About this Blog
What and why I write here.
Posts on contemporary
Prologue
Memoir series for patrons
New Series for my Patrons
Starting next week--a memoir project
Announcement: Reopening plans!
I am hoping to run tours again, starting July 14
NYC has a curfew, and it makes me think of this police booth
Abandoned police booth an artifact of a different Williamsburg
The pandemic and persecution complex: A new Forward article
A new article on the persecution complex and COVID-19
What’s a Kosher Phone? Part 2
A deeper dive into the world of kosher phones
Presenting: Ultra-Unorthodox, an illustrated story
Based on a story that’s based on a true story
Shopping–A Memoir Excerpt
An excerpt from a memoir I started in 2015, made specially available for my upper-level Patreon supporters
Coronavirus in the Hasidic Community
A deeper look into numbers and media portrayal of the pandemic in Williamsburg
The Affair
A piece of short fiction for my Patreon supporters
New essay in Forward on the difficulty of making it after leaving
New article available at the Forward
Gallery of my Cartoons
A long time and many doodles ago...
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I’m in a Dystopia Again
Echos of a groupthink past in our "new normal"
Why I believe it’s Important to Criticize Shows like Unorthodox
Our stories told by creators with no skin in the game?
New Article in the Forward on Unorthodox
A new article in Forward
(sorta) live-tweeting watching Unorthodox
Watching Netflix's Unorthodox and taking it to task for everything.
The Get
This essay was originally published in 2010 in the now...
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Book Review: Unorthodox by Deborah Feldman
Revisiting Feldman's memoir in light of the new Netflix miniseries
Hasidic kids learn an incoherent world history
Into the world of coloring books and car phones
COVID-19 Tour Updates & Information
How tours will be affected by New York's state of emergency
Book Review: On Division by Goldie Goldbloom
Lack of nuance and research paint a flat, inaccurate picture of Hasidim
Why you should visit the Hasidic community in February
Fruits and nuts rejoice
Is the Hasidic Community a Cult?
When wedding debates wax philosophical
A Reply to Hasidic Men
What about Hasidic women?
Parallel Cultures
An unexpected East Asian Connection
A Mother’s Heart
A piece of short fiction
Jersey City Attack
The rise of hate crimes against Hasidim
Book Review: Becoming Eve by Abby Stein
Thoughts on the newest ex-Hasidic memoir
The Titanic: Here vs. There
How different societies make meaning of historic events
The bus tours and insensitive tourists
The NY Post wrote about the hordes of tourists that spill into Williamsburg
My Hasidic Report Card versus My Son’s Public School Version
School's out. It's time to look at report cards...
The problem with the organization that “helps” those who leave
We shouldn't have blind faith in them
The Evil-eye and Lead Poisoning
Record high levels of lead meets the ritual of pouring lead.
Tour-guide diary: a scary Hasidic man causes trouble
He screams at my tours as we make our way down the streets.
What makes Shtisel so accurate?
It's not just because the costumes are perfect...
Satmar’s eyesore: 540 Bedord Avenue
It's now one of NYC's longest standing incomplete projects
RESOURCES ON HASIDISM
A summary of resources on Hasidic life
A naked playboy model in Hasidic Williamsburg
Opportunism pretending to be feminism. What else is new?
A kids’ card collection: anti-smartphone edition
The pictures on these anti-smartphone cards are something else.
Measles, Anti-vaxxers, and the Hasidic Community
Answers to a whole bunch of questions I keep getting about the measles outbreak in the Hasidic community.
Still trying to make sense of the Hasidic anti-vaxxers
While the few anti-vaxxers are extremely frustrating, the problem seems to be that herd has already been infected.
I found this pro-vaccine Hasidic book
It's the official, authoritative Hasidic position on vaccines.
So much lazy journalism around the measles outbreak
It's not correct to say that Hasidim are against vaccines. But that's the impression you get from the media.
New Torah Ceremony in Williamsburg
An Inauguration of a Torah Ceremony on the street after our tour.
Street signs: airline miles donation
Street poster 2019: airline miles as a charity donation
The people who police others have templates
A template for sending friends, neighbors, relatives anonymous "notices" about modesty infractions.
Sewing Classes; Satmar girl’s school
The Sewing courses in a Kiryas Joel girl's school.
Night of fiery speeches!
Street posters 2019: an invitation to a major anti-technology event (for men only)
I don’t own many $60 book: Historical Atlas of Hasidism
A new fantastic atlas of Hasidic history by Marcin Wodzinski
For Jewish history nerds: the AJS new podcast
A new podcast on Jewish history has a pilot episode about food. The Jewish "Appetizers" specifically!
Kosher cameras, mp3s, gameboys, ipods, etc.
The Hasidic community does not reject technology but rather adopts it with modifications.
Streetsigns: more wars on phones.
Street signs 2019: a new set of posters with smart phone warnings. This one seems to be driven by economic incentives...
Chanukah 2018 in Hasidic Williamsburg
This was or first ever food tour on Chanukah and we had a wonderful time!
Street posters fall 2018: the draft in Israel
Street posters 2018: a protest against the draft in Israel makes an analogy to the holocaust.
Apocryphal stories beyond Hasidic rabbis
A very nice Hasidic gentleman who works at one of...
Kosher Phones
Kosher phones is one of many ways Hasidim navigate their complex relationship with technology.
How the Hasidic Community Votes
The best way to describe how the Hasidic community votes is to say they vote like a union; leveraging their numbers for tangible returns.
Fodor’s list of unique tours in New York City
As a tour guide, I’ve learned about some of the most fantastic tours in New York City.
Street posters: studying DNA and the sages
I saw this poster in Hasidic Williamsburg during the Sukkos season (this time of year) and found it really ironic and interesting.
Kavanaugh allegations and Hasidic censorship
Last Friday, I stopped into a deli and bought a copy of the Hasidic Yiddish paper.
Do Hasidim smoke?
Among Satmar Hasidic Jews, women never smoke. It’s really unheard of. But quite common for men, even though it’s officially frowned upon.
Scratchoffs
The hunt for the post-Hasidism American Dream
Why doesn’t the NYC Dep. of Education care that tens of thousands of Hasidic kids don’t get the minimum of the legally mandated education?
It’s really a question of: if the NYC Department of Education cares, what can they do?
Hasidim and Smartphones
The story of internet among Hasidim is interesting. It crept up on us slowly, almost unnoticed.
The End of Jewish Delis?
The Jewish comedian Jackie Mason has recently been visiting Gottlieb’s restaurant in the Hasidic community for a bit of deli-style Jewish food.
Street signs in Hasidic Williamsburg: on secular education
It’s always interesting to watch the rotation of street posters in the streets of Hasidic Williamsburg.
Orthodox Jews and Shaking Hands
For us ultra-ultra-ultra (ultra) Orthodox Hasidim, handshaking with the other...
Non-Hasidic Renters in the Neighborhood
Can you rent a place in the Hasidic neighborhood?
Orthodox Politics: On Trump
A reader asked: Do Orthodox Jews support Trump? Answer: Many...
Holocaust Survivors and Hasidim
A reader asked: Are the majority of Hasidic Jews in...
Book Review: ‘Crossing the Williamsburg Bridge’ by Eli Hecht
Summary: Crossing the Williamsburg Bridge, a memoir written by Rabbi...
Hasidic Tours for German Tourists
A reader asked: What’s it like for Jews to work...
Life in Kiryas Joel, New York
A reader asked: What is it like to live in...
Violent Sidelock Cutting
Here is an answer from history:[1] Paraphrased and copied (with some abbreviations) from a paper by Glenn Dynner (who was my teacher at SLC).
Mysteries of the Yichud Room
A reader asked: What do they do in the yichud...
My Resistance, Mrs. Feinman
On trying to write while being haunted by old ghosts.
Sidecurl Styling Perfection
This is how I did up side-curls nice and neat.
Hasidic Jews and the Amish
I gave a tour of Hasidic Williamsburg to a group of Mennonites, which are similar to Amish but maybe in some ways less insular.
Hasidim and Hand Shaking
Yes. Okay, it wasn’t my hand he wasn’t shaking; it was that of the first lady of the United States.
Hasidic Bedrooms and Sleeping Arrangements
Best rephrase the question. Are Hasidic Jewish men allowed to sleep in bed with their wives while on their menstrual period?
Hasidic Men’s Fashion: The Shtreimel
A reader asked: What is that furry, circular hat that...
Hasidic Men Holding Doors
A reader asked: Is it wrong of me to feel...
The Role of Hasidic Women
A reader asked: Are most Hasidic women satisfied with their...
Book Review: All Who Go Do Not Return, by Shulem Deen
As someone who has left the Hasidic community and continues...
Premarital Genetic Testing in Insular Communities
A reader asked: How do insular communities ensure that marriages...
Education and Income in Hasidic Brooklyn
A reader asked: How are Hasidic Jews so wealthy? They...
Streetsigns July 2017
This belongs to the genre of “internet warnings”, among the...
Streetsigns July 2017
This belongs to the genre of ways in which the...
Hasidic Family Size
A reader asked: How do Hasidim raise so many kids?...
Streetsign – re smartphones
This belongs to the genre of ways in which the...
Orthodox Jews and Summer Vacation
A reader asked: Do Orthodox Jews still spend their summers...
The Smartphone War in KJ is directed especially at Women
A photo of a March 2017 poster asks people to...
A tour of Hasidic Williamsburg 35 years ago ($6.50!)
In 1982 the New York Times ran a piece about...
Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum’s New York Times Obituary/1979
Read Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's New York Times Obituary/1979
A thread on imamother: “How does Satmar feel about Frieda Vizel’s tours?”
There is an interesting conversation on the frum internet forum...
Williamsburg wasn’t always a haven for Jews…
Can you imagine a Williamsburg without a Jewish congregation? Here’s...
The House of the Prince of Peace once upon a time in Williamsburg
A century ago a Christian Mission to the Jews stood...
Orthodox Jews and Secular Culture
A reader asked: What do Orthodox Jews find problematic about...
Rules in the Hasidic Workplace
A reader asked: Are there any particular rules I need...
Poverty in Hasidic Brooklyn
A reader asked: Why are Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn...
Hasidic Women’s Swimwear
A reader asked: What do Hasidic women wear to swim,...
NYC Ad Campaign: Needles ain’t Needless
A Chikenpox outbreak among Hasidic children of Williamsburg had the...
Bike Registration Drive
Bike registrations are annually organized for Williamsburg Hassidic children by...
“Bagleiten,” a Satmar Tradition
This bagleiten video is from June 30, 2016 in Williamsburg,...
Routine Announcement to Tenants in Yiddish
h/t Williamsburg News on Twitter
Whassup on Whatsapp?
A screenshot taken from a Whatsapp group titled in Yiddish...
Shvies ’16: Neighberhood Notes
Are you planning on passing by Hasidic Williamsburg on this...
Roses are Red; Shovues is Green
Pre-Shovues shopping days in Williamsburg: Video captures a custom unique...
The Jewish Federation’s look at Williamsburg
The Jewish Federation of North America released a poverty study in 2011 (and...
Hasidim in Media: Talk Yiddish to Me
Among my circles, we often discuss the inaccurate portrayals of...
Book Review: Teacha, Stories from a Yeshiva
One of my favorite books that describe contemporary Hasidic life...
Book Review: The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris
The Marrying of Chani Kaufman is a novel that compiles...
Free Palestine in Williamsburg
This picture, of a plaque on Hewes Street in Williamsburg...
Wall Poster from July 2014
Translation: The Committee for Saving Williamsburg; Notice and Warning: It has...
An interview with Philip Fishman; author of “A Sukkah is Burning”
Many Jews remember Williamsburg before its Hasidic transformation; when centrist...
How my childhood was like the Rockettes
I often compare my Hasidic childhood in Kiryas Joel to...
The future of the historic Hanover Club/Vien’s School?
When a friend of mine was in Williamsburg late one...
“Williamsburg!” The Iconic Song By Yomtov Ehrlich
Yom Tov Ehrlich was probably the most important Yiddish songwriters/artists in...
A Star of David in Williamsurg
The Clymer Street Synagogue is the site for the last Star of David in Williamsburg
A Wedding officiated by R. Teitelaum and R. Feinstein
A 1954 wedding announcement in the Brooklyn Eagle made note...
Ladies’ Bikur Cholim
The other day, I passed the Ladies Bikur Cholim and...
How to pronounce “Hasidic”
I just came across this line in an email correspondence:...
Anecdote from a Local
I’m always interested in the communication between the self-isolated Hasidic...
BREAKING: Congress Passes New Bathtub Law
The Senate unanimously signed a bill today making it a...
It Used to be a Theater 2: Vien Synagogue
In the first installment, I looked at the modest Klausenburg synagogue at...
Wall poster June 2014 – against Whatsapp
Relevant Text / Last Paragraph: Let’s make a commitment to...
New Collection: Wall Posters
Some collectors amass interesting collections of stamps or antiques, this...
Assault and Impropriety on Lee Avenue
A very dramatic story went down on a Friday Night...
Tips on Tipping
Here’s how incredibly different Hasidic NYC is from most of...
Book Review: Fundamentalism, Perspectives on a Contested History
Editors: Simon A. Wood and David Harrington Watt Fundamentalism; Perspectives...
Donating Parts of a Bus
I saw this the other day. The sign on this...
How the Streets in Williamsburg got their names…
Taylor, Wilson, Clymer... you guessed it, the signatories of the US Declaration of Independence.
Leonard Lopate and Williamsburg
Leonard Lopate, the host of WNYC’s Leonard Lopate Show, one of...
Hasidic EMS treating Jehovah’s Witness
Since I wrote about the church in Kiryas Joel yesterday,...
Kipelach, mmm!
I always ask my groups what the above pastries are,...
A 1992 Photo Collection of Hasidic Williamsurg
Photos by Melodie McDaniel photography. I’m not sure what to...
Hanover Mansion / Vien’s School-Interior
I wrote about the Hanover Mansion that’s now the Vien’s Girls...
Dead Eyes or Cultural Blindness?
Psychologist Marty Klein and visiting tourist of Williamsburg (he did not tour with me)...
It Used to be a Theater 1: Klausenberg Synagogue
The Klausenburg Synagogue at 131 Lee Avenue, Beth Baruch, used...
A Church in Kiryas Joel
This is a very interesting story of a Jehovah’s Witnesses...
Dairy Pastries in Williamsurg
As tonight is Shavuos, the Jewish holiday that is celebrated with...
Anti-Zionism and the Klausenberg building
The Satmar Rabbi’s opposition to zionism, based the three oath’s cited in...
Hasidim in Media: Fading Gigilo
Hollywood has an interesting relationship with Hasidim. To date the...
Artistic Illustration of Hasidim and Hipsters
Photo: Free Williamsburg magazine This is from the Free Williamsburg magazine’s...
Book Review: Brooklyn’s Williamsburgh by Brian Merlis
The book Brooklyn’s Williamsburgh by Brian Merlis goes for a whopping $300-$540 on Amazon....
A List of Hasidic Female Headgear, with illustrations
Hasidic women customarily wear a head covering after they get...
Vien’s Girls’ School Building; the Williamsburg Story
In many ways, I think of Vien’s girls’ school building...
The Wonderbread Factory—now the Skverer Yeshiva
This is a really interesting example of how many phases...
Anecdote from a Visitor
A visitor in Williamsburg told me today: I once stumbled...
How the Williamsburg Bridge Changed Williamsburg
When the Williamsburg Bridge was built in 1903, Jewish immigrants...
Missionary Jews in Williamsburg
A century ago a Christian Mission to the Jews stood...
A High School Essay by Deborah Feldman
This really interesting first person account of Hasidic Williamsburg was...
2014 Caption Contest
UPDATE! Thank you all so much for contributing to this...
On the Fink Summit
Friends have been asking me about the meeting I attended...
On Hasidic Williamsburg
A shirt I made on photoshop. It says “When in...
Messing around in my bedroom
Here’s something different and very personal. It’s a cartoon in...
Turning in My New Leaf
The New Leaf that you see is a faux New...
On the Bicycle
Twenty-five is a tough age to first learn to ride...
On Marrying Young
Marriages in the womb? Why not? It’s all done in...
After the Double Life
Nora Ephron describes the single’s life most aptly. “I thought...
The Shtrimpkind Hagaddah
Pesach is coming. Now that the world is more wired,...
On the Before and After
This cartoon was commissioned; I was asked to draw a...
On the Times
It’s not 1896! Take off that chinush jabot, mammele, and...
On Unorthodox -The Year After
It was a day of love. Cupids twittered through the...
On Taliban Women
Taliban women are in vogue among extremists. What are Taliban...
On Cartooning
It feels like it’s been longer, but it’s been only...
On Christmas
CHo-CHo-Cho! Tis a jolly time. It’s Santa time. It is...
On Psychiatry
Commentary: I was driving home from work yesterday when I...
True Story
This "True Story" is the result of about twenty hours of work and some very misguided ideas about my artistic capabilities.
December Caption Contest
Hi Everyone — With the Weberman trial and the Rabbi...
On the Kiruv Business
For those who don’t know, kiruv clowns are those proselytizers...
On Zionism
Yes, there is a legend among the Satmar Hasidim that...
November Caption Contest
Wait up, people. I am here with my sad and...
On the leap of faith
Sometimes, in conversation with friends I admire and learn from,...
The Penn State Chusid
Guest commentary by Frimet Goldberger: Nechemya Weberman is back in...
October Caption Contest Winner
Commentary by Shulem Deen, editor of Unpious: When I first...
On Skeletons
Secrets. So many, so good. We all have our skeletons...
On Patriarchs
Such is the legacy of our first patriarch Abraham: he...
On Eating Treif
Whenever I hear that someone just had their first treif...
October Caption Contest
Commentary: October caption contest is here! I’m excited to have...
On Jeans
If “he’s wearing jeans” or “she was seen in jeans”,...
September Caption Contest Winner
With many apologies for the delay in announcing the winner...
On women shaving all their hair
How can you cartoon about shaving? You have to. Because...
On Sukkos
Happy holidays, friends. If you get to play golf and...
On Chazzonus
When I did my undergraduate college degree, a one-year process...
On The New Year
Dearest friends, readers, lurkers, critics, sinners, saints, fellow humans, Wishing...
On Uman
We’re reading some of Reb Nachmen of Breslev’s writings this...
On Frummy Ex-Hasidim
Imagine if Ex-Hasidim had a shul! It would be desecration...
September Caption Contest! Win $25!
It’s the time of month, guys, for the caption contest....
August Caption Contest Winner
Commentary by guest judge Mississippi Fred MacDowell from On the...
On Honor Killings
Our history is soaked in the blood of honor killings;...
On the Economy
This is my solution to the economic crisis: boosting consumer...
On Sex
One of the most unfortunate bits of misinformation among Hasidim...
On invading Space
Mind you, not only long-eared Martians need space. Venusians too...
On Pop Culture
Two recent frightening mass shootings in public places. Brings up...
On the El Al Giveaway
Did you hear about the El Al system glitch that...
On Hasidic Growth
The average Hasidic family, according to Wikipedia, has 8 children....
August Caption Contest! Win $25!
August Caption Contest with Guest Judge! I am excited to...
July Caption Contest Winner
Dearest Friends and Witty Captioners and Flying Bochurim, And now...
On The Fast
Guest Commentary by God O Harken, What is up with...
On Mormons
Commentary: I am fascinated by the FLDS Mormons. If I...
On the Tuna Bagel
Frum Satire has done some “serious” expositions on the Tuna...
On Happiness
“And they lived unhappily ever after”. So ends the famous...
On Monroe
This cartoon was inspired by something I read on Monroe....
On the Internet
Turning off the internet, THAT they say, should fix everything...
Behind the Rabbi’s Scenes
What really goes on behind the scenes in Hasidic leadership...
On Women Learning
Commentary: The Talmud says “He who teaches a woman Torah,...
On Independence Day
All Men Are Created Equal
July Caption Contest! Win $25!
July Caption Contest
On Being Hot
So it’s summer! Oh, sunny, lovely, sweaty summer. The time...
On Nida
You may have heard about the Orthodox couple whose baby was delivered by a truck driver
June Caption Contest Winner!
Dear readers, lurkers and awesome people who leave comments, The...
On Leaving
Leaving Brooklyn
On Fathers
Father
On Father’s Day
Happy Father’s day to all you saintly fathers out there...
On Stoning
Stoned!
On Satmar Lawrence College
Satmar Lawrence College
June Caption Contest! Win $25!
Note: This post will stick to the top for a...
On Hasidic Aliens
It is clear as day that Hasidim are aliens and...
We Moved!
Hello dearest readers and lurkers. As you may have noticed,...
On Arranged Marriage
It’s wonderful that the young Hasidic boy or girl is...
On the X-Hasid
The X-Chasid
On Hasidic Women
Recently, Hasidic women became the subject of much heated debate...
On Cheese-and-Dairy parties
Who could turn down cheese yodels and milk-chocolate balls and...
On Banning the Internet
The rally at Citifield was historic. I was outside and...
On the Internet Asifa and its Edicts
Resolved: Orthodox Jews (and Jewesses too!) are only allowed to...
On Shavuos
Shvuos
And the winner is…
Hello again, readers and contributors! After much mysterious deliberation in...
On Mother’s Day and Yiddishkeit
Happy Mother’s Day!
On Dirt and Floor Coverings
Under the Rug
Feature Updates
Hello readers! As you may have noticed, part of the...
On Protesting
Protesting
Caption Contest! Win $25!
Hello dear readers and commenters and lurkers! There are many...
On Internet Filters
An Orthodox-approved Internet-ban filter…
On Beard Catagories
Beards
On Dating
How difficult can it be, really?
On the Hasidic World
So who said Hasidim are not worldly? Of course they...
On Kosher Internet
God's Office
On the Real X-Men
This is from our archives: because we had the REAL...
On the Haggadah
“The wicked one, what does he say?”
On Stealing the Afikoman
Stealing much more than the Afikoman from great uncle Sam…...
Living the (Double) Life!
The Double Life
In The Beginning…
In The Beginning...
The Joke
Originally published on the now-defunct Unpious here. I once stole...
Book Review: Teacha, Stories from a Yeshiva
One of my favorite books that describes contemporary Hasidic life—and...