I'm an Orthodox Jewish Woman, ask me anything.

[Jewishbookwork]

On the thread @Israelilefty started, people were asking about Orthodox Judaism. So I am starting (another) one here. Other Orthodox Jewish women are welcome to answer too, so we have more of a range of answers.

I am Chabad Chasidic, we are very religious - I wear a wig, my husband wears black and white and we have lots of books in hebrew in our house.

What does a typical day in your household look like? How much of your day centres around religion?

What's the difference between the Torah and the Talmud?

I honestly know zero about what it means to be an Orthodox Jew and very little about what it means to be Jewish generally.

Could you give me an quick summary of the basics wase?

'Please' not 'wase'

There was an Orthodox Jewish AMA set of two threads on Mumsnet recently - they were very well revived. Have you seen those - just out of interest?

People asked lots of questions about the kosher rules, bedikah cloths, Mikva and how the family purity laws sat in relation to feminism.

No questions from me!

@Needcoffeeimmediatley
My husband goes to synagogue twice a day. There are daily 3 prayers but they usually do the last 2 together. Morning and evening. Women are also meant to pray three times a day but I got out of the habit with young kids and tbh prayer is hard for me, so I don't pray as much as should. (world def need my prayers atm)

We also study Torah every day (again, something I am not so good at) but I enjoy this more than prayer.

We can only buy food that is strictly kosher - that means buying meat from kosher butchers/shops. Plus lots of other foods need to be checked or certified. Also eating out is very restricted because we also don't eat food that is cooked in non kosher pots. I don't live in a place with lots of kosher restaurants or takeaways so that means I cook supper every day, no ubereats/deliveroo.

I dress modestly, skirts over knees, long sleeves, high necked shirts.

Do you live in the UK? If so, and if you have children is it easy or challenging to bring them up following the religion?

Yes, someone mentioned they were full so couldn't ask any more questions, hence this new thread.

Do Orthodox Jewish women shave their heads under their wigs or does the wig go on top of your natural hair? In what circumstances do you not wear it?

If you are required to cover your hair, how does covering it with a wig that looks like you're not covering your hair count? (Just wondering as other religions that require you to cover your hair usually use material).

The Torah is split into two parts - the written Torah and the Oral Torah.

Written Torah - Five books of Moses, the books of the Prophets and Writings. You may be familiar with lots of these.

Oral Torah - the Mishna and Talmud. Part of the Torah that was passed down orally for many centuries and eventually written down.

More here https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-formation-of-the-oral-torah/
,

Are women able to work in your community?

Do you ever feel you would like to sack it all off and live a less restrictive non religious life?

Were you brought up in a similar home to the one you married into? What level of education were you able to reach? What was your favourite subject?

Yes.

In my specific community, (Chabad) everyone, men and women, are encouraged to work in a religious type of job, working in a religious institution (school, outreach org) is seen as preferable and more ideal, but plenty of people work for regular non Jewish companies or institutions.

What's your stance on the Kabbalah?
Never really understood if this was a genuine part of the Jewish religion or something Madonna made trendy for a while.

Out of the 600+ rules you have to follow - which do you find the most challenging?

Yes, mostly similar.

I did some A levels (not three full ones) and went to a Jewish seminary, where you study lots of Torah, plus some teacher training.

Going to a secular uni was not encouraged, but nowadays there are a lot more Orthodox Jewish places to study.

I am doing a BA degree now with distance learning, mostly just for fun, it won't necessarily help in my career.

I love history, reading, random facts.

What do you think would happen if you showed your hair or your thighs or bare arms in public?

definitely around Pesach time!

On the whole though, the benefits outweigh the difficulties by far.

Do you ever think 'why on earth am I following all these practices' such as the food restrictions, clothing, hair etc?

Around other religious people who know me? Well, it would probably proclaim to them that I don't care about religion anymore.

I have a child who is not that particular about the way she dresses (eg she wears shorter skirts) and it definitely reflects upon her religious level.

She is still accepted in our community, people just accept her for how she is.

When you say the benefits outweigh the difficulties, can you give some examples?

this could be a very long answer.

Jews have 613 commandments to keep but most don't apply to everyone. (eg some only apply to farmers, or men, or priests, etc)

three big ones are kosher, (laws on what to eat) Shabbat (we don't work at all from friday night until saturday night, includng using phones, cars, cooking) and the laws of family purity. (we don't have sex during period and for one week after)

Other laws include honouring parents, giving charity, laws of various festivals, etc.

You can be born Jewish (to a Jewish mother, father not important) or convert.

There are many many Jewish people who keep some of the rules to some extent. eg many Jews keep some level of kosher - some eat only kosher meat, some won't eat pork. Orthodox Jewsh however keep all these rules very strictly.

Just wanted to say hello as a Modern Orthodox woman myself! Interesting thread.

Thanks for the new thread OP. I read the other threads & they were fascinating. Do you live in a big orthodox community in London for example?