Hasidic Judaism Explored

Link to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/teadpfXWCO4Martha Ross grew up Old Order Amish in Middlefield Ohio, left it, and now does YouTube videos about it on the channel  @AmishTransformed  . Please check out her fundraiser for her husband's much needed dental work here: https://gofund.me/d49b3276

Link to video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/MnFddZtaWdQ

This is the song to advertise the Tzohar organization, which I have referenced in the episode comparing the Netflix Unorthodox show to this song. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/78XBSSDdwjo?si=aXMAEQ4pOPnYhbwZI am sharing the music since it's essentially and ad and it will help create a fuller resource/reference to my commentary

Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/78XBSSDdwjoThe stories we tell affect the ways we process events around us. How we make sense of things like someone's departure from a community. Every society has their own stories; their own mythologies, their own tropes.In this video, I do an analysis of two different societies and their tropes, by comparing the Netflix show Unorthodox with the music video "Mein Kind, Eiku". Please leave a comment with your thoughts.Filmed by Ryan Scharfenberg / https://www.instagram.com/mmm_moire/Edited by Lee Korak / @LeeKorak Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mayo.nap?igsh=ZXp4bm8zZTJ2aXVrMusic: Dark Investigation by Soundridemusic Link to Video: • NoCopyright Panic Tension Suspense Th...Credits: Music: Dark Investigation by Soundridemusic Link to Video: • NoCopyright Panic Tension Suspense Th... Chillpeach - In Dreamland : • [no copyright music] 'In Dreamland ' ...

Video link: https://youtu.be/28lP8j8swA0Please support Rochel Yenty Bodek's wonderful work by donating: https://insightbeyondeyesight.org/donate Rochel Yenty Bodek is a Hasidic woman who lost her sight as a young woman due to a genetic condition. She has faced tremendous challenges as a wife and mother in the Hasidic community and has risen to the challenge with tremendous resilience. In this interview she talks with a lot of candor about the challenges and strengths of the Hasidic community and how she approaches her disability in this realm.If you appreciate my work and think it's important, please consider financially supporting it by becoming a channel member or sending a donation. It takes a team of multiple people to make this channel run and your support means so much.

Link to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/hKN0_75EuqEAnna Shternshis is a Professor of Yiddish studies and the director of the department of Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto and the author of "Soviet and Kosher", "When Sonia Met Boris" and the forthcoming "Jews in the soviet union: post war life, hopes and fears". In this interview we talk about the fascinating history of the Jews of the Soviet Union, the oral histories Anna collected from Yiddish (and non-Yiddish) speakers born before 1929, and the Yiddish songs she recovered from during the holocaust.Some links for Anna Shternshis here:Soviet and Kosher: https://amzn.to/4irTnT6When Sonia Met Boris: https://amzn.to/4bxypzCHer project to set holocaust songs to lyrics, titled Yiddish Glory: https://www.yiddishglory.com/Link to the University of Toronto: https://german.utoronto.ca/anna-shternshis/Twitter: https://x.com/shternsh

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/pVfY5wZlPecThere's a whole emerging world of Hasidic theater, acted by men, and including a cast and stories of men only. This has been a tiny element of the Hasidic world for years - it definitely wasn't a viable career for anyone until recently. In recent years, the Hasidic theater scene has exploded. So much talent is coming to the fore. It was so much my pleasure to talk to Ari (Arye) Abromowitz, who is a veteran of this scene, who has been there from the beginning of this "revolution" and has been in many ways its face as he acted in many productions. I learned so much about this arts scene from Ari and this was just the tip of the iceberg.Link to Ari and Friends: https://mostlymusic.com/products/ari-friends-season-1-episode-1-videoEdited by Lee Korak / https://leekorak.site/

Video version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/kMxyRkjljm8?si=hcjjD0_-izvquKxBToday's interview is about psychedelics, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, and one extraordinary woman's journey! Please join me for the interview with Bruchy Moskovics. Bruchy was raised in the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel. Her story is like no one's I've ever heard, and the way she tells it will take you to another world -- a world of faith, thoughtfulness, and living connected with something very alive within. Bruchy is now a child therapist and also does post-psychedelic integrative therapy, and her work often addresses a Yiddish-speaking crowd. In this interview she both shares her story and also explains what psychedelic therapy is, and how it's coming to play a role in the contemporary Hasidic community.Bruchy's Instagram account is: https://www.instagram.com/bruchymoskovics/Thumbnail photo credit of Hasidic man smoking: Abe Kugielsky - https://www.instagram.com/hasidiminusa/

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/ctuFi83643EAntonia Lassar is a Jewish comedian who grew up with very little Judaism. She later became interested in various forms of religion, going on a seeker's journey for community with soulful musical connection. She loves singing and is a professional comedian. Our journeys couldn't be more different, yet we have so much in common in our appreciation of religious Judaism that doesn't always work for us. In our long form interview we talked about Antonia's background, about the Chabad sect, about the ritual of mikvah immersion, and much more.Check out Antonia here: Antonia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antonialastar/Antonia on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@antonialastar Antonia's website: https://antonialassar.com/Many many thanks to the Mandel Cultural Leadership program for helping make this happen. Special thanks to the wonderful Eva Heinstein whom I love.

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/blLciT0egb4Jessica Roda just published the book "For Women and Girls Only" on Orthodox Jewish women's performances. You can find her book here: https://amzn.to/4jKRJgjIn this long form discussion we talk about what's happening in the scene of Orthodox Jewish women's performances. Because of modesty rules, women are not allowed to perform in front of men. So oftentimes their reach is limited. In Roda's work, she charts how women's perfomances has become a whole economy thanks to the internet and women's creative ways of approaching the Kol Isha issue.Check out Jessica's book and Jessica on Instagram and Twitter:https://x.com/RodaJesshttps://www.instagram.com/jess_roda/ This interview is brought to you with the support of Fairfield University. This video is brought to you with the generous support of Fairfield University / Bennet Center for Judaic Studies. The Bennett Center for Judaic Studies is a unique academic center that strives to enrich the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual dialogue of Fairfield University. Continuing the vision of Carl and Dorothy Bennett, the Center fosters continued learning experiences and campus-wide awareness about Jewish history, ethical values, and religious observances. It also seeks to engage the Greater Fairfield communities through inspiring lectures and annual programs. https://www.fairfield.edu/academics/centers-and-institutes/bennett-center-for-judaic-studies/index.html

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/HoTzWaF7dU8So many stories about the Hasidic Jews of the village of Kiryas Joel come from people who have left it. Or, often it will come from village official PR people who tell a very rosy story. In this interview, we get an exclusive peak into an everyday woman walking an exceptional line; risking everything in her community to express her voice. Fradel's story is compelling, fascinating and yet to get very interesting as she finds her place in the world, negotiating faith and individualization in a very communal society. Fradel is an amazing woman, mental health awareness advocate, talented photographer and more.Check her work out below:Find Fradel on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/fradelneuman/Fradel's photography website is: https://www.instagram.com/captureit___photography/

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/dlp7-4Aq1tMModi Rosenfeld is a brilliant and wonderful Jewish comedian whose work I've long been a huge fan of. He is able to talk to any audience, a skill that few have. It's incredible to me that his audience spans from the very secular to the very religious, including Hasidic Jews, which is part of his bit. In my latest interview I talk to Modi for a bit of a behind the scenes discussion about his amazing work. Check out Modi here on Youtube for amazing comedy videos including the full special here: https://youtu.be/iPF3GkKuPVc?si=0ghFVls5tJzKmSDJCheck out Modi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modi_live?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Video link: https://youtu.be/J1XGAMK4wngHappy Chanukah! This Chanukah I want to share some of my childhood memories by reading to you an unpublished essay about my childhood memories of Chanukah in the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel. Wishing all who celebrate the holidays very happy holidays!

Video version of this posting: https://youtu.be/Gk917OpgS_QIt is the tradition that before a Hasidic young man gets married, he attends a private session with an older rabbi who guides him in matters of sex and intimacy. Since sex is not a topic openly discussed in this society as it is considered immodest, this one lesson is potentially the first time the young groom learns about sex and the opposite gender. That one lesson could be beautiful, painful, shocking, exhilarating, and so many other things.Since I myself went through this on the female side, I have first hand experience of how complicated and intense this session can be. A few years ago a young engaged man recorded his pre-marital session and it was circulated in the underground Hasidic world. I first found it painful to listen to, and later I came to see it as quite gorgeous, human, complex, worthy of dissemination.To keep everyone's identity private, I am not publishing the original audio, which is in Yiddish. However, I did translate the whole thing to English for my blog, and in this video I'll read to you most of that translation. I'm leaving out the very graphic sexual bits as I didn't think they were necessary. If you are interested in reading it (and probably you are, you are human! :)feel free to check out my blog post here: https://friedavizel.com/2022/03/27/transcript-of-a-hasidic-grooms-wedding-lesson/Please also check out my interview with intimacy coach Peggy Greenfield for more conversation on this very delicate topic. https://youtu.be/AUdw8W71Gv8

Video version here: https://youtu.be/AUdw8W71Gv8*Sensitive content warning. This conversation contains adult themes.*Peggy Greenfield is a certified relationship and intimacy coach who grew up in the Satmar Hasidic community of Williamsburg, and now serves this population. Peggy is not in the community herself anymore, which gives her a unique vantage point from which to tackle challenges of sex and imtimacy, topics that are difficult and complicated anywhere, but which pose a unique challenge in a community of so many rules restricting sex and the body. Peggy is outside of the community's conventions, but she has a deep appreciation for it. She therefore is able to candidly and empathetically provide support and guidance and here, to talk openly for this interview. I understand that many people feel that this topic should not be discussed publicly, but after much deliberation, I decided that the right course of action is to release this interview. I welcome your thoughts in the comments. Please check out Peggy on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/pegreenfeld/Please subscribe, like, comment and share for more humanizing sensitive conversations on Jewish topics.

Video link: https://youtu.be/Ovl9HbcTuUIThis is a discussion about the documentary 'City of Joel', with the filmmaker Jesse Sweet. It's a documentary about a turf war in the insular Hasidic Village of Kiryas Joel. Kiryas Joel is a Satmar village in Orange County New York, and it's where I lived for the first twenty-five years of my life. The documentary includes amazing footage of the village I grew up in, with shots of several very close male contacts. It was a fun experience to watch it and to discuss the film with the filmmaker.Click here for the City of Joel documentary: https://amzn.to/4fsl5NSAnd here is Jesse's latest project, Nature of the Crime: https://www.docnyc.net/film/nature-of-the-crime/Please consider supporting my work by making a tax-deductible donation through Fractured Atlas fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/frieda-vizel-brooklyn-youtube-channel or sending a contribution via Paypal: paypal.com/paypalme/friedavizel This helps me to continue to bring to you more Jewish content, which requires a considerable investment on my part.

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/vbwZcttuNOQMiriam Anzovin is a Jewish content creator who does videos about the Talmud, Jewish lore reactions and even holiday themed makeup tutorials. She is a warm, funny and witty Jewish woman and I find a friend in her in the content creation journey. Join me for a discussion with the wonderful Miriam about her background, about her relationship to her orthodox mother, about her creative process, about trolls and the Talmud and so much more.Follow Miriam on a bunch of platforms!Youtube  @MiriamAnzovin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miriamanzovin/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCAM7ylcgdb_dkvvrnEmLp0wTwitter: https://x.com/AnzovinaWebsite: https://www.miriamanzovin.com/

Video version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/5-RsTIrIbmoLea Kalisch has a dream to sing at the Superbowl, in Yiddish, with a shtreimel. She is a singer of many genres, but some of her Yiddish songs reflect a longing for a simple, religious world. "I am a shtetel Neshama (soul), a Jew from yesterday. I should have been a fruma, my hashtag is 'oyvey'." We hear so many stories of people from the religious community longing for the secular world, what does it mean to grow up secular and express a longing for the religious world? For Lea, the answer is very complicated. She at once embodies a side that is a "rebbetzin" and a side that is wearing barely anything to perform. Her perspective is fresh, energetic, passionate, and unique. Please join us for a conversation about the story of Lea Kalisch.

Youtube video: https://youtu.be/aTkJpC3h7cg

Join me for an interview with the Hasidic Yiddish influencer Raizy Fried. Please check out the youtube version of this video here:https://youtu.be/oycLsS4ulygIn my work documenting the Hasidic community, I've gone to great lengths to bring out of the shadows the story of women in this world and their voices. It has been incredibly difficult, as much of the female sphere is modesty and behind a curtain. Still, I've felt it's important to share this world with you all, as I feel that otherwise, the female experience is invisible, as if erased, out of sight and out of mind. So it's a great honor for me that the first Hasidic "star" that I interviewed is a woman. I've approached several men, but they were apprehensive. I hope to speak to them one day, but for now, this is my discussion with the lovely Raizy Fried from Inspired Living. Please check out Raizy's website at raizyfried.com

Link to video version of this conversation:https://youtu.be/O-ov6vTAAqQ?si=uqY1x8Yt-8woN-TDIn this video I talk to Hasidic Jew Rabbi Mendel Hersh Paneth about the community's complicated relationship to animals. People's fear of dogs, the way that animals are slaughtered for kosher purposes and the ritual of kapores. Stay tuned for additional discussions with Rabbi MH Paneth. 

*Note: the play discussed here contains violence*For the video version of this interview see here.In this long-form interview, I talk to theater director Igor Goylak about a powerful production titled 'Our Class'. It's a play that tackles timely themes of the human capacity for evil, antisemitism, and the long arc of history. I saw the play in Brooklyn and it's now playing in Manhattan. Igor is a fellow Fellow at the Mandel Institute Cultural Leadership Program Fall 2024 cohort.**For tickets see the following websites:**www.arlekinplayers.comwww.ourclassplay.comwww.igorgolyakstudio.com

For YouTube version see here: https://youtu.be/DQgG_PzxazgBaily is a character of a Hasidic woman who spends her summers in the bungalow colonies in upstate New York. In this episode, she shares the trials and tribulations of the experience. This segment is comedy, in the great tradition of the Catskills being a place for comedy. Leah Forster is a brilliant comedian who has spent years entertaining Hasidic women before she left the fold and pivoted to perform for a larger audience.Check out my other videos on the Jewish Catskills and my earlier interview with Leah about her career.https://youtu.be/Txi0xO-au7I?si=GI6FUWT-jXb4JcwY https://youtu.be/-PWFttncdZg?si=Z_7NNkbd9vvA7BvW https://youtu.be/1J6pNHymChE?si=R0zuBDc6o9xyLwOD 

Andrew Jacobs directed the beautiful documentary 'Four Seasons Lodge' about holocaust survivors who spent every summer in the Catskills in a bungalow colony, connecting and loving life. The documentary follows them during their last years, as they are in their 80s, navigating the end of their time together. They are full of laughter, love, humor, sorrow, and memories of the horrors they went through. When I talked to Jacobs about his work on the documentary, and then so many of the subjects passing away, he welled up as he talked about what the survivors went through and how despite all that, they had so much gusto for life.

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/311WBTY7mrsTuvia Tenonbom is a character! He grew up in the Haredi enclave of Bnei Brak, which I've introduced you to in another video. He left the fold in his early twenties and became a bestselling author and journalist in Germany - with oft-hilarious, oft-controversial views. During covid, he was sent on an assignment to the insular Haredi enclaves of Israel, to the world of his childhood, to write about the experience. He was warned by many people that he'd be kicked out as soon as he arrived. But what happened left him surprised, humored, and a little bit in love with the Haredi world.The result of Tuvia's time in Bnei Brak is a book and a documentary, both of which I've experienced. The book is titled 'Careful, Beauties Ahead', and the documentary, which I saw at a small theater in Manhattan, is titled 'God Speaks Yiddish'. I don't believe you can watch the documentary anywhere except during limited screenings in various places, but you can get his book!

Video interview: https://youtu.be/2saQ0LEwZXQGita Katz is a larger-than-life character. I got to know her through Pearl, the famous Hasidic woman whom I have had the honor of having on this program before. In this interview, she shares what it was like to grow up in Hasidic Williamsburg in the shadow of the Holocaust.

For the video version of this segment, click here: https://youtu.be/jiE9cTn6Yi0Riki Rose grew up in Hasidic Williamsburg, in a very conservative family. From when she was young, she had that star celebrity quality to her. But as a woman, her ability to fully express her talents was significantly limited by the religious laws on Kol Isha, which prohibits women from performing to male audiences. Still, Riki's life has been full of joys, good humor, and great moments to shine. In this long-form interview, I talk to Riki about her amazing life story. And as a wonderful bonus, we even hear her sing some songs!

Video version of this segment: https://youtu.be/tq8y3KkAWTkAs many of you know, my first language is Yiddish. It is the language of the Satmar Hasidic community I come from. The story of why I grew up speaking Yiddish, and not Hebrew, is intimately tied to the story of the birth of Israel, Zionism and Jewish language. And so, today I want to delve into the history of how two Jewish languages came to represent contrasting Jewish ideologies. I was inspired to do this segment after visiting the wonderful YIVO exhibit in Manhattan titled: 'PALESTINIAN YIDDISH: A LOOK AT YIDDISH IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL BEFORE 1948'Link: https://cjh.org/visit/exhibit-info/palestinian-yiddishAddress: 15 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011About my guest Eddy Portnoy, the curator of the exhibition: Eddy Portnoy is an expert on Jewish popular culture. Portnoy earned an MA in Yiddish Studies from Columbia University and a PhD in Jewish History from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He currently holds the position of Senior Researcher and Exhibition Curator at YIVO.You can follow Eddy on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/eddyportnoyYou can see his book Bad Rabbi on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/cLuRcup

For the video version of this discussion, see here: https://youtu.be/S2LMqtNjg6cThe Hasidic community has been the subject of great, lurid fascination. People love to hear the stories of its unusual customs and darker sides. I see this fascination as part of a larger fascination with subcultures and cults. For instance, Youtube is full of channels that tell ex-Hasidic, ex-Mormon, ex-Amish and ex-Cult stories and these videos draw hundreds of thousands of views. Guinevere Turner grew up in a cult. In the Lyman Family cult. What's unique about her is that she doesn't give the audience the lurid story they want. She also has written about how cults are talked about in the larger society. Her essay in the New Yorker, 'My Childhood in a Cult', influenced my own writing, 'Is the Hasidic Community A Cult?'In this episode, Guinevere joins me to discuss our experiences as women with life stories that draw so much fascination. We talk about why we think the world wants our stories, and why we might not want to give them up. We discuss the Lyman family cult and other groups that are perhaps communes, perhaps cults. A discussion that touches the tip of the iceberg!

Video version of this segment here: https://youtu.be/_H1hjrS2MLoA chained wife is a woman who is chained to a man in marriage, even after the relationship ends. This can happen in Jewish marriages when one partner refuses to give or accept the Get, the religious divorce. Malky is a Hasidic woman in Kiryas Joel who has been a chained wife for 4 years. In recent weeks the activist Flatbush Girl has spearheaded a campaign to pressure Malky's husband to give a Get, by protesting in the strict and insular village of Kiryas Joel, by entering synagogues, and most controversially, by calling for a sex strike. In this segment, I talk to Keshet Starr, the CEO of the organization ORA, or Organization for the Resolution of Agunot. We talk about how the problem of chained wives comes to happen, how these problems are unique in insular communities, how it impacts the children, the types of pressures that are applied, and more.Some links related to this segment: ORA's website: https://www.getora.org ORA's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oraagunot/ Keshet Starr's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keshetstarr/ Flatbush Girl (Adina Miles)'s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flatbushgirl/ Thanks for watching!

Link to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/8oVcC5z24c4The Satmar Rabbi is one of Hasidic Jewry's great figures, yet his legacy is mired in deep controversy. He is credited with much of the revival of Hungarian Hasidism post-holocaust. Still, his anti-zionism draws deep criticism, especially since he was rescued during the holocaust by the Kastner train, a special rescue train that was negotiated by the zionists.In this episode, I bring you a conversation with Rabbi Ysoscher Katz on the life and controversies of the Satmar Rabbi. Rabbi Katz was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and attended Satmar Hasidic Yeshivas. He now is a renowned Rabbi outside of the community. He has a lively presence on Facebook where you can read his writing and thoughts at: https://www.facebook.com/ysoscher

For the video version, see here: https://youtu.be/ywWcEMPALlMYou might have heard that in Judaism, there are Hasidic sects. What do we mean by sects? What are the sects, and what's the difference among them? In this segment, we'll do a brief introduction to what Hasidic sects are. Please feel free to leave a comment with your questions! The book referenced in this video is ‘Hasidism, A New History'

A candid vlog with my thoughts on appropriate dress in Hasidic Williamsburg. Discussing tourist dress, the model Marisa Papen who walked through Williamsburg without any clothes, and my own choice to wear pants as an ex-Satmar woman.Video version: https://youtu.be/bE4mSWJzk3I

Youtube video link: https://youtu.be/2BmWbcCMW3M?si=B3yDwGD7exBuY4fcIn many of my videos, I've explored how Hasidic Jews live in the 21st century.*But what happens to those for whom this way of life doesn't work?* Some, like myself, leave. But not everyone who has doubts or different beliefs leaves. Some stay. And in this interview, I explore the stories of what we'll call here "the double lifers". The people who stay, despite rejecting the Orthodox Jewish core theological tenets.Why do they stay? What's it like to live a double life? What are the moral quandaries of leaving or living a double life? Is it moral to have an affair after an arranged marriage? My wonderful guest delves into so many fascinating topics.Ayala Fader is Professor of Anthropology at Fordham University. She is the author of the book 'Hidden Heretics, Jewish Doubt in the Digital Age', which tells the stories of a group of hidden heretics, how they lost faith and how they navigated life in the community in their new ways of understanding the world. The book also explores the impact of the internet on Hasidic Judaism, a topic which as the viewers of this channel will know, has fascinated me greatly and been the subject of several of my videos, including my major documentary on how an insular society deals with the internet Ayala also wrote the award-winning book Mitzvah Girls Bringing Up the Next Generation of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn.You can get Ayala Fader's books here.

Video link: https://youtu.be/TkUS0jzJci4?si=QJJ8X5PKB_KKFNrqThis is a conversation with Dr. Howard Rosman, the longtime pediatrician serving the Williamsburg Hasidic community. When I first heard about him from his granddaughter, I spoke to some people in the community to ask them what they knew of him, and it was soon clear that he was a beloved icon in this community.My aim in this interview was to learn how this very devout community approaches modern medicine. Do they vaccinate? Do they take all medicine - what about kosher concerns? What about genetics? There was so much to talk about. The only reason the interview wasn't longer was because we had enormous technical issues which despite my best ability, we could not solve, and Dr. Rosman had a really muffled audio reception.I want to clarify that my aim in this interview is not to debate approaches to health and medicine. While I understand that there are now very contentious and heartfelt views on the topic, and I believe the debate is legitimate, this is not the place for that debate. My goal here was simply to hear the insights from a community doctor about the population he served. I would appreciate it if you could consider this when you leave a comment.

This is a personal essay I wrote many years ago, shortly after leaving the Hasidic community. It's about my experience during the Get ceremony. A Get is a religious divorce and the ceremony involves several ancient traditions.A little while ago, when I first tried my first live reading for the camera, I experimented by reading 'The Get'. I had not read it for many years and it was a surprisingly raw experience to go back and revisit it.

Did you know that the large Satmar Hasidic group, and the tiny Naturei Karta group, hold very different views about anti-zionism? Ideologically, the two agree up to a point. They both are anti-zionist until the Messiah comes, and both see Zionism as a secular movement. But Satmar is not the group that is seen on Iranian TV and running around with some pretty disturbing anti-semitic groups. In this segment, I go into the difference a little bit. For several reasons, including resource constraints, I have decided not to develop this segment into video. So for now I am only sharing it in podcast audio form.

Video version of this interview here. Comments are not enabled on podcasts so please leave comments on Youtube.In this long-form interview, I talk to Eli Benedict about his life story. Eli grew up in the Hasidic community in Bnei Brak, Israel, and later left the fold. He remains deeply engaged with the Hasidic community and has a tremendous passion for Yiddish language, literature, old books and community. He is the CEO of YungYiddish and he runs the channel for the @LeagueforYiddish .I have brought Eli to you on my channel before. Most notably, when he showed me around his hometown of Bnei Brak, just a few days before the horrific October 7 attack. That video is my only content from outside of New York City (for now!) I also shared some shorter videos with Eli, and one longer interview we did after the October 7 attack.I went into this interview knowing that Eli has warm, complicated feelings for his community and that he was willing to speak candidly and honestly about the world he comes from. I did not know what Eli would share and it was quite a difficult interview to have and process. I thank Eli for sharing and hope you will all listen to his story with open minds.Eli's story is another story that presents a perspective on the Hasidic education issue. My interviews on the subject create a mosaic with many different narratives. Hopefully, watching them all provides a more complicated, nuanced, and meaningful overview of the situation than one may find when reading the news.Here are some more of my videos on #hasidiceducationA trip down memory lane: my own Hasidic education || https://youtu.be/ZRhOovJLcBYGerry Albarelli, who taught English to Hasidic boys || https://youtu.be/lR7UL9b_xNUEli Spitzer, a Hasidic boys' school headmaster || https://youtu.be/li3y_lwwIywMoshe Krakowski, who studied Hasidic boys education || https://youtu.be/IjVyVP7KA8sPearl, a Hasidic mother who educated her son's in this system || https://youtu.be/V05SsdMGqkg?t=697 Izzy Posen, former student || https://youtu.be/SeZL920Eae8?si=-VCli1etsg4MJVtDAll my longform content is also available in podcast version.

What are the rules of expectation for Satmar Hasidic girls?In my most recent documentary on Hasidim and the internet, I showed a few pages of the Satmar Girl's school rulebook. This is the rulebook that contains a great many rules that the school has for its students. Among them are rules on modesty, vacationing, technology, college education, and more. Some people asked to see more of it, so I am here sharing the second half.Here is the video version of this segment: https://youtu.be/jcDFUDXa8jk

An episode discussing Hasidic/Orthodox Anti-Zionism in depth, with historian David Biale.There has been quite a bit of public conversation about Hasidic Anti-zionism. In one well-circulated tweet, critics of Zionism touted a gathering of 40,000 Satmar Hasidim as an event that proved the Jewish solidarity with the secular anti-zionist movement. But Satmar was quick to tweet back that they were in no way expressing any kind of collaboration or sympathies with the secular anti-zionist movement. You can see the tweet here:https://friedavizel.com/2023/12/15/satmar-anti-zionism-vs-secular-anti-zionism/ While there is a lot of controversy and opinions around Israel, and I am completely appreciative of debating the war and many people's positions, I feel very strongly about clarifying the many misconceptions around Orthodox Jewish anti-zionism. And so, after much thought, I decided to discuss this issue with the brilliant historian David Biale (who seems to have a superhuman memory) and he brought so much nuance and insight into the topic. It isn't an easy topic to discuss, especially the aspects of the Satmar rebbe, but I feel like this difficult discussion was handled by my guest with as much objectivity and humanity as I could hope for. I invite you to check out my other video with David and the book that brought me to him: 'Hasidism a New History' which you can find anywhere where books are sold.Hasidism | Princeton University PressYoutube version here: https://youtu.be/mQC4g--Q-fM

For the YouTube version click here: https://youtu.be/_uxPKgA6hVUYou might have heard a bit about the Hasidic Jewish music scene from my previous videos or from browsing YouTube. It's a wonderful world, and Yossi Desser is a wonderful part of it. He's a Satmar Kiryas Joel native (like me) who has a deep love for special kinds of Jewish songs like Rabbi Yomtov Ehrlich songs, old Yiddish theater songs, the stories around Hasidic niggun and the adaptations of Christmas carols to Yiddish Chanukah Carols.In this segment, Yossi and I sit down to discuss the stories around some iconic Jewish music and he performs some of it. I invite you to join this holiday-time discussion and to leave a comment! I added the translations to the songs so you can follow along no matter if you understand Yiddish, Hebrew or Hungarian.Many thanks to Mrs. Dina Storch whose translation of ‘Yom Kippur' by Yom-Tov Ehrlich was very helpful.11:15 ‘Ani Mamin' by a Modzitz Hasid who perished in the holocaust32:55 ‘Yom Kippur' by Reb Yom-Tov Ehrlich49:51 Hasidic Niggun (Rizhuner)1:00:45 ‘Belz' or ‘Beltz', a Yiddish classic song1:09:59 ‘Sola Kokosh Mar' from the Kalover Rebbe1:21:31 ‘Luz a Shnei' by Yossi Desser

Here's the link to the youtube video version: https://youtu.be/9GcRIbVEt8c?si=2TmJgN8QtvUvVa6y

This is a very, very special episode of a never before seen, very candid conversation about the marriage customs of the insular Jewish Hasidic Jews of the Satmar sect.Pearl is a Satmar Hasidic woman who has been married for fifty-six years. Her marriage, and the marriage of her children and grandchildren, were set up according to Hasidic customs.Pearl shared very candidly how her marriage was organized and graciously answered all of my questions about dating, attraction, sex education, matchmaking, and so much more. This is a very very special interview, and I am so delighted to share it with you all.To learn more about my work visit:Website - friedavizel.comInstagram - @friedavizelFacebook - /toursbyfrieda

You might have heard that Hasidic women shave their heads. You might also have heard that when someone leaves the faith, their family shuns them. I asked the lovely Pearl, a Satmar Hasidic woman, to speak about these topics.Pearl practices the custom of shaving the head - as is common in the Hasidic community. In this video, she talked about what it meant to her and what she thought of the portrayal of the custom in the show Unorthodox.Pearl also has a son who left the faith. I asked her to tell her side of this story, and she shared it so warmly and openly.I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share this conversation with you all and I look forward to your thoughtful comments.To learn more about my work visit:Website - friedavizel.comInstagram - @friedavizelFacebook - /toursbyfrieda

For the video version of this conversation, see here.*UPDATE:* After we filmed this segment, as I was about to share it, Izzy's young mother passed away in a tragic car accident. I am so heartbroken for Izzy and his terrible loss. He has been writing on his Twitter and his website about his grief for his mother and he shared a few words about her in this updated version. She was such a loving and wonderful woman. If you'd like to read more of Izzy's writing on grief and his complicated family relationship, go here: https://izzyposen.com/ https://twitter.com/posenizzy----- A conversation with the wonderful Izzy Posen about his education as a Hasidic boy. Hasidic boys have very different types of schooling than girls, and here Izzy shares his at times horrifying, at times fascinating, experience in the Hasidic education system. Here are some more of my videos on #hasidiceducationA trip down memory lane: my own Hasidic education || https://youtu.be/ZRhOovJLcBYGerry Albarelli, who taught English to Hasidic boys || https://youtu.be/lR7UL9b_xNUEli Spitzer, a Hasidic boys' school headmaster || https://youtu.be/li3y_lwwIywMoshe Krakowski, who studied Hasidic boys education || https://youtu.be/IjVyVP7KA8sPearl, a Hasidic mother who educated her son's in this system || https://youtu.be/V05SsdMGqkg?t=697#ex-hasidic #otd #hasidiceducationFor the Youtube video, see here.

What are the rules of expectation for Satmar Hasidic girls?In my most recent documentary on Hasidim and the internet, I showed a few pages of the Satmar Girl's school rulebook. This is the rulebook that contains a great many rules that the school has for its students. Among them are rules on modesty, vacationing, technology, college education, and more. Some people asked to see more of it, so I am here sharing the first half. I hope to share the second half whenever I can.

This is the story of the Hasidic Jews and the internet. In this documentary, I chart the dramatic saga of how different people in the Hasidic community first reacted to the internet, and how the community slowly coalesced on a solution for dealing with the web. Yes, many Hasidic Jews have now accepted the inevitability of the web, and many of them are online. But this is not without caveats and the community's own inventions. Join me for this long-form documentary to learn more. How are standards enforced? What are the standards? What's my personal connection to all of this? I answer as much as possible in a video that tells a story with wider implications than this community alone. It's a story about technology, change, culture, faith, and what it is to be human in the 21st century.With many thanks to my channel members who support my work!With thanks to Nicole Limperopulos for the financial support towards this video. Please check out Nicole's brilliant street photography on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/streetpicnicphotography/Many thanks to the wonderful Steve Milligan for all the hard work in editing this video. https://www.cliquemojo.comVideo by Keith Pressman https://kepress...& Beka Namicheishvili https://biaproduction.com/

Leah Forster spent many years delighting Orthodox female audiences with her comedy. It is hard to overstate her success: she produced CDs, musicals, a ton of live acts, and was a household name among all Hasidic women. She was not only very funny and booked for major women's events, she was also an English teacher in Bais Yaakov for ears. In the last few years, Leah has been on a different path, as she was outed as gay and her place in the community fell apart. In this video, I ask her about her experience as a comedienne, and we talk about the many audiences that she has made laugh. 0:00 An overview of Leah's Hasidic and post-Hasidic comedy4:58 How did you become a comedian?11:36 Where did you grow up?18:15 What was your comedy like for Orthodox women?20:45 Why is it so hard to find your old comedy online?27:44 Can you give examples of jokes you'd make when performing for frum audiences?37:05 Are orthodox people offended by your imitations of Orthodox characters?For the youtube video, see here.

Last week, I traveled to Israel to meet with Eli Benedict for a tour of his Hasidic hometown in Bnei Brak, Israel. Our time together was wonderful. And then the vicious, shocking attacks came, just after I got home. In this spontaneous interview, I check in with Eli to hear what's going on with him, with his community, and of course, with the larger situation in Israel. Eli had to leave the call suddenly when a siren went off, but he's fine. Stay tuned for more content with Eli. עם ישראל חי Eli Benedict is a researcher in Yiddish, he co-runs Yugn Yiddish and the Youtube channel @LeagueforYiddish.For video version click here.

Moshe Krakowski American Haredi education and culture, focusing on the relationship between communal worldview, identity, and education. He also works on curriculum, cognition, and inquiry learning in Jewish educational settings. He has written extensively about the Hasidic boys' education controversy, often representing the community from a more favorable perspective. He visited many Hasidic boys' schools for his research, so I invited him on to share with us what he saw.For Youtube video see here.

The book "Hasidism, A New History" is a five-pound tome, but it's an excellent tome. It tells the amazing story of the formation of the Hasidic movement in a way that I found gripping. It is a thoroughly scholarly book, representing the works of eight scholars who are among the foremost important scholars in contemporary Judaism. The book looks not only at the story of Hasidism but also the many histories that have been told in the past and how they might not represent the story as it can be pieced together from contemporary archival material and from evaluating what we know. So considering how important this book is to my own work, I was very happy to have the opportunity to host David Biale, the lead author of this book, on my channel to share with you a bit of the story of the book. Check Amazon for the book here: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description...You can find the pashkeville against David's book here: https://docdro.id/pNxxLed If you enjoy this kind of long-form interview, make sure to leave a comment to tell me so! Share your thoughts. I try to answer comments with questions.