Monday, August 03, 2015 1:03:39 AM
Leaving Her Ultra-Orthodox Past Meant More Than Losing Her Family. It Meant Redefining Her Womanhood.
Leah Vincent
“My biggest journey has been figuring out what it means to be a woman.”
By Sasha Bronner
Posted: 07/23/2015 04:11 PM EDT | Edited: 07/23/2015 04:26 PM EDT
Leah Vincent separated from her deeply religious family as a 16-year-old over the course of two phone calls. She had been sent to New York City to work as a secretary and to fend for herself. Her family had cast her out.
Vincent’s harrowing 2014 memoir, Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood [ http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Me-Loose-Salvation-Ultra-Orthodox/dp/0143127411 ], chronicles her path from religious devotion to poverty, sexual trauma and self-harm -- and shows her miraculously [. . .] resurfacing with a new identity (and a degree from Harvard and a career as a writer).
Today, Vincent, 33, lives in Brooklyn, New York with her three-year-old daughter and is writing her second book, a work of fiction that expands on Cut Me Loose and explores specifically how women develop their sense of identity.
“My biggest journey has been figuring out what it means to be a woman,” Vincent told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. “Initially, that meant being completely submissive and subservient.”
Born into a three-story home in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1982, Vincent was the fifth eldest in a family that would eventually include 11 children. Her father was a widely respected rabbi and a staple in the Yeshivish community -- an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect that keeps itself separate from the modern world.
The synagogue next door to Vincent's childhood home in Pittsburgh.
(Google Maps)
Vincent's upbringing was extreme by most standards: higher education was forbidden, girls were not allowed to speak to boys outside of the family and any questioning of the Yeshivish faith -- they were taught -- would lead to drug addiction, prostitution or death.
It was an insulated environment and Vincent only knew other ultra Orthodox Jews. She was taught that Yeshivish Judaism was the authentic version of her religion, unchanged since Abraham. Their house was in such close proximity to the synagogue that throughout childhood, Vincent could hear daily ancient Jewish prayers float in through the bathroom windows. It was the air she breathed.
In the household, love was theoretical. She was not told that she was loved. In Cut Me Loose, Vincent writes: “My parents were not literate in the language of human emotion. Love was gleaned from the tone of my mother’s voice or the softness of her eyes.”
Vincent at age 3.
Instead, the ultimate source of love was God. “I knew that his love was boundless. Even though there was his threat of hell and punishment dangling over me, there was also this sense that he was an eternal parent,” Vincent said. “Human beings have a natural need for love, especially as children. I turned to God very intensely so that I could feel loved.”
But this relationship was not always a two-way street. It was impossible to ever make God fully happy, she explained, because God expected perfection. “My foundation of selfhood rested on my spiritual well being. There was always this trembling feeling of inadequacy; of disappointing the being that mattered most to me,” she said.
****
Being a woman was simple in her family. The men devoted their lives to the study of the Talmud and the women did not. “They had access to worlds that I didn’t -- and those worlds gave them more power,” Vincent said. “My brothers went on to learn in Yeshiva and follow in my father’s footsteps. That was the holiest thing a person could do and something a women could never do. Their lives somehow became more important.”
After finishing high school, the girls were expected to marry immediately and produce a child each year after that. Vincent ached to be a mother. Motherhood, she was taught, was the ultimate symbol of femininity and purpose.
At 15, Vincent was sent to England to finish high school in an even more religious setting -- a path her sister had paved with great success. But when it was discovered that Vincent had exchanged notes with a male friend, the very foundation of her place in the family shifted violently beneath her feet.
“My parents were very much the conduit for God for me. My sense of self was defined by how they thought of me and their judgment of me,” she said.
The act of communicating with a boy was forbidden and brought extreme shame to her family. She was told, in phone call, one of two that would fully remove her from her family, that her prospects of being matched with a respectable Yeshivish husband had greatly diminished. With the hope of preserving what little reputation she had left, Vincent’s parents sent her to a seminary in Israel where she studied Jewish law and philosophy. She lived with her sister’s family.
But the thread had already started to unravel. Any small action, like purchasing a form-fitting sweater, was reported back to Vincent’s parents in Pittsburgh and they began to formally push Vincent out of the family -- saying her actions and behavior were unacceptable. This was phone call number two.
After a year in Jerusalem, Vincent, now 17, was sent to New York where three of her sisters had lived between seminary and marriage. Brooklyn was a kind of pergatory between childhood and motherhood for Yeshivish girls, Vincent explained. They waited, working as teachers or secretaries, as their parents or a matchmaker found them an acceptable husband.
But Vincent's phone did not ring. No matchmakers called. She had essentially been kicked out of the family. Her father turned his back on her entirely, never responding to her repeated calls and messages. Her mother spoke to her in clipped tones when Vincent called from New York pleading for money for food. Sometimes a twenty-dollar bill would arrive in the mail.
This type of sudden disownment from an ultra Orthodox family is sadly not uncommon [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/21/ex-hasidim-life-stories_n_7343084.html ]. The community is so insular that often the smallest break from tradition can catalyze a complete separation.
Vincent as a teenager.
****
Heartbroken, scared and alone in a secular world that was completely foreign to her, Vincent was forced to rebuild herself from scratch. It was a journey that got worse before it got better; a road that included so much pain and sorrow that she didn’t know if she could continue living.
Vincent lived alone and worked as a secretary, barely making enough money to eat. She had no friends and her voice was often hoarse in the mornings because she hadn’t spoken to anyone since she left the office the day before. She had very little experience socially and no experience romantically.
At 17, Vincent was raped by a man she was seeing and contracted pelvic inflammatory disease -- an infection of the female reproductive organs. She was told she may never have children. In her book, Vincent described this as a “complete eclipse of my future self.”
Her pain and trauma were so intense that she began to cut herself as a way of coping. At first, little pricks covered her arms and legs but eventually long, declarative marks replaced them. She started to engage in dangerous sexual behavior and details in her book the many ways she put herself at risk, which included prostitution.
At one point she slipped into such a dark place that a suicide attempt landed her in a psychiatric hospital. Her family was informed but no one came to visit.
Feeling that she had nothing to lose -- that she had already lost everything that meant something to her in her former life -- she followed through on an urge that would be considered insane in her family. She went to college.
She took night and weekend classes at Brooklyn College while working full time. She studied psychology and art. It took her five years to finish, but in 2006 at the age of 24, she had a degree. The first in her family. “For some impossible reason I always had this hope that I would make it through and be okay in the end,” she said.
But building a new sense of self was a long journey. “For so many years, my life was this harrowing, horrible story. And then it started to improve and although some of it was good fortune, I knew that so much of it I could take credit for. That gave me a sense of pride and a counter to the voices in my head that said I was unlovable or evil or bad,” she said.
In 2007, she was accepted to Harvard for a Master’s program in public policy. It was a future she could have never fathomed growing up. “My mom had very clearly told me there were two career options: I could either teach at a Jewish high school or I could become a secretary,” she said.
In her twenties, after completely detaching from her fundamentalist upbringing, Vincent started to redefine what it meant to be a woman. She described it as a gradual awakening.
Vincent speaks at the Footsteps 10th Anniversary Gala.
“I made very slow progress in starting to think about how I could build an identity for myself as a woman outside of my relationship with men. Moving to have my own opinions and my own voice,” she said.
This also meant redefining what her body meant to her. After years of cutting, Vincent embraced a different kind of mark on her skin -- a permanent one.
When she got a tattoo of the Hebrew letter aleph on her wrist, Vincent was both rebelling and expanding. Jewish law forbids any permanent markings on the skin. But Vincent remembered a teacher from seminary diagramming the symbol. “It conveys this idea that we are not all angelic or not all animal, but that human beings are a balance between the two. Kind of like a Jewish Ying and Yang,” she explained.
“My tattoo was a major milestone. It was such a clear pivot. Something huge shifted. I realized that my body belonged to me and that I had ownership over it,” Vincent said. After that day, she never cut herself again.
“Our bodies are always changing, especially for women. It’s a way of remembering my story and remembering who I am. It’s something that links my life to the person I am today.”
****
Vincent kept a diary throughout her entire life. She always believed it might come in handy, and years later, it did. She published her memoir in 2014 after working on it intensely for two years. Her relationship with her family was already deeply fractured and worsened after the book came out. “They really saw [it] as an act of treason and severed any relationship we might have had,” Vincent explained.
Vincent says she felt very comfortable with what she revealed about other people. She wasn’t writing an exposé on anybody else. “If this were an exposé on my parents I would have told very different stories -- or a great many more stories than I did. I really only told the stories that were relevant to my story,” she said.
Vincent at a family wedding.
“There is a lot of backlash about anybody who comes out and tells his or her story," she said, referring to the Yeshivish community. "I got a little bit of that. Occasionally I will get a nasty email. My father had a pretty painful response." Her mother did not comment on the book.
But there is one family member who is proud of her for sharing her story and tells her so to this day.
Vincent’s younger brother broke away from the family years after she did. He sought her out in New York to talk -- before he was ready to fully break ties with their parents. But he eventually did. They are extremely close today.
“We need family for so many reasons. But one of them is family is how we hold our memories. To have somebody who remembers my childhood with me is so powerful. Somebody who gets my references and knows where I come from. I am so grateful that I have him,” she said.
Years ago, Vincent became involved in Footsteps [ http://footstepsorg.org/ ], a nonprofit that provides support and resources to those leaving insular Jewish communities. It was there that she started sharing her story and listened to other former ultra Orthodox people share their journeys. It’s also where she met her husband. She served on the board for many years.
“Telling stories informally in our private lives and telling stories publicly is so important. There’s been a huge wave of personal memoirs in the past 10 to 15 years -- I think it’s part of this new wave of feminism. It’s a powerful, wonderful thing,” Vincent said.
Vincent with her daughter in New York.
(Humans of New York/Instagram)
“I have become very passionate about women’s inner worlds. I think that patriarchal societies silence women’s voices." Women's interior worlds and the complex ways they develop their identities will be a focus in Vincent's new book.
"For me, the act of truth telling is a revolutionary act. It strengthens this muscle in me that tells me my experiences have legitimacy and power. Bringing that into view starts to shift the paradigm.”
Copyright © 2015 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/escaping-her-ultra-orthodox-past-meant-redefining-what-it-means-to-be-a-woman_55b01a38e4b08f57d5d3a26b [with comments]
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Raw Video: Ultra-Orthodox Jews Clash With Police
Uploaded on Aug 1, 2009 by Associated Press [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52X5wxOL_s5yw0dQk7NtgA / http://www.youtube.com/user/AssociatedPress , http://www.youtube.com/user/AssociatedPress/videos ]
Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators scuffled with police in Jerusalem Saturday in a protest over a decision by the city's mayor to open a municipal car park on the Sabbath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK2eJR6dsco [with comments]
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Israel's Rosa Parks: Tanya Rosenblit refuses Ultra-Orthodox Haredi demand to sit in the back of bus
Uploaded on Dec 19, 2011 by JewishNewsOne [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC56WwNsqpbjme7r-URpl3OA / http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishNewsOne , http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishNewsOne/videos ]
An Israeli woman has been thrust into the country's headlines this week after her refusal to move to the back of an Egged bus caught the imagination of the country's editors and politicians alike. Tanya Rosenblit, who works as a production assistant at news channel JN1, was off-duty at the time of the incident and traveling on private business from her Ashdod hometown to Jerusalem. Her refusal to move to the back of the bus when asked to do so by Ultra-Orthodox Haredi passengers led to an ugly confrontation which was only partially resolved by the arrival of the police.
Despite requests to 'show respect' to the sensibilities of the Ultra-Orthodox Haredi communities along the public transport route, Rosenblit stood her ground throughout and was eventually successful in her bid to ride at the front of the bus. She then posted photos and commentary about her experience on various social networking sites, drawing an overwhelming response which soon led to a media frenzy as different Israeli TV channels and national newspapers queued up to interview the woman fast being dubbed "the Israeli Rosa Parks."
Meanwhile, Rosenblit's protest has also been officially lauded by PM Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni, serving to thrust the thorny issue of gender segregation back into the headlines. Rosenblit has denied that her actions were in any way anti-religious and claims instead that her bus protest was merely a stand against extremism. As Tanya says in the video, "I didn't do anything that I wouldn't do again, and I don't think [...] I'm a hero. I think it's something that every woman and every person should do."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k37d6fiQG8s [with comments]
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American Girl Target of Extremist Jews in Israel
Published on Dec 26, 2011 by Associated Press
An 8-year-old American girl has unwittingly found herself on the front line of Israel's latest religious row. Naama Margolese is afraid of walking to her religious Jewish girls' school for fear of being harassed by ultra-Orthodox extremists. (Dec. 26)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U2M6vsMy48 [with comments]
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Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jews 'harass' 8-year-old girl over dress
Published on Dec 26, 2011 by euronews (in English) [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSrZ3UV4jOidv8ppoVuvW9Q / http://www.youtube.com/user/Euronews , http://www.youtube.com/user/Euronews/videos ]
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to curb harassment and discrimination after complaints over the behaviour of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Police intervened after a television crew was set upon by one group as the journalists investigated a case of alleged abuse. Their car was stoned, a reporter wounded and equipment stolen.
The town of Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem is under the spotlight, after an eight-year-old girl complained of being threatened by ultra-Orthodox men over her dress.
http://www.euronews.net/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waTGCXkcyTM [with comments]
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Orthodox Jews spit on "immodest" 8 year old girl
Uploaded on Dec 27, 2011 by johnmalory26 [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCId1SfSKf4Qia8zsz49hRCQ / http://www.youtube.com/user/johnmalory26 , http://www.youtube.com/user/johnmalory26/videos ]
How Jews treat women, not just in Israel, this is New York:
New York City Orthodox Jewish men deny women equality
https://arthuride.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/new-york-city-orthodox-jewish-men-deny-women-equality/
WATCH: Ultra-Orthodox spit on “immodest” 8-year-old girl in Beit Shemesh
Since this news report last Friday, about a little girl from Beit Shemesh, secular-religious relations seem to be the only thing Israelis are talking about
http://972mag.com/watch-ultra-orthodox-spit-on-immodest-8-year-old-girl-in-bet-shemesh/31268/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt6-geYwguk [with comments]
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Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Problem
Uploaded on Jan 16, 2012 by The Young Turks [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ / http://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks , http://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks/videos ]
Orthodox Jews in Israel are concerned about a rapidly growing radical group of fundamentalist Jews called Haredi. Cenk Uygur and Steve Oh discuss on The Young Turks.
Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Problem
http://www.newsweek.com/israels-ultra-orthodox-problem-64211
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhQjHJJI6U0 [with (over 4,000) comments]
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Haredim stone, pour bleach on woman: Haredi Ultra-Orthodox assault Jewish woman in Beit Shemesh
Uploaded on Jan 26, 2012 by JewishNewsOne
A group of Haredi Ultra-Orthodox extremists in Beit Shemesh allegedly attacked a woman putting up posters advertising Israel's national lottery (Mifal Hapayis). When Natalie Mashiach ran to her car, they threw bricks through the windows and poured bleach over her. She said another rock was thrown at her as she tried to escape, "I couldn't believe it, and I am yelling at them 'I am Jewish, I am Jewish, how can you do this?'" She claims 50-100 people watched the attack and didn't intervene.
Police said that it was not immediately clear why the Haredim targeted her, but the victim denies her clothes were inappropriate. However, they did disperse the crowd and make three arrests. This attack is the latest of many similar incidents in Beit Shemesh, where an eight-year-old schoolgirl was tormented and spat on by the Ultra-Orthodox extremists. In contrast, Haredi media claim Mashiach "behaved immodestly" when asked to leave.
The growing Ultra-Orthodox population has put up street signs calling for the separation of sexes on sidewalks, dispatched "modesty patrols" to enforce a chaste female appearance, and hurled stones and spat on offenders and outsiders. Many walls in the town's Ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood are covered with signs telling women to dress modestly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8sWsSJfDzY [with comments]
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews Shun Their Own Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
Published on May 10, 2012 by The Young Turks
Why are ultra-orthodox Jews shunned if they report child sexual abuse in their own community? Ana Kasparian and Huffington Post Science Correspondent Cara Santa Maria break it down on The Young Turks.
*Read more from The New York Times:
Ultra-Orthodox Shun Their Own for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/nyregion/ultra-orthodox-jews-shun-their-own-for-reporting-child-sexual-abuse.html [ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/nyregion/ultra-orthodox-jews-shun-their-own-for-reporting-child-sexual-abuse.html?pagewanted=all ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_DSjrtoZ0s [with comments]
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Haredi: The Ultra orthodox society in Israel
Published on Jun 2, 2012 by pegelatrin [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHnTCCmsS6gB7RQR8iLxmnA / http://www.youtube.com/user/pegelatrin , http://www.youtube.com/user/pegelatrin/videos ]
This is a documentary that follows a variety of people in the Ultra orthodox community in Israel, and tells different stories. First of is the Israeli election, in a feud between the sides in the community whether they should vote or not vote, second issue is the issue regarding education and poverty, where two women try to change the enviroment regarding haredi education and family planning, and the third part is about the controversy surrounding the internet in the Haredi world. Should internet be allowed or not? [the three themes interwoven throughout the piece]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGJg1lHPPZw [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MAN8gF1mvY [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypZE4XJY-cI [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ29LtE9iLg [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOWd0Bf8gUg [with comments]
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The Jewish Orthodox Community of New York
Published on Nov 5, 2012 by BLUMENFELD Musik [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0DHiV3eNLgZR1RHb5OGv5Q / http://www.youtube.com/user/blumenfeldmusik , http://www.youtube.com/user/blumenfeldmusik/videos ]
Hassidim... ha'Kehila ha'Yehudit ha'Haredia be New York
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-wAd02XVjw [with comments]
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Hasidic Tensions in Williamsburg
Published on Nov 12, 2012 by DeZelle12 [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFg-ul4rV7uGqqqRoJ-Ih3Q / http://www.youtube.com/user/DeZelle12 , http://www.youtube.com/user/DeZelle12/videos ]
Please note that this video is not meant to defame or denote the Hasidic culture, but rather give insight into the perception that can sometimes be given off. In addition, for those not of the religious affiliation, to gain understanding and appreciation of the traditions. The beauty of New York City is that it is diverse, open to anyone and almost anything, and as society progresses it is just as important to understand each other as it is to understand ourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsTaMJaZi8I [with comments]
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Orthodox Jew Plastic Bag Photo Going Viral
Published on Apr 12, 2013 by The Young Turks
"An Orthodox Jewish plane passenger was seen wrapped in a plastic bag during a flight. It was believed the man is a Kohein, a religious descendant of the priests of ancient Israel, who are banned from flying over cemeteries. Fellow passengers strained to see the unusual sight and took pictures"* Cenk Uygur, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ana Kasparian break it down on The Young Turks.
*Read more from Nina Golgowski and Janine Yaqoob at The Daily Mail:
Orthodox Jewish man photographed covering himself in plastic bag during flight because faith forbids him to fly over cemeteries
• An Orthodox Jewish plane passenger was seen wrapped in a plastic bag during a flight
• It was believed the man is a Kohein, a religious descendant of the priests of ancient Israel, who are banned from flying over cemeteries
• Fellow passengers strained to see the unusual sight and took pictures
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2307713/Pictured-Orthodox-Jewish-man-covers-PLASTIC-BAG-flight.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLoBPAr0oTc [with comments]
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Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism - Footsteps
Published on May 13, 2013 by TheJewishSongs [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNffwfM15k1OkNRNJH-fGJA / http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJewishSongs , http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJewishSongs/videos ]
A support group called Footsteps is providing counsel to those who have chosen to leave the confines of the ultra-Orthodox world in which they were raised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejXtQWda_dE [with comments]
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Former Hasidic Jews Reveal Hidden World
Published on Jun 25, 2013 by ifrum1 [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCej1NJYk8lBR6nrAO0MIw / http://www.youtube.com/user/ifrum1 , http://www.youtube.com/user/ifrum1/videos ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDIrPXNXzJw [comments disabled]
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Clearly explained why Orthodox Jews refuse to serve in IDF
Published on Jul 22, 2013 by True Torah Jews [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVnXXSpNAzKCL412T1dOOg / http://www.youtube.com/user/TorahJews , http://www.youtube.com/user/TorahJews/videos ]
Discover the facts about Zionism!
The Zionists are anti-religious Jews, with one goal: to destroy the Jewish religion and culture.
To achieve their goal, they created a movement called "Zionism" and later a state called "Israel", where they are constantly attacking the practice of Judaism in many ways, including attempts to draft the boys of the Orthodox community into their army and national service.
Learn the reasons why Orthodox Jews refuse to serve in the Israeli army. Watch the Orthodox community demonstrating and declaring that they would rather be jailed than serve in the Israeli army!
This presentation is brought to you by True Torah Jews http://www.truetorahjews.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3SJYRkI2hM [comments disabled]
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Fundamentalists Smash Bus After Woman Didn't Move to the Back
Published on Aug 2, 2013 by The Young Turks
"Israeli police say they have arrested an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man for demanding women move to the back of a bus, sparking protests that saw bus windows smashed.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says Wednesday's incident occurred in the devoutly religious neighborhood of Beit Shemesh. He says ultra-Orthodox demonstrators in the neighborhood smashed the windows of three nearby buses while protesting the arrest. There were no injuries and no further arrests."*
Ultra-Orthadox Jewish protestors blocked off buses and smashed their windows with hammers and rocks because of a bus driver's refusal to make a woman sit in the back of the bus when some fundamentalist sect members tried to make her move, due to a rule in their religion. Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, Steve Oh, and Jimmy Dore discuss.
*Read more from AP via StarTribune, and from JTA:
Ultra-Orthodox protesters attack buses in Israel after woman refuses to move to back of a bus
http://www.startribune.com/ultra-orthodox-protesters-attack-buses-in-israel/217760271/
Haredi men attack bus after woman refuses to move back
http://www.jta.org/2013/07/31/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/haredi-protesters-smash-bus-windows-after-woman-refuses-to-move-to-back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1F57Ya-Ebw [with comments]
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Crown Heights Rabbi Accused Of Child Molestation Arrested In Beverly Hills
Published on Oct 30, 2013 by JewsOnTelevision [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC382Pl07gJ5ghCfN1E8Yxuw / http://www.youtube.com/user/JewsOnTelevision , http://www.youtube.com/user/JewsOnTelevision/videos ]
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish Rabbi from Crown Heights has been arrested in Beverly Hills on child sex abuse charges. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Tevel [ http://www.jewishjournal.com/tag/mendel+tevel , http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/?s=tevel ] was arrested yesterday at a community center in Beverly Hills on charges of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree and Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. According to the Jewish Journal [ http://www.jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/article/breaking_beverly_hills_police_report_arrest_of_alleged_sex_abuser ]:
In August, the Journal reported [ http://www.jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/article/childhood_abuse_victims_name_alleged_abuser ] on four men who said they had been victims of Tevel when they were minors (ranging from ages 6 to 14 at the time of the alleged abuse). They claimed Tevel performed acts that included spanking on bare skin, to sexually suggestive rubbing. The instances described by those who spoke with the Journal took place as early as around 1995 and as recently as around 2004.
Tevel is expected to be extradited back to NYC to face the charges. The watchdog group Jewish Community Watch was heavily involved in calling attention to the allegations against Tevel. The group's website recounts [ http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/what-dwyane-wade-and-kevin-durant-shouldve-known-about-the-jem-center-before-going/ ] the experience of one victim who came forward after New York's statute of limitations had expired:
When he was a 14-year-old student — in around 2004 — at the since-closed Shterns Yeshiva in upstate New York, Tevel, then a mentor at the school, initiated what was at first a friendly relationship with the speaker. Tevel, who is now about 30, was around 21 years old at the time.
At first, the man alleged, Tevel offered simply to be the student's exercise partner. But eventually, he said, Tevel came up with extreme ways to motivate him to work out harder, including repeatedly whipping him with a metal coat hanger, which he said lacerated his skin and caused bleeding.
He claimed that as the relationship grew, Tevel would crawl into bed with him at night, inappropriately massage him, and rub his clothed body against the boy's. He claimed Tevel also bent him over and spanked him when he refused to immerse himself in what was sometimes a very cold outdoor mikveh (ritual bath). These incidents occurred multiple times, the speaker said.
"He wasn't exactly trying to hide the fact that he had an erection at the time," the alleged victim told the gathering, describing his incidents with Tevel in the mikveh. "I was a very naïve 14-year-old, but something just didn't feel right, so I cut off ties with him."
The director of the community center where Tevel was arrested is Rabbi Hertzel Illulian, Tevel's father-in-law. In a statement to the Jewish Journal, Illulian said, "God will help that it will show that it's all false and will clear up, and people will see while we will still continue our good job for the community."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqIiISL4I0U [with comments]
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Footsteps: the journey
Published on Nov 15, 2013 by Footsteps [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCrkLHMetRTwG0T9DzrznoA / http://www.youtube.com/user/footstepsorg , http://www.youtube.com/user/footstepsorg/videos ]
Footsteps: The Journey tells the story of how a small non-profit organization assists ultra-Orthodox Jews wishing to move beyond their communities of origin to lead self-determined lives.
http://footstepsorg.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYYwM1HZ6vY [with comments]
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Secret World of Hasidism
Published on Dec 31, 2013 by OhYeahRememberThat [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgOcC43UzV3EFbn87HLEYuw / http://www.youtube.com/user/OhYeahRememberThat , http://www.youtube.com/user/OhYeahRememberThat/videos ]
An in depth documentary on the world of Hasidism, an Orthodox Jewish sect.
It explains what Hasidism is, and how it differs to contemporary Judaism. It covers the laws of Judaism, Kosher food, weddings and those who have embraced and left Judaism. It features Luzer Twersky and Jewish author Simon Jacobson.
Hasidic Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism
Haredi Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haredi_Judaism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMoFQhOG_Ok [with comments]
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Full Episode: Lev Tahor
Published on Feb 22, 2014 by 16x9onglobal [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxUD8G1jO8T-Ef2tuADCZOA / http://www.youtube.com/user/16x9onglobal , http://www.youtube.com/user/16x9onglobal/videos ]
In this episode of 16x9: Chief Correspondent, Carolyn Jarvis travels to Lev Tahor -- an Ultra Orthodox Jewish Sect in Chatham-Kent, Ontario -- where 16x9 was granted unprecedented access. For a week we documented their culture and traditions, and bring you a candid look at what Lev Tahor is all about. For more info, please go to http://globalnews.ca/?s=Lev+Tahor .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvHedNL6isQ [with comments]
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Rabbi of the Pure Hearts: Inside Lev Tahor
Published on Mar 2, 2014 by CBC Fifth [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TGL2VG4t-pvYODX63PMPQ , http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TGL2VG4t-pvYODX63PMPQ/videos ]
Life in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Lev Tahor is supposed to be simple: the rules for dress, diet, schooling, marriage and worship are clearly defined and closely followed. But last November, in the middle of the night, about 200 members of the sect fled their homes in Quebec to start a new community in Chatham, Ontario, amid allegations of child neglect. Now the sect is fighting to keep more than a dozen children that a Quebec court ordered removed from their families. Recently released search warrants show Quebec provincial police have been investigating allegations of unlawful confinement and physical abuse of children within the sect, as well as marriage of underage girls to much older men.
Their ongoing legal battles are raising an old dilemma: when does a group’s right to religious freedom get trumped by society’s obligation to protect children? It’s also prompted a lot of questions about life inside the secluded community - and the past of its charismatic leader, Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans. The fifth estate’s team travelled from New York to Israel to investigate his murky history, and host Gillian Findlay spoke to people with an intimate knowledge of his past. With unprecedented access to the community in Chatham, including first-hand footage of a police raid there and an extensive interview with Helbrans, ‘Rabbi of the Pure Hearts: Inside Lev Tahor’ reveals the challenges of life in the Jewish sect.
A joint investigation with Radio Canada's Enquete program.
Original airdate: February 28th, 2014
For more on the fifth estate : http://www.cbc.ca/fifth
Follow us on Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/cbcfifth
Like us on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/thefifthestate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7jx0jk_REU [with comments] [the CBC News ( https://www.youtube.com/user/cbcnews/videos ) upload at/description text taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnyx6pqb-zM (with comments)]
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Michael Savage Debates Rabbi Yaakov Spivak on Orthodox Jews Protesting Israeli Draft - 3/12/14
Published on Mar 12, 2014 by Michael Savage Show Updates - Media Alerts [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq2eXCSiXldB4O0af_ulhIA / http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelSavage4Prez , http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelSavage4Prez/videos ]
March 12, 2014 --- Michael Savage Debates Rabbi Yaakov Spivak on Orthodox Jews Protesting Israeli Draft --- The Savage Nation ---
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joYD6U8F1lE [with comments]
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After the Cameras Went Away
Published on May 7, 2014 by CBC Fifth
Even after a story airs on television, the fifth estate does not stop investigating. In our season finale 'After the Cameras Went Away', Gillian Findlay reveals the latest on the controversial religious sect Lev Tahor...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVqFeY6a728 [with comment]
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Why I left the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community - London Live TV
Published on Aug 14, 2014 by Hare Education [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC__w1zen-Tmf0SjaujYOoHg , http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC__w1zen-Tmf0SjaujYOoHg/videos ]
A background to this interview was written in The Independent newspaper:
Why I left the ultra-orthodox Jewish community: 'as kids we were told that the outside world hated us'
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-i-left-the-ultraorthodox-jewish-community-as-kids-we-were-told-that-the-outside-world-hated-us-9668865.html
Anyone seeking assistance in leaving the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community can contact the following organizations:
US: http://footstepsorg.org/
Israel: http://www.hillel.org.il/
UK: http://mavar.org.uk/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT8ICy5YZfo [with comments]
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Orthodox Jewish Men Cause Flight Delays After Refusing To Sit Next To Women
Published on Oct 1, 2014 by The Young Turks
"Israel’s national airline, El Al, has been criticised for allowing ultra-orthodox Jewish men to disrupt flights by refusing to be seated next to women.
A petition on change.org is demanding that the carrier “stop the bullying, intimidation and discrimination against women on your flights”.
One flight last week, from New York’s JFK airport to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport,descended into chaos according to passengers, after a large group of haredim, or ultra-orthodox Jews, refused to take their seats next to women, in accordance with strict religious customs.”*
Cenk Uygur ( http://www.twitter.com/cenkuygur ) and Ana Kasparian ( http://www.twitter.com/AnaKasparian ) discuss.
*Read more here from The Gyardian:
Israeli airline urged to stop ‘bullying’ of women by ultra-orthodox passengers
Petition organiser says airline should find way to accommodate religious requirements without breaching other people’s rights
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/30/israeli-airline-ultra-orthodox-men-bullying-women
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHm0N-3amek [with (nearly 5,000) comments]
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SPEAK UP! 7 Orthodox Abuse Survivors Break the Silence
Published on Nov 26, 2014 by Jewish Community Watch [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBcx9RqKM8ivJo2DIDdHx0A / http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishCommunityWatch , http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishCommunityWatch/videos ]
More information at http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/
JCW is proud to release a new short film called Speak Up, telling the stories of seven young adults from the Orthodox Jewish community who suffered the horrors of child sexual abuse and have journeyed from being victims to survivors.
PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO which was produced in order to raise awareness of abuse and to send a message of solidarity to survivors, that they are not alone.
If you are a survivor, please know that you have nothing to be ashamed of! You can come forward and speak up, and when you do, JCW will be there to support you!
"Speak up" -
Produced and directed by Daniel Finkelman
DP Alex Zingaro
Sound Michael Puro
http://www.sparksnext.com
Connect with JCW:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JewishCommunityWatch.Org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCWatch
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jewish_community_watch
Donate to Jewish Community Watch: http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/donate.php
ABOUT JEWISH COMMUNITY WATCH
Jewish Community Watch was founded in 2011 with the stated goal of breaking the silence and shame that surrounds CSA in the Orthodox Jewish community. JCW prevents further abuse by notifying the public of the threat of the abusers in their vicinity, educates the public about what to look out for, and helps survivors of abuse heal by reminding them that they are not alone and by supporting them through their battles.
JCW recently re-launched JewishCommunityWatch.org which represents the most extensive Jewish website combating child sexual abuse. It hosts extensive content, including a vast education center, the Wall of Shame with 93 profiles of alleged abusers, information for survivors to get help, relevant laws with regards to each state, myths and facts on CSA and much more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asza6pEQVfQ [with comments]
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18 Things Orthodox Jewish Feminists Are Tired of Hearing
Published on Jul 14, 2015 by nerdwithavoice [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCra3yrKUzeXIsapONF9EFQA / http://www.youtube.com/user/nerdwithavoice , http://www.youtube.com/user/nerdwithavoice/videos ]
I've wanted to make this video for a LONG TIME, based on countless conversations and experiences I've had as an Orthodox Jewish feminist. That's right, I'm "one of those."
Also, I realize that there are Orthodox Jewish male feminists, and am super grateful for them! However, this video is not about them. Supporting a cause means the spotlight won't always be on you. Much love to the men in the Orthodox community who work to make things better for both sides of the mechitzah. If you want to make a video about things male Orthodox Jewish feminists are tired of hearing, do it and tweet it at me (@nerdwithavoice). I would be delighted.
My links:
http://twitter.com/nerdwithavoice
http://instagram.com/nerdwithavoice
http://theorthodoxjukebox.tumblr.com
http://soundcloud.com/talia-lakritz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTLqD14L06U [with comments]
*
Things Orthodox Jewish Feminists Are Tired Of Hearing
“Why call it feminism? Why can’t you call it something less provocative?”
07/24/2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/orthodox-jewish-feminists_55b27a2ce4b0a13f9d186963 [with the YouTube just above embedded, and comments]
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in addition to (linked in) the post to which this is a reply and preceding and (other) following, see also (linked in):
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=12186433 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=58323162 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=30820541 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=65896874 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=69670356 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=70059353 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=70328383 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=70337272 (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=75961379 and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=75962997 and preceding (and any future following),
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=76020886 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=76897309 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=79188265 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=83698034 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=90872146 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=95081519 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=95666631 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=105687086 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115810309 and preceding (and any future following),
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115837470 and preceding (and any future following),
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115866451 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=106148792 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=108924126 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=114039022 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115590575 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=110456218 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=112064401 and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=112103836 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115343094 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115488678 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115591043 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115702431 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115850842 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115860402 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115863476 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115864448 (at the linked http://www.theguardian.com/world/israel , scroll/use the page tabs at the bottom to go to, in particular and without limitation, the stories from on/around July 30 and 31, 2015) (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115866229 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115868587 (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115868709 and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115877569 and following
Leah Vincent
“My biggest journey has been figuring out what it means to be a woman.”
By Sasha Bronner
Posted: 07/23/2015 04:11 PM EDT | Edited: 07/23/2015 04:26 PM EDT
Leah Vincent separated from her deeply religious family as a 16-year-old over the course of two phone calls. She had been sent to New York City to work as a secretary and to fend for herself. Her family had cast her out.
Vincent’s harrowing 2014 memoir, Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood [ http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Me-Loose-Salvation-Ultra-Orthodox/dp/0143127411 ], chronicles her path from religious devotion to poverty, sexual trauma and self-harm -- and shows her miraculously [. . .] resurfacing with a new identity (and a degree from Harvard and a career as a writer).
Today, Vincent, 33, lives in Brooklyn, New York with her three-year-old daughter and is writing her second book, a work of fiction that expands on Cut Me Loose and explores specifically how women develop their sense of identity.
“My biggest journey has been figuring out what it means to be a woman,” Vincent told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. “Initially, that meant being completely submissive and subservient.”
Born into a three-story home in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1982, Vincent was the fifth eldest in a family that would eventually include 11 children. Her father was a widely respected rabbi and a staple in the Yeshivish community -- an ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect that keeps itself separate from the modern world.
The synagogue next door to Vincent's childhood home in Pittsburgh.
(Google Maps)
Vincent's upbringing was extreme by most standards: higher education was forbidden, girls were not allowed to speak to boys outside of the family and any questioning of the Yeshivish faith -- they were taught -- would lead to drug addiction, prostitution or death.
It was an insulated environment and Vincent only knew other ultra Orthodox Jews. She was taught that Yeshivish Judaism was the authentic version of her religion, unchanged since Abraham. Their house was in such close proximity to the synagogue that throughout childhood, Vincent could hear daily ancient Jewish prayers float in through the bathroom windows. It was the air she breathed.
In the household, love was theoretical. She was not told that she was loved. In Cut Me Loose, Vincent writes: “My parents were not literate in the language of human emotion. Love was gleaned from the tone of my mother’s voice or the softness of her eyes.”
Vincent at age 3.
Instead, the ultimate source of love was God. “I knew that his love was boundless. Even though there was his threat of hell and punishment dangling over me, there was also this sense that he was an eternal parent,” Vincent said. “Human beings have a natural need for love, especially as children. I turned to God very intensely so that I could feel loved.”
But this relationship was not always a two-way street. It was impossible to ever make God fully happy, she explained, because God expected perfection. “My foundation of selfhood rested on my spiritual well being. There was always this trembling feeling of inadequacy; of disappointing the being that mattered most to me,” she said.
****
Being a woman was simple in her family. The men devoted their lives to the study of the Talmud and the women did not. “They had access to worlds that I didn’t -- and those worlds gave them more power,” Vincent said. “My brothers went on to learn in Yeshiva and follow in my father’s footsteps. That was the holiest thing a person could do and something a women could never do. Their lives somehow became more important.”
After finishing high school, the girls were expected to marry immediately and produce a child each year after that. Vincent ached to be a mother. Motherhood, she was taught, was the ultimate symbol of femininity and purpose.
At 15, Vincent was sent to England to finish high school in an even more religious setting -- a path her sister had paved with great success. But when it was discovered that Vincent had exchanged notes with a male friend, the very foundation of her place in the family shifted violently beneath her feet.
“My parents were very much the conduit for God for me. My sense of self was defined by how they thought of me and their judgment of me,” she said.
The act of communicating with a boy was forbidden and brought extreme shame to her family. She was told, in phone call, one of two that would fully remove her from her family, that her prospects of being matched with a respectable Yeshivish husband had greatly diminished. With the hope of preserving what little reputation she had left, Vincent’s parents sent her to a seminary in Israel where she studied Jewish law and philosophy. She lived with her sister’s family.
But the thread had already started to unravel. Any small action, like purchasing a form-fitting sweater, was reported back to Vincent’s parents in Pittsburgh and they began to formally push Vincent out of the family -- saying her actions and behavior were unacceptable. This was phone call number two.
After a year in Jerusalem, Vincent, now 17, was sent to New York where three of her sisters had lived between seminary and marriage. Brooklyn was a kind of pergatory between childhood and motherhood for Yeshivish girls, Vincent explained. They waited, working as teachers or secretaries, as their parents or a matchmaker found them an acceptable husband.
But Vincent's phone did not ring. No matchmakers called. She had essentially been kicked out of the family. Her father turned his back on her entirely, never responding to her repeated calls and messages. Her mother spoke to her in clipped tones when Vincent called from New York pleading for money for food. Sometimes a twenty-dollar bill would arrive in the mail.
This type of sudden disownment from an ultra Orthodox family is sadly not uncommon [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/21/ex-hasidim-life-stories_n_7343084.html ]. The community is so insular that often the smallest break from tradition can catalyze a complete separation.
Vincent as a teenager.
****
Heartbroken, scared and alone in a secular world that was completely foreign to her, Vincent was forced to rebuild herself from scratch. It was a journey that got worse before it got better; a road that included so much pain and sorrow that she didn’t know if she could continue living.
Vincent lived alone and worked as a secretary, barely making enough money to eat. She had no friends and her voice was often hoarse in the mornings because she hadn’t spoken to anyone since she left the office the day before. She had very little experience socially and no experience romantically.
At 17, Vincent was raped by a man she was seeing and contracted pelvic inflammatory disease -- an infection of the female reproductive organs. She was told she may never have children. In her book, Vincent described this as a “complete eclipse of my future self.”
Her pain and trauma were so intense that she began to cut herself as a way of coping. At first, little pricks covered her arms and legs but eventually long, declarative marks replaced them. She started to engage in dangerous sexual behavior and details in her book the many ways she put herself at risk, which included prostitution.
At one point she slipped into such a dark place that a suicide attempt landed her in a psychiatric hospital. Her family was informed but no one came to visit.
Feeling that she had nothing to lose -- that she had already lost everything that meant something to her in her former life -- she followed through on an urge that would be considered insane in her family. She went to college.
She took night and weekend classes at Brooklyn College while working full time. She studied psychology and art. It took her five years to finish, but in 2006 at the age of 24, she had a degree. The first in her family. “For some impossible reason I always had this hope that I would make it through and be okay in the end,” she said.
But building a new sense of self was a long journey. “For so many years, my life was this harrowing, horrible story. And then it started to improve and although some of it was good fortune, I knew that so much of it I could take credit for. That gave me a sense of pride and a counter to the voices in my head that said I was unlovable or evil or bad,” she said.
In 2007, she was accepted to Harvard for a Master’s program in public policy. It was a future she could have never fathomed growing up. “My mom had very clearly told me there were two career options: I could either teach at a Jewish high school or I could become a secretary,” she said.
In her twenties, after completely detaching from her fundamentalist upbringing, Vincent started to redefine what it meant to be a woman. She described it as a gradual awakening.
Vincent speaks at the Footsteps 10th Anniversary Gala.
“I made very slow progress in starting to think about how I could build an identity for myself as a woman outside of my relationship with men. Moving to have my own opinions and my own voice,” she said.
This also meant redefining what her body meant to her. After years of cutting, Vincent embraced a different kind of mark on her skin -- a permanent one.
When she got a tattoo of the Hebrew letter aleph on her wrist, Vincent was both rebelling and expanding. Jewish law forbids any permanent markings on the skin. But Vincent remembered a teacher from seminary diagramming the symbol. “It conveys this idea that we are not all angelic or not all animal, but that human beings are a balance between the two. Kind of like a Jewish Ying and Yang,” she explained.
“My tattoo was a major milestone. It was such a clear pivot. Something huge shifted. I realized that my body belonged to me and that I had ownership over it,” Vincent said. After that day, she never cut herself again.
“Our bodies are always changing, especially for women. It’s a way of remembering my story and remembering who I am. It’s something that links my life to the person I am today.”
****
Vincent kept a diary throughout her entire life. She always believed it might come in handy, and years later, it did. She published her memoir in 2014 after working on it intensely for two years. Her relationship with her family was already deeply fractured and worsened after the book came out. “They really saw [it] as an act of treason and severed any relationship we might have had,” Vincent explained.
Vincent says she felt very comfortable with what she revealed about other people. She wasn’t writing an exposé on anybody else. “If this were an exposé on my parents I would have told very different stories -- or a great many more stories than I did. I really only told the stories that were relevant to my story,” she said.
Vincent at a family wedding.
“There is a lot of backlash about anybody who comes out and tells his or her story," she said, referring to the Yeshivish community. "I got a little bit of that. Occasionally I will get a nasty email. My father had a pretty painful response." Her mother did not comment on the book.
But there is one family member who is proud of her for sharing her story and tells her so to this day.
Vincent’s younger brother broke away from the family years after she did. He sought her out in New York to talk -- before he was ready to fully break ties with their parents. But he eventually did. They are extremely close today.
“We need family for so many reasons. But one of them is family is how we hold our memories. To have somebody who remembers my childhood with me is so powerful. Somebody who gets my references and knows where I come from. I am so grateful that I have him,” she said.
Years ago, Vincent became involved in Footsteps [ http://footstepsorg.org/ ], a nonprofit that provides support and resources to those leaving insular Jewish communities. It was there that she started sharing her story and listened to other former ultra Orthodox people share their journeys. It’s also where she met her husband. She served on the board for many years.
“Telling stories informally in our private lives and telling stories publicly is so important. There’s been a huge wave of personal memoirs in the past 10 to 15 years -- I think it’s part of this new wave of feminism. It’s a powerful, wonderful thing,” Vincent said.
Vincent with her daughter in New York.
(Humans of New York/Instagram)
“I have become very passionate about women’s inner worlds. I think that patriarchal societies silence women’s voices." Women's interior worlds and the complex ways they develop their identities will be a focus in Vincent's new book.
"For me, the act of truth telling is a revolutionary act. It strengthens this muscle in me that tells me my experiences have legitimacy and power. Bringing that into view starts to shift the paradigm.”
Copyright © 2015 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/escaping-her-ultra-orthodox-past-meant-redefining-what-it-means-to-be-a-woman_55b01a38e4b08f57d5d3a26b [with comments]
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Raw Video: Ultra-Orthodox Jews Clash With Police
Uploaded on Aug 1, 2009 by Associated Press [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC52X5wxOL_s5yw0dQk7NtgA / http://www.youtube.com/user/AssociatedPress , http://www.youtube.com/user/AssociatedPress/videos ]
Ultra-Orthodox demonstrators scuffled with police in Jerusalem Saturday in a protest over a decision by the city's mayor to open a municipal car park on the Sabbath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK2eJR6dsco [with comments]
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Israel's Rosa Parks: Tanya Rosenblit refuses Ultra-Orthodox Haredi demand to sit in the back of bus
Uploaded on Dec 19, 2011 by JewishNewsOne [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC56WwNsqpbjme7r-URpl3OA / http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishNewsOne , http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishNewsOne/videos ]
An Israeli woman has been thrust into the country's headlines this week after her refusal to move to the back of an Egged bus caught the imagination of the country's editors and politicians alike. Tanya Rosenblit, who works as a production assistant at news channel JN1, was off-duty at the time of the incident and traveling on private business from her Ashdod hometown to Jerusalem. Her refusal to move to the back of the bus when asked to do so by Ultra-Orthodox Haredi passengers led to an ugly confrontation which was only partially resolved by the arrival of the police.
Despite requests to 'show respect' to the sensibilities of the Ultra-Orthodox Haredi communities along the public transport route, Rosenblit stood her ground throughout and was eventually successful in her bid to ride at the front of the bus. She then posted photos and commentary about her experience on various social networking sites, drawing an overwhelming response which soon led to a media frenzy as different Israeli TV channels and national newspapers queued up to interview the woman fast being dubbed "the Israeli Rosa Parks."
Meanwhile, Rosenblit's protest has also been officially lauded by PM Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni, serving to thrust the thorny issue of gender segregation back into the headlines. Rosenblit has denied that her actions were in any way anti-religious and claims instead that her bus protest was merely a stand against extremism. As Tanya says in the video, "I didn't do anything that I wouldn't do again, and I don't think [...] I'm a hero. I think it's something that every woman and every person should do."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k37d6fiQG8s [with comments]
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American Girl Target of Extremist Jews in Israel
Published on Dec 26, 2011 by Associated Press
An 8-year-old American girl has unwittingly found herself on the front line of Israel's latest religious row. Naama Margolese is afraid of walking to her religious Jewish girls' school for fear of being harassed by ultra-Orthodox extremists. (Dec. 26)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U2M6vsMy48 [with comments]
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Israeli ultra-Orthodox Jews 'harass' 8-year-old girl over dress
Published on Dec 26, 2011 by euronews (in English) [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSrZ3UV4jOidv8ppoVuvW9Q / http://www.youtube.com/user/Euronews , http://www.youtube.com/user/Euronews/videos ]
Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to curb harassment and discrimination after complaints over the behaviour of ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Police intervened after a television crew was set upon by one group as the journalists investigated a case of alleged abuse. Their car was stoned, a reporter wounded and equipment stolen.
The town of Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem is under the spotlight, after an eight-year-old girl complained of being threatened by ultra-Orthodox men over her dress.
http://www.euronews.net/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waTGCXkcyTM [with comments]
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Orthodox Jews spit on "immodest" 8 year old girl
Uploaded on Dec 27, 2011 by johnmalory26 [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCId1SfSKf4Qia8zsz49hRCQ / http://www.youtube.com/user/johnmalory26 , http://www.youtube.com/user/johnmalory26/videos ]
How Jews treat women, not just in Israel, this is New York:
New York City Orthodox Jewish men deny women equality
https://arthuride.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/new-york-city-orthodox-jewish-men-deny-women-equality/
WATCH: Ultra-Orthodox spit on “immodest” 8-year-old girl in Beit Shemesh
Since this news report last Friday, about a little girl from Beit Shemesh, secular-religious relations seem to be the only thing Israelis are talking about
http://972mag.com/watch-ultra-orthodox-spit-on-immodest-8-year-old-girl-in-bet-shemesh/31268/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt6-geYwguk [with comments]
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Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Problem
Uploaded on Jan 16, 2012 by The Young Turks [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ / http://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks , http://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks/videos ]
Orthodox Jews in Israel are concerned about a rapidly growing radical group of fundamentalist Jews called Haredi. Cenk Uygur and Steve Oh discuss on The Young Turks.
Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Problem
http://www.newsweek.com/israels-ultra-orthodox-problem-64211
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhQjHJJI6U0 [with (over 4,000) comments]
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Haredim stone, pour bleach on woman: Haredi Ultra-Orthodox assault Jewish woman in Beit Shemesh
Uploaded on Jan 26, 2012 by JewishNewsOne
A group of Haredi Ultra-Orthodox extremists in Beit Shemesh allegedly attacked a woman putting up posters advertising Israel's national lottery (Mifal Hapayis). When Natalie Mashiach ran to her car, they threw bricks through the windows and poured bleach over her. She said another rock was thrown at her as she tried to escape, "I couldn't believe it, and I am yelling at them 'I am Jewish, I am Jewish, how can you do this?'" She claims 50-100 people watched the attack and didn't intervene.
Police said that it was not immediately clear why the Haredim targeted her, but the victim denies her clothes were inappropriate. However, they did disperse the crowd and make three arrests. This attack is the latest of many similar incidents in Beit Shemesh, where an eight-year-old schoolgirl was tormented and spat on by the Ultra-Orthodox extremists. In contrast, Haredi media claim Mashiach "behaved immodestly" when asked to leave.
The growing Ultra-Orthodox population has put up street signs calling for the separation of sexes on sidewalks, dispatched "modesty patrols" to enforce a chaste female appearance, and hurled stones and spat on offenders and outsiders. Many walls in the town's Ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood are covered with signs telling women to dress modestly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8sWsSJfDzY [with comments]
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews Shun Their Own Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
Published on May 10, 2012 by The Young Turks
Why are ultra-orthodox Jews shunned if they report child sexual abuse in their own community? Ana Kasparian and Huffington Post Science Correspondent Cara Santa Maria break it down on The Young Turks.
*Read more from The New York Times:
Ultra-Orthodox Shun Their Own for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/nyregion/ultra-orthodox-jews-shun-their-own-for-reporting-child-sexual-abuse.html [ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/nyregion/ultra-orthodox-jews-shun-their-own-for-reporting-child-sexual-abuse.html?pagewanted=all ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_DSjrtoZ0s [with comments]
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Haredi: The Ultra orthodox society in Israel
Published on Jun 2, 2012 by pegelatrin [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHnTCCmsS6gB7RQR8iLxmnA / http://www.youtube.com/user/pegelatrin , http://www.youtube.com/user/pegelatrin/videos ]
This is a documentary that follows a variety of people in the Ultra orthodox community in Israel, and tells different stories. First of is the Israeli election, in a feud between the sides in the community whether they should vote or not vote, second issue is the issue regarding education and poverty, where two women try to change the enviroment regarding haredi education and family planning, and the third part is about the controversy surrounding the internet in the Haredi world. Should internet be allowed or not? [the three themes interwoven throughout the piece]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGJg1lHPPZw [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MAN8gF1mvY [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypZE4XJY-cI [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ29LtE9iLg [with comments], http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOWd0Bf8gUg [with comments]
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The Jewish Orthodox Community of New York
Published on Nov 5, 2012 by BLUMENFELD Musik [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0DHiV3eNLgZR1RHb5OGv5Q / http://www.youtube.com/user/blumenfeldmusik , http://www.youtube.com/user/blumenfeldmusik/videos ]
Hassidim... ha'Kehila ha'Yehudit ha'Haredia be New York
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-wAd02XVjw [with comments]
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Hasidic Tensions in Williamsburg
Published on Nov 12, 2012 by DeZelle12 [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFg-ul4rV7uGqqqRoJ-Ih3Q / http://www.youtube.com/user/DeZelle12 , http://www.youtube.com/user/DeZelle12/videos ]
Please note that this video is not meant to defame or denote the Hasidic culture, but rather give insight into the perception that can sometimes be given off. In addition, for those not of the religious affiliation, to gain understanding and appreciation of the traditions. The beauty of New York City is that it is diverse, open to anyone and almost anything, and as society progresses it is just as important to understand each other as it is to understand ourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsTaMJaZi8I [with comments]
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Orthodox Jew Plastic Bag Photo Going Viral
Published on Apr 12, 2013 by The Young Turks
"An Orthodox Jewish plane passenger was seen wrapped in a plastic bag during a flight. It was believed the man is a Kohein, a religious descendant of the priests of ancient Israel, who are banned from flying over cemeteries. Fellow passengers strained to see the unusual sight and took pictures"* Cenk Uygur, Ben Mankiewicz, and Ana Kasparian break it down on The Young Turks.
*Read more from Nina Golgowski and Janine Yaqoob at The Daily Mail:
Orthodox Jewish man photographed covering himself in plastic bag during flight because faith forbids him to fly over cemeteries
• An Orthodox Jewish plane passenger was seen wrapped in a plastic bag during a flight
• It was believed the man is a Kohein, a religious descendant of the priests of ancient Israel, who are banned from flying over cemeteries
• Fellow passengers strained to see the unusual sight and took pictures
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2307713/Pictured-Orthodox-Jewish-man-covers-PLASTIC-BAG-flight.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLoBPAr0oTc [with comments]
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Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism - Footsteps
Published on May 13, 2013 by TheJewishSongs [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNffwfM15k1OkNRNJH-fGJA / http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJewishSongs , http://www.youtube.com/user/TheJewishSongs/videos ]
A support group called Footsteps is providing counsel to those who have chosen to leave the confines of the ultra-Orthodox world in which they were raised.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejXtQWda_dE [with comments]
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Former Hasidic Jews Reveal Hidden World
Published on Jun 25, 2013 by ifrum1 [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCej1NJYk8lBR6nrAO0MIw / http://www.youtube.com/user/ifrum1 , http://www.youtube.com/user/ifrum1/videos ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDIrPXNXzJw [comments disabled]
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Clearly explained why Orthodox Jews refuse to serve in IDF
Published on Jul 22, 2013 by True Torah Jews [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdVnXXSpNAzKCL412T1dOOg / http://www.youtube.com/user/TorahJews , http://www.youtube.com/user/TorahJews/videos ]
Discover the facts about Zionism!
The Zionists are anti-religious Jews, with one goal: to destroy the Jewish religion and culture.
To achieve their goal, they created a movement called "Zionism" and later a state called "Israel", where they are constantly attacking the practice of Judaism in many ways, including attempts to draft the boys of the Orthodox community into their army and national service.
Learn the reasons why Orthodox Jews refuse to serve in the Israeli army. Watch the Orthodox community demonstrating and declaring that they would rather be jailed than serve in the Israeli army!
This presentation is brought to you by True Torah Jews http://www.truetorahjews.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3SJYRkI2hM [comments disabled]
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Fundamentalists Smash Bus After Woman Didn't Move to the Back
Published on Aug 2, 2013 by The Young Turks
"Israeli police say they have arrested an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man for demanding women move to the back of a bus, sparking protests that saw bus windows smashed.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says Wednesday's incident occurred in the devoutly religious neighborhood of Beit Shemesh. He says ultra-Orthodox demonstrators in the neighborhood smashed the windows of three nearby buses while protesting the arrest. There were no injuries and no further arrests."*
Ultra-Orthadox Jewish protestors blocked off buses and smashed their windows with hammers and rocks because of a bus driver's refusal to make a woman sit in the back of the bus when some fundamentalist sect members tried to make her move, due to a rule in their religion. Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, Steve Oh, and Jimmy Dore discuss.
*Read more from AP via StarTribune, and from JTA:
Ultra-Orthodox protesters attack buses in Israel after woman refuses to move to back of a bus
http://www.startribune.com/ultra-orthodox-protesters-attack-buses-in-israel/217760271/
Haredi men attack bus after woman refuses to move back
http://www.jta.org/2013/07/31/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/haredi-protesters-smash-bus-windows-after-woman-refuses-to-move-to-back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1F57Ya-Ebw [with comments]
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Crown Heights Rabbi Accused Of Child Molestation Arrested In Beverly Hills
Published on Oct 30, 2013 by JewsOnTelevision [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC382Pl07gJ5ghCfN1E8Yxuw / http://www.youtube.com/user/JewsOnTelevision , http://www.youtube.com/user/JewsOnTelevision/videos ]
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish Rabbi from Crown Heights has been arrested in Beverly Hills on child sex abuse charges. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Tevel [ http://www.jewishjournal.com/tag/mendel+tevel , http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/?s=tevel ] was arrested yesterday at a community center in Beverly Hills on charges of Criminal Sexual Act in the First Degree, Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree and Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. According to the Jewish Journal [ http://www.jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/article/breaking_beverly_hills_police_report_arrest_of_alleged_sex_abuser ]:
In August, the Journal reported [ http://www.jewishjournal.com/los_angeles/article/childhood_abuse_victims_name_alleged_abuser ] on four men who said they had been victims of Tevel when they were minors (ranging from ages 6 to 14 at the time of the alleged abuse). They claimed Tevel performed acts that included spanking on bare skin, to sexually suggestive rubbing. The instances described by those who spoke with the Journal took place as early as around 1995 and as recently as around 2004.
Tevel is expected to be extradited back to NYC to face the charges. The watchdog group Jewish Community Watch was heavily involved in calling attention to the allegations against Tevel. The group's website recounts [ http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/what-dwyane-wade-and-kevin-durant-shouldve-known-about-the-jem-center-before-going/ ] the experience of one victim who came forward after New York's statute of limitations had expired:
When he was a 14-year-old student — in around 2004 — at the since-closed Shterns Yeshiva in upstate New York, Tevel, then a mentor at the school, initiated what was at first a friendly relationship with the speaker. Tevel, who is now about 30, was around 21 years old at the time.
At first, the man alleged, Tevel offered simply to be the student's exercise partner. But eventually, he said, Tevel came up with extreme ways to motivate him to work out harder, including repeatedly whipping him with a metal coat hanger, which he said lacerated his skin and caused bleeding.
He claimed that as the relationship grew, Tevel would crawl into bed with him at night, inappropriately massage him, and rub his clothed body against the boy's. He claimed Tevel also bent him over and spanked him when he refused to immerse himself in what was sometimes a very cold outdoor mikveh (ritual bath). These incidents occurred multiple times, the speaker said.
"He wasn't exactly trying to hide the fact that he had an erection at the time," the alleged victim told the gathering, describing his incidents with Tevel in the mikveh. "I was a very naïve 14-year-old, but something just didn't feel right, so I cut off ties with him."
The director of the community center where Tevel was arrested is Rabbi Hertzel Illulian, Tevel's father-in-law. In a statement to the Jewish Journal, Illulian said, "God will help that it will show that it's all false and will clear up, and people will see while we will still continue our good job for the community."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqIiISL4I0U [with comments]
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Footsteps: the journey
Published on Nov 15, 2013 by Footsteps [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCrkLHMetRTwG0T9DzrznoA / http://www.youtube.com/user/footstepsorg , http://www.youtube.com/user/footstepsorg/videos ]
Footsteps: The Journey tells the story of how a small non-profit organization assists ultra-Orthodox Jews wishing to move beyond their communities of origin to lead self-determined lives.
http://footstepsorg.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYYwM1HZ6vY [with comments]
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Secret World of Hasidism
Published on Dec 31, 2013 by OhYeahRememberThat [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgOcC43UzV3EFbn87HLEYuw / http://www.youtube.com/user/OhYeahRememberThat , http://www.youtube.com/user/OhYeahRememberThat/videos ]
An in depth documentary on the world of Hasidism, an Orthodox Jewish sect.
It explains what Hasidism is, and how it differs to contemporary Judaism. It covers the laws of Judaism, Kosher food, weddings and those who have embraced and left Judaism. It features Luzer Twersky and Jewish author Simon Jacobson.
Hasidic Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism
Haredi Judaism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haredi_Judaism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMoFQhOG_Ok [with comments]
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Full Episode: Lev Tahor
Published on Feb 22, 2014 by 16x9onglobal [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxUD8G1jO8T-Ef2tuADCZOA / http://www.youtube.com/user/16x9onglobal , http://www.youtube.com/user/16x9onglobal/videos ]
In this episode of 16x9: Chief Correspondent, Carolyn Jarvis travels to Lev Tahor -- an Ultra Orthodox Jewish Sect in Chatham-Kent, Ontario -- where 16x9 was granted unprecedented access. For a week we documented their culture and traditions, and bring you a candid look at what Lev Tahor is all about. For more info, please go to http://globalnews.ca/?s=Lev+Tahor .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvHedNL6isQ [with comments]
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Rabbi of the Pure Hearts: Inside Lev Tahor
Published on Mar 2, 2014 by CBC Fifth [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TGL2VG4t-pvYODX63PMPQ , http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TGL2VG4t-pvYODX63PMPQ/videos ]
Life in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Lev Tahor is supposed to be simple: the rules for dress, diet, schooling, marriage and worship are clearly defined and closely followed. But last November, in the middle of the night, about 200 members of the sect fled their homes in Quebec to start a new community in Chatham, Ontario, amid allegations of child neglect. Now the sect is fighting to keep more than a dozen children that a Quebec court ordered removed from their families. Recently released search warrants show Quebec provincial police have been investigating allegations of unlawful confinement and physical abuse of children within the sect, as well as marriage of underage girls to much older men.
Their ongoing legal battles are raising an old dilemma: when does a group’s right to religious freedom get trumped by society’s obligation to protect children? It’s also prompted a lot of questions about life inside the secluded community - and the past of its charismatic leader, Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans. The fifth estate’s team travelled from New York to Israel to investigate his murky history, and host Gillian Findlay spoke to people with an intimate knowledge of his past. With unprecedented access to the community in Chatham, including first-hand footage of a police raid there and an extensive interview with Helbrans, ‘Rabbi of the Pure Hearts: Inside Lev Tahor’ reveals the challenges of life in the Jewish sect.
A joint investigation with Radio Canada's Enquete program.
Original airdate: February 28th, 2014
For more on the fifth estate : http://www.cbc.ca/fifth
Follow us on Twitter : http://www.twitter.com/cbcfifth
Like us on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/thefifthestate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7jx0jk_REU [with comments] [the CBC News ( https://www.youtube.com/user/cbcnews/videos ) upload at/description text taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnyx6pqb-zM (with comments)]
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Michael Savage Debates Rabbi Yaakov Spivak on Orthodox Jews Protesting Israeli Draft - 3/12/14
Published on Mar 12, 2014 by Michael Savage Show Updates - Media Alerts [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq2eXCSiXldB4O0af_ulhIA / http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelSavage4Prez , http://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelSavage4Prez/videos ]
March 12, 2014 --- Michael Savage Debates Rabbi Yaakov Spivak on Orthodox Jews Protesting Israeli Draft --- The Savage Nation ---
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joYD6U8F1lE [with comments]
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After the Cameras Went Away
Published on May 7, 2014 by CBC Fifth
Even after a story airs on television, the fifth estate does not stop investigating. In our season finale 'After the Cameras Went Away', Gillian Findlay reveals the latest on the controversial religious sect Lev Tahor...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVqFeY6a728 [with comment]
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Why I left the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community - London Live TV
Published on Aug 14, 2014 by Hare Education [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC__w1zen-Tmf0SjaujYOoHg , http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC__w1zen-Tmf0SjaujYOoHg/videos ]
A background to this interview was written in The Independent newspaper:
Why I left the ultra-orthodox Jewish community: 'as kids we were told that the outside world hated us'
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/why-i-left-the-ultraorthodox-jewish-community-as-kids-we-were-told-that-the-outside-world-hated-us-9668865.html
Anyone seeking assistance in leaving the Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) community can contact the following organizations:
US: http://footstepsorg.org/
Israel: http://www.hillel.org.il/
UK: http://mavar.org.uk/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT8ICy5YZfo [with comments]
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Orthodox Jewish Men Cause Flight Delays After Refusing To Sit Next To Women
Published on Oct 1, 2014 by The Young Turks
"Israel’s national airline, El Al, has been criticised for allowing ultra-orthodox Jewish men to disrupt flights by refusing to be seated next to women.
A petition on change.org is demanding that the carrier “stop the bullying, intimidation and discrimination against women on your flights”.
One flight last week, from New York’s JFK airport to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport,descended into chaos according to passengers, after a large group of haredim, or ultra-orthodox Jews, refused to take their seats next to women, in accordance with strict religious customs.”*
Cenk Uygur ( http://www.twitter.com/cenkuygur ) and Ana Kasparian ( http://www.twitter.com/AnaKasparian ) discuss.
*Read more here from The Gyardian:
Israeli airline urged to stop ‘bullying’ of women by ultra-orthodox passengers
Petition organiser says airline should find way to accommodate religious requirements without breaching other people’s rights
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/30/israeli-airline-ultra-orthodox-men-bullying-women
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHm0N-3amek [with (nearly 5,000) comments]
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SPEAK UP! 7 Orthodox Abuse Survivors Break the Silence
Published on Nov 26, 2014 by Jewish Community Watch [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBcx9RqKM8ivJo2DIDdHx0A / http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishCommunityWatch , http://www.youtube.com/user/JewishCommunityWatch/videos ]
More information at http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/
JCW is proud to release a new short film called Speak Up, telling the stories of seven young adults from the Orthodox Jewish community who suffered the horrors of child sexual abuse and have journeyed from being victims to survivors.
PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO which was produced in order to raise awareness of abuse and to send a message of solidarity to survivors, that they are not alone.
If you are a survivor, please know that you have nothing to be ashamed of! You can come forward and speak up, and when you do, JCW will be there to support you!
"Speak up" -
Produced and directed by Daniel Finkelman
DP Alex Zingaro
Sound Michael Puro
http://www.sparksnext.com
Connect with JCW:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JewishCommunityWatch.Org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCWatch
Instagram: http://instagram.com/jewish_community_watch
Donate to Jewish Community Watch: http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/donate.php
ABOUT JEWISH COMMUNITY WATCH
Jewish Community Watch was founded in 2011 with the stated goal of breaking the silence and shame that surrounds CSA in the Orthodox Jewish community. JCW prevents further abuse by notifying the public of the threat of the abusers in their vicinity, educates the public about what to look out for, and helps survivors of abuse heal by reminding them that they are not alone and by supporting them through their battles.
JCW recently re-launched JewishCommunityWatch.org which represents the most extensive Jewish website combating child sexual abuse. It hosts extensive content, including a vast education center, the Wall of Shame with 93 profiles of alleged abusers, information for survivors to get help, relevant laws with regards to each state, myths and facts on CSA and much more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asza6pEQVfQ [with comments]
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18 Things Orthodox Jewish Feminists Are Tired of Hearing
Published on Jul 14, 2015 by nerdwithavoice [ http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCra3yrKUzeXIsapONF9EFQA / http://www.youtube.com/user/nerdwithavoice , http://www.youtube.com/user/nerdwithavoice/videos ]
I've wanted to make this video for a LONG TIME, based on countless conversations and experiences I've had as an Orthodox Jewish feminist. That's right, I'm "one of those."
Also, I realize that there are Orthodox Jewish male feminists, and am super grateful for them! However, this video is not about them. Supporting a cause means the spotlight won't always be on you. Much love to the men in the Orthodox community who work to make things better for both sides of the mechitzah. If you want to make a video about things male Orthodox Jewish feminists are tired of hearing, do it and tweet it at me (@nerdwithavoice). I would be delighted.
My links:
http://twitter.com/nerdwithavoice
http://instagram.com/nerdwithavoice
http://theorthodoxjukebox.tumblr.com
http://soundcloud.com/talia-lakritz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTLqD14L06U [with comments]
*
Things Orthodox Jewish Feminists Are Tired Of Hearing
“Why call it feminism? Why can’t you call it something less provocative?”
07/24/2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/orthodox-jewish-feminists_55b27a2ce4b0a13f9d186963 [with the YouTube just above embedded, and comments]
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in addition to (linked in) the post to which this is a reply and preceding and (other) following, see also (linked in):
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=12186433 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=58323162 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=30820541 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=65896874 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=69670356 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=70059353 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=70328383 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=70337272 (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=75961379 and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=75962997 and preceding (and any future following),
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=76020886 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=76897309 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=79188265 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=83698034 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=90872146 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=95081519 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=95666631 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=105687086 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115810309 and preceding (and any future following),
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115837470 and preceding (and any future following),
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115866451 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=106148792 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=108924126 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=114039022 and preceding and following,
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115590575 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=110456218 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=112064401 and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=112103836 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115343094 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115488678 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115591043 and preceding (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115702431 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115850842 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115860402 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115863476 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115864448 (at the linked http://www.theguardian.com/world/israel , scroll/use the page tabs at the bottom to go to, in particular and without limitation, the stories from on/around July 30 and 31, 2015) (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115866229 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115868587 (and any future following)
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115868709 and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=115877569 and following
Greensburg, KS - 5/4/07
"Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty."
from John Philpot Curran, Speech
upon the Right of Election, 1790
F6
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