Hasidic Jewish Women: Quiz and Flashcards on Their Lives

Interview with Suri Braun: From a Non-Religious Upbringing to Hasidic Judaism

Suri Braun grew up in a rural area in the Netherlands with a very loving mother and a strict father.
Her mother's grandmother was Jewish, but Suri was not raised with the Jewish religion.
Suri's family is of color, and her grandmother favored her lighter-skinned cousins over her and her siblings.
Suri was not proud to be Jewish and did not want to be teased or bullied for it.
Suri fell in love with New York City when she visited at age 14 and moved there at age 18, looking for something more in her life.
Suri saw a Jewish man on the train in New York and followed him to ask for guidance on how to learn more about Judaism.
The man, who turned out to be a rabbi, asked Suri about her Jewish background and offered to help her learn more about Judaism.
Suri's journey to Hasidic Judaism started with attending a Shabbat dinner at the rabbi's home and feeling a sense of belonging and warmth.
Suri started attending classes and learning more about Judaism, eventually deciding to become Hasidic.
Suri faced challenges in her journey, including pushback from her family and struggles with fitting into a new community.
Suri wrote a book about her journey, titled "From Rebelle to Hasidic: A Woman's True Story of Life, Love, and Rediscovering her Jewish Roots."
Suri's story is an inspiration for others looking to connect with their Jewish roots and find their place in the world.From Beginner to Hasidic: A Dutch Woman's Journey to Orthodoxy
The narrator, a Dutch woman, was introduced to Judaism by a coworker in Manhattan.
She began attending events and classes at an organization on the Upper West Side for beginners.
The community she discovered was young, modern, and diverse, which she found inspiring.
She started working for the organization, answering questions from other beginners and learning more about Judaism herself.
Through a friend, she was introduced to a Hasidic community in Brooklyn and felt an instant sense of belonging.
Despite feeling uncomfortable at a Hasidic wedding where she was not invited, she was eventually accepted by the community.
She was encouraged to visit another Hasidic community in Monroe, New York.
The narrator became more fully immersed in Hasidic life after moving to Brooklyn.
She acknowledges that she may have fit in better in other Orthodox communities, but her background and connection to Yiddish drew her to Hasidism.
She struggles with balancing different aspects of her identity and upbringing, such as speaking Yiddish and raising her children in a Hasidic community.
The narrator is now a married Hasidic woman with children.
The podcast episode includes a promotion for Masika Satora, a program that rewards uninterrupted Torah study.A Hasidic Woman of Color on Identity, Challenges, and Future Goals
The woman identifies as Hasidic, but does not like to label herself or conform to a specific Hasidic dynasty.
She is modest in her dress but likes to dress according to her age, believing that some young women dress too old for their age.
She faced challenges getting her children into Jewish schools due to her lack of family background in Brooklyn and not fitting into a specific Hasidic community.
Her husband is not from a religious background but became Hasidic to marry her. They are now divorced due to various reasons, including their different levels of observance.
She has three sons, aged 9, 11, and 12, and is preparing for her oldest son's Bar Mitzvah.
Her mother had mixed reactions to her becoming Hasidic, while her siblings were mostly neutral or supportive.
She has had to deal with people's curiosity and sometimes negative reactions to her being a person of color in the Hasidic community.
Despite facing challenges, she believes that her Hasidic identity is deeply ingrained in her heart and is who she truly is.
She is currently looking to get remarried through Jewish matchmakers and wants to do it in a proper way, with references and background checks.
She wants to find someone she can spend the rest of her life with and not go through divorce again.
Being a Hasidic woman of color is challenging as she is a minority within a minority, but she believes that it is what you allow in and how you handle it that matters.
She faces challenges in explaining her Hasidic identity and practices to non-Jewish people who are unfamiliar with them.Interview with a Hasidic Jewish Mother
The interviewee is a Hasidic Jewish mother who works in a school and is committed to contributing to the development of children.
She is often asked by children if she is Jewish because she looks different from the other Jewish mothers.
She does not absorb negativity and focuses on positivity and being true to herself.
The interviewee's oldest son is curious about the reasons behind the Jewish traditions and always wants to know why.
She does not have a particular mitzvah that she gravitates towards but always tries to do good by herself and others.
If she could spend an hour with someone from history, she would choose Rachel from the Tanach because she reminds her of herself and could teach her a lot.
The interviewee was inspired by her great grandmother's words, even though at the time, she did not understand them.
The best advice she ever received was to stay true to herself, while the worst advice was to not get too close to the community because they are racist.
She wants people to know that Hasidic Jews are individuals with their own personalities and that not all of them are racist or mean.
The interviewee wrote a book about her life, which is selling well and can be purchased through a link in the show notes.
The book tells her story, which is much more complex than what was discussed in the interview.
The interviewee is committed to kindness and respect, even in the face of racism and negativity.