I just rented the movie K'vod, winner of Israeli film festival awards. It is a subtitled fascinating jouney into the world of the ultra-religious living in Mea Shearim in Jerusalem. I thought Richard would find it interesting, if you haven't already seen it. The only thing I found to be innaccurate were how attractive the 2 main female characters were - I guess a necessary fiction. I thought the women looked old and worn old, sort of like they pulled a plow or something.

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Originally posted by Claire
I just rented the movie K'vod, winner of Israeli film festival awards. It is a subtitled fascinating jouney into the world of the ultra-religious living in Mea Shearim in Jerusalem. I thought Richard would find it interesting, if you haven't already seen it. The only thing I found to be innaccurate were how attractive the 2 main female characters were - I guess a necessary fiction. I thought the women looked old and worn old, sort of like they pulled a plow or something.

I went to Yeshivat D'var Yerushalayim which was in Geulah right across the street from Mea Shearim. It was a bedbug infested dump and I couldn't wait to get out of there and away from Rabbi Horovitz and his cronies. Next, I went to Moshave Modi'in which is the home of the Chasidim of Shlomo Carlebach. I found the latter to be more liveable but I lived in poverty.
You have to be careful in Mea Shearim especially if you're a woman to dress modestly. You'll get attacked if you don't.

I walked through Mea Shearim, properly covered of course:D and noticed a small tourist group walking through. Some yeshiva bouchers attacked this man and his wife and I heard it was because the man had rested his arm on his wife's shoulder for a moment. You should go to Blockbuster and rent the movie. It is quite touching and well done. And your Hebrew is likely far better than mine so you won't have to rely on the subtitles. I noticed when I was in Mea Shearim how the children looked so sad, and curious too, and the women looked so old and worn-out though they were likely in their 20's to 50's. The movie demonstrates the cult control the group has on its members, as they follow the rebbe against their own conscience.

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Originally posted by Claire
The movie emonstrates the cult control the group has on its members, as they follow the rebbe against their own conscience.

I'm not sure if the town is Chasidish. Neuturie Karta used to be affiliated with Satmar but they broke off years ago. My impression after living across the street from Mea Shearim was that it's a run down dumpy area. I'm glad I left and I don't miss the people there or the atmosphere. I found all of it really strange.

Well maybe they took artistic liscense for the sake of the story. I thought the Chassidim were the one's where the Rebbe has total control over the lives of his people. But it is quite touching and beautifully done and some say a treatise on feminism and religion.

that a family or a group is diseased. The first thing to go in a messed up family or a cult is play instinct--for both children and adults.

Play is an essential nutrient for mind, emotions, body and soul. Even young animals play. Ive seen whales tumbling with each other in the Pacific Ocean the way puppies and kittens wrestle with each other.

When I was still in a church, it attracted some people who related to us in a cultic manner. (The pastor tried to discourage this). One family jumped out at me. The parents had both been hippies and something scared them. They backlashed and took refuge in traditionalist Catholicism, and insulated themselves and their children from the ambient culture.

I mention this because all three of their boys (ages 12, 10 and 8 years) had the eyes of sad old men. They socialized only among themselves and were homeschooled. I am not against homeschooling if the children are able to socialize outside the family and are taught to relate to the culture at large, but these children were not being equipped for anything except life within their family or perhaps, a very, very rigid monastery.

To this day I wonder how they are doing. And I would say any family or group where the children look like sad old people is a group that is hurtful.

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Originally posted by Claire
Well maybe they took artistic liscense for the sake of the story. I thought the Chassidim were the one's where the Rebbe has total control over the lives of his people. But it is quite touching and beautifully done and some say a treatise on feminism and religion.

When I was growing up, I read a lot of books on how great ultraorthodox Judaism was supposed to be: Martin Buber, etc..
But when I got involved, I really didn't see what was so great.
I found the rabbis to be poor educators at least for me and I found their methods to be outdated and the mode of life way too restrictive. One rabbi said that he didn't like Bar Ilan and Yeshiva U and Rabbi Horovitz of D'var Yerushalayim once made a speech that Israel needed to "tear down all the public schools and put up Yeshivas instead".. Who'll man the weapons, drive the buses etc? It was a pretty god awful place, really.