How Orthodox Jewish women are creating a parallel entertainment market

by | Mar 4, 2024 | Religion

(RNS) — The world of Haredi Jews is known for being insular and closed off from the secular world — its adherents focused on a life of devotion to God and tradition.But the digital age has upset some of those conventions. A growing number of Haredi Jews are embracing technology, and with it, access to the larger world outside.
Georgetown University anthropologist and musicologist Jessica Roda has written a new book that explores how women in these Haredi communities across the U.S. and Canada are embracing digital arts to record songs and to produce music videos and full-length feature movies tailored to the gender-segregated world of women.
“For Women and Girls Only: Reshaping Jewish Orthodoxy Through the Arts in the Digital Age,” pries open the world of Haredi women to explore this emerging world of women artists, celebrities and influencers.
Orthodox women are required to dress and act modestly, a rule known as “tznius.” Most married women cover their hair or wear wigs. They must also wear dresses or skirts that cover their knees and elbows. 
In addition, they follow a rule called “kol isha” that prohibits men from hearing women sing because women’s voices are considered sexually attractive to men. In effect this means women may not perform in front of mixed-gender audiences.
But within these parameters, Orthodox women have taught themselves how to produce music videos and full-length movies cate …

Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nn(RNS) — The world of Haredi Jews is known for being insular and closed off from the secular world — its adherents focused on a life of devotion to God and tradition.But the digital age has upset some of those conventions. A growing number of Haredi Jews are embracing technology, and with it, access to the larger world outside.
Georgetown University anthropologist and musicologist Jessica Roda has written a new book that explores how women in these Haredi communities across the U.S. and Canada are embracing digital arts to record songs and to produce music videos and full-length feature movies tailored to the gender-segregated world of women.
“For Women and Girls Only: Reshaping Jewish Orthodoxy Through the Arts in the Digital Age,” pries open the world of Haredi women to explore this emerging world of women artists, celebrities and influencers.
Orthodox women are required to dress and act modestly, a rule known as “tznius.” Most married women cover their hair or wear wigs. They must also wear dresses or skirts that cover their knees and elbows. 
In addition, they follow a rule called “kol isha” that prohibits men from hearing women sing because women’s voices are considered sexually attractive to men. In effect this means women may not perform in front of mixed-gender audiences.
But within these parameters, Orthodox women have taught themselves how to produce music videos and full-length movies cate …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
Share This