My Unorthodox Life on Netflix

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll answer here to the best of my ability. Pp who actually grew up with no movies or secular books and is annoyed and slightly amused by Julia (we knew her as Talia Leibov)

What about the morning prayer she referenced, which the males say, "Thank G-d I'm not a woman"? Is that a loose translation, or no?

It's an exact translation. Women say "that god made me the way He wanted". I personally don't feel offended, but feel free to take offense on my behalf.

I am taken aback by the prayer, not offended. You seem a touch defensive of something you are ostensibly okay with. Perhaps you could put it in context and also expand on the women's prayer. You have an opportunity to educate, take advantage of that and keep in mind that many of us aren't familiar with that culture.

Thank you. I hear you. I'm not really sure how to explain it to someone not from my culture, but it doesn't feel like an insult to me - more like an acknowledgement of how much harder it is to be a woman than a man.
.does that make sense ?

That was perfectly explained! Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still working my way through the season, but she seems way too involved with Robert.

Is that her real hair?

Oj1. I assume so unless she said otherwise

Julia references wigs a lot. Her sister was wearing a wig, I believe. Does that count as hair covering?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still working my way through the season, but she seems way too involved with Robert.

Is that her real hair?

Oj1. I assume so unless she said otherwise

Julia references wigs a lot. Her sister was wearing a wig, I believe. Does that count as hair covering?

Yes, it is very common to wear wigs as head coverings especially if you interact with the secular world. Only a few groups forbid wigs. Many forbid lace fronts which look too natural.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll answer here to the best of my ability. Pp who actually grew up with no movies or secular books and is annoyed and slightly amused by Julia (we knew her as Talia Leibov)

What about the morning prayer she referenced, which the males say, "Thank G-d I'm not a woman"? Is that a loose translation, or no?

It's an exact translation. Women say "that god made me the way He wanted". I personally don't feel offended, but feel free to take offense on my behalf.

I am taken aback by the prayer, not offended. You seem a touch defensive of something you are ostensibly okay with. Perhaps you could put it in context and also expand on the women's prayer. You have an opportunity to educate, take advantage of that and keep in mind that many of us aren't familiar with that culture.

Thank you. I hear you. I'm not really sure how to explain it to someone not from my culture, but it doesn't feel like an insult to me - more like an acknowledgement of how much harder it is to be a woman than a man.
.does that make sense ?

That was perfectly explained! Thank you.

The one about wigs was also me oj1.
Thanks glad it made sense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll answer here to the best of my ability. Pp who actually grew up with no movies or secular books and is annoyed and slightly amused by Julia (we knew her as Talia Leibov)

What about the morning prayer she referenced, which the males say, "Thank G-d I'm not a woman"? Is that a loose translation, or no?

It's an exact translation. Women say "that god made me the way He wanted". I personally don't feel offended, but feel free to take offense on my behalf.

I am taken aback by the prayer, not offended. You seem a touch defensive of something you are ostensibly okay with. Perhaps you could put it in context and also expand on the women's prayer. You have an opportunity to educate, take advantage of that and keep in mind that many of us aren't familiar with that culture.

Thank you. I hear you. I'm not really sure how to explain it to someone not from my culture, but it doesn't feel like an insult to me - more like an acknowledgement of how much harder it is to be a woman than a man.
.does that make sense ?

That was perfectly explained! Thank you.

The one about wigs was also me oj1.
Thanks glad it made sense

Thank you. I asked the prayer question and the wig question. I truly appreciate your responses.

[Anonymous]

Julia’s ex-husband seems like a wonderful person and a loving accepting dad.

[Anonymous]

Religion aside, I find Julia annoying as hell. She is obsessed with herself. Constantly reminding us how she built a shoe business, blah blah. Also hate how she’s so involved in their sex lives ~ I find that inappropriate and insulting to the kids. She also so favors Miriam.

[Anonymous]

For someone who was so controlled, Julia is such a control freak. Disliking her more and more. Tries to get Robert to meet a matchmaker, sets up a surprise funeral for his fears, sets up her younger son to talk to his ex-girlfriend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For someone who was so controlled, Julia is such a control freak. Disliking her more and more. Tries to get Robert to meet a matchmaker, sets up a surprise funeral for his fears, sets up her younger son to talk to his ex-girlfriend.

You realize this is a tv show, right? Those are scripted events.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup. Love it. Fascinating on so many levels. I want to know who Julia’s sister in France is. How does she live in that castle??

Julia rented the castle they are staying in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For someone who was so controlled, Julia is such a control freak. Disliking her more and more. Tries to get Robert to meet a matchmaker, sets up a surprise funeral for his fears, sets up her younger son to talk to his ex-girlfriend.

You realize this is a tv show, right? Those are scripted events.

They may be scripted events but they go counter to her whole "be who you want to be" attitude! Poor editing or just lazy production value.

Talk about scripted - the older daughter's husband Ben's "struggle" with her wearing jeans is total BS. Scroll through her Instagram and she's been wearing pants a long time. Not to mention the hyper short, tight skirts, leggings with sports bras, etc etc. So stupid. I actually like that couple - they seem like the most well adjusted people in the whole family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a more balanced view, here is an interview with an Orthodox woman from Borough Park, where she talks about her life, work and family. In my experience (I am not Orthodox, but have several friends who are), this is more reflective of the community than what various “unorthodox “ movies are portraying.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jUDFpt6lcew

This guy is libertarian right wing. Feel free to catch his other " balanced" videos, like the one on the border.
Re: video" You'll die faster from worrying, than COVID", please read up on how the NY orthodox dealt with COVID. They didn't.

FWIW, to be balanced, I've enclosed a link. I am not orthodox, don't agree with most of their religious and community tenets, but I did appreciate this written rebuttal on a number of levels, which surprised even me.

The Forward is a Jewish newspaper, usually catering to the observant.

https://forward.com/scribe/473098/i-grew-up-in-the-same-community-as-the-star-of-netflixs-my-unorthodox-life/

Oj1 - the forward actually caters to the Jewish involved but non observant, but I happen to really like this article.

I stand corrected, it just seems to me that observant people tend to read it. My parents only read it in Yiddish, and my understanding is that they published in English, and also in Yiddish until fairly recently. But, apparently it leans somewhat progressive, so you are correct. I also liked the rebuttal, and I am not observant at all. I feel the show is ridiculously poor in showing an accurate portrayal of both secular life and an Orthodox life. The woman who wrote this hit the ball home in every way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For someone who was so controlled, Julia is such a control freak. Disliking her more and more. Tries to get Robert to meet a matchmaker, sets up a surprise funeral for his fears, sets up her younger son to talk to his ex-girlfriend.

Exactly!! And, tries to tell her eldest daughter when to have a child. Uh hello!! It is her body, her choice.

Feel sorry for her ultra rich Italian hubby funding all this. She barely has time for him. In that one scene when she's kissing him and telling him how much she loves him he says "remember that tonight".. A glimpse into what life outside the cameras may be like!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve only seen two episodes thus far, but can we talk about the husband and his wealth?

Julia is leaving A LOT out of her story. In the first two episodes, they make her seems like a self-made single mom who thrived despite her upbringing.

However, Silvio - her husband - is one of the richest telecom execs in Italy. He started the first broadband ISP, which he sold for $5.7B to Swisscom (his ownership was worth over $1B in 2007).

Using that money, he bought Elite World Group group in 2011
In 2013, he buys La Perla for 60m euros.

In 2013, Julia leaves her husband.

In 2016, Julia’s shoe line collaborated with La Perla. She becomes creative director of La Perla
In 2018, she becomes head of Elite World Group.
In 2019, Julia ans Silvio are married.

The husband has immense financial power over the kids and family. I guarantee we are not getting the whole story.

Absolutely. I am Jewish and not orthodox. I grew up "observant" conservative ( not to be confused with politically conservative, I mean Conservative synagogue as opposed to orthodox or reform). I am now, as an older adult, culturally Jewish, not observant at all, as in completely and
entirely secular.

Having said that, I am very, very familiar with orthodoxy, understand the various differences which is hard to explain to others. Not all orthodox is Hassidic, there
are even different Hassidic sects with different practices, modern orthodox is also different, Yesivish is different, etc. It's not going to be explained here, really. One has to experience the cultures, the areas, the schools, the shuls. I am very familiar with Monsey Yeshivish.

I work and live among the Yeshivish orthodox here in this area. I have family in this type of culture. My response to this program will probably surprise most.

I think this show is actually doing a huge disservice to what they appear to want to do- which is probably to denigrate the strict and fundamentalist culture and show what it looks like to break away. Look, I am no fan of orthodoxy. At all. And many of the take aways are true...the role of women, poor education, the " baby making" , arranged marriages, lack of sexual education, racism, and no acceptance of homosexuality at all. And, yeah, they are all largely Trumpers, just to add that in, for
reasons that are too ridiculous and scary to go into here. Sure, however, what I see in Julia's new world is also a cult. A cult of narcissism, extravagance of everything, lookism, skinny models, fake relationships, transactional relationships just to get started. I'm kind of disgusted that this is being touted as what's out there for the orthodox if only they would stop allowing themselves to be brainwashed. Really? She keeps using the word "brainwashed," yet isn't that what she's doing to her kids, too? She doesn't really have the right to interfere in her daughter's marriage, or her younger son's choices. That's for them to decide.

Julia's world is not an example of the entire secular world, or even most of it. She is an example of a segment made up in the IG social media world which promotes her lifestyle, and not all corners of the IG or secular world look like this. None of my friends start frenching with their husband upon greeting, my kids don't " make out" with a date at a business function, my boobs aren't continually overflowing my shirt everywhere, and we all don't drive Bentleys or anything close. Her relationship and sexual tutelage of her children is inappropriate, and I am non-religious, not a prude in any sense, and left leaning as they come. I found those discussions super weird.

Does she eat? She's had 4 children and she wears a 0. She learned about eating disorders from her previous world ( yes, it's a thing in the community), but really ratcheted it up for her next one where starving is an art form. Not really impressed, to be frank. I give her credit for having the guts to leave her unhappy marriage, her religious life that she couldn't endure, and starting her own life, but her $$$$ and empire comes from her new husband. She just traded one cult for another.

Lastly, she and the Kardashians have GOT to stop saying "literally." This is, though, LITERALLY one of the worst examples of people leaving an insular lifestyle, but, also, it needs to be fair and it isnt. The information given about the Monsey community, or the Baltimore, or Silver Spring, or wherever...is very out of context. I sure don't want to live like that, but the people are not monsters nor are they stupid and deluded. The reason cultures exist is very complex, it's just not that black and white. There should be more general information regarding families and community, with real examination of the people involved- they can't just be dismissed as black hatters and wig wearers vs mini skirts, bisexuality, and porn.

I also feel as though her children might be exploited in this show. The entire show makes me uncomfortable, and I was hoping to see some genuine exploration of lifestyle and culture.

Rating: No stars given.

I want to lift up this comments. My story is not so dissimilar, opa. And I agree with you 100%. Except I don't have a perspective regarding the word literally because I don't watch the Kardashians

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For a more balanced view, here is an interview with an Orthodox woman from Borough Park, where she talks about her life, work and family. In my experience (I am not Orthodox, but have several friends who are), this is more reflective of the community than what various “unorthodox “ movies are portraying.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jUDFpt6lcew

This guy is libertarian right wing. Feel free to catch his other " balanced" videos, like the one on the border.
Re: video" You'll die faster from worrying, than COVID", please read up on how the NY orthodox dealt with COVID. They didn't.

FWIW, to be balanced, I've enclosed a link. I am not orthodox, don't agree with most of their religious and community tenets, but I did appreciate this written rebuttal on a number of levels, which surprised even me.

The Forward is a Jewish newspaper, usually catering to the observant.

https://forward.com/scribe/473098/i-grew-up-in-the-same-community-as-the-star-of-netflixs-my-unorthodox-life/

Oj1 - the forward actually caters to the Jewish involved but non observant, but I happen to really like this article.

I stand corrected, it just seems to me that observant people tend to read it. My parents only read it in Yiddish, and my understanding is that they published in English, and also in Yiddish until fairly recently. But, apparently it leans somewhat progressive, so you are correct. I also liked the rebuttal, and I am not observant at all. I feel the show is ridiculously poor in showing an accurate portrayal of both secular life and an Orthodox life. The woman who wrote this hit the ball home in every way.

Agree.

Oj1