'A hole in the sheet' - the life of a woman who escaped from Gur hassidut

Posted by Elana Sztokman

Sara Einfeld, 25-year old mother of two, ran away from her Gur Hasidic life. In the process she began a blog, called Hor Basadin, which attracts many struggling haredi women. Yediyot Aharonot exposed her story in last weekend's newspaper, and has since caused a buzz in haredi and secular circles alike. I blogged about it in this week's Forward Sisterhood. You can read the whole post here. In the meantime, though, here is a heart-wrenching poem that Einfeld posted last week in response to the hubbub (translation mine):

I still cry when I remember
Me
A young women who tried to explain to a yeshiva scholar
Who sat across from her
Next to the dark wooden table in the living room.

Who made charts and asked, So what's bothering you?

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Tuesday Mar 24, 2009

Shame on you, Gila Katsav

Posted by Elana Sztokman

I have my own Moshe Katsav story. When Katsav, then Israel's president, visited Australia in March 2005, and I was working at JNF in the Israeli-professional hub of Beth Weizmann, I was asked to join the president's local support staff for those few days. At the time it was a big thrill, and of course all of Jewish Australia was abuzz over the impending Israeli presidential visit Down Under.

Well, I had an even greater thrill when one of Katsav's senior staffers came into the back room and said, "The President would like a massage. Does anyone know a good massage therapist?" Well, I knew one! My husband, Jacob, was working as a massage therapist - and was a die-hard Zionist who would undoubtedly jump at the opportunity to serve the State of Israel in whatever manner happened to be available.

The massage required some logistical maneuvers: Katsav was staying in the city and was giving his big speech to the community on Saturday night (a speech which turned out to be a dud - he was thereafter noted for being an exceptionally boring orator, and that was before the three-hour flop we witnessed last week). So anyway, Jacob had to rush to the city as soon as Shabbat was over in order to get the president's massage in before the Big Speech. Jacob prepared his stuff on Friday, and the second Shabbat was out, he grabbed his table and jumped into the car. Within five minutes, however, the call came. "Forget the massage," the senior staffer said. "The President does not get massages from men. Only from women."

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About this blog

A Woman's Own The Talmud says there are seventy faces to the Torah. I believe there are seventy faces to the person. I am a teacher, writer, researcher, activist, educator, thinker, organizer, fundraiser, feminist, parent, spouse, daughter, sister and friend. Or, if you prefer, I am an Israeli, American, energetic, opinionated, passionate, religious, determined and generally optimistic Jewish woman. It's not quite seventy, but we're getting there.

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DALevit Palm Springs, CA USA: With all due respect, your post implies that the "separation" is indefinite, and yet it is only for the two weeks during the time of the female's flow. Is the morbid sentiment expressed really necessary, when all will all go back to normal soon? Is that 2 weeks enough to nullify everything else good about the relationship? Won't there be plenty of hugs and kisses in a few days, after the period of uncleanness passes? Anyone reading this with no knowledge of the Orthodox ways would get a terribly distorted view of things from reading this. DAL

Dr S McCosker Australia: I have a suggestion for Tal & Melchior. Google 'Peter Andrews' 'Australian Story' 'Natural Sequence Farming', 'Natural Sequence Association'. What Andrews does in arid infertile Aussie landscapes, to turn flash-flooding gullies into healthy streams, recharge aquifers, heal salinised soil, stop erosion, build soil fertility, restore biodiversity [& thus boost farm productivity & animal & human health]- ought to work in Israel. I urge Tal & Melchior: invite Andrews to Israel & show him the Negev & give him a wadi & an eroded hillside to work his magic on, for a demo project.

Joseph London: An interesting alternative interpretation of the saying of the Sages. Many of us understand it to refer to a chavruta in learning, i.e. a partner to share one's learning, not a marriage partner. There are, of course, many sayings praising marriage such as all the blessings a man receives are because of his wife, etc..

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