London – Yeshivah boys have been told not to go over the top with Purim celebrations on Sunday because of the recession.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
One source close to the rabbinate said: “They can have some Purim fun but they don’t want them to spend too much at a time when people are having to tighten their belts.”
Hiring open-air buses or horse and carriages – or having musicians playing on the back of vans – was considered too ostentatious by rabbis.
Don’t quite get this. Yes, there is recession. But historically we never enjoyed nowhere near as much liberty and prosperity as we do today. So why tone down on Purim now?
It is a big big big mistake to take this fun away from the Yeshiva Bochurim
If excitement is not in kedusha it will be elsewhere.
The issue obviously is to tone down the COST of the extravagances (like paying for open-air buses or horse and carriages). I’m sure if you owned an open top bus and were a band looking to enliven everyone, no one would have a problem with that. You can still have the excitement without the extravagance.
Great idea! Why don’t the American Rabbonim do the same? Mishpachos and Mosdos all in tremendous debt we can’t keep living like this