Brooklyn Hasidic Modesty Committee Weighs In On Hillary Clinton's Photoshopped Picture

"We hope this…will be enough to calm down the fires of hatred against our holy ways of life, by those whose envy brings them to attack us."

 

While I can't verify the authenticity of this announcement, I've been told it has been widely circulated in the Brooklyn haredi community:

Comments

[Yoily Weiss]

Who the heck is the Brooklyn Modesty Committee?
Signed,
The Brooklyn Bridge Committee

[ali]

I'll be right back. I have to vomit.

[Moses]

These people are sick. They truly live in a bubble with no idea how they are viewed upon by society.

[Jakes]

Great, so in addition to the image projected by people like Madoff, people will now think of us as chauvinistic pigs. An embarrassment for all Jews.

[Phillip]

God save us from the religious fanatics.
This is a complete embarrassment to all
Jews living in the 21 Century.

[Ted]

So they're saying women and their daughters should stay indoors or in chaperoned settings as much as possible?

[A. Nuran]

My arse has been an arse for quite a while. There's no need for anyone to listen to what it says, either.

[Seraphya Berrin]

Are they saying that Hillary Clinton is Jewish?

[Neil McGowan]

Remind me, aren't we sending troops to die pointlessly in Afghanistan so that girls can be educated in public schools and grow up to take leading roles in running the nation?

[Barry]

Ted. That is what they believe

" Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to look about among the daughters of the land. Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to look about among the daughters of the land." Genesis 34 1-2

Rashi notes that the Torah introduces Dinah as Leah's child. She is not referred to as "the daughter of Jacob," or "the daughter of Jacob and Leah," or even as "the daughter of Leah and Jacob," but as "the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob."

Rashi explains:

Because of her going out, she is called "the daughter of Leah." For [Leah], too, was an 'out-goer,' as it is written, "And Leah went out to greet him" (Genesis 30:16). Regarding her it has been said, "Like mother, like daughter."

The hallmark of the Jewish woman is her tzniut, the modesty in dress and demeanor expressed by the verse (Psalms 45:14), "The entire glory of the king's daughter is within." A Jewish girl, Rashi seems to be saying, has no business going out to visit with the daughters of a pagan land; when she does, she is not acting as a daughter of Jacob but like her mother, who is known to have, on occasion, embarked on outings of her own. For the king's daughter to leave her inner sanctum is to expose herself to all sorts of negative encounters, as Dinah's case tragically demonstrates.

(This somewhat contradicts another Rashi condemning Jacob for hiding Dinah in a box to avoid Esav)

According to the bronze age mentality of the Hareidim, Hillary by her 'outgoingness' is exposing herself to rape (especially from that suspicious looking black man sitting in the corner). They have a duty to ensure that their menfolk do not allow their womenfolk to expose themselves to such risk by censoring the photograph.

They should have photoshopped Rabbi Dovid Neiderman into the empty space made available by Hillary's removal as confirmation that in matters of supreme importance, even the goyim acknowledge one should follow the advice of the Torah True.

[nkd]

What does it bother you? Did they ask you to censor women to your newspaper? They were minding their own business and you are attacking them for that? Tell me, do you people see nothing wrong with the way women are treated in today's world where the only way to sell a can of coke is to show some cleavage? Don't you think they are actually treating women with respect and dignity by not treating them as objects? Have you been to one of their homes and seen the respect the wife gets? Is a woman's right to display her breasts a sign of respect? You guys are the backward hatemongers.

[seymour]

What does it bother you? Did they ask you to censor women to your newspaper? They were minding their own business and you are attacking them for that? Tell me, do you people see nothing wrong with the way women are treated in today's world where the only way to sell a can of coke is to show some cleavage? Don't you think they are actually treating women with respect and dignity by not treating them as objects? Have you been to one of their homes and seen the respect the wife gets? Is a woman's right to display her breasts a sign of respect? You guys are the backward hatemongers.

Posted by: nkd | May 10, 2011 at 06:02 AM

like when she is carrying all the grocery packages.

Anyway it is not about that it is that they are telling a lie about a major event.

Anyway this is a new craziness that did not exist 1 100 years ago.

[seymour]

well it is now confirmed Hillary is Jewish

[Commentator]

What does it bother you? Did they ask you to censor women to your newspaper?

==== well, maybe that will come. Meanwhile, "they" are telling women which buses they can take, which side of the sidewalk they can use, what shops they can frequent (and what shops are "allowed" in "their " neighbourhoods) etc etc etc. "They" are telling men what colour shirts they sould wear, that they cannot earn a living etc etc

[David]

Apart from the fact that there has never been any suggestion or evidence that Hillary Clinton is Jewish, what is the Halachah that supposedly prohibits the publication of a picture of a modestly dressed woman (Jewish or otherwise)?

[Barry]

What does it bother you?

nkd, it bothers me that these fanatics are seeking to romanticize through lies, a way of life which was for most solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short and made Jews hated and vulnerable. There are nasty consequences being backwards and hated.

Life for women is far better today then it was in the past and life for non-ultra-orthodox women in general is better then that for ultra-orthodox women

Hillary did not get where she is today be showing her cleavage. Modesty has always been used to keep women in their place.

[Yoily Weiss]

...made Jews hated and vulnerable. There are nasty consequences being backwards and hated.
Posted by: Barry | May 10, 2011 at 07:25 AM

Sorry, Barry, but being like the non-Jews won't get the anti-Semites to love us. The Nazis didn't just kill backwards Chassidim. In fact, the German Jews were the most cultured of all Jews during the WWII era. Attended university, involved in politics... nothing backward about them.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Let's not go nuts with working naziism into the conversation, although I agree with Yoily.

The mental illness of the frumma is now on full display for the USA and the world. Let the frumma explain themselves, or ignore the controversy, or lie about what they did.

Nobody anywhere is using this story to drum up hatred against Jews, except for maybe some far out fanatics who need to hate us anyway.

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

As of 08:15 CDST today, Yahoo's story on the photoshopping topic has 16,834 comments. There was a very eloquent essay posted by 'markag55' at 8:47 EDST last night as a comment to the CBS news story.

Lets hope that these modesty committees and misguided newspaper publishers learn something from the outrage expressed by all quarters of the American public.

[adifferentveib]

There was nothing arousing about those women. How does it make us a holy people by erasing us as if we don't exist? Do these men never go shopping with women, never see a woman? We're here to stay lucky for them. If my husband came home with a paper like that I'd be pretty upset and would ask him not to buy it anymore. So now instead of attacking the men why not deal with the real question? Why is it that women support papers and magazines such as Mishpacha (mostly bought by women) where they don't publish photos of women? It's quite obvious that it's the women themselves that don't have a problem with this? I wonder why?

[seymour]

There was nothing arousing about those women. How does it make us a holy people by erasing us as if we don't exist? Do these men never go shopping with women, never see a woman? We're here to stay lucky for them. If my husband came home with a paper like that I'd be pretty upset and would ask him not to buy it anymore. So now instead of attacking the men why not deal with the real question? Why is it that women support papers and magazines such as Mishpacha (mostly bought by women) where they don't publish photos of women? It's quite obvious that it's the women themselves that don't have a problem with this? I wonder why?

Posted by: adifferentveib | May 10, 2011 at 08:37 AM

they been brainwashed

[WoolSilkCotton]

"...It is also interesting to note that extreme discomfort with the presence of women or even images of women is common to virtually all totalitarian religious communities, regardless of the tradition involved. And in this case especially, it’s not something of which the editors of the paper should be proud..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/for-gods-sake

[soso]

Is this a hoax? Or do the spelling errors confirm the authenticity of the document?

[Dan O.]

This whole thing is forcing me to reevaluate my view on burkas. I used to believe that there ought to be protection on religious grounds for women wearing burkas.

But I now better understand the argument that the disappearance of people, especially women, from a collective perception of our world is contrary to the public interest. The argument is actually more convincing when those doing the disappearing are some of "us".

I haven't changed my view, but this certainly muddies the water.

[corn popper]

Other than a great opportunity to take pot shots at the Chasidim, I seriously don't understand the whole brouhaha over this doctored photo. (Any law that was broken still don't warrant this level of media attention).

Der Tzeitung is a paper for a well established extremely insular community and this is one of their sensitivities. No one is forcing the rest of the world to abide by their laws. Live and let live.

The Satmar Chasidim are embarrased by what they feel is your unJewish behavior and lifestyle, and you feel the same towards them. Move on.

[moshe]

Amazing all you Hillary haters who never voted once or wrote one good thing about her! vs. the N.Y. orthodox jewish community who always supported her in votes and in their publications including the zeitung, are trying to re arrange their musical chairs and to show the world that their real 'hate' (or self hate) to the orthodox is even greater than to Hilary!

[Yissy-Ca]

This obsessions with over-tznuit, segregated buses, edited photos relates directly to the insane/non-halahkic/inhuman sexual chumrot imposed by the idiotic rebbes/rebbeim. If you were forbidden from masturbation,sex more than once a month or for pleasure how long could you stay sane? The men in these communities are in a state of constant hyper sexuality which translates into violence and/or this type of BULLSHIT.

[corn popper]

Yissy,
Once a month? Guarantee you they're getting it more than you. Their wives are continuously pregnant so they're celebrating nightly. They're just not out advertising.

[Dan O.]

"Other than a great opportunity to take pot shots at the Chasidim, I seriously don't understand the whole brouhaha over this doctored photo. (Any law that was broken still don't warrant this level of media attention)."

I think people didn't really understand the misogyny of these communities. That's what the brouhaha is about. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was this bad.

Live and let live? Please. I'm not stopping anyone from trying to erase women from reality by wishing they wouldn't.

[Yissy-Ca]

Yissy,
Once a month? Guarantee you they're getting it more than you. Their wives are continuously pregnant so they're celebrating nightly. They're just not out advertising.

Posted by: corn popper | May 10, 2011 at 12:42 PM

Are you at all familiar with chassidic sexuality?

[Alter Kocker]

Knuckle-dragging neanderthals. A pox on them for their distorted view. Round them up and let them live in caves.

[Tikvah]

@moshe - you've posted this on every one of Shmarya's posts re: Hillary. Are you that narcissistic? Really, the Chassids are the only ones who have supported Hillary Clinton, that's why she was senator/is Sec. of State? Is that possibly what you are claiming?

[A true jew]

For all you jew-haters out there, consider Hugh Hefner your Rabbi. Hes jewish too. Thats where the Reform community leads to.

[corn popper]

Yissy,
Once a month? Guarantee you they're getting it more than you. Their wives are continuously pregnant so they're celebrating nightly. They're just not out advertising.

Posted by: corn popper | May 10, 2011 at 12:42 PM

Are you at all familiar with chassidic sexuality?

Posted by: Yissy-Ca | May 10, 2011 at 12:46 PM

yea! they're having way more kids than me

[Jeff]

"...by those whose envy brings them to attack us."

My God, the narcissism. Yes, that's right, you've called us out - we're jealous. We all want to be obese, have copious quantities of facial hair, wear black wool in the summer and have a dozen children we can't afford.

I'd honestly rather be dead.

[Aviv Manuel]

"What does it bother you? Did they ask you to censor women to your newspaper? They were minding their own business and you are attacking them for that? Have you been to one of their homes and seen the respect the wife gets? Is a woman's right to display her breasts a sign of respect? You guys are the backward hatemongers.

Posted by: nkd"

To address nkd's comments...

1- ""What does it bother you?" I agree with you, at least it doesn't bother me, but it does bother Shmarya and his cronies here, because this is a way of Shmarya getting even after his idea of helping Ethiopian Jews was not considered by the Chabad hierarchy several years ago. Very mature.

2-"Did they ask you to censor women to your newspaper?" Nope, they did not, but again, this is Shmarya's revenge, which consists of emphasizing the negative aspects of Haredi and Chassidus. Apparently Shmarya is not aware that the world is not perfect yet.

3- "They were minding their own business and you are attacking them for that?" Yes, I agree they were minding their own business and Shmarya decided to make it his own business in his quest for revenge, thus he decides to attack them and expose them to ridicule. Very mature.

4- "Have you been to one of their homes and seen the respect the wife gets?" I am sure Shmarya did, but again, what you expect from someone who is blinded by sheer revenge?

5- "Is a woman's right to display her breasts a sign of respect?" No, I call that being a skank, but that is just me. Others cannot sell a pack of bubble gum without doing that kind of marketing. (Nothing to do with Shmarya this time)

6- "You guys are the backward hatemongers."
Yes, when someone publishes a blog and asks for donations so you can have your revenge, there must be some hate involved.(sorry back to Shmarya's revenge, which should be the name of the blog)

[Jewdo]

Corn Popper,
Sorry to tell you but they do use violence, coercion, manipulation and fear to make people live like them. It's just that it only takes care 'in the ghetto' and no one can hear you scream in the shteitel.

[Reuven]

This SHOULD bother all Jews. We dont live in a vaccuum. This Chareidi hijacking of Judaism funnels down to ALL aspects of Jewish life and affects ALL Jews, whether its kashrut, shiurei mitzvot, z'manim, sheitels, tsniut. It leads to book bannings, women being beaten up on buses (NO CONDEMNATION FROM CHAREIDI WORLD), 'gedolei hador' signing papers that support proven child molesters, violent support for a mad mother who intentionally starved her child, the debacle that is Ramat Bet Shemesh and Beitar and the rewriting of history.
There is only one True Judaism for all...Chareidi Judaism - Everyone else is not really frum and if you make a comment or disagree you are labeled a 'filthy heretic'.
The black coats and streimels are throw backs to medieval Europe (and we all know how well that worked out for the Jewish People) but unfortunately today they are perceived by all as the face of Torah True Judaism.

[Reuven]

Corn Popper...I like 'In the Shtetel no one can here you scream'
However they DO hear you, its just that they dont care!

[BenBliShem]

Another viewpoint on the photoshopped Hillary controversy:

http://hasidismandlit.blogspot.com/2011/05/photoshopped-hilary-clinton-brouhaha.html

[Sl8ofHand]

Would it not have been preferable to simply not print this particular photo? By doing so (printing an edited version) they violated the agreement under which the photo was released, which is also an offensive act.

They have every right to print or to abstain from printing any image (to which they have rights granted by the owner of the picture). Printing an edited picture is lying.

[D]

"Why is it that women support papers and magazines such as Mishpacha (mostly bought by women) where they don't publish photos of women?"
Posted by: adifferentveib | May 10, 2011 at 08:37 AM

Possibly because it is the only kind of newspaper their husbands allow them to read.

"Is a woman's right to display her breasts a sign of respect?"
Posted by: nkd | May 10, 2011 at 06:02 AM

If Hillary Clinton was flashing her breasts at the meeting, then there might be a valid reason to edit her from the picture. Otherwise editing her out was disrespectful of her as a human being.