Brooklyn, NY – When Daniel and Beth Teitelbaum moved to their home on Avenue T and East 63rd in Brooklyn’s Mill Basin section six years ago they continued a family tradition begun in their previous home. Now the couple and their children, Ariel, 15, a student at Shulamith High School and Benny, 8, who attends Yeshiva of Belle Harbor, are used to seeing cars stop short outside to take in the unusual sight of a home extensively lit to announce the miracle of Chanukah to the world.
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Last year’s display was dedicated to Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg and the other victims of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Daniel Teitelbaum said some of the family’s Jewish neighbors seem to have responded to the elaborate holiday display; in recent years several have begun to place a menorah in their own front windows.
Many years Teitelbaum begins thinking about Chanukah during the summer, he said. The mostly handmade decorations include a sign wishing passersby a “Chanukah Sameach,” giant dreidels, a five-foot high menorah; even a projector beaming a Chanukah image below the roofline.
Now we gonna hear from VIN gadolim that this is too goyishe and imitating Christmas. This is not a bad idea at all. Hanukeh is a festival of lights, so why not decorate your home with colorful lights?
Chukas goyim
actually “festival of lights” IS goyish. one is supposed to use oil wicks and fire but I guess that wouldn’t work out to well for them… I like the Christmas lights though
Big problem its NOT chanuka yet!!!
Great kiddush hashem
This is really PIRSIMHA NISAH.. Big time!!!!
Or did anyone forget?? Of course this is a good thing. For those who think lights are goyish,, just remember that is YOUR opinion. The Teitelbaums are entitled to their opinions too. ,, I made the Teitelbaum’s shidduch,, That goes back 16 years ago,, and I am so happy that Briendy and Danny are finally getting recognized for what they have been doing, for forever. Not being afraid of being Frum Jews in the secular world. How many times secularized Yidden come to them, and start to show an interest because of that house,, its incredible. Danny works for the immigration office,, (ICE) in the airport, and is continuously being Mekadesh Shem Shamayim with the wonderful way he acts, and sets examples in ways that most of us will never have the opportunity to accomplish.
If this turns on jews to yiddishkeit , then its fine with me
Harmless. If they enjoy it why not? But to me it seems like they’re following the way of the goyim. I did see a large inflated draidel on a lawn in the 5 towns the other day.
Gr8 Pirsumai Nisa!
keep it up!!!!!!!!!!
What a beautiful way of performing pirsumei denisa, not to mention this family’s pride in being Jewish and keeping Chanuka! I think Almighty loves this family’s way of expressing their Chanuka!
that’s the way to do it there is a reason why chazal tells us to like by the window not like some cowereds that hide it indoors, this is not like the time when they used to stone us for having a menorah, so why not show it all how beautiful our holiday is and to show all that it is chanukka so grow up and stop calling every tree and every light xmas or chukas hagoyem witch are based on ur own made up logic and no proof of it being usser anywhere, happy chanukka to all of us at vin
I like. I would love to decorate my apartment in KJ with these light. Yum
CHODOSH ASSUR MIN HATORAH!
nice but it’s small compared to the Menora House in Baltimore on the corner of Park Hieghts and Strathmore.
goyish?? not at all!!!! here in floria you see lots of people with inflated menorahs, dreidels ect…. and all chabad houses havemenorahs!!!
persuma nisa!!!thank you teitelbaums i will do this year the same
reply to #2 and #3
the internet is chukas goyim too! so get off your high horse and stop following in the cynical ways of amalek
“Eh! What did chazal know about torah and yiddishkeit.”
You are wrong!! Many of the chazal were as knowledgeable about torah and yiddeshkeit as any of the great chabad rabbonim of the modern era. Indeed, many litvashe yidden will accept the views of chazal as equal to or superior of chabad’s gadolim, even though they lived in a much earlier period and could not anticipate modern technology.
Just 1 little question maybe the lights that chasidim put on every time their rebbe makes a simcha is not chukas hagoy?
A freilichen chanuka for gantz klal yisrael!
I am no posek but i can’t see why this is not an issur d’oiraysa of chukas hagoyim. We all know that even on Shavuos we have to refrain from putting ”trees” in shul because its chukas hagoyim. I hope they asked a Rav, however I cant imagine there is a Rav that would be matir this.
As long the lights are not fully collared it’s not goyish! Its white and blue representing the state of Israel which I don’t support at all…
I have a general question: since when is there a Mitzva of Pirsum Hanes to Goyim? The Mitzva of Pirsum Hanes is only to other Yiden! So if the Teitelbaums have mostly Non-jewish neighbors they hav no Inyan of lighting up. Then it seems to be only to copy the goyim.
stunning! can’t wait to drive my kids past this house! thanks!!! it sure beats the snow globes with reindeers and its nothing like dreidels hanging off some evergreens…
(bashing is the darkness. pirsum haness is the Light!)
They should eat matzah and morer and shokel lulav and esrog for 3 months each. Chanuka is 8 days lighting the menorah that’s it end of story. What a shonda.
they are not putting up the lights in place of a menorah, just they are happy for a happy holiday
Geez for people who emulate Goyish dress wear with the long black coats and strameils, who do you think started wearing such cloths GOYIM. It was not a Yiddish invention
Baltimore has a much bigger display
Was a RUV/POSEK consulted? One should not decide on his own what to do.
Disgusting!!! Mir darfen nisht tanztin nuch de goyim!!! The only difference between those lights and the Xmas lights are the dreidels. Yes we have the mitzvah of pirsumei nisah but it’s supposed to be done in a more tzniusdick fashion–not an in your face fashion. Besides the mitzvah of pirsumei nisah is only on Chanukah–not during the whole “holiday” season My opinion is that both Shulamith and the Yeshiva of Belle Harbor should speak to the family and show them why this is not our way of pirsumei nisah.
I’m glad all of you great torah experts have an opinion as to the right and wrong of what this family is doing to express their pride in being Jewish. My opinion is simple…the display is great..I’ve seen it before and enjoy seeing it each year…the families desire to show their pride is wonderful and I will try my best to show my grandchild the display since she is always in wonder at the lights gentiles put up to show their pride and to celebrate their holiday.
Who cares!!!!!!!!!!! let them do what they want!
if i lived in a private house instead of an apartment i would have my place blinking and glowing for chanukah.
chanukah is NOT only for stuffing oneself on greasy latkes and oily donuts. No good reason out there why we shouldnt enjoy the lights and decorations.
Matter of fact, in Manhattan many of the buildings have lights on their trees throughout the winter. They are not for XMAS, they are just winter lights to take away some of the cold and gloom of the shorter days of less sunshine.
Learn to enjoy instead of being so critical.
oh yeah, i’m going ther enext week to see it
Can’t wait to take my son there! He’s always commenting on how nice the xmas decorations are. There is nothing wrong with decorating for our Yom Tov and creating a little simchas yom tov for the kids…..
Stop, Let’s Love one another NOW
I happen to know them both. They seem like extremely nice people. I have been living in Mill Basin for the last five years myself and really give them props for doing this.