Monday, February 20, 2012

The Book of Lies


On Amazon I found this interesting review from someone who read Unorthodox. This fellow found numerous falsifications. Not all of them are significant but "they will help you understand the author and her book." (To read the full list click here.)

"I know women are not allowed to sing" p.12 l.268. Women are not allowed to sing in the presences of men, except between immediate family. Sounds different than "women are not allowed to sing" Uh??
"A girl can't be on her own in a room with a man, even if there are other women there too. She can be on her own with two or more men" p.65. l.1202 That is simply not true. ... The 'Rama' ... writes on the Halacha in his commentary, that ... one woman may be on her own with many men. And one man may be on his own with many women.
"I am waiting for the Satmar rebbe to make his entrance 'fifty' feet below me" p.83. Wow! The gallery of the shul she is talking is probably like 15 feet high.
"Thousands of men lift their hands to the heavens and stamp their feet rhythmically on the stone" p.85 .l. 1524. Up.. Again! The synagogue has old brown parquet. Never had stone:)
"holding a folded newspaper in his hand. Zeidy never brings secular newspapers into his home, but sometimes he goes across Broadway to the Mexican bodega to read the business section of The Wall Street Journal, if he needs to know something about the stock market. I wonder why he's bringing it into the house". p. 103. 
Now read what she writes on page 149. l. 2683. "When Zeidy brings home The Wall Street Journal the next morning". Here it seems like her zeidy comes home daily every morning with the "The Wall Street Journal". Kind of confusing.
"Eli is his name, I know, same name as all the other boys his age, the name of the first and most glorious Satmar Rebbe, now deceased, his throne quarreled over by a family divided in lust and greed". p.128 l. 2315. This one is unbelievable! The satmar rabbi's name was "yoel". Eli and yoely two entirely different names! (Both biblical names Joel and Elijah). Wake up a Satmar girl in her grave and ask her satmar rabbis name! It's more likely she has forgotten her one name than the rabbi's :) I emailed her about this one; She didn't reply. Now I think that Eli is not his real name, and his real name is yoel, But she wrote the book with real names. Then, they were replaced by the editor and this is what happened:) what kind of an editor.
"He breaks the silence finally, shifting first in his seat and readjusting his coat. "So my sister tells me you're a teacher?" I nod my head yes. "Very nice, very nice." "What about you?" I ask, having been given the smallest of go-aheads. "You're still in yeshiva? What's it like at twenty-two? Are there people there who are you rage?" I know that will hit a sore point". p.129/. l. 2366. Please view this video on YouTube. "The View, Rejection of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn.Deborah Feldman Book". 3:15. "you met you future husband just once before your wedding day.... is that correct? Yes.. Can you take us back to that day? i can only tell you that I was absolutely terrified ... and I don't remember... I couldn't remember a word!" How wonderful that is from her to make that effort, special for us, and write a few pages from a conversation she didn't remember a word! :)

2 comments:

  1. Just found this blog on Vosizneias.com! Just wanted to drop a comment to let you know someone is reading!

    Sh'koach!

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