Shows
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondWhat it's like to grow up in Kiryas Joel | An essay by Frieda VizelVideo version of this posting: https://youtu.be/uHu_17N9GdEI grew up in a very special place: the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel. It was beautiful and painful all at once. I don't always talk about my own experience in this channel, because I was always careful not to make this channel about me per se but about a larger anthropological project. But today I'm taking a bit of a detour to a personal narrative by reading to you an essay I wrote about what it's like to grow up in Kiryas Joel. I hope you...2025-05-2512 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondI grew up in Kiryas Joel and embraced plant medicineVideo version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/kMxyRkjljm8?si=hcjjD0_-izvquKxBToday's interview is about psychedelics, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, and one extraordinary woman's journey! Please join me for the interview with Bruchy Moskovics. Bruchy was raised in the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel. Her story is like no one's I've ever heard, and the way she tells it will take you to another world -- a world of faith, thoughtfulness, and living connected with something very alive within. Bruchy is now a child therapist and also does post-psychedelic integrative therapy, and her work often addresses a Yiddish-speaking...2025-02-231h 10
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"I craved religion and even tried Christianity" | In Conversation with comedian Antonia LassarVideo link to this interview: https://youtu.be/ctuFi83643EAntonia Lassar is a Jewish comedian who grew up with very little Judaism. She later became interested in various forms of religion, going on a seeker's journey for community with soulful musical connection. She loves singing and is a professional comedian. Our journeys couldn't be more different, yet we have so much in common in our appreciation of religious Judaism that doesn't always work for us. In our long form interview we talked about Antonia's background, about the Chabad sect, about the ritual of mikvah immersion, and...2025-02-161h 03
18Forty PodcastFrieda Vizel: How the World Misunderstands Hasidic Jewry [Outreach 2/5]In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Frieda Vizel—a formerly Satmar Jew who makes educational content about Hasidic life—about her work presenting Hasidic Williamsburg to the outside world, and vice-versa. In this episode we discuss:Why would someone who leaves the Hasidic community become something of an emissary for her previous world?How does Frieda serve as a “cultural translator” between Williamsburg Hasidim and the “guests” on her tours? How does one convey the “essence” of a culture to visitors who might never experience its depths? Tune in to hear a conversation about how a communi...2025-02-111h 16
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond🚨 For women, girls, AND men and boys | In conversation with Jessica RodaVideo version of this interview: https://youtu.be/blLciT0egb4Jessica Roda just published the book "For Women and Girls Only" on Orthodox Jewish women's performances. You can find her book here: https://amzn.to/4jKRJgjIn this long form discussion we talk about what's happening in the scene of Orthodox Jewish women's performances. Because of modesty rules, women are not allowed to perform in front of men. So oftentimes their reach is limited. In Roda's work, she charts how women's perfomances has become a whole economy thanks to the internet and women's creative ways of...2025-02-091h 06
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"I risk everything when speaking out as a woman in Kiryas Joel" | Exclusive interview with Fradel NeumanVideo version of this interview: https://youtu.be/HoTzWaF7dU8So many stories about the Hasidic Jews of the village of Kiryas Joel come from people who have left it. Or, often it will come from village official PR people who tell a very rosy story. In this interview, we get an exclusive peak into an everyday woman walking an exceptional line; risking everything in her community to express her voice. Fradel's story is compelling, fascinating and yet to get very interesting as she finds her place in the world, negotiating faith and individualization in a very communal...2025-01-2649 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondMessiah Energy and Wholesome Comedy | Interview with Modi RosenfeldVideo version of this interview: https://youtu.be/dlp7-4Aq1tMModi Rosenfeld is a brilliant and wonderful Jewish comedian whose work I've long been a huge fan of. He is able to talk to any audience, a skill that few have. It's incredible to me that his audience spans from the very secular to the very religious, including Hasidic Jews, which is part of his bit. In my latest interview I talk to Modi for a bit of a behind the scenes discussion about his amazing work. Check out Modi here on Youtube...2025-01-1939 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondMy Chanukah Memories | Reading: Circumcised Chanukah GiftsVideo link: https://youtu.be/J1XGAMK4wngHappy Chanukah! This Chanukah I want to share some of my childhood memories by reading to you an unpublished essay about my childhood memories of Chanukah in the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel. Wishing all who celebrate the holidays very happy holidays!2024-12-2920 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondSex ed in the Hasidic community | A Hasidic grooms receives the birds and the bees talkVideo version of this posting: https://youtu.be/Gk917OpgS_QIt is the tradition that before a Hasidic young man gets married, he attends a private session with an older rabbi who guides him in matters of sex and intimacy. Since sex is not a topic openly discussed in this society as it is considered immodest, this one lesson is potentially the first time the young groom learns about sex and the opposite gender. That one lesson could be beautiful, painful, shocking, exhilarating, and so many other things.Since I myself went through this on...2024-11-2436 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe intersection of Sex and Piety | In Conversation with Intimacy Coach Peggy GreenfieldVideo version here: https://youtu.be/AUdw8W71Gv8*Sensitive content warning. This conversation contains adult themes.*Peggy Greenfield is a certified relationship and intimacy coach who grew up in the Satmar Hasidic community of Williamsburg, and now serves this population. Peggy is not in the community herself anymore, which gives her a unique vantage point from which to tackle challenges of sex and imtimacy, topics that are difficult and complicated anywhere, but which pose a unique challenge in a community of so many rules restricting sex and the body. Peggy is outside of the community's...2024-11-231h 03
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondA battle for land between Hasidim and their neighbors | In conversation with Jesse SweetVideo link: https://youtu.be/Ovl9HbcTuUIThis is a discussion about the documentary 'City of Joel', with the filmmaker Jesse Sweet. It's a documentary about a turf war in the insular Hasidic Village of Kiryas Joel. Kiryas Joel is a Satmar village in Orange County New York, and it's where I lived for the first twenty-five years of my life. The documentary includes amazing footage of the village I grew up in, with shots of several very close male contacts. It was a fun experience to watch it and to discuss the film with the filmmaker.2024-11-0352 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe Talmud as a Door | In Conversation with Miriam AnzovinVideo version of this interview: https://youtu.be/vbwZcttuNOQMiriam Anzovin is a Jewish content creator who does videos about the Talmud, Jewish lore reactions and even holiday themed makeup tutorials. She is a warm, funny and witty Jewish woman and I find a friend in her in the content creation journey. Join me for a discussion with the wonderful Miriam about her background, about her relationship to her orthodox mother, about her creative process, about trolls and the Talmud and so much more.Follow Miriam on a bunch of platforms!Youtube @MiriamAnzovin Instagram: htt...2024-10-2750 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondA Jew from today, but from yesterday... | In Conversation with Lea KalischVideo version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/5-RsTIrIbmoLea Kalisch has a dream to sing at the Superbowl, in Yiddish, with a shtreimel. She is a singer of many genres, but some of her Yiddish songs reflect a longing for a simple, religious world. "I am a shtetel Neshama (soul), a Jew from yesterday. I should have been a fruma, my hashtag is 'oyvey'." We hear so many stories of people from the religious community longing for the secular world, what does it mean to grow up secular and express a longing for the religious world...2024-10-131h 08
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondReflections a year after October 7th; stream of consciousness sharingYoutube video: https://youtu.be/aTkJpC3h7cg2024-10-0833 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondCan we call her a Hasidic feminist? | Interview with Hasidic Influencer Raizy FriedJoin me for an interview with the Hasidic Yiddish influencer Raizy Fried. Please check out the youtube version of this video here:https://youtu.be/oycLsS4ulygIn my work documenting the Hasidic community, I've gone to great lengths to bring out of the shadows the story of women in this world and their voices. It has been incredibly difficult, as much of the female sphere is modesty and behind a curtain. Still, I've felt it's important to share this world with you all, as I feel that otherwise, the female experience is invisible, as if erased...2024-10-0851 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe complicated relationship between animals and Orthodox Jews | discussing myths with Mendel Hersh PanethLink to video version of this conversation:https://youtu.be/O-ov6vTAAqQ?si=uqY1x8Yt-8woN-TDIn this video I talk to Hasidic Jew Rabbi Mendel Hersh Paneth about the community's complicated relationship to animals. People's fear of dogs, the way that animals are slaughtered for kosher purposes and the ritual of kapores. Stay tuned for additional discussions with Rabbi MH Paneth. 2024-09-2915 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondWhen one half of a town turns on the other | Interview with Director Igor Golyak*Note: the play discussed here contains violence*For the video version of this interview see here.In this long-form interview, I talk to theater director Igor Goylak about a powerful production titled 'Our Class'. It's a play that tackles timely themes of the human capacity for evil, antisemitism, and the long arc of history. I saw the play in Brooklyn and it's now playing in Manhattan. Igor is a fellow Fellow at the Mandel Institute Cultural Leadership Program Fall 2024 cohort.**For tickets see the following websites:**www.arlekinplayers.comwww.ourclassplay.com2024-09-0841 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondWhat life is like for a Hasidic lady in the Catskills today | With comedian Leah ForsterFor YouTube version see here: https://youtu.be/DQgG_PzxazgBaily is a character of a Hasidic woman who spends her summers in the bungalow colonies in upstate New York. In this episode, she shares the trials and tribulations of the experience. This segment is comedy, in the great tradition of the Catskills being a place for comedy. Leah Forster is a brilliant comedian who has spent years entertaining Hasidic women before she left the fold and pivoted to perform for a larger audience.Check out my other videos on the Jewish Catskills and my earlier...2024-08-0458 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondA Bungalow Colony for Survivors I In Conversation with Director Andrew JacobsAndrew Jacobs directed the beautiful documentary 'Four Seasons Lodge' about holocaust survivors who spent every summer in the Catskills in a bungalow colony, connecting and loving life. The documentary follows them during their last years, as they are in their 80s, navigating the end of their time together. They are full of laughter, love, humor, sorrow, and memories of the horrors they went through. When I talked to Jacobs about his work on the documentary, and then so many of the subjects passing away, he welled up as he talked about what the survivors went through and how despite all...2024-07-2153 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondHe returned to live in the most insular Israeli enclave after leaving it | Tuvia Tenonbom InterviewVideo version of this interview: https://youtu.be/311WBTY7mrsTuvia Tenonbom is a character! He grew up in the Haredi enclave of Bnei Brak, which I've introduced you to in another video. He left the fold in his early twenties and became a bestselling author and journalist in Germany - with oft-hilarious, oft-controversial views. During covid, he was sent on an assignment to the insular Haredi enclaves of Israel, to the world of his childhood, to write about the experience. He was warned by many people that he'd be kicked out as soon as he arrived. But...2024-06-301h 17
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"No one had a grandfather" | Gita recounts the Hasidic community after the holocaustVideo interview: https://youtu.be/2saQ0LEwZXQGita Katz is a larger-than-life character. I got to know her through Pearl, the famous Hasidic woman whom I have had the honor of having on this program before. In this interview, she shares what it was like to grow up in Hasidic Williamsburg in the shadow of the Holocaust.2024-06-1654 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"We hid the piano from my Hasidic father" | The Singer Riki Rose shares her storyFor the video version of this segment, click here: https://youtu.be/jiE9cTn6Yi0Riki Rose grew up in Hasidic Williamsburg, in a very conservative family. From when she was young, she had that star celebrity quality to her. But as a woman, her ability to fully express her talents was significantly limited by the religious laws on Kol Isha, which prohibits women from performing to male audiences. Still, Riki's life has been full of joys, good humor, and great moments to shine. In this long-form interview, I talk to Riki about her amazing life story. And...2024-06-021h 36
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondYiddish versus Hebrew the battle of two Jewish languages | In Conversation with Eddy PortnoyVideo version of this segment: https://youtu.be/tq8y3KkAWTkAs many of you know, my first language is Yiddish. It is the language of the Satmar Hasidic community I come from. The story of why I grew up speaking Yiddish, and not Hebrew, is intimately tied to the story of the birth of Israel, Zionism and Jewish language. And so, today I want to delve into the history of how two Jewish languages came to represent contrasting Jewish ideologies. I was inspired to do this segment after visiting the wonderful YIVO exhibit in Manhattan t...2024-05-081h 18
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondWhy do we love to talk about Cults? | In Conversation with Guinevere TurnerFor the video version of this discussion, see here: https://youtu.be/S2LMqtNjg6cThe Hasidic community has been the subject of great, lurid fascination. People love to hear the stories of its unusual customs and darker sides. I see this fascination as part of a larger fascination with subcultures and cults. For instance, Youtube is full of channels that tell ex-Hasidic, ex-Mormon, ex-Amish and ex-Cult stories and these videos draw hundreds of thousands of views. Guinevere Turner grew up in a cult. In the Lyman Family cult. What's unique about her is that she d...2024-04-061h 20
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe Chained Wife / the Jewish Aguna Crisis | In Conversation with Keshet StarrVideo version of this segment here: https://youtu.be/_H1hjrS2MLoA chained wife is a woman who is chained to a man in marriage, even after the relationship ends. This can happen in Jewish marriages when one partner refuses to give or accept the Get, the religious divorce. Malky is a Hasidic woman in Kiryas Joel who has been a chained wife for 4 years. In recent weeks the activist Flatbush Girl has spearheaded a campaign to pressure Malky’s husband to give a Get, by protesting in the strict and insular village of Kiryas Joel, by en...2024-03-171h 16
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe Satmar Rebbe's Life and Controversial Anti-Zionism | In Conversation with Rabbi Ysoscher KatzLink to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/8oVcC5z24c4The Satmar Rabbi is one of Hasidic Jewry's great figures, yet his legacy is mired in deep controversy. He is credited with much of the revival of Hungarian Hasidism post-holocaust. Still, his anti-zionism draws deep criticism, especially since he was rescued during the holocaust by the Kastner train, a special rescue train that was negotiated by the zionists.In this episode, I bring you a conversation with Rabbi Ysoscher Katz on the life and controversies of the Satmar Rabbi. Rabbi Katz was raised...2024-03-101h 42
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondWhat are Hasidic Jewish SECTS?For the video version, see here: https://youtu.be/ywWcEMPALlMYou might have heard that in Judaism, there are Hasidic sects. What do we mean by sects? What are the sects, and what’s the difference among them? In this segment, we’ll do a brief introduction to what Hasidic sects are. Please feel free to leave a comment with your questions! The book referenced in this video is ‘Hasidism, A New History’2024-03-0712 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondAm I disrespectful?A candid vlog with my thoughts on appropriate dress in Hasidic Williamsburg. Discussing tourist dress, the model Marisa Papen who walked through Williamsburg without any clothes, and my own choice to wear pants as an ex-Satmar woman.Video version: https://youtu.be/bE4mSWJzk3I2024-02-2524 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe Secret Stories of Hidden Heretics | In Conversation with Ayala FaderYoutube video link: https://youtu.be/2BmWbcCMW3M?si=B3yDwGD7exBuY4fcIn many of my videos, I've explored how Hasidic Jews live in the 21st century.*But what happens to those for whom this way of life doesn't work?* Some, like myself, leave. But not everyone who has doubts or different beliefs leaves. Some stay. And in this interview, I explore the stories of what we'll call here "the double lifers". The people who stay, despite rejecting the Orthodox Jewish core theological tenets.Why do they stay? What's it...2024-02-081h 13
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondDo Hasidic Jews Vaccinate? | Dr Howard Rosman, Pediatrician to Hasidic Community, in ConversationVideo link: https://youtu.be/TkUS0jzJci4?si=QJJ8X5PKB_KKFNrqThis is a conversation with Dr. Howard Rosman, the longtime pediatrician serving the Williamsburg Hasidic community. When I first heard about him from his granddaughter, I spoke to some people in the community to ask them what they knew of him, and it was soon clear that he was a beloved icon in this community.My aim in this interview was to learn how this very devout community approaches modern medicine. Do they vaccinate? Do they take all medicine - what about kosher concerns...2024-01-221h 05
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"The Get" A Personal EssayVideo link: https://youtu.be/LpW30oZh9rY?si=Z0XV7PGhEhVpOCJDThis is a personal essay I wrote many years ago, shortly after leaving the Hasidic community. It's about my experience during the Get ceremony. A Get is a religious divorce and the ceremony involves several ancient traditions.A little while ago, when I first tried my first live reading for the camera, I experimented by reading 'The Get'. I had not read it for many years and it was a surprisingly raw experience to go back and revisit it.2024-01-1708 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondSatmar versus Naturei Karte's antizionism (audio-only)Did you know that the large Satmar Hasidic group, and the tiny Naturei Karta group, hold very different views about anti-zionism? Ideologically, the two agree up to a point. They both are anti-zionist until the Messiah comes, and both see Zionism as a secular movement. But Satmar is not the group that is seen on Iranian TV and running around with some pretty disturbing anti-semitic groups. In this segment, I go into the difference a little bit. For several reasons, including resource constraints, I have decided not to develop this segment into video. So for now I am only sharing...2024-01-1534 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"My Story of Growing Up and Leaving Hasidism" | In Conversation with Eli BenedictVideo version of this interview here. Comments are not enabled on podcasts so please leave comments on Youtube.In this long-form interview, I talk to Eli Benedict about his life story. Eli grew up in the Hasidic community in Bnei Brak, Israel, and later left the fold. He remains deeply engaged with the Hasidic community and has a tremendous passion for Yiddish language, literature, old books and community. He is the CEO of YungYiddish and he runs the channel for the @LeagueforYiddish .I have brought Eli to you on my channel before. Most notably, when he...2024-01-091h 26
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondRules for Hasidic Girls Issued by Satmar School, Part 2What are the rules of expectation for Satmar Hasidic girls?In my most recent documentary on Hasidim and the internet, I showed a few pages of the Satmar Girl's school rulebook. This is the rulebook that contains a great many rules that the school has for its students. Among them are rules on modesty, vacationing, technology, college education, and more. Some people asked to see more of it, so I am here sharing the second half.Here is the video version of this segment: https://youtu.be/jcDFUDXa8jk2023-12-191h 09
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondUnderstanding Orthodox Jewish Anti-Zionism | In Conversation with David BialeAn episode discussing Hasidic/Orthodox Anti-Zionism in depth, with historian David Biale.There has been quite a bit of public conversation about Hasidic Anti-zionism. In one well-circulated tweet, critics of Zionism touted a gathering of 40,000 Satmar Hasidim as an event that proved the Jewish solidarity with the secular anti-zionist movement. But Satmar was quick to tweet back that they were in no way expressing any kind of collaboration or sympathies with the secular anti-zionist movement. You can see the tweet here:https://friedavizel.com/2023/12/15/satmar-anti-zionism-vs-secular-anti-zionism/ While there is a lot of controversy and...2023-12-151h 04
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondYossi Desser Musical Guest Discussion & Live Performance of YomTov Ehrlich, Belz, moreFor the YouTube version click here: https://youtu.be/_uxPKgA6hVUYou might have heard a bit about the Hasidic Jewish music scene from my previous videos or from browsing YouTube. It’s a wonderful world, and Yossi Desser is a wonderful part of it. He’s a Satmar Kiryas Joel native (like me) who has a deep love for special kinds of Jewish songs like Rabbi Yomtov Ehrlich songs, old Yiddish theater songs, the stories around Hasidic niggun and the adaptations of Christmas carols to Yiddish Chanukah Carols.In this segment, Yossi and I sit down...2023-12-141h 26
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondTop Hasidic Music Videos - 16 SelectionsHere's the link to the youtube video version: https://youtu.be/9GcRIbVEt8c?si=2TmJgN8QtvUvVa6y2023-12-0529 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondTwo Dates and a Wedding - Hasidic Matchmaking CustomsThis is a very, very special episode of a never before seen, very candid conversation about the marriage customs of the insular Jewish Hasidic Jews of the Satmar sect.Pearl is a Satmar Hasidic woman who has been married for fifty-six years. Her marriage, and the marriage of her children and grandchildren, were set up according to Hasidic customs.Pearl shared very candidly how her marriage was organized and graciously answered all of my questions about dating, attraction, sex education, matchmaking, and so much more. This is a very very special interview, and I am...2023-12-0147 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondWhy do Hasidic Women SHAVE their heads?You might have heard that Hasidic women shave their heads. You might also have heard that when someone leaves the faith, their family shuns them. I asked the lovely Pearl, a Satmar Hasidic woman, to speak about these topics.Pearl practices the custom of shaving the head - as is common in the Hasidic community. In this video, she talked about what it meant to her and what she thought of the portrayal of the custom in the show Unorthodox.Pearl also has a son who left the faith. I asked her to tell her side...2023-12-0144 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"My Childhood as a Hasidic Boy" | In Conversation with Izzy PosenFor the video version of this conversation, see here.*UPDATE:* After we filmed this segment, as I was about to share it, Izzy's young mother passed away in a tragic car accident. I am so heartbroken for Izzy and his terrible loss. He has been writing on his Twitter and his website about his grief for his mother and he shared a few words about her in this updated version. She was such a loving and wonderful woman. If you'd like to read more of Izzy's writing on grief and his complicated family relationship, go here: https://izzyposen...2023-11-271h 13Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondRules for Hasidic Girls Issued by Satmar School, Part 1What are the rules of expectation for Satmar Hasidic girls?In my most recent documentary on Hasidim and the internet, I showed a few pages of the Satmar Girl's school rulebook. This is the rulebook that contains a great many rules that the school has for its students. Among them are rules on modesty, vacationing, technology, college education, and more. Some people asked to see more of it, so I am here sharing the first half. I hope to share the second half whenever I can.2023-11-1442 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe Truth About Hasidic Jews and the Internet | A DocumentaryThis is the story of the Hasidic Jews and the internet. In this documentary, I chart the dramatic saga of how different people in the Hasidic community first reacted to the internet, and how the community slowly coalesced on a solution for dealing with the web. Yes, many Hasidic Jews have now accepted the inevitability of the web, and many of them are online. But this is not without caveats and the community's own inventions. Join me for this long-form documentary to learn more. How are standards enforced? What are the standards? What's my personal connection to all of this...2023-11-0834 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondAn Orthodox Female Comedian | In Conversation with Leah ForsterLeah Forster spent many years delighting Orthodox female audiences with her comedy. It is hard to overstate her success: she produced CDs, musicals, a ton of live acts, and was a household name among all Hasidic women. She was not only very funny and booked for major women's events, she was also an English teacher in Bais Yaakov for ears. In the last few years, Leah has been on a different path, as she was outed as gay and her place in the community fell apart. In this video, I ask her about her experience as a comedienne, and we...2023-10-201h 15
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondEli Benedict on Life in Israel Since the Gruesome AttacksLast week, I traveled to Israel to meet with Eli Benedict for a tour of his Hasidic hometown in Bnei Brak, Israel. Our time together was wonderful. And then the vicious, shocking attacks came, just after I got home. In this spontaneous interview, I check in with Eli to hear what's going on with him, with his community, and of course, with the larger situation in Israel. Eli had to leave the call suddenly when a siren went off, but he's fine. Stay tuned for more content with Eli. עם ישראל חי Eli Benedict is a researcher in Yiddish, he co-run...2023-10-101h 07
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondWhat Hasidic Boys Learn | In Conversation with Moshe KrakowskiMoshe Krakowski American Haredi education and culture, focusing on the relationship between communal worldview, identity, and education. He also works on curriculum, cognition, and inquiry learning in Jewish educational settings. He has written extensively about the Hasidic boys' education controversy, often representing the community from a more favorable perspective. He visited many Hasidic boys' schools for his research, so I invited him on to share with us what he saw.For Youtube video see here.2023-09-041h 31
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe History of Hasidism | In Conversation with David Biale on "Hasidism, A New History"The book "Hasidism, A New History" is a five-pound tome, but it's an excellent tome. It tells the amazing story of the formation of the Hasidic movement in a way that I found gripping. It is a thoroughly scholarly book, representing the works of eight scholars who are among the foremost important scholars in contemporary Judaism. The book looks not only at the story of Hasidism but also the many histories that have been told in the past and how they might not represent the story as it can be pieced together from contemporary archival material and from evaluating what...2023-08-221h 07
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondMore Q&A with the Hasidic Housewife PEARLQUESTIONS:01:33 || How can someone visit the Hasidic community respectfully?02:17 || What do you think of cursing?Hard Questions04:15 || Are convert Jews discriminated against?05:56 Pearl first told the story in this video here Video08:32 || What if someone wants to join the insular Satmar community? 11:38 || Why is schooling not a priority for Hasidic boys?12:23 || Why aren't the boys prepared to earn a living?14:02 || Were you worried about your sons not being able to speak English?14:45 || How much Secular education did your Hasidic sons get?15:30 || Do you agree that this way...2023-08-0838 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondThe Famous PEARL Answers Your QuestionsQUESTIONS:0:01:10 What do you think of all the questions we got?On Women and Motherhood in Satmar Hasidism0:02:00 || Are women LOOKED DOWN in Judaism?0:04:54 || What is your perspective on women in leadership positions?0:06:34 || Are there instances when women take on leadership positions?0:07:20 || What do you think of Hasidic women who have big career accomplishments?0:08:38 || Do Hasidic women celebrate Mother's Day?0:09:58 || Would you say respect for the elders is more prevalent here?0:09:57 || What about women who struggle with infertility?0:10:56 || Is infertility intervention a contradiction with accepting God's fate?0:11:35 || Is...2023-08-0337 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondHasidim, Ex-Hasidim and Dogs | In Conversation with Naomi SeidmanMost Hasidim don't have pets. Many of us who leave the Hasidic community, like myself and Naomi Seidman, adopt animals and come to love - deeply! - our furry friends. In this long-form conversation, I talk to Naomi about why we grew up without pets, our attitudes towards animals in the past, and how that has changed. Naomi draws from her recent research into Freud and Max Weinreich to look at the historical relationship between Jews and dogs, and how that might shed light on our own pet journeys.We also talk about the grief of losing an...2023-06-251h 02
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondDo Ex-Hasidim Get Shunned? | In Conversation with Zalman NewfieldYou might have wondered: do Hasidic Jews get shunned if they leave the faith? Does their family sit "shiva" for them -- meaning, does their Hasidic family consider them as if they are dead, and perform the rituals of mourning? In this long-form interview, I talk to Zalman Newfield. Zalman is a professor, researcher, and fellow exiter from Hasidism. For his research, he set out to answer the above questions and many others. Zalman interviewed 74 people who left the fold and his findings tell a complex, yet universal, story. He published his findings in his wonderful book 'Degrees...2023-06-181h 42
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondIn Conversation with Steve Milligan, My Youtube Channel's EditorIf you are new - welcome to my channel! ▶▶ Please subscribe and like! ➡Leave a comment with your thoughts! ❤ This conversation for my long-form series is with my video editor Steve Milligan. We had a good time chatting about the behind-the-scenes, the making of, and a bit of an introduction to Steve, who has done such wonderful work to make this project come to life. Steve's website is https://www.cliquemojo.com/ and you can follow his youtube work at @shootitsteve or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shootitsteve/.2023-05-0258 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and Beyond"Why I joined the Hasidic community" | The story of Sara BraunIn this long-form conversation, I talk to Sara about her life journey, from secular Holland to NYC, where she became deeply involved in religious life. She was drawn to the insular Hasidic sects like Satmar, became close friends with families in Kiryas Joel, and her wedding was attended by, among other dignitaries, the Satmar Grand Rabbi's wife Sosha Teitelbaum. Sara was extremely forthcoming in sharing what drew her to the community, the challenges and joys, and how her family reacted to her journey.Sara Braun's book on her life journey as a Hasidic woman can be found here...2023-04-031h 28
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondHasidic Boys' Education Controversy | In Conversation with Eli SpitzerEli Spitzer is a headmaster of a Hasidic boys' school and a columnist for Mosiac Magazine. In this long-form interview, we talk about the Hasidic boys' controversy, which was recently covered extensively in the New York Times. The issue relates to the very limited secular education Hasidic boys receive. I talked to Spitzer about these big questions and on some other topics in our lengthy Thursday night talk.I know that this topic ignites a lot of intense and animated debate, and I invite your respectful opinions. Let's have an interesting debate in the comments!For...2023-03-241h 23
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondIn Conversation with Steven Nolt on Amish SocietyIn this long-form (podcast-style) interview, I talk to Steve Nolt about Amish life. So many people compare Hasidim to the Amish, and I've known so little about the Amish. This conversation brought so many differences into sharp contrast and left me with a sense that these two insular societies are different in very profound ways. There are also some interesting similarities in regards to modifying how modern society is negotiated and more. It left me hungry to visit the Amish world and learn much more.2023-02-131h 52
The Voyages of Tim VetterEpisode 290 Discover Hasidic Brooklyn with Frieda VizelGreetings from Brooklyn!
Frieda Vizel is a New York City tour guide specializing in the Hasidic world of her roots. Frieda was born into a Hasidic family and community in New York. She has a fantastic Youtube channel where she documents Brooklyn's Hasidic communities. I live in one of those communities, and Frieda was kind enough to field my questions, clear up my misconceptions, and to educate me about Hasidic life.
Check out Frieda Vizel:
https://www.youtube.com/@FriedaVizelBrooklyn
https://friedavizel.com/
More from TVTV:
https://linktr.ee/thevoyagesoftimvetter2023-01-291h 27
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondIn Conversation on "Heretic in the House" with Naomi SeidmanThis is a long-form zoom conversation with Naomi Seidman, host of the wonderful "Heretic in the House" podcast. You can find the podcast here: https://www.hartman.org.il/program/heretic-in-the-house/2022-12-011h 21
Reinvention Room with Allison HareEP159: Ex-Hasidic Jew Frieda Vizel and her bold exit and education of the customs and communityFormer Hasidic Jew, Frieda Vizel leaves the faith and community. With a new perspective, she gives Brooklyn tours of the neighborhood, has a fascinating YouTube channel, and educates the interested on the inside of this richly historic and widely misunderstood community.Topics covered:
Arranged marriages at 18
Unique observer of the community
Leaving the Hasidic Jewish faith and community
The beauty and richness of the community
Traditions of Restrictions for women in this community
How does her family view her leaving?
History of the religion
Hasidic Judaism customs that prevented Americanization
Censoring news within
Misconceptions of the...2022-10-2044 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondIn conversation with Gerry Albarelli, former Hasidic boys' English teacherGerry Albarelli wrote one of the most unique books on the contemporary Hasidic community. It's on the subject of his experience as a secular studies teacher in the Satmar Hasidic boys' school. His book tells the story of how Gerry, as an outsider, navigated the chaos and challenges of teaching Hasidic boys' a bit of math and spelling. Unlike most conversations on Hasidic boys' education, his book isn't a commentary on the moral question of the state of Hasidic boys' education (which is perhaps a conversation for another day!) but simply a reflection filled with lovely insight, humor, and terrific...2022-06-0758 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondA special visit to Williamsburg with writer and former resident Phillip LopateWilliamsburg, Brooklyn has a rich immigrant history. Before the South Side became the Hasidic enclave that it is today, it was a much more eclectic immigrant neighborhood. Among its former residents is the writer Phillip Lopate, who grew up in what's now the heart of the Hasidic "shtetle".Phillip lived in Williamsburg from age 4 in 1947, until he reached about high school, but after his family moved out of Williamsburg, he returned daily to attend high school at Eastern District High.Phillip generously joined me in Williamsburg for a visit to his old haunts. We first stopped...2022-05-181h 08
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondIzzy Posen and Frieda Vizel live zoom conversation on Post-Haredi life, identity and relationsI had the great pleasure of doing a live zoom conversation with fellow former-Hasid [OTD] and professional thinker Izzy Posen. Izzy is a prolific personality on Twitter, where he is eager to encourage nuanced, honest dialog among us ex-Haredim as well as with the communities we were raised in. This live zoom was an opportunity to ask what we need to leave behind when we leave, what obligations we have to our former worlds, and what we can understand about each others' journeys.If you were on the call, thanks for joining! If you missed it, here's the...2022-04-021h 16
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondInterview with Harry Weiss, former Williamsburg residentI'm delighted to be posting another video conversation with a Jewish Williamsburg "old-timer", this one with Harry/Chaim Weiss.Harry Weiss was born September 24, 1949, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, and he lived there until 1960. Harry's parents, who were from Hungary, survived Auschwitz and the Holocaust. His father opened up a furniture-making factory on Marcy ave and Keap St. in 1955 and then moved the factory to Flushing Ave. Harry joined the furniture business in 1968 and stayed in the Flushing location until 1991. Many of his clients were of the Hasidic community. Harry has many colorful memories of those transformative 50...2022-02-021h 11
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondShpanier Arbet / Jewish garment art with Elena SolomonIn this video post, I explore a very interesting part of Hasidic clothing: the silver decorative strip found on the men's prayer shawls. I talk to Elena Solomon, who, together with Lilly Homer is writing an encyclopedia entry on the special craft involved in making these decorative garments. It's an art style unique to Ashkenazi Jews, and it's called 'shpanyer arbet'.For the video version of this episode see here.2022-01-1340 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondIn Conversation with Nathaniel Deutsch, Co-author of 'A Fortress in Brooklyn'I had the pleasure to talk to Nathaniel Deutsch about his new book on Hasidic Williamsburg.Nathaniel Deutsch is a professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he holds the Baumgarten Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies. He is the author of a number of books related to Hasidic history and culture, including The Maiden of Ludmir: A Jewish Holy Woman and Her World, The Jewish Dark Continent: Life and Death in the Russian Pale of Settlement, and most recently (with Michael Casper), A Fortress in Brooklyn: Race, Real Estate, and the Making of Hasidic...2021-12-291h 22
Radically HumanWith Simon Elmer - "The Ghost of Christmas Past!"In the summer of 2021, I had a second conversation with Simon Elmer from Architects for Social Housing. Our first conversation was on biosecurity, crisis, and revolution. Here we talked about the need to fight for a world that is free, that is meaningful and the dangers of living in the digital spectacle.Many thanks to all of you for being there, writing, sharing, listening, during another year of the institutionalizing of a terrible new normal.Send a voice message @ https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel...2021-12-1549 min
Frieda Vizel - Hasidic Brooklyn and BeyondInterview with Nelly Grussgott on post-war Williamsburg, BrooklynThis video is part of a research project to document the way Hasidim came to America after the war and turned Williamsburg into an insular religious enclave.Nelly Grussgott was born in 1930 in Berlin. In 1940, she and her mother fled nazi Germany for NYC, but her father could not make it out. Although Nelly and her mother were relatively modern, in 1946 her mother remarried a very pious Hasidic man, Moshe Nigreshel. The couple, along with Nelly, moved to the Williamsburg part of Brooklyn. There, Nelly's mother was expected to adopt rigid Hasidic customs like shaving her golden locks...2021-09-2357 min
Radically HumanAddison Reeves on the Need for a New Political TypologyAnother conversation with the wonderful Addison Reeves, on the need for a new political typology, which she wrote about for her blog modernheretic.com. Check out Addison's other powerful writings like her essay “It’s just...” – Why I Won’t Submit — modernheretic, Imperialism: The Antecedent of Contemporary Illiberalism — modernheretic and Progressive Hypocrisy, White Supremacy: How the Pandemic Revealed Progressive Pharisaism.Blog post with links and transcript: https://friedavizel.com/2021/09/1/33-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-09-0254 min
Radically HumanFrom forced head-shaving to forced injectionsA trip down memory lane, remembering my struggle for bodily autonomy within the Hasidic community. What does it mean to be forced? Is coercion force?Blogpost with links and transcript: https://friedavizel.com/2021/08/24/32-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-08-2653 min
Radically HumanPart 2 / Conversation with Addison Reeves on the Vaccine Mandates and Apartheid coming to NYCThis is Part 2 of my conversation with Addison Reeves from Modern Heretic. In Part 1 we talked specifically about the vaccine mandates in NYC. In part 2 that conversation is continued, but we also talk about modern life in general, what we define as success, what we consider a meaningful life, and what drives us.Blogpost with transcript: https://friedavizel.com/2021/08/18/31-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-08-1853 min
Radically HumanConversation with Addison Reeves on the Vaccine Mandates and Apartheid coming to NYCI have another conversation with Addison Reeves from Modern Heretic about the introduction of medical apartheid in NYC. We talk about how shocked we are by the city's embrace of these measures, which disproportionately discriminate against minority communities.Blog post with links and transcript: https://friedavizel.com/2021/08/11/30-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-08-111h 20
Radically HumanIn conversation with David Cayley on Ivan Illich and the pandemic responseI talk to David Cayley about Ivan Illich and where the response to the pandemic comes from.David Cayley is a Toronto-based Canadian writer and broadcaster, who is known for documenting the philosophies of prominent thinkers of the 20th century - among them, the work of Ivan Illich. Recently, Cayley has been written several powerful works on the Pandemic, including the Prognosis, which was published in Literary Review Canada. He joined me on my podcast to discuss the philosophy of Ivan Illich and how it might be understood in light of recent developments.Blog post...2021-08-041h 17
Radically HumanAddison on Technology, Illich, Class and the Loneliness of the CityI talk to fellow NYC radical Addison from Modern Heretic about technology, class, dating, leaving the city, and much more.Blog post with transcript and links:https://friedavizel.com/2021/07/28/28-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-07-281h 17
Radically HumanSimon Elmer on Bio-security, Crisis and RevolutionIn this episode I talk to Simon Elmer, who is critical of the biosecurity state from what I'll call a left perspective. We talked about why he uses the term revolution to describe what we are experiencing, why he prefers not to use the term fascism, and much more.Transcript of episode here.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-07-211h 12
Radically HumanMovies, Indoctrination and 'My Dinner with Andre'Returning for a new season with thoughts on the root question: how is this technological society shaping our ever-more-dystopian world? This is the central question in the movie 'My Dinner with Andre', which makes for a really good shmooze.Blogpost with transcript and links:https://friedavizel.com/2021/07/14/26ofpodcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-07-1442 min
Radically HumanClose-SeasonThat's a wrap for the first season of my podcast! It was a great joy to make - I hope I shared links, articles, books, and more resources that you might find enlightening.I've listed some of my favorite episodes that flesh out some of my important foundational thoughts - here they are: #1: My background in the Hasidic community #2: Hasidim versus Safetyism - an analysis #4: Flaws in our modern thinking #6: The myth of the success story #7: How conformity works #9: The attention economy #10: Transhumanism #12: On empathy and masking #13 & 14:Shannon Kuta Kelly #20: Seth Vizel...2021-06-0927 min
Radically HumanConversation with Teacher and Radical Andy LibsonIn this episode I talk to Andy Libson, who got in trouble with his school for organizing an in-person event with his students.Andy Libson is a science teacher of 21 years from Mission High School in San Francisco. He is active in his union (United Educators of San Francisco). He is a Marxist and revolutionary socialist who hosts his own podcast with a couple of friends called "What's Left?"Link to post: https://friedavizel.com/2021/06/02/25-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-06-0258 min
Radically HumanConversation with Writer Alex KlaushoferIn this episode I talk to Alex Klaushofer, a great essayist on culture, authoritarianism and the lockdowns.Alex Klaushofer is a British writer newly-based in Lisbon. Her books are a blend of travel writing, reportage and one or two other genres. She’s fascinated by the relationship between people and places and is currently working on a book about Europe through the lens of three of its lesser-known cities.Link to blogpost for episode: https://friedavizel.com/2021/05/26/24-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-05-2645 min
Radically HumanThe Luddite BookshopAn update on covid in the city + then a proposal for a little Luddite Bookshop in NYC. Links here: https://friedavizel.com/2021/05/19/23ofpodcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-05-1930 min
Radically HumanPropaganda of the WW2I’ve been reading on the rise of Nazism, in an effort to understand the mindset that gave rise to such great evil.Blog post with links:https://friedavizel.com/2021/05/12/22ofpodcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-05-1342 min
Radically HumanRelocating to Ireland during the pandemic: a convo with Shannon Kuta KellyShannon Kuta Kelly is an exceptionally talented poet, writer, editor and a PhD student at Queen's University Belfast. She also edits my work and runs my social media. Shannon's been between locked down Northern Ireland and fairly-open Nebraska, Lincoln during the pandemic, so I invited her on the podcast to talk about that - and other things!Blog post with photos and Shannon's poetry:https://friedavizel.com/2021/05/05/21-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-05-0630 min
Radically HumanInterview with NYC High School Student on Changes in EducationIn this episode, I talk to my high school age son about his schooling. The education system is undergoing profound changes since the first covid-19 related closures. Here Seth shares a bit what school is like as a student.Post on podcast:https://friedavizel.com/2021/04/28/20ofpodcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-04-2843 min
Radically HumanPsychological Lessons from the OnionWho knew -- while I have decided that the mechanical mindset (ie "scientism") can offer no insight into the human condition, I've decided there is salvation in the onion. See what satire can tell us!Blog post with episode notes:https://friedavizel.com/2021/04/21/podcast19/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-04-2130 min
Radically HumanAre We Getting Stupider?A comparison of two dystopias that predict human decline: The film Idiocracy vs the short story: The Machine StopsBlogpost for links:https://friedavizel.com/2021/04/08/idiocracy/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-04-1436 min
Radically HumanThe Big PictureA year into covid19, it's becoming clearer that this period is transforming the very structure of society. In this episode, I discuss the big picture, which I believe to be a transformation into a techno-medical society.Blog post with links to articles mentioned:https://friedavizel.com/2021/04/07/big-picture/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-04-0752 min
Radically HumanRegrets?In a bit of a squeeze, this last minute podcast is a bit of reflection on the question: do I regret leaving the Hasidic community?Link to post:https://friedavizel.com/2021/03/30/regrets/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-03-3124 min
Radically HumanJournal from the year NYC Cancelled HumannessBits and pieces from the year that felt like a bit prank was played on humanity. Post with links and images: https://friedavizel.com/2021/03/24/covidjournal/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-03-2440 min
Radically HumanConservatives vs LeftistsWhere I tell you everything I know on the subject, and that tells you everything I don't know as well. Post with links: https://friedavizel.com/2021/03/17/boxes2/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-03-1734 min
Radically HumanPolitical Boxes / Part 1Biting off more than I can chew in an attempt to articulate what various political/philosophical terminologies mean to me. Part 1 covers liberalism, neoliberalism and libertarianism. // Link to blogpost with notes: https://friedavizel.com/2021/03/10/boxes/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-03-101h 01
Radically HumanWhere Are Their FeelingsA Hasidic family is kicked off a plane because the very young kids weren’t properly masked. I talk about what this saga means to me, how I understand empathy and my fear that petty tyrants are exercising power unchecked.Notes in blogpost:https://friedavizel.com/2021/03/03/feeling/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-03-0340 min
Radically HumanBONUS I: Yiddish-English episode on Veker’ Covid articleThis podcast is a discussion on the Hasidic covid data. Since it's in response to a Yiddish article, the recording is in Yiddish and English.Send a voice message @ https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/messageLink to post with mentions:https://friedavizel.com/2021/02/25/bonuspodcast1/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-02-2546 min
Radically HumanExtremely OfflineA weeklong audio diary -- charting time spent "detoxing" from my ipad.Send a voice message @ https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/messageBlog post with mentions:https://friedavizel.com/2021/02/24/11-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-02-2449 min
Radically HumanMazel tov, it's a transhumanist!I won’t be focusing on tech ideology forever, but this is what’s fascinating me now. So reading all about technological influences led me to the question: what’s a transhumanist?Links to mentions here: https://friedavizel.com/2021/02/17/10-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-02-1754 min
Radically HumanYour Attention is their ProfitA global economy provides opportunity for the winner to take it all; if only he can get your attention. What does that lead to? Links to mentions in post: https://friedavizel.com/2021/02/10/9-of-podcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-02-1057 min
Radically HumanTech-dystopian FutureI see in my crystal ball a future of faces buried in screens, everything and always tech mediated. Tech-capitalism is now the most important shaper of the future, and it’ll be a Brave New World. // Links and Image Attribution — https://friedavizel.com/2021/02/03/8-technocracy/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-02-0344 min
Radically HumanConforming to IndividualityWhy do people stay in repressive societies? Are they too dumb to know better?Would you ever be sucked in by one?Send a voice message @ https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message See here for sources mentioned in the episode: https://friedavizel.com/2021/01/27/7ofpodcast/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-01-2728 min
Radically HumanNetflix Unorthodox Part IIShould we criticize entertainment? Should we criticize our common narrative tropes? What’s wrong with the coming-of-age fantasy story? For links to things mentioned in the podcast, see my blogpost on the episode: https://friedavizel.com/2021/01/20/6-of-podcast-netflix-unorthodox-part-ii/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-01-2038 min
Radically HumanNetflix Unorthodox - Part INetflix’s mini-series is an ex-hasidic cliched fairytale that is problematic on many, many levels. Part one is a takedown of the show (be forewarned, I am not a fan) and part two will be analysis of if and why it all matters. MENTIONS: https://friedavizel.com/2021/01/13/5ofpodcast/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2021-01-1332 min
Radically HumanThe Cult of LogicDiscussion on the problems with logic when it is mixed up with intuition. I talk about how this type of logic has led us astray in the past (ie in the NYC urban planning scene) and how it applies to Hasidic married women shaving their heads, and how this is now playing out in the scientism of covid19 measures.Send a voice message @ https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/messageREFERENCES: - On Jewish Dybbuk forlklore see: Dybbuk | Jewish folklore | Britannica - On Jane Jacob's and Robert Moses I drew from The Battle for Gotham by...2021-01-0641 min
Radically HumanLockdowns as ReligionHere I compare my former Hasidic community with the 2020 lockdown situation and argue that the two have something in common: a religiousness.Send a voice message @ https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/messageREFERENCES: Learn more about my experience in the Hasidic community in my pilot podcast episode. Also a full podcast episode on TLST podcast where I talk about growing up Hasidic: The Longest Shortest Time. Must read mentioned in this episode: The Prognosis by David Cayley in Literary Review Canada. I also talk about David Cayley's writing on his blog on Ivan Illich & quote...2020-12-3030 min
Radically HumanWhy Hasidim Don't Do Lockdowns MasksHasidim have gathered by the thousands and publicly burned masks. Why are they not following orders? In this episode, I dispel myths and put forth new theories. Discussion on the technocracy, community, safetyism, the whole delicious smorgasbord. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2020-12-2429 min
Radically HumanAutobiography of a Non-ConformistIn this episode I tell you a bit about my Hasidic upbringing, not fitting in, leaving and my hard education in the modern normal.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/frieda-vizel/message2020-12-2227 min