It was a Chanukah concert scheduled for Thursday night, December 18th in Jackson, the backyard of the BMG Yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey. The venue was to be at Jackson Memorial High School (JMHS) in Jackson, NJ, located at 101 Don Connor Blvd, a hub for arts in Jackson’s School District. The plan of the organizers was to have both mixed seating as well as separate seating.
Apparently, however, the planners of the event did not think that they should check with Rabbinic opinion before they scheduled it. The four Roshei Yeshiva of Lakewood, however, signed a letter that it was their opinion that participating in such an event is forbidden.
The following is a translation of the Kol Koreh that was issued.
B’siyata D’Shmaya (With the help of Heaven)
Chanukah 5786
We hereby come to arouse and warn regarding what some are planning to do—a concert in the city of Jackson.
In our opinion, it is forbidden to participate in it. It has already been prohibited by the Gedolim and luminaries of Israel in our Holy Land and here, many years ago, not to make or participate in singing evenings and the like.
This is a new breach, for until now this has not been done in our city, the Torah city of Lakewood, and the cities branching around it, including Jackson. And we all live together in the spirit of the Torah—”around the Mishkan they shall encamp”—and therefore this prohibition applies to all of us. The prohibition applies even when men and women sit separately, and all the more so when it is arranged with family seating.
May it be the will [of Hashem] that we merit to fulfill “and there we will sing a new song and with joyous song we will ascend,” and see the commentary of the Vilna Gaon at the beginning of Yeshayahu on the verse (1:14), “Your new moons and your appointed times My soul hates.”
And to those who listen, it will be pleasant, and upon them shall come the blessing of all good.
(Rav) Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, (Rav) Yerucham Olshin, (Rav) Dovid Shustal, (Rav) Yisroel Tzvi Neuman
The latter part of the Kol Koreh wherein the words of the Vilna Gaon are cited are that when one eats on Shabbos – his intention must be to derive pleasure from the Shabbos and not to derive personal pleasure – because if it is for personal pleasure – then that is disliked by Hashem.
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Concerts [at least mixed seating concerts. Separate seating is not as clear] are one of those things that Rabbonim forbid and people do anyway [like talking in shul, smartphones, excessive materialism etc. etc.]. I mean, who goes to Shwekey, Shapiro, Fried, Ehrman [the first time I have been mentioned in the same breath with those icons:-)!!] etc. concerts? White Irish Catholics?? Black Muslims? Dark brown Hindus? No. All frum Yidden.
