We see Hasidic women in Hollywood all the time, but far too often they are negative and over the top fictional portrayals. Many real-life Hasidic women, especially in more insular sects like Satmar, have no idea what Hollywood is. But then there are women like Bylu Wertheimer. Wertheimer first attended and then taught in Satmar girls’ schools before […]
Dear Jew in the City- Why do Orthodox Jewish women shave their heads? Thank you, Kylie Dear Kylie- Thanks for your question. To say that Orthodox Jewish women shave their heads is a huge generalization, and not a particularly accurate one. What the majority of Orthodox women do is cover their hair. The parameters of […]
I grew up in an authoritarian home in which self-expression in any form was restricted: socially, academically, psychologically, mentally and financially. Not surprisingly, I was taught to be as stringent as humanly possible when it came to being religious. And so I was as “frum” as physically and mentally possible as I made my way […]
Her children took different paths, and she loves them all unconditionally! Again and again in the media and at Makom, we hear of the parents who disown their kids for leaving Judaism or even choosing a different Jewish path. We never hear from the parents who do whatever they can to show their kids they […]
Makom member, Nechuma Schweitzer, has seen both sides – how Orthodox Judaism can be painful and abusive and how much love and healing is possible when you are connected to healthy approaches and people. She joins me to discuss her perspective and experience as it relates to “Unorthodox.”
On an early morning hike, sitting here in the valley, surrounded by these rustic large rocks, I feel enveloped in God’s embrace. The early morning sun rises from behind the rocks, warms my back and soothes my heart. My eyes slowly scan the bumps and curves of the rocks looming around me. It’s as if […]
