Boro Park Store Owners’ Attitudes Towards Arba Minim Vendors Prove More Positive than Others Reported

By Yehudit Garmaise

While some Jewish media outlets reported that store owners are “furious” as they anticipate the traffic and trash that they say arba minim vendors create on 13th Avenue, BoroPark24 spoke to several store owners whose views were more positive than others claimed.  

Although some store owners said they get annoyed when they need to deal with the effects of the increased activity on 13th Avenue in Elul and Tishrei, the store owners expressed they just deal with it and their overall feelings about the Yom Tov excitement are actually positive.

Motty Lichtenstader, whose family has owned Kineret Flowers at 5306 13th Avenue for the past 50 years, said the Sukkos vendors have never bothered him, his parents, nor his grandparents.

“We love the holiday spirit,” said Lichtenstader. “The arba minim shuk does cause some stress, and they do cause some traffic, but we can deal with it.  The increased activity gives 13th Avenue a specific feel for the holidays.”

Mordy Getz, the owner of Eichler’s at 5004 13th Ave, said that his feelings about the Sukkos vendors are conflicted.

“I have great childhood memories of 13th Avenue looking like Meah Shearim [in Yerushaylim], said Getz. “The vendors are part of the community vibe and the holiday vibe, so in that way: it is beautiful.

“But, lately, it has gotten a bit out of hand, and we saw fistfights breaking out and garbage left on the streets that some of the vendors had not cleaned up. More than that, the vendors tie up things to poles and to parts of businesses’ buildings, which is very problematic.

“If it can be done in more orderly ways, then of course, it should be. 

“It is a beautiful thing to watch so many people get together and to undertake the tasks to do the mitzvahs of arba minim.” 

Two employees of Cellular4Less at 5308 13th Ave also said that the vendors don’t bother them at all.

“It’s the holiday spirit,” said Moishy at Cellular4Less.

Steven Randazzo, who manages the popular store said, “We like the hustle and the bustle of all the people buying and selling outside.

“Everyone is trying to make a dollar.”

The only negative about the shuk, Randazzo said, “is the filth after they leave.

“If they actually cleaned up, it would be the best. Other than that, everything is good.

“I think the shuk brings more traffic into the stores on 13th Avenue.”

In Cellular 4 Less, customers come in to use the store’s light to carefully examine the esrogim they are considering buying, Randazzo said with a laugh.

“We don’t mind it.

“If they would only clean up afterward, it would be great.”