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Hasidic Women Train for Jobs

Recession leads to working women in Jerusalem

by
Sara Ivry
October 12, 2009

In the Hasidic world, it’s traditional for men to spend their time studying Talmud at donor-supported institutions that provide them with a small stipend (not much more than $300 a month) while their wives take care of running the household. With the recession, donations have fallen off, leaving already large-families with even less income. Daniel Estrin reports that in Jerusalem the situation has motivated some ultra-Orthodox women to undertake job training at rabbi-approved institutions where they learn how to be hairdressers, make-up artists, and events photographers, trades always in demand for the community’s various celebrations—weddings, brises, and bar mitzvahs. Some also are learning computer skills, a particular challenge for people who, in a few cases, have never before seen a computer. “At first I was very scared to touch the keys,” Devorah Ozeri said. “I didn’t want it to get a virus from me.”

Ultra-Orthodox Women Go to Work [World Vision Report]

Sara Ivry is the host of Vox Tablet, Tablet Magazine’s weekly podcast. Follow her on Twitter@saraivry.