Robust noise

Schneur Zalman of NY commenting to mentalblog.com: The evil empire:

Most students choose to go to NYU, BECAUSE of its urban setting. They are fully aware WHERE NYU is located and where Bobst is. By now living in big cities is associated with all sorts of noise indeed robust noise! Mostly coming from music, traffic, etc. I was a student at NYU in the 1970's and I can not recall being bothered by noise at the Bobst library. I can recall being bothered by my Yetzer Hore at Bobst. Clearly my dear friend Chakira heard some noise, which was Jewish noise and that bugged him. The general plethora of noise coming from that great landmark of western civilization called Washington Square Park did not bother him.

But its a "davar beito", like the prophet Jonah running from his G-D, our student is also running from His G-D and in Tarshish, his G-D found him and unlike Jonah, our student resents being discovered in his makom miklot reading the great philosophers and thinkers. I too am no great fan of "Chabad in the Street" activities. But its a free country and Chabad has much right as others to tummel and make noise. In the process I am certain they have aided many Jews in discovering their Jewish identity and engaging their Judaism. Certainly they have turned a few Jews off too. And of course angered many Orthodox Jews like Chakira and myself. The Rav is supposed to have said that the achievement of Chabad in the US was that it brought Judaism into the streets...

To my friend Chakira, relax and enjoy the Chabad people they are no threat to us, unless we engage them and the correct policy is to wave and go on with business. May I conclude that I was impressed by the fact of a group of Chabad teens walking from CH to WH on Yontov, even if misguided it takes dedication to do that.