Interview with Chasidic woman/Outoftheorthobox.com *MERGED*

[Beeks]

Ruchi over at Out of the Orthobox did an interview with a Chasidic woman named Libby. Nothing too crazy - basically what you'd expect, but I still found it and interesting read so I thought I'd share:

 

Outoftheorthobox.blogspot.com

[longskirts]

outoftheorthobox.blogspot.com/2012/07/meet-libby-scheiner-my-chassidic-friend.html

Women aren't allowed to drive, women shave their heads when they get married, and 18-year-olds are married off to each other after one hour of conversation.

In the comments, Ruchi says she admires the extra stringencies. I sometimes think she wishes her husband had become Chassidic instead of right-wing yeshivish.

[heinz57]

It was already signaled here: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11721

It's interesting to read this in the context of the article discussed here: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=11644

I'd take garden-variety orthodox over chassidic any time. Plus the chicken feet gross me out :?

[Beeks]

This is what bugs me about this blog. She says it's all about Jewish unity and that's why she heavily moderates comments and won't publish anything critical of this Libby person, but it's so obvious that she thinks all Jews should be more like Libby. I'm all about Jewish unity too, but I am not going to sit back and say how brave and wonderful somebody is for sharing about how much they love their oppressive patriarchal lifestyle. Let's see an interview with a completely secular or even and atheist Jew, Ruchi.

[Deleted03]

I can't believe women shave their heads... on the off chance someone else than their husbands see one hair? She would not let her kids see her with makeup?

I did not get much love either on the relationship - which is fine, everyone has a relationship the way they want it. But it seemed more businesslike, and let's only talk when it's reaaally important. I can understand why a teen would want to leave all that, although since they cut genders apart it seems like it might be very awkward for those who want to leave.

[2xx1xy1JD]

This is what bugs me about this blog. She says it's all about Jewish unity and that's why she heavily moderates comments and won't publish anything critical of this Libby person, but it's so obvious that she thinks all Jews should be more like Libby. I'm all about Jewish unity too, but I am not going to sit back and say how brave and wonderful somebody is for sharing about how much they love their oppressive patriarchal lifestyle. Let's see an interview with a completely secular or even and atheist Jew, Ruchi.

I don't think that she necessarily thinks that all Jews should be like Libby.

I can see the point of comment moderation. Chasidic groups, with the exception of Chabad Lubavitch and sometimes Breslov, are very insular. Libby's group doesn't do outreach. They don't blog. They aren't trying to convince other Jews to be like them. They just tend to be in their own little bubble. Ruchi seems to want to encourage Libby to at least answer some questions and allow readers to get to know something about a woman from a group that might otherwise be a mystery, and she's clearly not going to stick around or ever deal with outside questions again if there is heavy criticism.

I would, however, love to see Ruchi interview Jewish women from all sorts of other groups - from Modern Orthodox to Reform to Humanist to Renewal, etc. Who knows - maybe if you send her a note, she can interview you next!

[longskirts]

I can see the need for comment moderation. At the same time, Ruchi goes out of her way to show Chassidic stringencies in a positive light. I think Ruchi probably would agree to interview a humanist Jew as well, but she would add a bunch of disclaimers about all the points she disagrees with. Not so with the Chasidic woman.