By COLlive reporter
It’s either the Rebbe or the internet.
Chabad bochurim who will be traveling to be spending the month of Tishrei in New York won’t be allowed to use a smartphone with internet access.
The decision was made by the Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim organization, which supervises their stay in New York, along with the hanhalos of Chabad Yeshivos in Israel, Kfar Chabad Magazine reported.
Bochurim, who pay for their own flights, will be required to agree to this rule when they sign up to be included in the learning arrangements, eating and sleeping accommodations of the Vaad.
“This clause in the terms of the Vaad was entered upon consultation with the hanhalos of the Yeshivos,” said Rabbi Mendel Kanelsky, Director of the Vaad’s activities in Israel.
He said the decision was made “following the lessons of the past, and because the SIM cards in New York aren’t compatible with the protected regular phones.”
Rabbi Kanelsky said the Vaad has purchased a large number of devices that will be usable in the United States but will be blocked from internet access.
The regular phones will be available for purchase when the bochurim arrive in New York.
“We are making sure that as part of the spiritual aspect, there will be organized learning and adherence to the times, as the Rebbe instructed,” Rabbi Tzvi Altein, chairman of the Vaad, told Kfar Chabad Magazine.
Can’t wait for that special day, when the current Hanhalei Yeshivos take their buried heads out of the sand.
Does anyone today, just not want to acknowledge the black market operating in every (good) Yeshiva today, where any/every bochur can/does purchase an full featured, unfiltered smartphone complete with unlimited service? That’s right parents! Either you know about it, or don’t know about. The facts remain the same.
Now how about a realistic and practical way to deal with it?
-PH
They shouldnt be allowed.
No, seriously. Do you have any suggestions of realistic and practical ways to deal with it? Because, as you say, its a real problem!
Maybe they shouldn’t come to NY if you can’t trust them while they are unsupervised
There is a solution! By withholding smartphones completely, bochruim who use it for good, either learning, calling home, or mivtzoyim suffer. If there is a Mashkon one wishes to pay to have a phone that can be one solution. The ultimate solution is to educate them what is on the internet and what can be bad about it, and how to use it. When it comes to smoking, driving, or owning a gun we educate our kids on how to treat these things, the good and the bad. Giving them a tool to help them navigate this will be the… Read more »
Why can’t they get a phone from tag
Whilst there is a problem with having internet access, this won’t work. It’s just like guns in the US. if you ban guns – the bad guys will still have. So too here, they should not be outlawing smartphones – those that want one will have one either way – but now without a filter/supervision. What they should be doing is having all the Bouchrim give in their smartphones – they’ll make sure they have filters, and they should give it in during Sedorim. On a second note, everyone knows that filters are not the best, and that there’s always… Read more »
Always looking for good apps for m my kids phones. Will check these out…
“Tishri guests in New York aren’t allowed smartphones” – but you can bet that won’t stop anyone
Number one said it. Anyone that wants one will have one whether that’s in yeshiva at home or by the rebbe for Tishri for that mattter. And nobody can stop them. Anyone that thinks they can is living in the clouds
The truth is “trying to stop them” is an awfully useless outdated approach
Time to find a new way to deal with this challenge
Good luck to all those involved
And you believe this. Ever hear of having 2 phones 1 kosher 1 not so kosher. Hello wake up and smell the coffee burning LOL
True, people can have two phones.
We can’t control people.
It will safeguard only some.
At least the organization has a standard.
I wish camps and schools did the same.
This is such a great thing. Yes, of course they know this will not prevent every Bochur from having a smartphone – they aren’t stupid. A – this will certainly keep a percentage of Bochurim more focused during this Ruchniesdike time and that’s amazing. B – it’s setting a standard – am expectation however Bochurim decide to conduct themselves they should know that the ‘standard’ is to not have a smartphone it shouldn’t be ignored because “it’s anyways not going to work” this is not to rid them of all smartphone. This is to announce that during Tishrei- time with… Read more »
the article isn’t saying about blocking inappropriate things, it’s talking about the bochurim wasting their time on their phones on the internet.
There are ways for one to avoid being exposed to connecting and destroying ones mind through the internet. First of all bochurim don’t need smartphones. They can use kosher phones. Business people can filter through TAG in whatever level they need to. The real danger of the internet is people being exposed to atheism. I have met chassidim with streimels who became atheists but still dress Chassidish. I asked them what happened. They told me that years ago you had to go to college to learn atheism and evolution. Now they picked it up on the internet. Some people who… Read more »