The following is an email that R’ Krigsman sent to parents of the Yeshiva regarding the Super Bowl. We understand this may not be for everybody, but an important and potent message we felt we should share.
“To our wonderful YKLI Parents,
As some of you may be aware, the Superbowl is quickly approaching. The Superbowl is the championship game for the professional football season, and for many, it has become an opportunity to watch, or even host, large get-togethers and celebrations. Sadly, this sends a clear unmistakable message to our children of what we value and hold dear. The fixation with the game and its players, which are lauded and idolized, often coupled with overindulgence of food, communicates what we consider important and enjoyable. This is not appropriate for our Torah hashkafa.
Even if someone did want to assuage his own desires engrained from his own childhood, and wished to watch the game, I urge you to do so on your own, without dragging your children into this obsession. Certainly don’t watch it with a large gathering. And it goes without saying that it must not be offered to other children and coordinated on Parent’s chats! In the past, parents have reached out to me with shock and dismay at the insensitivity of some parents towards those families who would never think of such
exposure. To be clear, we do not want exposure. To be clear, we do not want classes joining to watch the game.
If the goal is to bond with friends, please arrange a more appropriate activity. The same is true for family bonding time. There are so many healthy activities to engage in during that time that will build family bonds. It is important to instill a sense of pride in our children for using their time productively and not being dragged into the attractions of our prevalent society. In this way, they also won’t feel the peer pressure of being left out if they are the only ones not participating. If we are enthusiastic about it, our children will embrace this, if Please understand that we are constantly setting examples for our children. If they see us schedule our lives and get-togethers around a televised sports game, what message are we sending? Our parties and enjoyment should be centered around Shabbos, Yom tov, siyumim, or a Retzifus seder!
As always, feel free to reach out to me to discuss, should you so desire.
Looking forward to seeing our children shteig in Torah and Yiras Shomayim!”
B’Yedidus
Rabbi Tzvi Krigsman
The Super Bowl is a once a year event which engages people in sports. Maybe the halftime show should be tuned out but the message sent to children is how you formulate it.
Letters like this are actually part of why i am ok to send my kids to a chariedi school, i will be watching the game with my boys despite these major protests from their rebbiem, i feel that Teaching my kids how and when to ignore the dumb-ass pronouncements of clueless rabbis is an integral part of the chinuch I give them
Dude’s comment explains what’s wrong in our society. Whether you agree or disagree with Rabbi Kreigsman, he is a talmid chochom and an expert mechanech. To use nivul peh to denigrate his words is shameful. Set a better example.
@Sam I agree with you. Its for this reason kids like Dude’s will probably won’t be religious the fact he doesn’t say why the rabbi is clueless is degrading. The fun fact is people that love the Super Bowl have no meaning in their lives they are trying to fill a void. Then again the 5 towns have many issues in filling this void.
@6 Towner, with all due respect your statement, “Then again the 5 towns have many issues in filling this void.” is Loshon HaRah/Motzoei ShemRah on an entire community.
Oh my ! Can’t we all just get along . Was it really necessary to make any comments at all. All you accomplished was to get into a situation that brought you to expressing a bad feeling on a public forum. In hind sight don’t you feel like it was a gesture in futility. You like football you don’t like football, you like half time you don’t like half time. You want to watch chazak on zoom or not. Let’s bring them home is what should be on our lips and in our comments. Enjoy the game or not. AM YISRAEL CHAI.
I agree with Rabbi Krisgman. Too many machers and askonim will be watching the game and pretend they are frummer than thou. Enough!!
@5towner you are right as a resident here its probably worse. Need real men to set things right.
@anon sometimes you need to make a protest whether you like it or not. you cant just always let things go.
It is a garmless activity and it gives friends the chance for innocen gathering…The food is tasty and kosher. Discussions are friendly. It is not shabbos or chag, so they can travel to join their friends. And did you see the advertised message to bring the hostages home? This is a wonderful community, full of חסד,. The people are entitled to have this harmless opportunity to enjoy thmselves in a friendly way. You cannot forbid everything!!!. Anonymous.
I’m an out of towner not from the 5 towns
I don’t know the rav but how do you expect your children to respect the rabbeim you send them to study under when you respond as you did I got it you personally had a hard time in your yeshiva days but don’t pass that negative feeling down to your kids todays principals and teachers are much more in tune with the kids then they were when you were a student but give them a chance