22 Comments

Thank you for the tutorial on the Hassidim.

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Thanks, David. It’s not extensive, but it gets one through.

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Once again I'm left contemplating how there is nothing more or less batshit about scientology, any formally recognized religion, the church of the spaghetti monster, and how much free time people have to make rules for themselves and others. Especially women!

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I get that, and yet I have deep respect for ritual and the practices of others.

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I do not share that because of the harm and restriction those rituals always place on others, especially women others. But there's not a thing I can do about it. Shrug.

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You can always speak out. And you do.

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❤️ once in a while!

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Were you an early Sensitivity coach/lecturer? This would be an awesome PowerPoint to show kids in schools.

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I think it might need some adjustments, but I see what you mean. And no, that was not my shtick. I do write courseware though…

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You were ahead of your time.

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I love the idea of a Sabbath Elevator.

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Me too. According to Wikipedia: Shabbat elevators can be found in areas of large Jewish population in Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ukraine (Dnipro), Argentina, and Brazil. They are found in hotels, hospitals and other health institutions, apartment buildings, and sometimes in synagogues.

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I am somehow having a hard time picturing you with electronic medical records, but I am sure you’d have been the best at the job! Thank you for the introduction on Hasidic Jews—I had no idea about the Shabbat elevator. And, I did not know there were different groups within Hasidic Jews! We have an orthodox Jewish neighborhood in the northern Baltimore area where they don’t work on Saturdays and you see men with payots and tzitzits walking about, but I don’t know what denomination they’d belong to. My son when littler, wanted to once see an orthodox Jewish man in Hasidic attire (he was writing an article) and I recall driving up to northern Baltimore to a Jewish bakery only to discover not one person in sight:)

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I bet you went on Saturday…

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I hope I wasn’t silly enough to do that, but hard pressed to remember:)

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Could have been any holiday; I don’t even know them all.

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That might have well been it! Even the bakery was closed.

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My favorite are the hat-shaped suitcases they bring during travels!

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Don’t want to crush the hat!

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Fascinating stuff. I remember seeing Hasidic Jews strolling about in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick. Keeping very much to themselves, as you point out!

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Wonderful article. Borough Park is always an interesting journey.

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This is a wonderful presentation. I am very familiar with the Hasidim having come from a very religious family on my father's side but my mother and her family saved us from that. Nevertheless, I appreciate the Hasids and believe they are misunderstood. Also, Chaim Potok's The Chosen and the Promise are based on them as is the old classic movie, The Chosen. Thanks for posting.

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