Bizarro World

Have you ever read or learned anything about Hasidic Jews? If you're into interesting topics, Hasidism is pretty fascinating. And I admit that on occasion I probably dress like a Hasidic Jew (except the wigs ;-) ), but no, in general, getting mistaken for a Jew in Northern Minnesota is rare thing.

Well, last night I had a dream that I was strolling through an outdoor market, and it was clear that I this was a Jewish market. And then, a woman came up to me, started speaking Hebrew, and then assumed that I was a Hasidic Jew. By some miracle I spoke Hebrew in my dream, and could pronounce that hard "H" perfectly, but I still explained that no, I was not a Hasidic Jew.

This is an odd blog post, I realize, but Jewish people in general are fascinating to me. As a Catholic, our Liturgy and traditions are so deep and meaningful--and that comes from the Jewish tradition. We pray for Jews often during Mass, and there is a deep connection with them. Jewish home and family are of extreme importance--it is an extension of their temple. This rings true also of those of us at home in our Ecclesia Domestica, our Domestic Church.

Interesting facts about Hasidism:
~Married woman always have their head covered or wear wigs. Even at home, in case someone stops over.
~Men and women never, ever interact. At parties and weddings a curtain is up with women on one side, and men on the other. Their Temple services are segregated as well.
~Men don't cut the hair from the five corners of their head.
~Marriages are often arranged by a matchmaker.
~Women dress very modestly in skirts and dresses that cover most of their bodies. Hasidic Jews wear muted colors, and are never flashy or brightly dressed.
~In the United States, Hasidic Jews live primarily in New York City.

So, I didn't become a Jew or anything during my hiatus, I'm just baiting you all out there to see if anyone else has a culture to share something about, a book about an interesting lifestyle, or the like. I've been digging around for a good book about Hasidism (historical fiction?) with no luck (that and the Amish--groups not known for being literary prolific).
Hoping my fellow Hesistant Homemakers are having better luck with their summer reading!