The East Ramapo Central School District announced that all schools will operate remotely on Thursday, October 16, as tens of thousands of yidden are expected to converge on the Viznitz Cemetery in Monsey to mark the yahrtzeit of the Ribnitzer Rebbe zt”l.
District Interim Superintendent Ana Reluzco said during a recent board meeting that the move to remote learning will help prevent students from being “on buses for hours on end,” something that had occurred in previous years due to the heavy congestion surrounding the cemetery area on Route 306.
A notice on the district’s website explains that the remote learning day is “due to a large community gathering and anticipated heavy traffic in the area.” All after-school activities and athletics are canceled for the day, and students are instructed to log in to their classes via Schoology following their regular schedules.
Local authorities — including Ramapo Police and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office — will once again assist in managing the significant influx of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Officials said visitors begin arriving the evening before, with traffic increasing steadily throughout the day of the yahrtzeit. Police are urging attendees to use shuttle services where available, as congestion is typically heaviest between Viola Road and Grandview Avenue.
Temporary parking restrictions, barriers for pedestrians, and electronic message boards warning of delays will be in place throughout the area. The Town of Ramapo will also issue automated phone alerts in the days leading up to the event.
The Viznitz Cemetery, located on Route 306 just north of Brick Church Road, is expected to draw large crowds throughout the day as visitors gather to daven and pay their respects at the kever of the Ribnitzer Rebbe zt”l.
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