Cedarhurst, NY – A loose coalition of community activists, lawmakers and government officials are working together to get an explicit billboard on Rockaway Turnpike taken down. The billboard belongs to a ‘gentleman’s club’ and is part of a new advertising campaign.
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Lenore Davis, an estate attorney and the owner of thefivetowns.com, is leading the community effort. She collected more than 50 signatures on a petition against the billboard in less than two days. She maintains that the sign’s location next to, in her words, a family-oriented Orthodox Jewish population, makes its explicitness almost illegal.
“The argument should at least be brought that this billboard is tantamount to saying fire in a movie theatre,” Davis told The Jewish Star.
If the billboard is not removed, Davis said, she would consider other ways to persuade the owner to do so, such as videotaping patrons entering the club and posting the videos on Youtube.
Jeff Toback, who represents the seventh legislative district, said that his office has been waiting for a response from the New York City Buildings Department to examine whether the billboard received initial approval. If the billboard had been approved, Toback said, he would challenge the legality of it in court.
“The first amendment says you have the right to free-speech, but commercial free speech can be regulated,” Toback explained. “The issue for the judge to determine is that [since] commercial speech can be regulated, does this rise to the level that it should be regulated?”
Donovan Richards, the district manager for Councilman James Sanders, said that Sanders was prepared to stage protests in front of the store if the billboard was not taken down. He said that members of Sanders’ staff had already been to the club to locate the owners but were unsuccessful.
He maintained that the fight needed to be “won on the ground” through community action and that any added media attention would help persuade the store to give up the advertising campaign.
“We found a lot of people who attend those places don’t like to be seen,” Richards said.
However, the billboard has been a cause of insight for some.
“Sometimes we need reminders in the comfortable area in the Five Towns that we’re still in galus,” Davis said. “This is G-d’s way of reminding us, especially after Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, that we always have to protect ourselves and keep guard against all the material and disgusting intrusions that want to infiltrate our lives.”
Although it is not a nice thing to have such a billboard , I wish that there would be more of an effort on the tznius and pritzus and smuttz that goes on in the 5 towns itself not a couple of miles away on the highway. ( the comitee is probably jealous that they or their partner doesn’t look like the billboard)
It worked on the BQE… H&M removed a huge untzniousdig poster, why wouldn’t it work in the 5 towns?
get thier phone number and email and jut bombard them with calls and emails till they stop
I saw this billboard on friday we were stuck in traffic with all my children in the car. I couldn’t believe they would allow this to be put up. I didn’t even know how to explain it to my children. Our world is really demoralizing we need major help for our future generations!!!!!
The sign is enormous, and fully lit. Think Times Square circa 1980. There is no way it cannot be noticed. And at night, the signs are visible for quite some distance. Making matters worse, there’s a long red light at the intersection, and generally backed up traffic, so you can’t even get away.
The establishment, though people know it’s there, has gone virtually unnoticed for as long as I can recall. The signs were small and inconspicuous. Were it not for these outrageous signs, chances are it would have remained as such for the next 100 years. Maybe they wanted to drum up business. I hope it backfires. Greedy!!
how about posting a pic of the billboard so that we can see what the hullabaloo is all about?
well Rabbi Horowitz of Monsey decided that kids go off the derech because they dont learn english….. and someone else decided because of poverty….. and that its mostly chassidish boys, not the modern ones or the litfishe – all baloney – they go off the derech because this world is full of smut – billboards are the biggest proof – and sorry Rabbi Horowitz when a kids or teenagers mind is full of smut, no money in the world and no english lessons and KAL VECHOMER any torah thougts would get absorbed in such a head, so stop blaming it on money and english.
And going of the derech are kids from ALL WALKS OF JUDAISM modern, litfish chassidish, the yetzer hora dosent target on black hats he is everywhere – but when its a chassidish boy it has more of an impact and insult to his family and community, but its EVERYWHERE.
They should just threaten that Five Town residents will boycot the club and the club will take down the advertisement.
It seems that they have learned something good from their williamsburg friends, namely: don’t be ashamed to speak out!
This billboard is so prust and revealing that it really is illegal. I dont want to see any posts stating that ,”were in galus ignore it”. I can guarantee you that you will not find a billboard to this revealing extent even in NYC. It is embarassing to where we have fallen that it took this long to work on getting it down. IT should not have been up for more them 24 hours. Forget that fact that we are religious jews, the average non jewish poulation is even astounded by the chutzpa of this owner to put up such a billboard. MR. OWNER, TAKE THAT BOARD DOWN !
if the williamsburg askonim would hire the lawrence askoonim they wont have all the outcry chilul hashem.. keep your eyes to yourself.. we are in golus .. and many more selfhating comments
I agree with # 10
kudos to the people who are working on this. I know one such person, who is a busy shadchan, shkoyach to her!
I am glad that this is the most important thing on people’s mind…….
Get over it people. We aren’t in the shtetl. Don’t make this another Victoria secret issue.
I live and work here and do not know what you are talking about when you say the residents are prust like the sign. They are not. That sign is over the top. No-one here commented vehemently when they opened the place (we do not use it but if other people from outside the kehillos want then OK), but now it is “in your face” and now so easy to avert one’s eyes or that of children. The neighbors say it is frequented by JFK and airline personnel.
I can must assume that many above negative comments (e.g. like can you post the billboard) are from people who have serious issues and you need a lot more mussar and start davening slower so you will know the meaning of the words you speak. Why do you even read this blog????
I agree with the post that the people of the 5 Towns (myself and my family included) need to work on the tznius. While the billboard is disgusting and “shocks the senses”, subtle untznius activities in the 5 Towns, such as skirts getting shorter on all the ex-flatbush and queens girls, and a little more hair coming out from under the almost non-existant fall that passes as a head covering are also issues that should be addressed. Not to mention all the couples fratenizing incessantly on Central Avenue. I know people may be up in arms over this post, but these are real issues and need to be addressed.
Here’s a suggestion…….Don’t Look!
which company owns the billboard
GOLUS GOLUS THE NEXT MABIL WILL COME IN AMERICA WE NEED TO DO TSUVA IN TIME
“Poor Taste” and “Illegal” are two very different concepts.
Please learn the difference.
I just went to Thefivetowns.com…………………..Theres a picture of a woman in a swimming pool that some of you would find objectionable…………so its all relative -and theyre definitely not catering to our community so you have no right to force them to take that sign down ………………….are you gonna boycott the place? Just calm down and politely ask them to take the sign down
The billboard is huge, lit up, and impossible not to see as it directly faces traffic which must go in that direction, and is often stuck at a light.
As for the vicious and ludicrous comments about the Five Towns, get help! You are disturbed.
By the way, this billboard also is seen by not only the tens of thousands of nice, frum tzanua people in that area (and like any other area they are a few rebels in the area) but also by those who live in Far Rockaway and Bayswater and surrounding areas, because this is the main boulevard and essentiallty the only access road to that whole region.
I live in the 5T and have seen the sign. It is obscene.
Do we have to work on our tznius, YES.
But what does that have to do with our children’s eyes and minds. I’m not just worried about my sons, what does it show our daughters when women are treated in such a degrading manner. I do not think this is the PEDESTAL we put our wives and mothers on.
BTW, commenter 18 – Victoria’s Secret was run out of the UPPER WEST SIDE by MO and YUPPY women, not by the Frummies. Google it, and you’ll see.
When it was an issue in the 5T, one RAV said IN PUBLIC AT A DRASHA
” there is nothing wrong with a woman looking and dressing attractively for her husband, BUT THE WHOLE WORLD DOESN’T HAVE TO KNOW IT TOO!”
Do you keep you bedroom door open???
Do ex-frummies patronize these establishments, or are they to busy going on blogs to call people names? If you took the guy’s statement out of context – it would imply that he had indeed been “there”
this sign is terrible. we need to band together as a community call the establishnemts, call city councilman james sanders call the queens boro presidents office call call call. we need to show we care and hopefully we can make a difference
I agree with those who don’t want it there… politely ask for a new location.
But I will say this, there used to be an strip joint on Route 59 in the heart of Monsey – T&A’s. No, I didn’t go in. It had a bus stop outside. As a joke, I wanted to snap a picture of the Chassdim waiting for the bus. For an outsider, it looked like they waiting for the bus after having a visit. I got this idea from my friend. When he was in yeshiva, he snapped a picture of his rebbe coming out of a Burger King. No, the rebber CV wasn’t eating treif. They were on a class trip and it was the only place with an open bathroom. But they had fun with it for awhile.
Seriously, polite calls to the appropriate people will get this removed.
I pass through that area everyday and never noticed anything. I keep my eyes on the road and not at billboards. But this does explain the unexpected traffic the last few days and why yidden were fixing their hoods. I never saw so many heimishe people with car problems.
The billboard is of a woman with no clothing on except for two thin pieces of black tape, one on top one on the bottom
It seems that after reading this string of comments, there was some confusion about the severity of this disgusting ad – hence the graphic explanation.
With a clothing ad you can explain to your children that we don’t dress this way, but how do you explain this ad?
If wonder if the same people who are offended by the obscene sign on Rockaway Tpke and the affect it has on their children and their neighborhood, show the same amount of sensitivity toward the residents of Geula and Mea Shearim when they prance through those neighborhoods when they visit Eretz Yisrael…!?!? Life is a 2 way street.
I used to work in Far Rockaway & drove past this dump every day. Like an earlier poster said, we knew it was there but it was discreet.
I drove past last week. It is really horrible, leaves nothing to the imagination. I am not a child & I was offended & shocked. The club wants it up because it’s good publicity. This fight, & especially a demo outside, will be AMAZING publicity.
In WB & CH I saw bus ads far less offensive that were spray painted. I’m suprised that no one poured black paint over it so far.
The club could display the woman, but clothed. I am sure everyone gets the message by the title “gentleman’s club.” Some “gentlemen.” Who owns the club anyway? G-d forbid a Yid. Who owns the property? Why don’t you locals go after the landlord? Surely he has some say.
To poster #30
Maybe I do keep my door open, maybe I don’t. But the issue was with kids passing by the store and staring at the mannequins in the window. My issue was the mannequins didn’t have heads. No one is going to look at that and feel all giglly inside. We have to stop sheltering our kids to think that we can control everything. Chilul Hashems occur every day in the 5 Towns by us and we do nothing to correct it, instead we take on every battle except our own.
The bigger the yarmulkeand the longer the skirt dosen’t mean we are frum.
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I’m a BY girl who went to all the typical schools. I have friends in all crowds and I have seen all levels of Tznius. I have been to Geula and I have seen the seminary girs. THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE TWO CAN BE COMPARED! I unfortunately have passed by this sign, and as it is new and unexpected, I saw it. IT IS FOR NOONE TO SEE! no child, teenager, or adult- male or female, jewish or other, should be exposed to such things! and we must do wtvr is on our power to take it down! its not a religious issue, its an issue of morality! and if the government can legalize other immoral/moral things, then they can have a say in this too!we are in golus, but we must do all we can to keep the kedusha! in the zchus of those working hard to take the sign down, we should be zoche to a geulah shleimah bkarov!!
“…its not a religious issue, its an issue of morality!…” YOU ARE CORRRECT AND THAT IS #50 ’S POINT. IF THE RESIDENTS OF THE 5 TOWNS DEEM THE SIGN TO BE OFFENSIVE AND IMMORAL THEY CAN DEMAND THE SIGN BE TAKEN DOWN. SIMILARLY, THE RESIDENTS OF GEULA AND MEA SHEARIM HAVE A RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT PEOPLE WHO ENTER THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD DRESS TO THEIR MORAL STANDARDS. TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THOSE THAT ARE APPROACHED BECAUSE THEY ARE DRESSED IN A WAY THAT IS OFFENSIVE TO THE LOCAL RESIDENTS, THEY DISMISS THE FEELINGS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BASICALLY SAY I DONT CARE.
Calls to the club have npt been returned – as per The Jewish Star. A few politicians are getting involved!
Councilman James Sanders Jr.
&
Nassau County Legislator Jeffrey toback, 7th LD
Urges the Community to Attend an
“Emergency Meeting”
Lets fight for the Removal of the offensive billboards placed by the platinum club
On Rockaway Boulevard
Date: Monday, December 1, 2008
Time: 7:00PM
Location: the White Shul
728 empire Avenue
Far Rockaway, NY 11691
For Further Information Contact:
(718) 527-4356 or (718) 471-7014
Come out and voice your concerns!!!