Do Orthodox Jews work in everyday jobs, I never see them?

1. 59

   PAPA-BEARposted 14 years ago

   Do Orthodox Jews work in everyday jobs, I never see them?
   
   Do Orthodox Jews work in everyday jobs? I never see them in hospitals, supermarkets, or in the affairs of everyday life, only their pursuit of being Orthodox. I am curious to understand.

   replyreport
   1. 86

      gmwilliamsposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, Orthodox Jews work in everyday occupations.  What you mean is Hasidic Jews. There is a marked difference between Orthodox Jews & Hasidic Jews.   Orthodox Jews are modern & dress like everyday people.  They live among people who are non-Orthodox & non-Jewish.   However, Hasidic Jews are a sect started by Baal Shem Tov in 18th century Poland.  Hasidic Jews wear clothing that separates them from everyone else.  They also are more extreme in the observance of their laws than Orthodox Jews. Some do work among themselves but there are others who work w/non-Orthodox & non-Jewish populations.  They also live in separate neighborhoods.  In New York City where I live, there are Hasidic Jewish enclaves in Williamsburg,  Crown Heights, & in Borough Park, all neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York.

      replyreport
2. 61

   Anna Wiseposted 14 years ago

   Of course they do.
   The reason you don't encounter many Orthodox Jewish wearing a distinct traditional garb in many everyday situations, is that first, they are a very small portion of the population.
   
   If you live in an area where there are many Jews, many of them work those everyday jobs in their neighborhoods.
   
   Also they may be drawn towards jobs where appearance doesn't matter that much, so they won't be so visible interacting with customers etc. - so you won't see them, they might be working inside an office. Being stared at while doing your job every day gets old fast.
   
   Also you will be hard pressed to tell an Orthodox Jewish woman working a regular job from a gentile woman dressed in office clothing. In some Orthodox Jewish communities, many women work supporting their families, allowing their husbands to pursue more spiritual professions that are not big on income (rabbis, jewish scholars, jewish studies teachers...).
   
   And finally, not all Orthodox Jews look different. Those who differ in dress are usually more insular, preferring to work within their communities. Those who are Modern Orthodox look like regular folks and work regular jobs. You might not know that the baseball cap has a kipa underneath...some men might not even wear a kipa in an office environment. And a man doesn't have to wear a beard and have long curly sidelocks, or to let his tzitzit swing outside, to be an Orthodox Jew.

   replyreport
3. 59

   PAPA-BEARposted 14 years ago

   thank you, seems a stupid question, yet I live in an area where there are a high proportion of orthodox, and I never see them outside of their religious activities, but logic applies.

   replyreport
4. 61

   whoisbidposted 13 years ago

   Jews are normally hard working people. I can't imagine them not working

   replyreport
5. 61

   JulieKleinXpressposted 13 years ago

   As someone else mentioned, Orthodox Jews are a very small minority, and I believe their numbers are declining in the United States. 
   
   If you live in the "diamond district" in NY, you'd see many.  In the area some call "the Borscht belt" in Los Angeles (Melrose district), you'd see many.
   
   But to answer you question, yes, Orthodox Jews work in a wide variety of jobs.

   replyreport
   1. 86

      gmwilliamsposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Julie, Orthodox Jews work in regular jobs.  They also wear modern clothing.  What the OP meant was Hasidic Jews.  OP is confusing Hasidic Jews w/Orthodox Jews.  There is a vast difference between the two.  Hasidic Jews are more traditional than Orthodox Jews who are more modern in their appearance.  Hasidic Jews wear identifying clothing & sidelocks while their women wear extremely modest clothing that don't show their arms & wear dresses at the minimum knee-length.  There are Hasidic Jews who work among non-Hasidic Jews & non-Jews but mostly they work among themselves.

      replyreport
6. 0

   JoelMcLendonposted 13 years ago

   Not all Jews are religious. There are even Atheist Jews. They appear just like regular Americans
   
   Hebrews love family and work hard for them. We usually get ahead quickly and start our own businesses.
   
   Anna Wise, some of the stuff you said is just not true.

   replyreport
   1. 87

      Carol Morrisposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I've never heard a Jew refer to himself as a "Hebrew" before. 
      I'm sorry, but everything that Anna Wise wrote is completely true.

      replyreport