Local News
Limmud preview: Famous novelist Naomi Ragen to discuss situation of Haredi Orthodox women
By BERNIE BELLAN The following information is taken from Naomi Ragen’s website: “Naomi Ragen is an American-born novelist, playwright and journalist who has lived in Jerusalem since 1971. She has published eleven internationally best-selling novels, and is the author of a hit play, ‘Women’s Minyan’, that has been performed more than 500 times in Israel’s National Theatre as well as in the United States and Argentine.
“Naomi has written for the Jerusalem Post and other publications in Israel and abroad, as well as to her blog list, about Israel and Jewish issues.”
The Wikipedia article about Naomi Ragen notes that “A recurring theme in her fictional works is injustice against women in the Haredi Jewish community.”
(The Wikipedia article also mentions that Naomi has been sued a number of times for plagiarism.)
Recently I contacted Naomi via email, which is how she had indicated to me she preferred to communicate.
Following is a series of questions I posed to Naomi, with the answer she gave tomy questions:
JP&N: Hi Naomi,
I see you’re going to be talking about your latest novel (“An Observant Wife”) in your Limmud presentation. I’ve only read one of your books previously: “The Devil in Jerusalem”, which was the subject of a book club discussion several years ago in a club which I had started at our Jewish Community Centre.
I was floored by that book. I realize it was extremely controversial, so I’d like to ask you one question about that book:
What has been the long-term reaction to your writing such a scathing exposé about a Haredi rabbi?
Naomi Ragen: Thanks for writing. I hope you get a chance to read the book (“The Observant Wife”), which I think is special for a number of reasons. It’s my first and only sequel. And it’s probably my last book on haredim, in which I sum up thirty years of knowledge, interaction, and understanding.
I wrote The Devil in Jerusalem as a public service – believe it or not. A very, very difficult book to write, the subject matter was horrendous. Many people have reviewed the book, saying it was difficult to read, but important. I can’t tell in the short term if it’s made people more wary of wonder rabbis, but more and more we are getting people who are speaking out about rabbinical abuse, so perhaps there’s a trend here which I’m happy to be a part of.
JP&N: Now, turning to your most recent book, “An Observant Wife”, I just read the lengthy review on bookreporter.com, so here are my questions:
What led you to wanting to write a sequel to “An Unorthodox Match”?
NR: This is the first time in my career that I really didn’t want to part with my characters from a previous book, An Unorthodox Match. First of all, when you end a book, you leave your characters to live on in your reader’s imaginations. I felt highly protective towards the characters in this book, the newly engaged mixed couple Leah and Yaakov, the young girl Shaindele undergoing such hardships, the children orphaned of their mother Chasya and Mordechai Shalom. I wanted to take their futures home with me and raise them myself.
Also, I think of all my characters Lola/Leah is very close to my own life, and I’d never really explored Chozrim beteshuva in my books, so I was eager to keep exploring her character.
JP&N: From what Pamela Kramer writes about “An Observant Wife” in her review, it seems that a recurrent theme in this book and your others is that the ultra Orthodox are no different in most respects than any other human beings in terms of their needs. What I often wonder though is whether the kind of repression that I associate with ultra Orthodox life masks greater psychological problems among ultra Orthodox Jews than non ultra Orthodox?
NR: From my personal experience, it all depends on the sect. I view modern Orthodox as pretty much the same as secular society when it comes to repression. After all, no one does exactly what they feel like doing because of the consequences. Chassidic sects are something else. In my opinion they are pretty much all cults and yes the repression can be psychologically damaging as it is in any cult.
JP&N: The notion of someone from a non-observant background, such as Leah in this novel, adopting fully the role of an ultra Orthodox wife is something that I’ve seen over and over again in real life, including in my own family.
Invariably these women become “holier than thou”. Do you think there’s a common thread that runs through women who come from non-observant backgrounds and become ultra Orthodox?
NR: As you’ll see when you get into An Observant Wife, the newly Orthodox are usually looked down upon by those born into the tradition who consider themselves holier than though. The newly religious are always apologizing for the things they don’t know. But if you are referring to the need of people who become religious to clash with people living their former lifestyle, I would say that holds true of anyone who becomes a true believer, whether religious or vegetarians, or people who give up gluten. I think whenever you take restrictions upon yourself, you feel the need to justify it and reject everyone else, just to reassure yourself you are doing the right thing, especially when it gets hard.
JP&N: Are you going to be talking only about your new book in your presentation?
NR: Actually, I’ll be discussing a whole range of subjects including how difficult it has been to have started the whole genre of books about the ultra Orthodox. I was considered a whistle blower, and still am.
Local News
Shaarey Zedek celebrates reopening September 29
By BERNIE BELLAN After a period of renovation that began in the spring of 2022, the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue was officially reopened on Sunday, September 29.
Here is a montage of photos from the “Chanukat Habayit” that took place on Sunday afternoon.
Local News
Canadian Yazidi Association honours Winnipeg friends who helped start Operation Ezra
By BERNIE BELLAN On Sunday, September 22, members of Winnipeg’s Yazidi community showed their appreciation to Winnipeggers who had helped Yazidis move to Canada and settle in Winnipeg since 2015 by inviting a number of Winnipeggers to a dinner at Temple Shalom. Many of the guests were individuals who had played vital roles in helping Yazidis escape persecution by ISIS in Iraq back in 2015.
It was in 2015 that a spokesperson for the Yazidi community at the time, Nafiya Nasso, came in contact with some members of the Jewish community who were touched by the plight of the Yazidis in Iraq. Through the facilitation of Jewish Child and Family Service the seeds for what was to become Operation Ezra were planted. Since then Operation Ezra has helped more than 50 Yazidi families immigrate to Canada and settle here. The strong bonds that were established back then helped what was then a very small Yazidi community grow into a much larger – and what is now a thriving community.
The Canadian Yazidi Association, under the direction of Nafiya Nasso, organized a sumptuous buffet dinner at Temple Shalom on September 22. Not only was the food delicious, at the end, attendees were handed empty containers and invited to go fill them up to take home whatever they wanted. (If someone from the Yazidi community ever wanted to open a restaurant, I bet it would do very well.)
Local News
Temporary Federal Government visa program paves way for Israelis looking to Canada for reprieve from war
By MYRON LOVE Shortly after the Oct. 7th Hamas attack, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) instituted a temporary immigration measure for Israelis (as well as Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank) to apply for a temporary reprieve in Canada through applications for work permits. According to Iael Besendorf, Jewish Child and Family Service’s Settlement Services Team Lead, since last October, 70 families have arrived from Israel, comprising 191 individuals.
“While some of these families were already in the process of applying to move to Winnipeg, the conflict in Israel hastened them to leave sooner,” she reports.
She adds that approximately 50 of the families – comprising over 150 adults and children – have come through under the aegis of the temporary work visa program.
Besendorf points out many of the individuals, couples, and families arrived in Winnipeg in great distress, only taking the few belongings they needed to settle here.
“Most left behind family, friends, and jobs in a sudden state of emergency,” she notes.
”During the first few weeks following their arrival, JCFS was there to hear and acknowledge their immediate trauma. We at JCFS continue to provide individual counselling and group supports as needed.”
She further adds that JCFS created – with the financial support of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg – a special War Response Team to assess and respond to the needs of local community members and new arrivals.
“Mental health and counselling professionals on our team are available to meet with anyone needing services,” she says.
“As an adjunct of this, we at the JCFS Settlement Team are the first to interface with newcomers to our community and are also available to help triage and refer clients in need. These new arrivals receive our typical settlement supports such as: information and orientation about their first steps in Canada, which includes help with practical needs such as housing, daycare, schools for their children, employment resources, and an orientation to all the various Jewish organizations.”
The newly arrived Israelis have also been showing up at our community’s summer camps and Gray Academy of Jewish Education.
“After October 7, we welcomed 17 temporary students who came from Israel to be with friends or family in Winnipeg,” reports Lori Binder, Gray Academy’s Head of School and CEO of the Winnipeg Board of Jewish Education.
“Eight of those students remained at Gray Academy, and 12 more Israeli students have joined us for the 2024-2025 school year.”
She adds that enrolment at the school is over 500 (as compared to 472 last year) – with almost 100 of them brand new to the school. Quite a number of the new students, she points out, are from local families who see the value in a Jewish education.
Ian Baruch, Camp Massad’s Planning and Engagement Director, reports the camp at Sandy Hook welcomed “quite a few” IsraeIi kids this past summer among the 136 campers who were registered.
“About a quarter of our campers and half our staff are Israeli or from families from Russia who came here by way of Israel,” he notes.
The BB Camp office was closed through the first half of September so no comment was available as to the number of Israeli children at the Lake of the Woods camp.
Iael Besendorf further observes that among the challenges the Israeli newcomers are facing here is the length of time that it is taking the Federal Government to issue work permits.
“As a result,” she says, “the adults are unable to work, and many families are feeling this financial pressure.”
She adds that “as the situation in Israel appears to be far from over, we expect more people will seek reprieve outside of Israel. The Federal Government just announced an extension of one more year, to March, 2025, for this temporary visa program. As such, JCFS expects that more will arrive and that we will are likely to see a steady stream of more people over that time.”
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