Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Rabbis warn that a university education is "dangerous" for young women.

Courtesy of the Independent:  

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish rabbis have banned women from going to university, The Independent has learned. 

The strict Satmar sect issued the decree, seen by The Independent, warning that university education for women is “dangerous”. Written in Yiddish, the decree warns: “It has lately become the new trend that girls and married women are pursuing degrees in special education. Some attend classes and others online. And so we’d like to let their parents know that it is against the Torah. 

“We will be very strict about this. No girls attending our school are allowed to study and get a degree. It is dangerous. Girls who will not abide will be forced to leave our school. Also, we will not give any jobs or teaching position in the school to girls who’ve been to college or have a degree. 

"We have to keep our school safe and we can’t allow any secular influences in our holy environment. It is against the base upon which our Mosed was built.”

The day that becoming more educated threatens your belief system, that is the day that you need to change your belief system.

You know I spend a lot of time going after Christianity here on IM.

But the main reason that I single out that particular religion is because it is the one whose negative effects we feel the most strongly here in America, and that one that negatively impacts our politics and education.

Trust me when I say I have the same disdain for ALL religions which argue against both men and women learning more about the world and universe which surrounds us.

And that certainly includes Judaism Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism, and even some forms of Buddhism. (Yes, I realize there are other religions, but I don't have all day to list them all.)

If I have any belief at all it is that as human beings it is our right and our responsibility to learn as much as we can and to help push forward the limits of human understanding.

If any religion interferes with that, then it is undermining who we are as sentient beings.

69 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:16 AM

    A good reason not to let our own neo-cons drag us into the Middle East.

    ReplyDelete
  2. WA Skeptic4:20 AM

    Remember: Adam ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge at Eve's urging. That's why it's always the woman's fault.

    The best thing women can do is pursue that knowledge and cast off their old repression.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Leland7:27 AM

      Excuse my being picky, WA, but that is what they BELIEVE! (Personally, I find it stupid and insulting.)

      Aside from that, you are quite correct.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous4:40 AM

    "I have the same disdain for ALL religions which argue against both men and women learning more about the world and universe which surrounds us."

    And there you have it.

    Keep up the good work, dude.

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    Replies
    1. fromthediagonal6:45 AM

      Anon@ 4:40 Agreed!

      Delete
  4. Anonymous5:02 AM

    I recall when the Bibles the Catholics were allowed were all in Latin (as was mass, I believe) because that way only the 'educated males' would understand anything. I was not Catholic, but my Dad's parents were. They spent a month with us in late fall so my mom could work at Smucker's typing labels and earning Christmas money for the six kids at home. Anyway, Grandma and Grandpa would go to the Catholic church while with us, and once in a while they'd take a couple of us heathens with them. I was not impressed, even as a child. Still am not. The Catholic Bishops have done a lot of damage to this nation, mostly under cover.

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    1. Anonymous7:17 AM

      That's a very USA-ian idea. Latin is the basis for Italian, French, Spanish, and Romanian languages, and speakers of any of those languages will have a general idea of what's going on in the Latin mass.

      Delete
    2. Leland7:36 AM

      7:17, while I agree that latin is partially responsible for the languages you stipulated, it is not the main root of those languages - except Italian. The latin language was partially absorbed by the pre-existing languages, yes, but latin is not the BASIS of them.

      As for people being able to get a general idea of what is happening in a latin mass, that, I'm afraid, is hogwash.

      Not one of the non-catholics with whom I have spoken who have actually attended mass in latin EVER said they knew basically what was going on. And I have talked with a LOT of people in that category while taking comparative theology in college. It was part of our study program.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous3:24 PM

      7:36, if you don't think Spanish, French, and Rumanian are Latin-based, you're sorely mistaken. Spanish and Italian are practically dialects of the same language, and French is awfully close.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous3:25 PM

      Leland, I grew up speaking Spanish at home and took Latin in college. It's very, very close.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous5:44 AM

    Reminds me of an office I went to once. 12 secretaries. All jewish women. ALL identical looking. Looked like a manufacturing plant where some Jew man created servants.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:45 AM

    And in other news, Christian ideology pushing news channel, Fox News is run by and employes sexual predators and harassers. Can I get an Amen?

    ReplyDelete
  7. A. J. Billings5:58 AM

    One thing the CHristian evangelicals never talk about are their teachings about the status and roles of women and girls, and how similar those teachings are to Orthodox Judaism and Islam.

    All these ancient desert tribe mythologies mandate that women are to be submissive chattel, and nothing more than subservient 3rd class humans.

    CHristians NEVER want to talk about how immoral and unethical their New Testament is where it condones slavery (Ephesians 6:5) and forces women to submit to husbands as though they are a god, (Ephesians 5:22)

    Paul of Tarsus goes much further in his ignorant screeds to the early Christians where he mandates that women must never teach or have "authority over men", must have long hair, must stay home and keep house, raise kids, not gossip, be totally submissive, keep their heads covered, and be silent during worship services.

    Al Queada, ISIS, hard core Christian evangelicals, and these Orthodox Jews all have similar rules, doctrines, and disrespect for human females

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:20 AM

      With all due respect, the comments here are troubling to me as an observant Jew. Satmars are a small sect and evolved as they did as a result of pogroms in Transylvania and then the Holocaust. Their rejection of modern life and "outside" influences is directly due to the persecution they experienced from outsiders. The "hat" (which is correctly called a "Shtreimel") is not a fashion statement but is a statement of religious affiliation and belief. It's not substantively different from a cross or star of David--would you make fun of those? For the person who said this is a good reason to stay out of the middle east, these folks are largely in New York. In fact, they oppose the State of Israel. The person who talked about women looking "manufactured" by a "Jew man" is smearing the way people choose to look. I enjoy this blog for the most part. I do not think Jesse is in any way anti-Semitic. But these comments, even unintentionally, are. Jesse--please do some editing here. For anyone such as myself who lost relatives in the Shoah, it is horribly hurtful. We can disagree with a particular sect's philosophy without making these sorts of statements.

      Delete
    2. Balzafiar6:21 AM

      "Al Queada, ISIS, hard core Christian evangelicals, and these Orthodox Jews all have similar rules, doctrines, and disrespect for human females."

      That's the truest thing I have seen written lately.

      I know the Orthodox Jews are ultra-conservative, but come on folks, this is the modern world. Get with the program.

      Delete
    3. A. J. Billings7:19 AM

      @6:20 am.

      I lost at least 30 members of my family in Lithuania and Poland during the holocaust. Many more just disappeared, and we don't know now where they are.

      FUll disclosure: I'm an athiest Jew, and have serious respect for people, but not for these strictures which are based on ancient customs from thousands of years ago.

      In the USA or the UK, we should question religions "customs and beliefs" because we DO NOT LIVE IN THEOCRACIES!

      Women are humans too, and mandating that "education is bad for young women" is nothing less than an aggressive attempt at keeping women and girls cloistered, subservient, and ignorant.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous7:21 AM

      So, 6:20 am; the Satmars are a 'small sect' yet are all over New York. They've tried to decree who can walk on the public sidewalk, who can ride their bikes on the public road, and who can enter their stores (hint: the answer to all of those is "not women"). They've tried to force their religious hangups on bus-riders, demanding non-Jewish women who ride the public buses on the public roads must sit in the back and "dress modestly". This same cult is in Israel, where they spit on little girls on their way to school and physically assault women soldiers trying to ride the bus. How are they any different from the fundy Christians and fundy Muslims? They're not. All the Abrahamic religions are hateful and misogynistic.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous8:11 AM

      They are not "all over New York." They live in a fairly limited area. Yes--they want to limit their contact with outsiders. I did not say they did not. I simply pointed out that making fun of the way people dress or look when you don't understand much about their beliefs is bigoted. As for your statement that "All the Abrahamic religions are hateful and misogynistic," I find that an extreme generalization. I respect your right to believe it but view it as lacking nuance and therefore not reflecting reality. Not interested in fighting with anyone. Simply saying that people seem to feel very free to comment about a group based on little knowledge. Not all [fill in the blank] people are [fill in the blank characteristic.]

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    6. Anonymous8:31 AM

      "Al Queada, ISIS, hard core Christian evangelicals, and these Orthodox Jews all have similar rules, doctrines, and disrespect for human females"

      Really..... so in the Muslim faith, in your opinion, it is JUST Al Queada & ISIS that subjugates women?! Everywhere else in the Muslim world women are just dandy and free to do as they desire then?!

      Open you fucking eyes moron.

      Delete
    7. Anonymous10:02 AM

      >>Satmar (Hebrew: סאטמאר or סאטמר) is a Hasidic sect originating from the city of Satu Mare, Transylvania, where it was founded in 1905 by Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum. Following World War II it was reestablished in New York, becoming one of the largest Hasidic movements in the world. After Joel's death, he was succeeded by his nephew, Moshe Teitelbaum. Since the latter's death in 2006, the dynasty is split between his two sons, Aaron Teitelbaum and Zalman Teitelbaum.

      Satmar is the largest Hasidic dynasty in the world: the estimated number of affiliated men, women and children ranges between 50,000 and 120,000. It is characterized by extreme religious rigidity, rejection of modern culture and fierce anti-Zionism. Satmar sponsors a comprehensive education and media system in Yiddish, and its members often use it as a primary language. The sect also serves as the leading power within the Ultra-Orthodox circles which oppose the State of Israel, heading the Central Rabbinical Congress and providing most donations for the Orthodox Council of Jerusalem.>> --Wikipedia

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    8. Anonymous10:04 AM

      8:11: no, they do not live in a 'fairly limited area" if there are 120,000 of them, and yes, they feel free to try to impose their stupid Abrahamic restrictions on non-Jewish women, going as far as to push non-Jewish women off public sidewalks (lest they contaminate the precious pure Jewish men with their women-cooties) and demand that non-Jewish bicycle riders and bus riders obey their stupid archaic misogynistic rules.

      Delete
    9. Anonymous11:31 AM

      well, 10:04, you are very insistent. But apparently do not realize that they largely live in Kiryas Joel and in Brooklyn. In any event, if you want to use terms like "stupid" and "women-cooties" there really isn't much to discuss. The fact is that I know these people. My guess is that you do not. Certainly, there are jerks. But tarring the whole group based on the actions of a few is the cheapest sort of bigotry. Knock yourself out. Perhaps some day you actually will meet some of these people and see that the situation (and group) are hardly as monolithic as you apparently want to believe.

      As for the person quoting Wiki above, yes. That is correct. And, again, much is due to the horrific mistreatment and persecution that their ancestors endured--which make them mistrust those they perceive as outsiders. They do not proselytize. They aren't trying to convert anyone. They want to live their lives.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous11:44 AM

      as for the supposed blocking of people on sidewalks, etc. There is a premium placed on modesty--there are some ultra-Orthodox who will cover their eyes or turn away. Others may get more aggressive. But it is a question of respect. If I go into an ultra-Orthodox home, I do not wear shorts or pants or a short skirt or bare arms. If I go to one of their weddings, I dress appropriately. Certainly, I am an outsider (I do not cover my hair) but I have never been treated other than warmly and with affection and respect. I am known as being a professional--it has never been an issue. I have a different last name from my husband--ditto. No children--same. If people treat the ultra-Orthodox with respect for their beliefs, they are unlikely to have any unpleasant response. And, again, these people aren't trying to convert anyone. They don't try to bring less observant Jews in (Lubavichers do that). They just want to live their lives. I honestly am just shocked at the willingness of commenters here to offer generalizations about how the "Orthodox" live--here and in Israel--without any real basis. They take a snippet of a story and extrapolate from that. There are many types of Jews and there are many versions or orthodoxy (much less ultra-Orthodoxy). And my bet is that those who are offering with such confidence their generalizations would be horrified if the same sorts of statements were being said about Americans or women or LGBT individuals or any other group.

      Delete
    11. Anonymous11:53 AM

      Aren't the Satmars the Judaic equivalent of the Amish? A small sect that isn't very influential and doesn't represent the majority?

      Delete
    12. Anonymous11:57 AM

      Religious people live by rules; the "kosher" rules of the jewish faith have no place in modern society yet those wealthy enough still maintain two kitchens to keep foods separate; not necessary and just another example of the extreme OCD perpetrated by belief in these ancient religions.

      People need to grow up and realize that we no longer need these "weird rules" and strange beliefs because we know better now.

      Accept the fact that we are all going to die and there is no heaven and no afterlife and no reincarnation, we live, we die. Yes, it's a scary concept but it's the only reality we have.

      To live this one life that we have burdened by illogical beliefs and very odd rules and with some religions, clothing and segregation into ghettos of only your belief and being intolerant towards others, is no way to spend this one chance.

      We, especially here in America, are very fortunate to live in this brave, new, and modern world where these sorts of anachronistic behaviors truly have no place.

      Delete
    13. Anonymous12:00 PM

      11:31am

      Hey, let's just give them their own country and send them there and no one will bother them again...oh, wait the US and Britain did that with other sects of Jews and as all they've done is enact horrific humanitarian violence on those whom they don't agree with, religiously, regardless of how absolutely stupid that is.

      They happily took what we stole from others and gave to them because we felt sorry for them and yet they can never have enough and enact the same horrors upon other innocents as were enacted upon them in their holocaust.

      Human nature, it's a bitch, huh, and religion only brings out the absolute worst in humans.

      Delete
    14. Anonymous12:41 PM

      11:44am

      You might interact with them and feel the need to "respect their beliefs" but not all of us do, and not all of us want to be encountered by their craziness while just trying to walk down their street.

      If they truly wish to segregate themselves from society then they should find and island, and buy it, and go live there. Meanwhile, if they live amongst the rest of us then we should be able to walk down their public street without being harassed.

      They reside in a secular country, and it is not their right to expect anyone else to adhere to their rules, and if you are unfortunate enough to be exposed to this in a close personal manner as you've said you do then why not just exercise your right as a secular human or whatever religion you are and be yourself and express to them the fact that they should accept you as you are and you in now way, shape or form will adhere to their stupid rules.

      Delete
    15. Anonymous12:43 PM

      11:53am

      Yet the amish too are losing many of their younger members because they have no desire to live under those anachronistic circumstances.

      Kids are going rumspringa and aren't coming back, even if it means banishment from their family.

      Delete
    16. Anonymous1:04 PM

      12:41. You speak of my being "unfortunate enough" to know and deal with the ultra-Orthodox in a close personal manner. I can tell you that my experiences are far from unfortunate. These are some of the most decent, loyal, giving people I know. I have absolute confidence that if I ever experienced a personal loss or need, I could count on them. So I count myself lucky to have them in my life. Further, while I might have the "right" to tell me that they should feel a certain way, I would never be so rude as to do that--to anyone. It is a simple matter for me to dress in a way that does not offend them when I am in their homes or at a service. They have run into me in jeans or shorts at the grocery store or gas station and the most I received was an amused "busted!" look--nothing ugly. I believe in accepting people and respecting their beliefs, regardless of whether I share them. That allows me to have both Orthodox Jewish and Muslim friends (although, admittedly, they do not mix with each other). And it allows me to live a life that makes me comfortable from a human perspective. You might make different choices, but I am in no way "unfortunate."

      Delete
    17. Anonymous1:28 PM

      1:04pm

      You accepting that they might see you as "busted" when seeing you dressed as a normal human that doesn't share their "religious hangups" is enough for me to hear; it means that they judge you for not adhering to their strict garment or behavior rules and who really needs any friends or acquaintances that would deign to even look askew at them much less judge them for their choice to not adhere to their weirdness. You do realize that if you don't believe what they do you really aren't part of their community right?

      Have fun with your judgmental religious friends, in my life I don't have time for their level of intolerance and if they just stick to themselves in their ghettos of religious anachronism, well, that works for me. If you want to join them even though they judge you, well, you sound like a masochist to me.

      Delete
    18. Anonymous2:02 PM

      hahahaha at the apologist--so, they think you're a harlot and a piece of trash, and you expect the rest of us to bow down to them because it's their culture? They're in the USA and they're blocking access to public streets and public buses because of their own screwed-up mental hangups. I can't believe you're actually lecturing people--particular women--that they need to hide themselves away and cringe in the shadows lest they offend a bunch of mentally deficient men who are terrified of women--so terrified that they have to hobble women's bodies and their minds. The fact that there are "only" 120,000 of them is not something to brush off--there are 120,000 deranged, angry men who who stop at nothing to abuse women so they can feel a little bit better about their own terrified, anachronistic selves. BTW, they're not above some election fraud and welfare abuse, either. I'm disappointed that your self-esteem is so low that you allow yourself to be abused by them.

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    19. Anonymous2:09 PM

      11:31; I live in Brooklyn and I'm one of those eeeeevul bicycle-commuting women who have had stones thrown at her for the crime of being female in public. Your argument seems to be that these people's ancestors had trouble in Europe, so therefore they should be given free rein to abuse American non-Jewish women. You have every right to believe as you do, and the rest of us have every right to think you're highly misguided and wrong.

      Delete
    20. Anonymous2:16 PM

      "is smearing the way people choose to look." Sorry 6:20 but if one is raised form cradle with such expectations and then denied contact with the outside world to see other ways, that is NOT a choice. It is incarceration and abuse. Like Amish girls who are denied education for livelihood off the farm, giving them rumsprigga is a cruel joke. Because by then no choice is possible. We have every right to continue to diss oppression of women, no matter what religion that stems from, no matter what injustice that religion previously had inflicted on it. These archaically dressed Hasids have been in the US how many generations now? Authoritarian, misogynist males don't need you as an apologist, surely.

      Delete
    21. Anonymous2:19 PM

      Hey 8:11 you really shouldn't take aay this outward symbol of their martyrdom. They invite this and without it they would wither into obscurity. It serves no purpose other than to be ostentation about their faith. Ostentation about anything - T.Rumpy's gold faucets, B.Palin's "louisvutones" etc, is to be ridiculed.

      Delete
    22. Anonymous2:23 PM

      If they want to be "left alone" then they sure as hell shouldn't live in NYC. Move to some under populated area and have at it. Create private transit systems, a giant gated community = like the goofy FLDS. Oh, wait , do these folks marry off 14 year old girls too?

      Delete
    23. Anonymous2:26 PM

      @ 11:53 am - with the Amish it is more so economic reality. Farmland just isn't that plentiful without a big bank account. And once you aren't farming, it's pretty difficult to live Amish.

      Delete
    24. Anonymous2:30 PM

      You were really afraid to have us read this, weren't you - the real reason behind this which, as a commenter said above - their community is losing members and will die off " “There are probably other factors at play, but, ultimately, the results are devastating. Because people from similar communities are not provided with a foundational primary education, they cannot pursue higher education nor careers. When one does not have access to education, career opportunities are out of reach. It forces one to stay within the community as everyone's personal lives are tied up with their professional lives as well.”

      Delete
    25. Anonymous2:43 PM

      You know, I have enjoyed this blog for many years. I have not previously commented because it's not my thing. But I have enjoyed the blog. Today I felt that people were making comments that were unfair and that belittled others for their genuinely held beliefs. So I said so. And in response I received more judgment--not only of these people but of me. And some real nastiness. Not sure why you folks thinks that's appropriate or necessary. I try to live by the notion of "is it true, is it kind, is it necessary?" (although like everyone I fall short). If you knew of my liberal credentials and the work that I do for others, you might be a little less nasty--although maybe not. But certainly no reason to attempt any sort of dialogue again. And please--the "don't let the door hit you on the way out" that some here throw at anyone who expresses disagreement or a different viewpoint just makes you seem juvenile. Enjoy your rejection of an entire segment of the population, rather than to understand and find common ground with them. Your loss.

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    26. Anonymous3:31 PM

      Get down off the cross, 2:43. Waaaah, waaaah, you won't grovel before people who want to stone little girls for going to school! Waaaah, waaaaah, you complain when men shove you off the public sidewalk! Waaaah, we're all such VICTIMS because you won't let us abuse you! They abuse ME, TOO, but they're just such wonderful people, you should ALL be proud to be called "busted" for dressing like a modern human being, just as I am proud of it!

      Delete
    27. Anonymous3:33 PM

      Find common ground, 2:43? What's the common ground? We should agree with them that women are filthy and disgusting and broken and not worthy of an education? I think they live in the USA and need to find common ground with the 21st century.

      Delete
    28. Anonymous2:42 AM

      "as for the supposed blocking of people on sidewalks, etc. There is a premium placed on modesty--there are some ultra-Orthodox who will cover their eyes or turn away. Others may get more aggressive. But it is a question of respect. "

      So, you're admitting it happens, but blaming it on secular people using PUBLIC sidewalks who are not RESPECTING the Satmar's right to abuse them because...you're nuts. If the Satmar men are so mentally ill that they can't tolerate the presence of women in public, the men need to sit their asses inside their homes.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous6:17 AM

    Go to the link at the Independent to read the comments there.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous6:25 AM

    The hat has spoken. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wRMnJDgStTw/hqdefault.jpg

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  10. Alan Watts said of Christianity, "Irrevocable commitment to any religion is not only intellectual suicide, it is positive unfaith because it closes the mind to any new vision of the world. Faith is, above all, openness -- an act of trust in the unknown...No considerate God would destroy the human mind my making it so rigid and unadaptable...."

    from The Book of the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are.

    He also said, "You are the aperture through which the universe is looking and exploring itself."

    https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1501668.Alan_W_Watts

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    1. Anonymous7:29 AM

      Barbara-- Thank you! You made my day. I've been wrestling with this issue a lot recently.

      I'm going to look up that book on Amazon. Again, thanks.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous6:53 AM

    Well, an educated woman is less likely to want to have umpteen children.
    Beaglemom

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    1. Anonymous7:23 AM

      Also less likely to accept being treated as an eighth-class citizen, beneath even the houseplants.

      Delete
  12. Anonymous7:15 AM

    I know religion was devised by the ancients to keep us wily bastards in check but it just sinks my gut when women are made to be subservient. We bring the population into this world through our portal (vagina, or birth canal) and yet we are disrespected. It won't mean we won't want children, if we get educated. That biological clock won't allow for that. But there's nothing we can do about these crazy religions saying we can or can't do this. It's a done deal. The only thing we can do is continue to push education. Educate women and girls that there are options besides piling your' hair ten feet above your head, and bowing your head to men. Egads!!!

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    1. Maple7:44 AM

      Right on, 7:15! It's simply a matter of power over those who you believe are the lesser/weaker. Educated females are anathema to those who seek to keep them ignorant, barefoot and pregnant. I have absolutely no use whatsoever for them and the sooner they realize the females of the world have had it up to here with this nonsense, the better for everyone. And if males had been the ones to bear children, the earth would have been empty of humans shortly after the first hominids walked the earth!

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  13. Anonymous8:14 AM

    Higher education is not dangerous to the girls, it is dangerous to the male dominance of this sect and other fundy sects worldwide. What they fear, they suppress.

    It is the males who decide what
    the writings in stone age books mean in today's society. They are terrified of losing their hold on all who attend their services or schools.

    Gryph, you forgot to mention Russian Orthodox, a big player in the fundy movement in AK.

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    1. Anonymous10:07 AM

      Exactly; education is a threat to the men, which is why the Duck Dynasty idiot speak to cheering crowds about marrying off 15-year-old girls and Jewish cultists try to forbid any education for women. Ironically, in Isreal, the Jewish fundy men don't work at all--they sit around all day reading the Torah, and it's the women who work for a pittance (not educated, 70 kids to raise) and subsist on welfare.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous8:26 AM

    @6:17 AM

    Go to the link at the Independent to read the comments there.

    I'll save everyone the effort and wasted time:

    It's the same predictable shitfest that always ensues when a major organization writes a story like that.

    Ho.Hum. YAWN

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  15. Anonymous8:29 AM

    Friend of mine gave an Orthodox Jewish boy a pair of pajamas once with a dinosaur design on them - the mother freaked out, screaming and yelling and never spoke to my friend again - my friend had had no idea so was shocked - but evidently you can't mention dinosaurs or have any cartoon images of them around either on anything - way to dangerous for children's little mind - they may actually start to think for themselves and maybe ask a question or two

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  16. Anonymous8:38 AM

    Fuck ALL religion
    http://prospect.org/article/donald-trump-has-big-racist-problem-or-does-he

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  17. Anonymous8:57 AM

    You completely tiptoe around the Muslim faith. All the liberals do. Why is that? It is the fastest growing religion in the world, and large swaths of even the so called moderates clash with modern western civilization. Get with the times Gryphen. This is the futures problem.

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  18. Anonymous10:26 AM

    This is not new - it's very common in Hassidic communities in New York. Many young women are starting to break through this barrier and are attending college and advanced degrees. A brilliant young woman I work with is getting her PhD, much to the chagrin of her parents. At work she wears ripped-up jeans and acts like every other young researcher. When she goes home to her family in Brooklyn, she dresses in long skirts and wears a wig. It's just the way it is and it's not likely to change in the near future for most young people in these communities.

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    1. Anonymous2:04 PM

      Yes--there are entire websites dedicated to the human-rights abuses (mostly against Jewish women) and the women who were strong enough to break free of the brainwashing and lifetime of abuse.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:31 PM

      Liek this: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/hasidic-jew-runs-orthodox-roots-arranged-marriage-child/story?id=15540395

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:56 AM

      Snippets from the article--we're supposed to bow down and allow these idiots to walk all over us?

      "At only 17, Deborah Feldman was unprepared for her arranged marriage to her orthodox Jewish husband Eli, a man she had only met for 30 minutes. Feldman, who had never even been allowed to look down there, had no idea she had a vagina and says she suddenly made the "shocking discovery" that she was designed for sex.
      She wonders what makes her path and culture "any different from the Amish or fundamental Christians or Mormons, who closet themselves away." Every aspect of Feldman was tightly controlled for fear of being on "God's blacklist," according to her book, including incessant physical inspections of body and rules about her behavior.
      Groomed to be pious, she spoke in Yiddish and was banned from going to the public library to read secular English books. She never got a traditional education.
      Feldman grew up in Williamsburg, an enclave of ultra-conservative Hasidism, nestled between modern neighborhoods of hipsters and wealthy mommy bloggers.
      The Hasidic community -- two rival sects -- sits in stark contrast to the cultural liberalism and diversity of New York City. A major player in the city's commerce and a powerful voting block, they have their own police and fire departments, as well as ambulance and bus service, where women ride in the back. Placards in Yiddish and English "instruct [the community] to vote like the rabbi says," according to Feldman. "We don't think for ourselves ... whoever the rabbi says is good for us."
      The Satmar sect had its roots in Hungary and Romania during the Holocaust. A rabbi from the border city of Satu Mare, saved from extermination, immigrated to America and formed a sect named for his hometown. His followers returned to traditional life, speaking in Yiddish, and even opposing the creation of Israel, believing the genocide had come as punishment for assimilation.
      And at the age of 11, Feldman was told there was "no greater curse than the curse of childlessness."
      Feldman was raised by her grandparents, Bubbi and Zeidy. She lived by strict rules set by men and enforced by the elder women, dictating modest dress and shaved heads under wigs. Women were not allowed to worship with men.
      "

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  19. Anonymous2:09 PM

    Hasidic Jews are like the Amish in this way - regressive. However, the difference between both of those sects and Xtianist talabangicals is that the former do not seek to evangelize and convert others - you really have to work at it an prove yourself before they accept you - and even then, your always an outsider. Left alone, as many posters show, these groups will in time die off.

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  20. Anonymous3:27 PM

    And people are screaming about Sharia Law? Then what IS THIS? "Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum founded a network of large educational institutions, both yeshivas and girls' schools. If its schools in New York were a public school system, it would be the fourth-largest system in the state, after those of New York City, Buffalo and Rochester.[24] In most places, the girls' schools are called Beis Rochel and the yeshivas Torah VeYirah. In 1953, Rabbi Teitelbaum founded the Central Rabbinical Congress of the United States and Canada, which provides various services, including a kashrut supervision. Satmar also operates its own Rabbinical courts, which settle various issues within the community by the principles of Jewish Law."

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    1. Anonymous7:09 AM

      Don't care. As long as they aren't flying planes into buildings, or blowing themselves and innocent bystanders up, etc.... Really just don't care.

      Delete
  21. Anonymous4:14 PM

    So do tell me how Muslims are so much worse that these Satmar Jews in our very midst? Especially with this latest ban on educating women? And to the poster above who wants to blame it on the holocaust - Bullshit! This started in the late 19th century long before Hitler was even a gleam in his great grandaddy's eye: http://forward.com/articles/187128/ex-hasidic-woman-marks-five-years-since-she-shaved/

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    1. Anonymous7:43 PM

      The muslims are the worst.

      There you go.

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  22. Anonymous4:24 PM

    How is this not domestic abuse: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/09/05/whats-it-like-to-be-a-woman-in-an-ultra-orthodox-hasidic-environment-its-not-a-pretty-picture/

    The ReTHUGS want us to rail against Muslims? Where is our anger against these Jewish misogynists in the heart of America? Where is T.Rump's voice against this national disgrace? (And no, my post is not anti-semetic, just anti misogynist.) And I'm value religion neutral when calling it out.

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    1. Anonymous6:19 AM

      The very words of someone who grew up in this cult: "We hear all these stories about Muslim extremists; how is this any better? This is just another example of extreme fundamentalism."

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  23. You've got to give the two guys on the right a break. After spending a couple of decades walking around with a spray-painted Parmesan cheese on you r head, you wouldn't be thinking too rationally either.

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