Culture

Because of the many different ethnic immigrant groups living in Boro Park, the neighborhood is culturally diverse. However, the Hasidic Jewish culture is dominant. While walking along the D train line in Boro Park, rows of Jewish stores ranging from groceries, clothing stores, and restaurants can be seen. Upon reaching the Jewish homes,  mothers can be seen sitting in chairs while the young girls played tag or other games.

While speaking to a Hasidic housewife, we discovered that Hasidic Jews are highly discouraged from attending college. In fact, after they graduate from Yeshivas, the men are trained to become rabbis and other religious leaders, and the women become housewives. This leads to another conversation about education and academic values of the people in the neighborhood. “Hasidism is doing more than is demanded by Jewish law.” This is shown through the uniformity of the attire worn by the Hasidic Jews. However, it is not only their attire that expresses their devotion. When walking by the chapels and small churches in Boro Park, we saw many signs distinguishing separation between men and women; they would enter chapels and churches through different paths and rooms. Some chapels are also separated based on priestly class; one chapel for example had signs and arrows for “Men,” “Women,” and “Kohanim.” Kohanim are Jewish aristocrats who once served in the Temple of Jerusalem.

New York City government has interfered with Hasidic Jewish customs. Mr. Spitzer claimed that the Hasidic community does not feel that their customs are in danger. However, he described two instances in which the city tried to interfere with their practices.

Two years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the practice of circumcision could transmit herpes and other pathogens. According to the city’s health department, eleven babies contracted herpes between 2000 and 2011, which resulted in two babies’ deaths. Because circumcision could cause fatal infections, the Board of Health planned to vote on a proposal that would require parents to sign a consent form indicating that they are aware of the health risks that circumcision can impose on their baby. This instance of limiting the practice of circumcision was labeled as the first governmental regulation of the ritual in the United States.

The Hasidic community received another interference with their customs. Starting last year, the New York Commission on Human Rights filed a lawsuit against Hasidic-owned stores in Brooklyn because they posted signs indicating that customers had to dress modestly: “No Shorts, No Barefoot, No Sleeveless, No Low Cut Necklines.” The city claimed that it was a violation to human rights. The lawsuit included that each store pay a fine of $75,000. At the beginning of this year, the Human Rights Commission dropped the lawsuit. However, the impact of the intrusion showed the city’s attempt to limit the practices of Hasidic Jews. Despite the two instances, Mr. Spitzer continued to assure us that the “Hasidic community lives very peacefully in the city. Every culture and ethnicity lives side by side peacefully.”