Saturday, December 15, 2018

The Frum Santa Claus!! Says "It's a Mitzvah"

Rick Rosenthal is a professional, year-round Santa who also attends Congregation Young Israel of Toco Hills in Atlanta

Just like any other Santa Claus, Santa Rick will spend much of the next couple of weeks sitting children on his knee, asking whether they’ve been good and listening to their Christmas wishes.

If it’s a Saturday, he may have slept overnight in the building. And he’ll only accept payment after nightfall.

For Santa Rick’s last name is Rosenthal, and he’s an Orthodox Jew who does not drive or handle money on Shabbat. But that doesn’t stop him from doing his job.

“I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t help a child,” said Rosenthal, 66, who lives in Atlanta and attends Young Israel of Toco Hills. “If you look at the world as children do, that’s a better feeling. I’m a better person and a better Jew because I’m Santa.”

Rosenthal — a full-time, professional Santa — sees no contradiction between serving as the symbol of Christmas and living as an observant Jew. To him, Santa is a nonreligious spiritual figure who provides trust, reassurance and comfort to the young and old.

He says that anyone who is inclined to criticize him for working as a Santa should consider ways they help non-Jews observe holidays — like working a shift on Christmas when Christians take the day off.

“As a Jew, we are to be a light unto the world,” Rosenthal said, paraphrasing a famous Jewish aphorism from the Bible. “That’s one of our jobs. If we can help make people’s lives better, we should do that. 
It’s a mitzvah. If we can ease tensions between Jews and non-Jews, we can do that.”

Just wondering..... Which one of the 613 mitzvois is this?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Atlanta is teeming with BTs so let's hope this misguided am haaretz is one of them. The Shulchan Aruch on chukos hagoyim assers red clothing of goyim even if not for a specific religious purpose. According to the Bach's understanding of the Shulchan Aruch there is malkus for this.

It figures that the long time "rabbi" of this Young Israel is the bum Michael Broyde who was caught in an impersonation scheme while forging psakim in the name of gedolim from the last few doros. Broyde was suspended by the OU & had a falling out with the shul leadership so the 'loco' left to start "The New Toco Shul"

Yeshiva of Bling Valley said...

https://mugshots.com/US-Counties/Pennsylvania/Lackawanna-County-PA/Jonathan-Abdul-Hatcher.69398489.html

Why doesn't this ugly mamzer smile for the camera to show off his bling dental jewelry from the 'hood?

His work address in the heart of Monsey at 12 College Rd, Suite 100, is Adult Care Management owned by Yeshiva of Spring Valley President Israel Orzel, who was last seen trying to stiff Satmar out of rent he wouldn't pay them on a nursing home they leased to him.

Is Sruly Orzel too cheap to run employee background checks to screen for child molesters or does he not care regardless? Certainly the way Emperor Orzel penny pinches in the running of YSV would lead one to believe he won't splurge.

Skverrorist said...

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2018/12/13/9-yeshivas-face-fines-over-measles-vaccine-records/2293794002/

The Rebbe claimed he's in favor of vaccinations but Skver is meanwhile actively protecting it's anti-vaxxers from the Health Dept

Chafraud-Depravitch said...

"According to the Bach's understanding of the Shulchan Aruch..."


Ahhhh, Bach.


Ye Olde YSV Cheapskates said...

Last year a Yeshiva of Spring Valley teacher exclaimed out loud regarding a surprise expenditure: "Wow! They actually splurged & spent money on .....? Because they are soooooo stingy!"

And seriously, they are cheapskates to the point of being neurotic.

Remember when His Highness Orzel signed that farce letter about the non-Jewish management company taking over the tuition payments? "We are pleased to announce ... Yaketty Yak" as in the Royal WE. That was right after CEO Stern was greppsing in his arrogant mass distribution email that they are tired of covering the credit card fees. So they sic goyim on all the parents who overcharge on the fees & put you in collection if one cent is late.

When there is carpool dismissal they won't pay staff to stay an extra 5 minutes so woe to the parent who doth arrive tardy even by a few moments. His Highness Orzel hath instructed some of the screaming banshees who work there to "deal" with the problem as in "off with their heads"

Anonymous said...

Clarkstown person here; can we please just nuke ramapo?