I attended one of Williamsburg’s many “mighty carnivals!”
We got unsalted popcorn for fifty cents!
Posts on
50 years ago in Williamsburg – Nathan Benn’s photography
Shot for the National Geographic in 1972 & 1973
New article about my tours in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle
'Tours give a window into the closed world of the Williamsburg Hasidim'
In conversation with Gerry Albarelli, former Hasidic boys’ English teacher
A former Hasidic boys' English teacher on his experience
Afterward
Final installment of the memoir series for patrons
Article in Times of Israel about the tours
In the media.
A walk through Williamsburg with Phillip Lopate
The celebrated writer grew up in Williamsburg
Chapter 49
Memoir series for patrons
Book review: Artifacts of Orthodox Jewish Childhoods
a special book, with an essay from my blog!
Chapter 48
Memoir series for patrons
Purim 2022 in Hasidic Williamsburg
Costumes, music, drinking - quite the festival!
How to open a box of matzohs, the proper way
A classic children's game with a Passover twist
Chapter 47
Memoir series for patrons
Looking back at “Corona-times” memes
The memes of those early lockdown days...
Street poster: Convert Ukrainian refugees to Hasidism?
The Hasidic community has deep historic roots in Ukraine. The...
Satmar Grand Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum’s fierce anti-lockdown speech
A March 2020 speech against shutting down the community.
Chapter 46
Memoir series for patrons
Video of my zoom conversation with Izzy Posen
For my conversation series, this was live with an audience.
Transcript of a Hasidic groom’s wedding lesson
The birds, the bees, and many many compliments
Frieda Vizel and Izzy Posen talk: OTD-Haredi relations
An upcoming Zoom event
My top picks of Hasidic pastries
Tasting and recommending - delicious stuff!
Chapter 45
Memoir series for patrons
A new interactive map-tour of Brooklyn’s Bais Yaakov history
An interactive tour of the birth of Bais Yaakov in America
Hasidic tech college
So modern, the model wears an Apple watch
Street poster: smash-your-smartphone festival
Bring drills, hammers and bottles of wine.
Chapter 44
Memoir series for patrons
Street poster: laws of neighbors
Is it ever okay to report a Hasidic neighbor to the authorities?
Remember: “more coverage is better!”
A guide to women's headgear...created by whom?
What it is like to grow up in Kiryas Joel
Revisiting a reflection on Kiryas Joel
Chapter 43
Memoir series for patrons
What is kosher technology?
A video exploring kosher tech.
I’m a licensed tour guide (again)
Reflections on a second round at licensing
More anti-smartphone collector’s cards
Cards with masks, guilt trips and Abbey Road
Chapter 42
Memoir series for patrons
Interview with Harry Weiss, former Williamsburg resident
Another video in my conversation series
If there is a chart, it’s science!
Even Hasidic zealots have info-graphics
Unboxing the children’s gift set ‘Shabbes’dig’
A video post examining a Hasidic musical/artistic product
Chapter 41
Memoir series for patrons
“Jellies for dads,” or an ad for pot?
More in the saga of pot in the Hasidic community
Anatomy of the Hasidic Yiddish newspaper
Unpacking how news is censored and relayed in the Hasidic papers.
Street poster: a kosher vaccine?
Not a typical vaccine either.
With Elena Solomon: on shpanyer arbet, a special part of Hasidic garment art
A look at the art on men's atarah
Chapter 40
Memoir series for patrons
Williamsburg is stuck in the 1950s, part 2
Women’s clothing are extremely influenced by mid-century western styles
Looking at old Bais Yaakov Williamsburg yearbooks with Naomi Seidman
Today I am sharing a YouTube conversation with Naomi Seidman,...
Marijuana use among the Hasidim in Brooklyn
Contextualizing a street poster.
The Hasidic local economy
Filmed in Williamsburg. How Hasidim earn a living; part of the story.
Chapter 39
Memoir series for patrons
How to have a great relationship
A pamphlet with quaint bit of relationship advice
Tour of menorah lighting in Hasidic Williamsburg
A beautiful cold night with many candles adoring windows...
Chapter 38
Memoir series for patrons
Survey in Der Yid Daily: are you afraid of omicron?
11.8% report being worried
Street poster: an alarm that rings if you pull out a smartphone
Notice warns of a new technology that embarrasses smartphone users
In conversation with Nathaniel Deutsch, co-author of ‘A Fortress in Brooklyn’
I had the great pleasure to talk in a zoom...
The forbidden women’s music academy
A new saga in Williamsburg's gender and piety landscape
Kvitlach: a Chanukah card game
A gambling card game that's a staple in the Chanukah playhouse
Chapter 37
Memoir series for patrons
Recipe: sweet cheese latkes for Chanukah
Like pancakes, but much richer
The Christmasification of Chanukah
A video post
Street poster: Uber without a smartphone
If you follow my work, you might know that I’m...
Kids’ cards: the absolute worst matchmaker
There is a series of Hasidic collectors’ cards called “Taryag,”...
Chapter 36
Memoir series for patrons
Street poster: anti-vaccine messaging
On my tours, you don’t need a mask or a...
Why it’s hard to analyze city data for Williamsburg Hasidim
On covid numbers, vaccine data and more...
The immodest marathon returns to the enclave of piety
Runners refer to it as the quiet mile.
Building series: Eastern District High School
Some famous people were educated in this building, including Deborah Feldman
Chapter 35
Memoir series for patrons
Special cleaning-lady dress without pockets
Apparently, over six thousand of these “dresses” have been sold....
Kids’ collectors’ cards: gefilte fish anime
Collectible cards, as in, the kind of sets like baseball...
Fashions of the shtreimel
The shtreimel is the Hasidic hat that married men wear...
Chapter 34
Memoir series for patrons
Irreverent Yiddish song: ‘I Want To Be A Rebbe’
Here is a song that I love because...
Williamsburg is stuck in the 1950s, part 1
As I’ve spent years exploring the story of Williamsburg, I’ve...
Chapter 33
Memoir series for patrons
Update on my experience as a Covid-era tour guide
For 2021, I have been able to operate at 15-20%
Chapter 32
Memoir series for patrons
Hasidic architecture: family-size balconies
One of the many interesting things in Hasidic Williamsburg is...
Emergency party!
Have you ever been invited to an emergency party? The...
Interview with Gerald Friedman
A conversation with a diner at Gottlieb's deli, former WB resident Gerald Friedman
Chapter 31
Memoir series for patrons
Honey cookie recipe
It’s the season of the Jewish new year again, so...
The Kosherinator
A cartoon lesson in how Hasidim modernize.
Returning from the afterlife to battle the turban
The above document is an extraordinary case of superstition that...
Book posting: ‘Off the Derech, Leaving Orthodox Judaism’
This post will not really be a book review, because...
Chapter 30
Memoir series for patrons
Street Poster: buildings for “gentiles of the lowest sort”
How Hasidim afford to live in Williamsburg
State-of-the-art tech: kosher phone vending machine
Flip phones get fancier yet.
Chapter 29
Memoir series for patrons
Censoring lady position available
Black crayon and ubiquitous censorship
Street poster: blaming illness on immodesty
Analysis of how faiths link tragedy to what people wear or don't wear.
Hasidic underground during lockdown
Methods of subversion.
Chapter 28
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 27
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 26
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 25
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 24
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 23
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 22
Memoir series for patrons
Once upon a time, Lee Avenue had a sense of humor
An iconic comedian once lived on 111 Lee Avenue
Chapter 21
Memoir series for patrons
Book review: ‘Worlds Apart’ by Sudy Rosengarten
Some notes from a small book of memories of early Williamsburg days
Chapter 20
Memoir series for patrons
The Return of the Tours!
*STICKY* Announcing limited tour schedule for 2021
Chapter 19
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 18
Memoir series for patrons
NBC’s show ‘Nurses’ does Hasidic Jews
Hollywood can’t help thinking up a bunch of cliches
Candy Land and Monopoly, Hasidic versions
Hasidic versions of board game classics
Chapter 17
Memoir series for patrons
(Mis)representing the Hasidic community positively
Peter Santanello's YouTube video of Hasidic life paints a cheery picture, but is it accurate? And does it matter?
New essay in Tablet Magazine on conformity
Link in post
Chapter 16
Memoir series for patrons
Year-in-review: Hasidim had similar Covid outcomes despite opening
While rejecting distancing and masks, the outcomes are still on par with the rest of NYC.
Chapter 15
Memoir series for patrons
An overview of Hasidic entertainment #6: games
Novels, kids books, newspapers, toys and games
An overview of Hasidic entertainment #5: audio/visual
Novels, kids books, newspapers, toys and games
An overview of Hasidic entertainment #4: Hasidic internet
Novels, kids books, newspapers, toys and games
An overview of Hasidic entertainment #3: news, leaflets and mags
Novels, kids books, newspapers, toys and games
An overview of Hasidic entertainment #2: children’s books
Novels, kids books, newspapers, toys and games
An overview of Hasidic entertainment #1: novels for grownups
Novels, kids books, newspapers, toys and games
Chapter 14
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 13
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 12
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 11
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 10
Memoir series for patrons
Sharing a glimpse into the city during Covid
A walk in Boro Park
Chapter 9
Memoir series for patrons
Chapter 8
Memoir series for patrons
Why I defend the Hasidic community
A video post
Chapter 7
Memoir series for patrons
A new October essay in the Forward
"Don’t call Hasidim anti-science. They kept COVID at bay all summer."
Covid test? only if you’re 100% healthy!
Outsmarting the numbers
A shutdown of the NY Hasidic community?
The Hasidic community is urging its members to mask up—but perhaps not for the reasons you'd expect
Censoring the Bible and God
When even God doesn't make the cut
Chapter 6
Memoir Series for Patrons
Hasidic schoolwork—censored!
Can you guess what's been omitted from these passages?
Chapter 5
Memoir series for patrons
Hasidic Satmar creative writing
On discovering an old notebook
The Church that shrank
The story of one church's transformation
Chapter 4
Memoir series for patrons
A Williamsburg architecture brush-up
Finding Treasures in an Online Photo Database from the 1940s
Chapter 3
Memoir series for patrons
It’s the foxy season
Foxies, Doopers, Chupps--What's in a name?
Chapter 2
Memoir series for patrons
Masks and modest clothing
If you had been brought up in the Hasidic community, would you have left?
Glossary of Yiddish terms
A reading companion for the Patreon memoir series
Chapter 1
Memoir series for patrons
Prologue
Memoir series for patrons
Foreword to My Memoir on Patreon
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
How badly hit were Hasidim by the first wave of Covid?
A look at the early weeks and a talk with the funeral director
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...
New–subscribe to the mailing list
Get new blog posts sent directly to your inbox
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...
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
Reflections on the 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
About this blog
What and why I write here.
My Hasidic report card versus My son’s public school version
School's out. It's time to look at report cards...
From the Hasidic economy to the global economy, with Footsteps in the middle
The organization that is supposed to serve as lifeline serves largely itself
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
Not everyone is welcoming.
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 poster: 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.
Street posters: fighting back to preserve Hasidic education
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
A new podcast and Flaum’s Deli
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.
Street posters: more wars on phones.
Street signs warning of the dangers of flip phones
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 about Trump
A very nice Hasidic gentleman who works at one of...
What’s a kosher phone?
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: a study session on genetic ethics
Using dna to determine the supremacy of a fruit.
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
A true story
Why Hasidic boys’ educational standards are not enforced
It’s really a question of: if the NYC Department of Education cares, what can they do?
How the Hasidic community deals with the internet
The story of internet among Hasidim is interesting. It crept up on us slowly, almost unnoticed.
Street posters in Hasidic Williamsburg: on secular education
It’s always interesting to watch the rotation of street posters in the streets of Hasidic Williamsburg.
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...
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...
What it is like to grow up in Kiryas Joel
A reader asked: What is it like to grow up...
Violent cidelock 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).
Essay in Tablet Magazine on Hasidic education
“Shulem Deen wrote in the The New York Times “Why...
Mysteries of the newlywed couple’s room
It's a private moment for a kiss.
My Resistance, Mrs. Feinman
On trying to write while being haunted by old ghosts.
How to style sidecurls (payos)
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.
Hasidic handshakes at the White House
Yes. Okay, it wasn’t my hand he wasn’t shaking; it was that of the first lady of the United States.
Hasidic marital purity laws
What are the Hasidic rules of menstrual separation?
Hasidic men’s fashion: the shtreimel
A reader asked: What is that furry, circular hat that...
When men don’t hold 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...
No college: shopkeepers and entrepreneurs
A reader asked: How are Hasidic Jews so wealthy? They...
Street poster July 2017: throw away your smartphone
This belongs to the genre of “internet warnings”, among the...
Street posters July 2017
This belongs to the genre of ways in which the...
Life of large families
A reader asked: How do Hasidim raise so many kids?...
Street posters – re smartphones
This belongs to the genre of ways in which the...
This smartphone war is directed especially at women
“There is no excuse for a woman to have a smartphone”
A tour of Hasidic Williamsburg 35 years ago ($6.50!)
Sociologist George Kranzler did it first.
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
Site: Site of the Christian Mission / Jews for Jesus...
Gender segregation rules in the Hasidic workplace
A reader asked: Are there any particular rules I need...
Is the Hasidic community poor?
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 Chickenpox 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...
Shavuos 2016: neighborhood notes
Are you planning on passing by Hasidic Williamsburg on this...
The Jewish Federation’s look at Williamsburg
The Jewish Federation of North America released a poverty study in...
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
his picture, of a plaque on Hewes Street in Williamsburg...
Wall poster: warning against selling homes to outsiders
From July 2014 This poster is so illustrative of how...
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 one of the most important Yiddish...
A star-of-David in Williamsburg
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 – volunteering for the needy
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
Site: Vien Synagogue/ formerly Wilson Theater Location: 27 Lee Avenue, Brooklyn,...
Wall poster June 2014 – against Whatsapp
This poster warns people to get off WhatsApp. Relevant Text...
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
Site: Childhood Home of radio host Leonard Lopate Location: 151 Ross...
Hasidic EMS treating Jehovah’s Witness
Since I wrote about the church in Kiryas Joel yesterday,...
Kipelach versus rugelach
I always ask my groups what the above pastries are....
A 1992 photo collection of Hasidic Williamsburg
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...
It Used to be a theater 1: Klausenberg Synagogue
Site: Klausenburg Synagogue Location: 131 Lee Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211 [image:...
A Jehovah’s Witness Church in Kiryas Joel
This is a very interesting story of a Jehovah’s Witnesses...
Dairy pastries in Williamsburg
As tonight is Shavuos, the Jewish holiday that is celebrated...
Anti-zionism and the Klausenberg building
The case of the disappearing Stars of David
Hasidim in media: ‘Fading Gigolo’
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...
Book review: ‘Brooklyn’s Williamsburgh’ by Brian Merlis
The book Brooklyn’s Williamsburgh by Brian Merlis goes for a whopping $300-$540 on...
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
Site: Former Hanover Club / Former Young Israel / girls school...
The Wonder Bread factory—now the Skverer Yeshiva
Site: Formerly bread factory / now Skver yeshiva Location: 97 Heyward...
Anecdote from a visitor who wouldn’t be a shabbes goy
A visitor in Williamsburg told me this great story: I...
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 written...
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 in 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 Economic Woes – cartoon post
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 Niddah
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 after...
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 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 beyond the bathhouse
I once stole a big laminated poster from the mikva....