JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

07/15/08 07:11 PM

I just got New York magazine in my mailbox and I read the cover story right away. It made me cry. This poor woman, trying to live a life she sees as right and just for her and her daughter. These people are not Jews they are tyrants. No one should have to fight like she is for something so basic.

07/15/08 08:55 PM

Martin Lipset has written that whenb Jews came to America they gained two freedoms; one from the czar and the other from the Kehilla. Could he be mistaken ? I sure hope not, for all our sakes !!

07/15/08 11:42 PM

sara,

it didnt bother you that the story is presented only from her angle?

at least trying to hear the other side of the story would made the case for integrity in journalism.

07/16/08 02:32 PM

The Jews from KJ think they’re human?
Guess again.
Sandy

07/17/08 06:02 PM

I think you ought to hear the ‘other side of the story’ before publishing it.

07/18/08 09:34 AM

dave, marc, where are you?

07/20/08 04:45 PM

Satmar is not a cult, and anyone wanting to leave the “shtetl” of KJ is free to do so, as “Gitty”.

I see many lies and blatant twisting of facts in this article. I do not know Gitty but do know the Satmar community and KJ.

07/21/08 01:48 AM

Didn’t anyone wonder what the “escape” was, noone chased after her.  She has no complaints about her ex husband except that he’s playing around with visitation.  Who wouldn’t she has admitted to taking drugs.  There are so many things that are wrong about this article from an orthodox perspective, so many misquotes.  Did anyone notice that the reporter didn’t interview one member of the Kiryas Joel community outside of this girls’ dysfunctional family?  She is using her daughter to get attention.  I feel bad for her child and the ex husband.  Anyone who knows anything about orthodox Judaism knows that the cult comparison has no basis.  Who would the cult leader be pray tell?

07/22/08 03:56 PM

shows how easily folks’ minds are manipulated that sara claimed to cry for poor gitty, who cannot and will not hold down a job, who did drugs, who is going to support her child how?  who will show her child what kind of role model (including that dangling cig in her mouth that made her look so hot for her shoot with the mag).  get real.  I work with messed up teens—and I can assure you that if gitty gets that child, that little girl will be out on the streets before her teens, hooked on drugs and hooking up randomly.  by now, I can spot a dysfunctional parent a mile away, and all gitty exhibits every sign of dysfunction.  Laziness.  Blaming everyone but herself.  A tendency to want to be in the spotlight (whether or not it is good for her or her child).  A spoiled brat who will do what she wants, whether or not she is harming her own kid (such as taking the kid to Wal-mart to tempt the kid to want things the father wouldn’t want her to have—any sane and responsible parent, even in a divorce situation, would try to ease the child into comfortable routines (i.e. take the kid to the aisle where they have regular dolls and encourage the child to buy one of those instead of barbies).

07/24/08 04:00 AM

KJ reminds me of the Taliban!  Such religious extremism is just not healthy or right.  I can agree with modesty in theory, but their practice of it seems incredibly degrading toward women.  The whole part in that article about menstruation and the rabbi having to OK your reintroduction to your husband?!?!  COME ON!!!