I am writing with a genuine sense of concern for our community.

This past week, I came across an advertisement in a frum publication promoting a liquor raffle, featuring an array of expensive bottles and presenting them as grand prizes. At first glance, it might seem like just another fundraiser or promotional campaign. But I believe it raises a much larger and more troubling question: What message are we sending to our community when liquor becomes the centerpiece of a public celebration?

We cannot pretend that alcohol abuse is not a serious issue in our frum communities. Too many families have experienced the pain, the tension, the embarrassment, and the devastating consequences that can accompany irresponsible drinking. Too many people know firsthand that what begins as social drinking can sometimes develop into a destructive problem. Our community leaders, rabbanim, educators, and mental health professionals have worked hard to raise awareness and encourage responsibility.

And yet, at the very same time, we see advertisements that glorify bottles of liquor, highlight their prestige and value, and present them as coveted prizes to be won.

Is this really the message we want to send?

I am not suggesting that every person who drinks alcohol has a problem, nor am I questioning the legitimate place that wine and other beverages have in Jewish life and tradition. There is an important distinction between responsible use and the glamorization of alcohol. But when we turn expensive liquor into a spectacle, when we market it as something prestigious and exciting, we risk normalizing an unhealthy culture around drinking.

Our publications are not merely businesses selling advertising space. They are influential voices in our community. Thousands of people read them, trust them, and look to them as part of the fabric of frum life. With that influence comes responsibility.

Imagine the message this sends to a teenager who sees liquor displayed as a luxury prize, or to a parent struggling with a family member’s drinking, or to someone quietly battling an alcohol problem. What might such an advertisement communicate to them?

We invest tremendous effort in educating our children about Torah values, kedushah, achrayus, and the importance of protecting our families. We speak about the dangers of addiction and the need to support those who are struggling. These efforts deserve to be matched by the choices we make in our public messaging.

We cannot condemn the consequences of a drinking culture while simultaneously helping to glamorize it.

Fundraising is important. Publications need advertisers. Organizations need support. But surely we can find ways to raise money and promote events without making liquor the star attraction.

I respectfully call upon our frum publications, advertisers, askanim, and community organizations to give this issue serious thought. Before accepting or promoting campaigns of this nature, let us ask ourselves not only whether an advertisement is permissible or profitable, but also whether it reflects the kind of community we want to build.

Our goal should not be to shame those who drink, nor to stigmatize those who struggle with addiction. Quite the opposite: it should be to create a community that treats this issue with sensitivity, maturity, and genuine concern for every Yid and every family.

We have the ability to set a better standard. Let us use it.

With sincere concern for the health and future of our community,

A Concerned Member of the Frum Community

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