TRAVEL all the pages
  • Blog
  • Book List
  • Travel List
  • Amazon Pairings
  • Links
  • Favorites
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Book List
  • Travel List
  • Amazon Pairings
  • Links
  • Favorites
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

travel all the pages

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots                                                           by Deborah Feldman

1/18/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
I've always been fascinated by religion especially those sects that veer off into the fundamentalist realm. There always seems to be so much secrecy and an acceptance of  hypocritical thought among believers.  Followers are fervent, and it's interesting to read what makes some people stay and others leave the religious communities they're raised in.

Hasids are ultra-Orthodox Jews who dabble in mysticism and practice a strict adherence to ritual laws. Deborah Feldman, assumed white, is raised by her grandparents after her mother leaves their Satmar community in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. Her father is mentally ill and the family doesn't seek treatment or help for him. Deborah struggles to understand why the Hasid community keeps such tightly locked secrets. She's not allowed to read secular books, and she spends her days hiding library check-outs under her mattress and stealing time to read. She questions Hasidic law and custom at every turn and feels like the adults in her life are always keeping things from her.  She longs for freedom from the ritual structure of her community and finds her own ways to rebel in small doses until she eventually leaves the Satmar group for good.

Married women are required to cover their hair, and many Hasids shave their heads and wear wigs. Women are required to visit the mikvah, a bath for a ritual cleansing after their periods, and Deborah talks about how uncomfortable she feels being forced to participate in the custom. Marriage is arranged by a matchmaker, and elaborate gift-giving customs are part of the engagement. Deborah is married at age 17 and completely unprepared for life with a man. Both she and her husband experience sexual dysfunction and can't initially consummate the marriage. She's horrified when her new husband's family tries to intervene and longs for privacy and a marriage that's forged out of mutual love and desire.

There's a lot of controversy surrounding Deborah's version of events in her memoir. I wish she had explained Hasidic customs more in-depth as I felt lost trying to understand many of her brief recollections. Part of this may be because she didn't understand them herself when she actually wrote her story. As a reader with zero knowledge of this faith community, I was longing for more detail and background on the reasons for some of the practices. In my own personal view, religion should stand up to questioning. People who are truly curious thinkers will most likely never be satisfied with answers of "just believe" and "because this is how it is." I also find it appalling when religious groups ostracize and shun family members who choose another path. I can't get behind any system that treats people this way. I was also disgusted by how women are subjugated in Deborah's Hasidic community. Of course, this is only one perspective, and I can't assume this is reflective of all practicing Hasids, but I was alarmed by the repressive elements of her life story and can empathize with her choice to speak out.

I found this to be slow and klunky at first, but strange and engrossing as I got further along. The book got me interested in learning more about these enigmatic Hasidic communities and to follow up with learning about other followers' experiences.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Travel All the Pages is inspired by my two loves - travel and reading, a combo I can't resist.  Enjoy these little pairings.

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Categories

    All
    Adventure
    All-Inclusive
    Assateague
    Budapest
    Christmas
    Classic
    Contemporary
    Cusco
    Diverse
    Dog
    Dystopian
    Fall
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    Hiking
    Historical Fiction
    Horror
    Humor
    Hungary
    Iceland
    Lancaster
    LGBTQ+
    Louisiana
    Maryland
    Memoir
    Mexico
    Middle Grade
    Miraflores
    Mystery
    New Orleans
    Nonfiction
    Pennsylvania
    Peru
    Retelling
    Riviera Maya
    Romance
    Salt Dough
    Science Fiction
    Series
    Social Distancing
    Supernatural
    Thriller
    Travel
    Verse Novel
    York
    Young Adult

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.