Strange Tales of Hassidic Jews

anyway, i'm not really pissed off about, live and let live, they pretty much never talk to me so i have no reason to be upset, and i could care less if they think i'm a "real jew" or not.

an article about kiryas joel, NY

A pro of the Hassidic community: it is good for my mom, who suffers from severe bipolar disorder and they are obligated to take care of her, basically. I think the incredibly strict structure is good for her as well, as irritating as I find it.

Hasids came to my house twice as a teenager. One time my mom answered the door and they recoiled in shock when she almost touched them welcoming them into our house, saying they couldn't touch her because she was "unclean". My mom was livid.

The Hassids also rallied heavily against any municipal Christmas displays, insisting that Jewish symbols be given equal time. This amounted to a gaudy, completely unnecessary giant electrical menorah going up on the main street in town. I assume it was modeled on the giant electrical menorah that the Hassidic Rabbi had attached to the top of his station wagon. All this did was exacerbate tensions between the Jewish and Christian communities, and the Jewish and Hassidic communities (most of the Reform congregation are not big on ostentatious public displays of either Judaism OR Christianity).

this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I guess you didn't see the episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where this custom was reviewed.

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Haha, really? What season was that in?

"you are a messenger from OUR GOD. You are carrying a DELIVERY that was meant for US!".

I doubt we had a more aggressive Hassidic rabbi than Rebbe Schneerson. fuck that megalomaniac.

Season Four, I think it was the 2nd or 3rd last episode. Gina Gershon played a Hassidic Jew who wasn't very observant, shall we say. Larry wanted to sleep with her and cash in on his 10th anniversary present.

he is quite funny. I got the impression his initial numerology pitch is what they teach you on page one of "Kabbalah for Tards".

but, not all are so isolationist, the lubavichers especially, although the reason they arent is basically just so they can get more diverse and scattered fallen jews into the fold.

on another note, that day in June must have been Lag B'omer. it's a day for being out in the fields havin fun, traditionally bows and arrows, but i cant remember why quite.

when israeli politicos visit NYC they protest at their hotels!

I was working in Park Slope a couple months ago and a this Lubavicher, who tried to convince to put on t'fillin ("you don't have to be religious to wear t'fillin!"), gave me the Lubavicher newsletter "for Jews everywhere". There was an article based on an extended metaphor of life as a journey and religion being "what you pack" but the set-up took forever and read like a ridiculously broad parody of stereotypical Jewish neurosis--"when you're packing for a trip, it's hard to know what to bring? Should I bring this suit or that suit? Do I need boot and shoes? Will I be attending formal and informal events? WHAT IF IT RAINS?!" etc

yup. they're also the hasidics that people are most likely to encounter in williamsburg (b/c that's where they live -- there and upstate in kiryas joel, NY). they are pretty much the mortal enemies of the lubavichers (who live in crown heights). dunno whether the satmars proselytize as much as the lubavichers, or if they don't proselytize at all.

because of the influence of chabad/lubavich now i think that other groups have started their own programs.

my rabbi/teacher during high school grew up in a non-lubavich hasidic group. at around 18 he fell in with the lubavichers. his mother cried as if he'd converted to christianity.

anyway, i used to work at a firm where one of the attorneys is an orthodox rabbi (in westchester county). i became pretty friendly w/ the rabbi, and he used to have some pretty not-nice things to say about the hasidim. i think that they embarrassed him.

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"Trembling Before G-d", yes, I saw it (I forgot that Zorn did the soundtrack!). I didn't walk away from it enlightened or anything, as it plays out as you'd expect (i.e. "my family doesn't understand me, I can't change my faith or my sexual orientation, G-d understands") but it's quite poignant nonethless.

(hmmm, my comment doesn't read like an endorsement, but it is)

I remember reading somewhere that there are more Lubavitchers than Hassidim in London, mainly around stamford hill.