Dear Editor,

Thank you for this opportunity to respond to the letter that appeared yesterday about daled minim Shuks.

There was a total misrepresentation of what the Shuk is all about.

I write today with a sense of urgency to defend the beauty, purity, and undeniable impact of the daled minim Shuks.

Yesterday’s letter claimed that the Shuk might not be the best environment for our children, that it presents a negative influence.

Let me tell you, with over 20 years of direct involvement in the Shuk in Lakewood, NJ, this couldn’t be further from the truth!

Today, I run the massive Shuk at BlueClaws Stadium in Lakewood. What I’ve experienced firsthand in the Shuk is nothing short of extraordinary: a vibrant, bustling space filled with the joy of simchas Yom Tov, where families and community members come together in anticipation of Zeman Simchaseinu. It is a place that radiates kedushah and the geshmak of Yiddishkeit!

From my earliest days as a young boy helping in the Shuk, it was clear that the sevivah there is something special. It’s where the Yiddishe neshamos of our children are stirred with the excitement of Yom Tov. The sights, the sounds, the very essence of preparing for the mitzvah of daled minim permeates the air. You feel it deep within you—there’s a unique ruach, a tangible sense of connection to Hashem’s mitzvos.

One of the biggest challenges of our times is the disconnect between parents and children, exacerbated by the distractions of technology and the fast pace of life. We often wonder why our children struggle to feel the same passion for Yiddishkeit that we do. It’s because, all too often, we’ve become distant from the things that bring our Yomim Tovim to life. The Shuk, however, presents the antidote – the refuah, if you will – to this disconnect. It’s not just about purchasing an esrog and lulav. It’s about creating memories, engaging our children in the beauty of Yom Tov preparations, and showing them the simcha of doing mitzvos together.

Let me share a story.

I was once sitting with Hagaon Rav Dovid Cohen shlit”a, the Chevroner rosh yeshiva, when a man asked him, “How can we raise children in today’s world, with all its distractions?”

Rav Cohen responded with a powerful insight: “It’s not enough to just ask your child, ‘How was your day?’ You have to engage and ask deeper questions: ‘What did you play? Who did you spend time with? How did it make you feel?’”

Children crave real connection. And when it comes to Yom Tov, we should be engaging with them in the same way. The Shuk offers us that opportunity. It’s a chance for fathers and sons to stand together, choosing the daled minim, discussing the minhagim of Yom Tov, and bonding over the mitzvos.

The Shuk is where memories are made, where the love for Yiddishkeit is planted deep in their hearts.

Another story comes to mind, one that should give us all pause. Maran Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l once reflected on why one of his sons did not follow in his path. He attributed it to not emphasizing the joy and warmth of Shabbos enough in his home—the singing, the love for mitzvos. This is the core of chinuch—showing our children the beauty and happiness of Yiddishkeit.

What better place than the Shuk to do this? The Shuk is not a “business transaction.” It’s a ruchniyusdike experience where we transmit the warmth and joy of Sukkos to the next generation.

Now, I know that some have voiced concerns about the Shuk environment, so let me set the record straight. The Shuk that I run at BlueClaws Stadium in Lakewood – which may be the largest such Shuk in the world – is a meticulously run operation, with police and sheriffs ensuring that everything is safe and under control. Of course, no environment is perfect, but to focus on minor inconveniences while ignoring the tremendous ruchniyus the Shuk offers is to miss the forest for the trees. We have the opportunity to stand side by side with our children, teaching them not just how to choose an esrog, but how to prepare for Yom Tov with excitement and kavod.

The Shuk is a microcosm of the beauty of Klal Yisroel, a place where we unite in our shared commitment to avodas Hashem, ahavas Hashem, and ahavas Yisroel.

If you don’t believe me, I invite you to come to the Shuk at BlueClaws Stadium in Lakewood and see it for yourself! You will be blown away.

In a world where so many distractions pull us away from our children, the Shuk is a place to make a kesher. It is a place where fathers and sons come together to prepare for Yom Tov. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by baseless concerns, we will be depriving our children of an invaluable experience—one that instills in them the hartz, the varmkeit, and the passion for Yiddishkeit that permeates the Shuk.

Sincerely,
Avi Klugmann
Lakewood Shuk

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