 9 days to take down his sukkah……. they should tell the NYS Thruway Authority that by Labor Day this will all be sorted out…..
David
We are not so perfect – this is our fault and they are 100% correct to complain. Let’s clean up our trash (people and garbage)!
Boruch benTzvi (A H) haKohaine Hoffinger
“That’s because the activities have apparently been banned according to Thruway regulations” Prayer gatherings are banned?
“…The serving of food has drawn complaints from the fast food vendors who pay lots of money for space inside the rest area…”
They know very well that observant Jews eat Kosher food.
Antisemitism. Whoever hates the Jews hates the Father.
I hope they lose a lot of business!
Been there myself. If it’s dirty, that’s wrong.
New York is a pigsty anyway and the government doesn’t enforce litter laws. Walk down Utica Avenue near President Street. You’re knee-high in litter.
Perhaps they should close down all the food establishment on Utica Avenue? I saw a ‘white’ eating a slice of pizza walking south on Utica Avenue. As he approached President Street he casually tossed a 8“ or 10” paper plate on the sidewalk. Filth breeds filth.
There was a trash can nearby.
I saw a city bus stop on Kingston Avenue right before Eastern Parkway. The driver opened his sliding window, and out flew a 10“ or 12” paper plate. I was surprised.
I witnessed, about 10 years ago,(Probably frequent) a police patrol car standing near Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and the driver tossed out an empty package of Marlboro cigarettes.
And the list goes on and on.
Unfair to execute selective ‘justice.’ Let the government ‘grow up’ and apply the laws to everyone equally. If there’s anything this violent and materialistic society needs it’s prayer!
Boruch benTzvi (A H) haKohaine Hoffinger
“a violation of church and state…”
This is a sham. Could any minority religion (Excluding the Protestants) ever take over this country?
Martians would land first before that ever happened.
So the ACLU and other ‘drugged’ organizations want to apply a statute wrongfully and with GRIEVOUS HARM (High tuition), that has other meanings.
It’s all a rebellion against G-d. It has nothing to do with “the separation clause.”
Anon
The people that own the eateries are complaining because they have to pay thousands of dollars per month to rent their space in the rest stop, and these cholent-sellers are not paying a dime to sell their stuff. In addition, it is a huge chillul Hashem to make such a spectacle.
Why can’t they daven mincha before leaving Brooklyn? There is no mitzvah to daven mincha by the side of the road at the last minute before dark.
some points
I have to mention somethings I noticed in the video.
1. The Garbage was in the trash can, it was just overflowing! so put out more garbage cans.
2. The people were selling raffle tickets, since when is that illegal? Maybe he was just giving Tzedaka, is that a crime on public property in America now?
3. Of course they serve food, there is no kosher food on the inside.
4. to Anon: Maybe they leave Brooklyn too early for Mincha, or they want to get a head start before traffic, this is no big deal for them to Daven here, it’s actually a beautiful sight.
o.t. bahchur 73-75. w.c.s
The press has field day reporting about
jews . they look to embelish , evry story . [esp. hasids &other orto jews ]
2nd the garbage ,were there hasids there is food . and woever put one can
shopuld have put 3 cans , if they r only picking up onece a day. but like the other post said it will all strighten out by labor day
Cholentfresser
Accordink to the SA (Shygetz Aross) simon Pay Tzaddik, it is OSSUR not to eat cholent both before and after Mincha every day. It goes on to explain the power of cholent in enabling the stomach to express itself, but I’ll spare the readers of this G rated site the details.
Derfar, if the highway authority bans the sale of cholent at the mincha stop, they are interfering with our hyliger avoide (mit an aleph).
chaim
imagine if they would make a report about the behavior of some jews during a flight, minyan in the middle of the aisles, making a scene about sitting next to a women chas vesholom etc., etc.
akrav
All the report could find were a few empty water bottles…. you can find more trash on any street in NYC… This report is a sham and I encourage everyone one here to WRITE to the following people and say how outraged you are by this biased investigation:
cgottlieb@cbs.com, sweinberger@cbs.com, kcole@cbs.com, rbamberger@cbs.com, epeake@cbs.com, dshelley@cbs.com
sdrfh
It looks really suspicious to see all that money changing hands. (All cash…) But, it’s just some shnorrer collecting money from people before they daven!
spoill it for the rest of us
Can somoeone please explain why we ALWAYS turn a courtesy into a Chillul Hashem.
Gershon Shapiro
Yes it’s a courtesy but realize they don’t & won’t sell kosher food inside so What is the alternative?? We must clean up after ourselves no question about it. If they really want to solve the food Problem than rent space to a kosher establishment accepted by all or install kosher vending machines with kosher snacks & ready made sandwiches already commercially produced as we see in the stores on a daily basis & while they’re at it make the prices on everything normal & reasonable.!