I’ll be frank: the REQUIREMENT that married women shave their heads makes no sense at all. Head scarves, fine. Whatever suits you. Shave your head if you like. But it seems like a brutish thing to demand of young women.

I think the story needed to be told. The details are close to what goes on good and bad. But no one wants to accept problems that need to be addressed. As a modern orthodox jewish woman I can verify these issues.

I just want to say I watched it and didn't right off the community depicted in the show as either "good" or "bad". I learnt a lot about a culture i had little knowledge of. I enjoyed this a lot and it encouraged me to explore other jewish communities that i was ignorant of. It's very interesting. Thanks for this video it was very fair and balanced and you validated everyone!

First of all, you can't speak for every Jewish person. You can only speak for yourself. Second, this is a story about a woman living within the Satmar community. You are not a Satmar woman. You are an Orthodox woman. The Satmar community is Hasidic, which is not the same as Orthodox. I appreciate your opinion but you can't properly give an accurate idea of whether the series got it right or wrong, since you did not live that life. Hasidism is different from Orthodox. A hasidic woman would not be filming a video and putting it on the internet, as most of them do not have technology available for personal use. The Jewish community have beautiful people and traditions. Are there negative views on it? Yes, but that happens with almost every religion. You can share light on your faith to bring it in a more positive view. But since you didn't live the Satmar life, it is hard to judge the series accurately.

Any religion taken to that extreme is dangerous and inherently abusive to those who don't hold the power, namely the women and children, who are treated as chattel. It is true of the Muslims and Christians too. It doesn't make abuse any less horrific because the abuse is done in the name of God.

Any religion can be warped and manipulated, even Judaism. I think most people with logic watched unorthodox and knew that that wasn’t normal. And doesn’t represent all Jews but it shows a realistic idea that there are good and bad people in all religions. Believing everyone that calls themselves a “jew” is good would be so false. I think unorthodox does a good job at not putting certain faiths on a pedestal. For example many think that the Jewish faith is completely incorruptible and Islam may point towards a more extreme view like ISIS. I think that it is a common idea perpetuated by some western media. All religions, like systems of power can be used to control people and we must recognise this. This is just my opinion I hold no bias.

Yanky was a good character in it, a blundering sheep mammy's boy who liked to go with the flow. Well acted and a sympathetic character. But his character was never at Esty's intellectual level and didn't have her courage. I think, regardless of religion, an arranged marriage like this would breakdown and the stronger partner would be the one to walk. It was fascinating for me to watch, not so bothered about any inaccuracies or other truths not told. It was good television. Lovely to watch in these strange days. Stay well and happy everyone.

Okay it's not a portrayal of Jewish or Chasdic life. It's a Portrayal of one person experience, not a society.

I didn’t think the series was negative, I think it just presented a different way of life to me. I don’t think we should draw conclusions about the entire religion or all orthodox Jewish people based on one person’s experiences, this would be prejudice.

What I didn’t like from this show is not how they portrayed the Jewish community, but how they made that parallelism with the western world, going from one world to the other one every minute comparing both and showing you the western as a perfect world where a young lady can arrive in a different country walking thru the night in a city and a culture that she doesn’t know and making really good friends and meeting really nice people that give her all the opportunities. Thankfully Netflix also produces shows like Black Mirror where it shows how shitty also our western society can be.

As an orthodox jewish young married woman, i think the show was amazing, but it truly disturbed me that they didnt explore the REASONS or PROCESS as to why she suddenly abandoned her religion. One moment she is happily looking forward to getting married and is living comfortably in her community (although she does acknowledge she is more curious) and the next moment she is taking a taxi on shabbat without any portrayal of discomfort, panic or remorse. She's suddenly comfortable holding money and a phone on shabbat - which if you are orthodox - you KNOW cannot accurate. Thats why it was so sad for me personally....

The show is accurate in the way it describes the story of esty. But it obviously isnt showing every orthodox or Hasidic experience.

I love how you put your thoughts about this show into words. I appreciated how you pointed out that this one woman's experience isn't necessarily the whole story about a group of people. I loved Unorthodox!

I just went all over my house checking my smoke detector batteries until I realized it was in the video!!

like it or not, unorthodox is based on a real story-the story of deborah feldman. it’s not up to you to judge whether the portrayal is accurate.

I loved unorthodox. Thought it was incredible. Hope they make season 2

A sensitive and measured response to this film... But Simcha is orthodox, not satmar.

Hmmm... points: you have access to media, many ultra don’t! You say you’re married, but no wig? This is an actual experience of a real person, so saying it’s wrong, it is wrong! Does it perpetuate some views? No, it simply tells a story of one woman and her family. This was not an attack on a faith, it is reflection on aspects of a community. This community just happened to be Jewish.

You’re not a satmar Hasidic Jewish woman.

As a muslim I felt offended by Unorthodox. It is a clear attack on judaism and religions in general.

Thank you for saying this. I grew up in an orthodox Jewish community and I found Esty a really relatable character. I found it really invalidating when other jews labelled the show as "trauma porn". I get what they're saying but it felt nice to have someone I felt had a similar experience within judaism. I definitely want to watch a second season, I want to see Esty thrive :)

I have not come across a religion yet that is not deeply harmful to women. I understand that feeling part of a community is important and sometimes loneliness can be too overbearing which is why a lot of people end up staying and/or joining religious groups. But staying in these communities, comes with a huge sacrifice which is your own self-respect and self-esteem, especially for women. What we need to learn/teach in this society is consent and choice so we are all on the same page and we are all empowered as human beings.

I grew up Chasidish in a community similar to Esty’s, and actually disagree that the ambience and attitudes portrayed here reflect reality in Satmar. In fact, showing everything as dingy and abusive downplays how hard of a decision leaving is. Apartments are not brown and depressing, clothing is usually Mrs Maisel style and fashionable, and there is so much warmth and joy despite the restrictions (not just grumpy invasive people). And on the other side as well - while there are some nice folks out there I’m the big world, most people are not the “angels of Berlin” shown here. I felt that the story was very one dimensional and oversimplified, with production taking many shortcuts on accuracy despite their statements otherwise. The person in this video is living in a much more liberal community and should not be commenting on this.

Unless you are Haredi I don't think your review is any more informed then a non Jew. This was about the Satmar community only.

You have such wonderful vibes, this video made me smile a lot. Thanks for the upload, watching the show as a gentil I was pretty conflicted, though the show really did get me interested in some of the nuances of some jewish communities that I didn't know about before, it's good to hear your views on it! PS: Anyone else find themselves fully crying when she was singing the yiddish song in the last episode?

Thank you for sharing this. For someone not of the Orthodox Jewish tradition, it was enlightening and thought-provoking. I appreciate your honesty. Peace.

I said this on another comment. It's not my place to judge a community I'm not a part of but you have to understand that this is told from Esty's or Deborah's point view. You do have to take the show with a grain of salt since it is television. I lived in Brooklyn for many years and I knew an orthadox Jewish family and they are the nicest people I've ever met but I can see how some people may not fit in

Time to CHANGE your smoke or carbon detector !!

I just filmed my reaction too there is so much to discuss on this show, and you're right the most important component is how it makes people feel about Jewish people which this show really ignites.

So I will start by saying this I'm a black Caribbean man who knows nothing about your community (Orthodox Jews, Jews period) I've seen them when I lived in Brooklyn and London there is so much about your culture I want to know and understand but I feel your community is closed off and see me as an outsider but this is not just your community alone this is just about all communities if you think about it. If you're white you don't understand what I go through or if your Indian and so on and so on we all have our clicks. I felt this limited series gave me a small window into your community. Let's be clear you can find Esty's mother-in-law EVERYWHERE she's nothing new. Every culture deals with abuse period. This piece could be in my opinion a conversation starter because I believe even though our faith is different we all have similarities? When I watch I wanted to know why she had to cut her hair. I wanted to know when her husband in episode 1 woke up why he washed his hands the way he did. I wanted to know why y'all rock back and forth during prayer and the reading I had so many questions. Why can't women be educated again not the only culture that doesn't educate their women? I want to understand people more and sometimes don't tell me to read a book but talk to me like a person, I want to understand you and you to understand me that what I believe GOD really wants from his children doesn't matter what you call him if you believe GOD is even a he. Sorry to write a book I didn't come here to defend the Netflix series and I agreed with your points but there is so much we can learn and with that enjoy the rest of your day

The show was based on the author of the book Unorthodox. Just watched the making of the short series and it was said that the series was based on the period of like 15 years ago. Also they tried by all means to be authentic as possible to the author's story. The actor who played Moshe is actually an orthodox Jew from Berlin whose mother tongue is Yiddish... But the point of the series is freedom and what it really means to be free

I have to admit that I had no idea how this video was going to go, however I’m very happy I took a chance to hear the opinion of someone who is deeply involved in this community, I think it’s so important that we emphasize that not every experience is the same and that we cannot generalize things as religion or personal choices as good or bad because there’s good and bad everywhere. So thank you for this vid!!!

I'm sorry for grammar, native language is spanish. I have the urge of express that I love how you spoke. I get the feeling that I could have a nice conversation about points of view, opinions and beliefs, even whit me being ateist. I think that you must be a really great person.

i had no idea what to expect entering this video but i think ur really chill and this is a super interesting view point. lots of love!!

omg i dont know where to start , loved the video first of all! also gave a like! I've been really interested in Judaism and jews , i am muslim from switzerland btw! i have been following deborah feldman very closely lately and diving down in the topic! i wanted too see what orthodox or ultra orthodox would think of this documentry! and i love that you made avideo about it! its amazing too see that we have soo many similarities jews and muslims! if ppl could recognize that and bridge the gap! would love to hear from you! =D

Your commentary is really fair, and I understand the struggle. As a Catholic, my faith and community have also had their issues, and it can be really difficult to see constant negative portrayal in the media, and to balance with the true stories and validate the pain of individuals. I love being Catholic, but there are definitely people who have been deeply wounded by the same faith that brings me so much joy.

Thank you for your take on all this - as an atheist I simply saw a story of a woman finding herself, like so many 1000's of hollywood movies. The only difference was the backdrop, which caused me to google/youtube and hopefully learn and eventually, after processing, understand.

I am a Hasidic (orthodox) Jew and I do not know what to think of this show

Thank you for your side of the story, your open mind, your personable way of sharing, and your validation of others!

Has anyone, also, watched Shtisel? The girl that plays Esty in unorthodox is in it but a different character.

I think it’s important to say that when I watched unorthodox I took it as an individual story. Not as a judgement on a whole sect of people. I loved the peek into the rich culture!

I'm. Glad the men's fur hats aren't real- I found it saddening in this day and age that they take SIX mink to make, each! Have you watched "The making of Unorthodox"?.

What a thoughtful response. Thank you for sharing this. I related to Esty as a Baptist from Texas, so I don't think her story is about a dysfunction of Judaism, I think it's just a human story.

How refreshing to hear this message of non-judgemental essence. It is someone´s story, their perspective...we all have a right to be heard and seen and understood and LOVED and NOT judges for it - NOT shamed for it, thank you Simcha.

How do you have a computer and You Tube channel if you're Hasidic?

The point of Unorthodox, is that not everyone is completely brainwashed and they don’t want to give up the dream and try to find who they are. I don’t understand the differences between Chabad and and Satamar. I guess Satamar is ultra, ultra, ultra Orthodox. I heard the shpil about Mickvah, for non religious people, it sound disgusting and humiliating when some stranger is checking you. How does the women can feel sexy after shaving her beautiful hair?

I'm not Jewish and honestly I felt like that most of the problemss came from two very young and naive please getting married. Etsy lacked proper biology information about her own body (which is her family's fault). Yanky didn't understand the basics of privacy and why sharing the details of your sex life with your mother is not okay. On the plus side Yanky respected Esty when she said sex was too painful. He's dealing with quite a bit of rejection from Esty. Sex doesn't come easy for them and actually Esty doesn't seem to want any affection from Yanky. There's a couple of times she pulls away from a kiss etc. Yanky does love her but it might be Esty doesn't care for him as much (at least that was my take). One of the sadist scenes was Yanky in the brothel being taught how to give different types of affection. He genuinely wanted to know to be better for her. The Berlin part was way too simplistic for Esty. She happens to come across a group of people from an amazing music school, immediately meets the professor. It's very convenient her mother supplied her with everything she needs to get German citizenship and can help her. Would Esty really be able to be well adjusted to secular life straight away? Berlin was shown as way too utopian compared to Williamsburg. I love Berlin but like everywhere it has its faults. Esty and Yanky actually could have a good marriage if they worked at it. Whether that be in New York (maybe a bit further away from the in-laws and the main community area) or Berlin (though with lots of help from Leah).

But individuals who do choose to leave an orthodox community are truly lonely. So leaving is difficult. Everyone's experience of restrictions is different and not always so dramatic.

I see some comments that say it is not that dark and sad we do have colorful clothes blah blah the story is telling how she saw her community through her eyes not everyone else’s eyes........ it is her story same with other religions And yeah hands up to the actress she is awesome

Thank you for sharing and speaking out. I encourage you to continue to share your views. Many of us are interested..

@Simcha Just wanted to say, The annoying beep you have in the background is your smoke alarm backup battery that needs urgent replacement.

I am not Jewish, but from my perspective I didn’t perceive being orthodox bad at all. Esty wasn’t happy but the community was. Her marriage didn’t work but you see many woman and men being happy. It just didn’t work for Esty. The community honored tradition and that’s something I admired.

I love your perspective!! Especially that one person’s story doesn’t necessarily represent the entire experience of everyone else in that community. I also need a Season 2 of Unorthodox!! Does Esty get into music school or not?? Also, where did you get your earrings??

Every community is judged by the way they treat their minorities.

This is a really respectful review. Greatly appreciated! Im glad I watched it, I was wondering whether all orthodox Jews wish to stay clear of the digital world. This video answers my question!

I really like what you said half way through this video about being in a community in the margins, media always portraying your community one negative way, wanting to disagree with this narrative but also not invalidate the real problems that exist. I’m glad this video popped up in my recommended.

Beautifully said. We can’t put everyone in the same “box” not in any religion.

I thought the show showed a lot of beautiful aspects of the community (from a very outsider perspective).

I loved the video analysis thank you. I am a reform Jew and I have a question; do a lot of Orthodox Jews think we are not “real Jews” or something like that? Just asking but I totally respect Orthodox Jews and isreal zionists.

There are a lot TV shows and movies portraying religion as bad and evil. I think it creates a lot of negativity towards religion from people who has no or very little knowledge on theology and philosophy. But you very scarcely find a show that portrays secularism as insane - living immorally with no foundation. Would be interesting to see a show that’s quite the reverse: A boy grows up in an atheist family, finds God, has to read the Bible in secret and decides to leave his family and friends behind to become a Priest/Pastor/Rabbi. My family is secular and I’m religious. It ain’t easy being the black sheep (or white sheep hahaha).

I felt like the part about the Mikvah and menstrual period seemed like sh would have known all about this, from hanging out with other Jewish women, they would have at a bare minimum discussed it. The Passover kitchen foil , okay it seemed like overkill with the foil, but definitely my sister did a similar thing, so it seemed mostly normal to me. I think the head saving seemed extreme but, she could have done less severe hair cut and got a fashionable wig they are available. There are some choices on that front. The orthodox guy that was decadent, I would hate to believe that an Orthodox Jew or secular Jew acted in an immoral and unethical way, to me I at least feel like the basic concept is to act and be at a higher moral and ethical level meaning be a better human being and set a positive example for others quietly follow a decent compass.

I love reading comments from non-Jewish/not religious Jews telling her whether she knows her stuff or not. As an orthodox Jew who is not of either the Lebavich or Satmar community but has very close family members of both. I can say with conviction that just because we aren't of the same community doesn't mean we are uneducated. And please consider the fact that it is more likely that a Netflix television show that was created for entertainment's sake, where the writer admitted to making everything up in the present setting of the show, is less accurate than the many Orthodox Jews' real-life experiences and knowledge.

This lady's points are valid. Let's remember this was not a documentary. It was a personal story of Esty's journey to search for her mother, her own identity and her creative spirit. It was a story which could spring from many different ethnic and cultural background, universal in many ways and definitely Feminism. I think for most viewers, with any degree of knowledge and respect for all other cultures, it would be assessed as an interpretation.

I think you shared amazing thoughts! And this was something I abide by regarding the several traditions not being oppressive in itself but mostly how one sees them for themselves! Thanks, beautiful insights!

You are not Hasidic, not even ultra orthodox... I mean, your opinion is for sure valuable but maybe is worth as much as any non-Hasidic or non Jewish person around here. I'd ask my Hasidic friends but they will never watch tv or any tv show for that matter.

Hi Simcha! I find your take on the series very interesting. Like you, I would really like to see a second season. I also understand that it is frustrating to only see ‘negative’ portrayal of your tradition and religion. However, I don’t think that the director is saying that any experience in a Jewish Orthodox community is necessarily oppressive, they are just portraying one experience without making any generalities. I think it is also important to portray those kind of experiences, and to me their message is universal and tends to denounce all kinds of abusive behaviours. Very happy to hear that you are content in your community, though! 😘

I've never quite understood people who were looking at arts with a magnifying glass to determine how genuinely it copies real life. It's simply not a valid argument to say that the shtreimels are fake or that the actors' Yiddish is funny. It's entirely besides the point. Also, while the Williamsburg part is largely based on Deborah Feldman's memoir, the Berlin portion is pure fiction. But even this is irrelevant. Art is representation. Does the story reflect and reveal something profound about the human existence and is it intriguing and novel how it achieves this? That's the real question about arts.

Thank you so much for your insight and opinion! I grew up in Florida & Spain and I never knew any Jewish person growing up. I now live in New York, and I certainly don't take this series to represent every orthodox community, however, I did take away that in the communities there must be a sense of community and security and I thought that was very beautiful. And that like the author, Deborah Feldman said, there's good and bad everywhere. I hope to learn more about Judaism, since growing up my parents gave a negative image of the religion- I'm unlearning this because there is a lot I think it has to offer. thanks again for sharing!

I don't understand why this video got so many down votes. Her take on the show was pretty balanced.

While the show is an inaccurate portrayal of the broader community, it saddens me that there is abuse of the vulnerable in this/any community!

Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful comments. I found it helpful.

this is the best video i have watched on youtube in a long time. you are very insightful, well-spoken and thought-through. I appreciate it very much. I would love to watch more reviews of shows depicting judaism by you - or, frankly, any other videos. Best wishes!

Is orthodox and Hasidic different? Cuz wouldnt the Hasidic community not be able to watch the shows??

The show portrayed a satmar community...unless you lived it you cant really have an opinion about it...

Thank you for your reaction. I have watched it twice. I enjoyed the story, the acting and the final singing scene brought me to tears. As an African American who grew up in Harlem and who loved The Wire, the betrayal of black urban life was far from my personal reality. Unorthodox was a beautiful story and like you said. It was nice to get a bit of a glimpse into a community I do not really have access to.

Well let's put it this way all the other women in the show seemed to be fine.

Not your experience. Did you even read her book. It was her story and tons like her. (Check your batteries)

This person is Satmar. Very different from other sects. I grew up orthodox but sephardic/Mizrahi totally different.

Living in nyc And working with orthodox jews I would say that Orthodox women are very happy!! If anything i would say that the men work very hard and the woman go shopping all day 🤣

Love your objective perspective. Thanks

As you know, there are many different groups of Haredim. As it happens, my daughter lives in Israel with her family, but she is secular and only observes holidays and kashrut. Here in the States, I live in Monroe New York, so you know what my next thoughts are going to be. The Satmar. I don’t even know where to begin. As they said in “Unorthodox,” they really are a fringe lunatic group, making enemies wherever they go. And it isn’t anti-Semitism; we also have a large group of Chabad, and they are wonderful neighbors.

AS a Christian I have learn a lot orthodox Judaism. I see beautiful aspects of living 100% for God.

They are not going to make another season. The producer said she already told the story.

She is well spoken but for the love of god just accept youre oppressed as fuck for literally no apparent reason. She sugar coats the entire situation by being ' respectful ' to both ends and talking about Esty; yet in her community and if it happened to someone else she would consider it a sin and not speak or be kind to them in front of others. Big fucking contradiction in my eyes. Not accepting whatsoever. Makes it seem like she approves and applauds those who flee but IRL wouldn't be caught dead helping one or seen near one.

While you seem genuine, you re not part of Esty s community. And you seem brainwashed a lot. Try thinking by yourself. Good luck.

Thank you for this! What a wonderfully honest response. I have long been a student of Judaism, both socially and spiritually, and love the differences from my culture. The show made me uncomfortable because of the negative portrayals of only certain parts of life in an insular society and I found it hard to watch. I wish more time would have been dedicated to understanding the culture.

In the show they're portraying a specific type of hassidic community, a very extreme one, so it's not at all like your religion. And it's based on a real woman's story, who lives on an extreme hassidic community, and who was there on the movie set to make sure everything is true to her reality. So it's not portraying a bad image of all jews. Just this perticular New York community (I forgot how it's called)

I like how this video is under the category Comedy because it really is a joke and funny. Thanks for sharing your perspective on a portrayal of a community you don't know either lol.

Excuse me, I also shared my thoughts of "unorthodox ", I agree with you about spreading stereotypes about Jews because sadly some people who have not been exposed to Jewish people or read enough about Judaism will generalize and see Jews as Satmar , and not realize there are all sort of streams in Judaism Having said that , however ;we need to remember that the experience of the woman Debra Feldman, who wrote a book that was the base of the Netflix series, came from a Satmar community, which is , as you must know, is VERY different than other Hasidic groups . I am not orthodox but I was close to Orthodox , modern Orthodox groups and especially Chabad Lubbavitzers who are very different. The Satmars are extreme, so are the Gur groups , and there is no reason to deny them being extremely oppressive ! . Here in Israel a great deal of suffering has been caused by our Health minister , Leichman , who is from the Gur community, that is similar to Satmar in their radical views, he let a woman who was faced with multitude complaints of sexual abuse by young students in Australia and hid her because she came from the Gur community . If we don't look at the radical extremists in a critical light, there will be much more damage caused to the victims of domestic violence, shaming, and oppression by men. We can not deny that Judaism does not treat women equally, we can not deny that Orthodox Judaism places MEN at the center of prayer, which might not seem to you discriminatory but is discrimination from any way you can look at it. Why should a person be allowed to read the Torah in the community just because of his gender? Why should the Rabbinical authorities decide every intimate aspect of people's lives ? Not everyone is comfortable with Rabbinical control over every intimate detail of their lives, and when a woman seeks a divorce in the Rabbinical court, which thank G-d I did not marry according to Judaism, there is discrimination allowing men more rights than women, the Agunot etc. The way new ideas have been treated with violence and the way we in Israel greatly suffer from the abuse of our legal system to avoid military service, taxes , housing laws and a long list of laws that the ultra orthodox insist of avoiding, even Corona virus laws that made Bnei Bark the capital of Corona because of the tradition of ignoring the zionist regime and its rules have made the Ultra orthodox unbearable and sadly people tend to generalize when a group that looks jewish insists on ignoring laws , plant a health minister who is from Gur, a radical movement that oppresses women and is similar to Satmar in forcing women to give up emotional involvement in sexual behavior, to behave without any connection to their emotions as long as the Rabbi commends, to follow orders blindly like a fascist system, which is of course very different than modern Orthodox movements that respect individuality much more but still controlling every aspect of a person's intimate life can not be seen as anything but fascist. I would not want to be examined by a Mikve worker who examines women as if they were cows to be sold , actually no one should be treated like an object, cows or women, IMHO.

How dignified do you feel in your religious practice when you're required to take a ritualic bath after your period, because you're 'dirty' otherwise?

Thanks for your comments! It's impossible to include everyone's cultural experience in any genre, this is a story as you said, Esti's story. I'm a Greek Orthodox, not religious but with a fascination for Jewish history, Hasidic culture, religion and way of life. So, to me a Netflix series, having the Jewish community represented, actually two series at the moment and in Yiddish, means a lot.

Thank you for your thoughtful reflections! I definitely agree that there is room for a multiplicity of truths and experiences,

The show wasn’t attacking the faith, it was attacking the extremist aspect of it. You don’t have clout to speak about it because you clearly aren’t apart of the extremist group. You also can’t negate her experience because it was hers and only hers. Every religion has extremist and they’re practically cults. I’m just saying this to give you some insight on what you don’t have clout on, which is extremists group.

I’m sorry but it just doesn’t feel like you are in the same environment as she was. You have a KZfaq channel. I had a friend who was born in an open-minded non traditional jewish family and she became orthodox around their 20s. She doesn’t even own social medial channels. She isn’t allowed to be friends with men. I am not sure how you live your life but just by the fact you post a public video like this one doesn’t seem you are in the same kind of community.

As someone who found religious Judaism as an adult… the show really offended me. The show clearly had an agenda. But my non Jewish family did ask me questions about the show and the Chassidic Community in general.

The community is based on the Satmar community which is based in Williamsburg. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satmar_(Hasidic_dynasty)

I loved your review and the way you express your opinion - discussing both sides and focusing on the important parts. I hope to be as intelligent speak as fluently as you do.

You are not ultra orthodox.

As a non religious yet spiritual, I loved and perfectly understood your thoughts. Off course, some people can live horrific stories inside this so strict communities and their values can be questioned and not understood by all, including me. Many insiders and outsiders may not relate to this practices, but we shouldn't be so quick to judge those who follow their beliefs and make the choice to voluntary being part of this communities and follow their rules. We should be ok with our own decisions because we are free to do so. Those who don't relate to this beliefs, I hope they can find the strength like esty, to find their own path, their own voice. As well as those who choose to stay and accept their religion, I hope they find the strength to integrate themselves in this so tagged and demanding world, full of judgmental people that "always know what's right and wrong". Anyway, inside or outside a community disrespect and abuse towards other people, women, man, children, hassidic, Christian, Muslim, atheist or whatever, should never be tolerated. People should be accepted by who they are, if that does no arm to others.

It was easy to feel really bad for Yanky. He really did just follow along with what he was told. That last scene with the snip was just... heartbreaking. Me and my Chinese friend watched together. We obviously aren't Jewish, and it was still so painful to watch.