Advertise on podcast: The Frieda Vizel Podcast

Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/guXQwZ9h_5U Dr Archelle from the podcast "Speak Up for Your Health" interviews youtuber Frieda Vizel about her experience growing up in the Hasidic community and experiencing the community's attitudes towards health. Find Dr. Archelle on her webside: https://www.archellemd.com/ Follow Archelle's podcast Speak Up for Your Health: https://www.archellemd.com/speakupforyourhealth Dr. Archelle's book: https://amzn.to/4ydzmr0 For more on Frieda and health, here are some relevant videos: Reflections on my mother's illness: https://youtu.be/vCljrs_AgJQ In this episode, I talk about my experience with the religious element of stillbirth: https://youtu.be/jjk5K5Rp6e4 Interview with Dr. Lynne Quittel: https://youtu.be/kP_NgV7y_Cs Interview with Dr. Rosman: https://youtu.be/TkUS0jzJci4 As always, please leave a comment with your thoughts! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/LK2b0mAYKqA I'm tired of big youtubers conflating all Hasidic groups as one.  They are so different. The community in Crown Heights is really different from the communities in Williamsburg. I visited both Brooklyn neighborhoods in order to show you how they are different. Credit: *Videography* - Cristian Delvalle / https://www.instagram.com/cristiandelvallecaicedo/ Max  *Edit-*  Steve Milligan / https://www.instagram.com/shootitsteve/ Lee Kupac / https://www.instagram.com/alice.kpc & https://readymag.website/u3245558506/6471652/ 0:00 Getting kicked out of Williamsburg 1:09 Introduction to Hasidic groups 3:00 1. Insularity versus outreach 7:58 2. Women's spaces and feminism 11:46 3. Clothing differences 14:10 4. A sense of themselves in relation to others 15:50 5. Population size 16:55 6. The neighborhood look 17:48 7. "The rebbe" 18:50 8. Fights and feuds 20:46 9. Israel and zionism 21:33 10. Neighborhood aesthetics 22:22 11. Yiddish, Hebrew, French, English, etc. 22:52 12. Conflict between Chabad and Satmar 24:55 13. FOOD! 25:38 BONUS: Marathon and parade Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/NtFI3NL4dFE?si=zOhqSNq6aijFxcc4 In September 2026, the Satmar community experienced a major historic event. After decades of the community being split into two rival factions, the two brothers who led the rival factions met again. But not just anywhere, but at the White House. After so much time of hurt and estrangement, the rabbis wished each other a sweet year before heading into the White House to meet with the president, Trump, and advocate on behalf of their Jewish community.  This is a great time to look back at how this split happened and record some oral history. Yumi Lowy grew up Satmar and paid a lot of attention to the battles. These are his memories. As is the case with oral histories, other people will have other stories. I so look forward to more perspectives in the comments. Follow Yumi Lowy on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/yumilowy/ For more on the early battles in Kiryas Joel, watch my interview with lawyer Michael Sussman: https://youtu.be/jcz0xmkm10s My interview with Hasidic reporter Joseph Kornbluh: https://youtu.be/4MPf67ftXME My reflections before the Trump visit: https://youtu.be/_UjXlnOVdug Reb Aaron Teitelbaum and AI: https://youtu.be/vUhamjWR_vA Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this podcast: https://youtu.be/_UjXlnOVdug In September 2026, news broke that Hasidic Rabbis will meet with president Trump. This was revealed when the Satmar Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum stepped up to his congregation on Shabbos and pre-emptively told his community that although he accepted an invite to sit with the president, he doesn't want the teenage boys to get too into it and excited about it. In this video, I unpack, from my own personal experience, what I think motivated the speech, what I think motivates the visit, and a little context on the Hasidic community's relationship to America. To watch the full video of my maroon binders, click here: https://youtu.be/ZRhOovJLcBY Some other thoughts on politics - here about NYC mayor Mamdani: https://youtu.be/FMgh3_O13Hg My interview with Hasidic reporter Jacob Kornbluh who covers the Mamdani beat https://youtu.be/4MPf67ftXME A conversation with a Satmar woman (Pearl!) about the dynasty: https://youtu.be/tPiKqDCtyIo 0:00 Personal reflection 2:58 Rabbi's address to students 8:23 Analyzing the visit 11:28 Political controversy 12:21 Historical context 14:17 Personal intersections Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/Yy4Tzw-UAUc Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/vEkKjydfG3g The Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel is an unusual community in the state of New York. It's all Hasidic, very insular. It is shaped around the Satmar Hasidic code of behavior which includes speaking Yiddish, strict gender roles, and insularity from secular society. The community is so gendered that growing up male versus growing up female are completely different experiences. I, as this channel host, have shared much about the female experience. However, there is little I know about the male experience. Through my network of people from Kiryas Joel, I recently got to know Shia Friedman - who is a rare example of someone from Kiryas Joel who is willing to talk on my channel on the record. We sat down to chat, primarily to understand his life as a male who grew up Hasidic. Obviously, Shia's story reflects only Shia's experience, but it can give us some insights just as my experience gives us some insight as well. We talk about the school day of Hasidic boys, the relationship to teachers, the expectations of learning an extreme amount, the lack of English and secular education, attitudes towards women, marriage rituals, and stepping out of the box. I think there's a lot that's covered in this brief episode, and I so look forward to your thoughts.  Shia's instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/shia__friedman/ My instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/friedavizel/ Check out some of my other videos on Kiryas Joel: What it was like for me to grow up in Kiryas Joel https://youtu.be/uHu_17N9GdE My response to the Tyler Oliviera video on Kiryas Joel https://youtu.be/ZlWRN4jo-CA Interview with lawyer Michael Sussman on the early years of kiryas joel https://youtu.be/jcz0xmkm10s Interview with Fradel Neuman who comes from Kiryas Joel https://youtu.be/HoTzWaF7dU8 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/vUhamjWR_vA In this video, I provide a translation and analysis of a powerful Yiddish speech by the Grand Rabbi of the Satmar Hasidic sect, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum. He addresses what he describes as the "new Satan" threatening today's generation: Artificial Intelligence. I offer a unique context as someone who grew up in the community. I share personal stories, including a poignant encounter at my son's opsherin, to illustrate the complex relationship between Hasidic leadership, tradition, and the relentless march of technology. In this video, we explore: -The Rabbi's Warning: How AI is viewed as a "mutation" of past technological temptations like computers and smartphones. -The "Kosher Phone" Dilemma: Why even filtered devices are now seen as gateways to unsupervised access to the world. -Cultural Preservation: The community's ingenious and sometimes desperate tactics for balancing modern necessity with spiritual isolation. -A Personal Journey: I reflect on how the internet changed my own life and why I find the Rabbi’s cautionary stance more logical than many might expect. Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction: My background and the significance of the speech  01:18 Personal story: Meeting Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum  08:24 The Hasidic community’s "dance" with technology  11:52 The Recording Begins: The "Flaming Speech" against the new Satan  17:09 Why AI is seen as a mutating evil inclination  21:05 The history of Hasidic solutions: Filters and bans  25:22 The "woe to us" dilemma: Why the Rabbi chose to speak out  30:25 How AI chatbots are accessed via kosher phone numbers  33:50 My reflections: Is the Rabbi’s warning extreme or insightful? Join the conversation: How do you think we should manage the influence of AI on children and vulnerable communities? Does the Hasidic approach offer any lessons for the secular world, or is it too extreme? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/mW6PTwWUVAU Melissa Weisz grew up in Hasidic, Yiddish-speaking Boro Park and left the fold well before the OTD phenomenon became famous. I believe she left the fold before me, and I'm of the old timers now! I have been waiting for the opportunity to share her story with my viewers. Here, we finally get Melissa's story live. Please come if you would like to see this live and ask questions. It will also be available for view later. Follow Melissa on her socials! https://www.instagram.com/melissaweisz/ https://melissamalkyweisz.com/ Here is the full, unedited livestream: https://youtube.com/live/j16Dlc5iRGo Here's a trailer to this interview: https://youtube.com/shorts/oiWlef1AHVk?feature=share Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link: https://youtu.be/xBBW-b4yNfw Gita got married, like many Hasidic Williamsburg girls did. In an arranged match, when she was not yet twenty. Her marriage lasted until death did them part. Decades together, seven children, forty grandchildren, and about as many great-grandchildren. What does it mean for a woman of such a traditional, pious world to lose her husband, the backbone of her life and family? Gita is a story of resilience, everlasting love, and the language to express it all through food. From her shabbos morning coffee on the porch, from where she watches young families, to her choice to have peanut butter bread for shabbos lunch, to her refusal to let her kids cook for her, she remains fiercely independent, deeply traditional, and eternally devoted to her family through food. In a world where tradition is lived through food, Gita shares her family tradition of eating Rakot Crumpli: packed potatoes. A Hungarian food of sliced potatoes and eggs, with heaps of "dairy goodies" - cottage cheese, sour cream, and lots of butter.  Join Gita and me for a day in her home of cooking Rakot Crumpli and learning about her life and world as a widow in the Hasidic community. About her struggles with chronic illness and how she lives life fully despite her mobility issues and need to get around with a Rollator. Her resilience and love for life is inspiring, her fashionista side is envy-inducing. Most of all, she laughs and makes you laugh. She's alone but not lonely. This is my second time with Gita. My first visit was an interview about her life story which you can watch here: https://youtu.be/2saQ0LEwZXQ ~~ Filmed by me. How did I do? Do you prefer professional videography or more intimate home made filming? ~~ Edited by the wonderful Lee Kupac https://readymag.website/u3245558506/6471652/ I've interviewed the cooking influencer Lovina Zook: https://youtu.be/GHF0lQS2CHs Check out another story of an inspiring widow from Williamsburg, Tova Schiff: https://youtu.be/O2eglqRL5n4 Check out Mr Klein's shop where you can buy Rakot Crumpli https://youtube.com/shorts/KHnzQ5l674s?feature=share Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/LV99eySK-24 Fifteen years after their marriage was arranged, a couple reflects on their lives together. They met once for forty minutes and then got married a year later, without any contact during the engagement. Are they happily married? In hindsight, what do they take away from their way of having met?  🔗 Follow Brachi and Avi on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brachif/ 🔗 Brachi's Shabbos table decor business is here: https://hod-hadar.com/ 🔗 Hod Hadar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hod_hadar_/ Did you enjoy this interview? Watch some of my others: 🌟 Eli's story: https://youtu.be/SggvtB586Gk 🌟 Pessy's story: https://youtu.be/7CBHWJwmAJI 🌟 Gita's story: https://youtu.be/xBBW-b4yNfw 🌟 Melissa Weisz's story: https://youtube.com/live/j16Dlc5iRGo Edited by Lee Kupac / https://www.instagram.com/alice.kpc As always, my interviews are available as podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for supporting my work!! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Link to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/7CBHWJwmAJI Many people know Pessy from her popular Yiddish comedy videos, where she lovingly and hilariously captures the world of Hasidic women. She was one of the first creators to bring that world to social media through a female lens, and her sharp observations and humor have earned her a devoted following. But behind the comedy is a remarkable personal story. Pessy grew up in a Hasidic family in Monsey and spent much of her childhood carrying responsibilities that no child should have to carry. As the oldest sister, she watched her family struggle through the challenges surrounding her younger sister and felt an overwhelming need to hold everything together. She learned early on that being "good" and "perfect" seemed to be the safest way to survive difficult circumstances. In our conversation, Pessy speaks with extraordinary honesty about family, faith, rejection, and the pressure she felt to meet everyone's expectations. She shares how religion became a source of comfort, how she entered marriage determined to be the perfect wife, and how she concealed her own struggles because she didn't want to burden the people she loved. What makes Pessy's story so powerful is not simply what happened to her, but the way she reflects on it. She brings insight, humor, and compassion to experiences that could easily have left her bitter. Her story touches on themes that are deeply personal and yet almost universal: the desire to be accepted, the weight of responsibility, the loneliness of feeling misunderstood, and the long journey toward self-acceptance. Pessy's story is, in many ways, everyone's story. I hope you'll watch this conversation with kindness and an open heart. You can find Pessy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pessyunstressing/ You might also enjoy some of my other interviews with women from the Yiddish-speaking Hasidic community: Melissa Weisz https://youtube.com/live/j16Dlc5iRGo Fradel Neuman https://youtu.be/HoTzWaF7dU8 Sara Braun https://youtu.be/1E54wVSn-wM Gita Katz https://youtu.be/2saQ0LEwZXQ As always, my interviews are also available in audio-only form wherever you get your podcasts. And thank you especially to my channel members for helping make these conversations possible. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/ixZOxV5BuCI Eddy Portnoy is back by popular demand, after our wonderful discussion on the history of Yiddish language. Eddy is the exhibit curator at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and does amazing Yiddish/Jewish curations. Today’s subject is juicy but educational, eye-opening, and enlightening. We are diving into the shocking and largely forgotten story of the National Desertion Bureau, a real organization founded in New York in 1911 to track down runaway Jewish husbands who abandoned their wives and children during the great wave of Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe to North America. For more on this below. Here are some links: -My previous interview with Eddy: https://youtu.be/tq8y3KkAWTk?si=-KdfW3UJBkiMdrh_ -The Yivo Exhibit: https://www.yivo.org/National-Desertion-Bureau -📘 THE BOOK ON THIS: Wives without Husbands: Marriage, Desertion, and Welfare in New York, 1900–1935 by Anna R. Igra https://amzn.to/4tGvhbZ Popular stereotypes about Jewish husbands tend to be flattering: loyal, hardworking, stable, family-oriented. Which is exactly why so many people have never heard of this dark social crisis that unfolded inside immigrant Jewish communities during the early 20th century. Behind the romanticized image of the immigrant success story was another reality entirely: crushing poverty, overcrowded tenements, fractured families, emotional collapse, and men disappearing without a trace. The problem became so widespread that Yiddish newspapers like the legendary The Forward published daily columns called “The Gallery of Missing Husbands,” complete with mugshots and descriptions of men who vanished and left their families destitute. There were even Lower East Side psychics who specialized in helping women locate missing husbands. From 1905 through the 1960s, the National Desertion Bureau investigated more than 18,000 cases, working with courts, police departments, charities, and governments to track down deserters, force support payments, and sometimes even jail offenders. The surviving files read like tragic little novellas filled with betrayal, desperation, ruined finances, abandoned children, and impossible choices made during an era of massive upheaval. The archives at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research contain roughly 17,000 surviving case files from the Bureau, many of which formed the basis for the exhibition *Runaway Husbands, Desperate Families: The Story of the National Desertion Bureau*, curated by Eddy himself. In this episode, Eddy walks us through this extraordinary hidden chapter of Jewish history and helps unpack what these stories reveal about immigration, masculinity, poverty, shame, survival, and the fragile reality behind nostalgic immigrant mythology. Before we begin, I want to thank those of you who are channel members and help make this work possible. Members get early access to videos before they are released publicly. I deeply appreciate all of you, members, subscribers, commenters, and everyone who participates in these conversations and helps keep this channel alive. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this conversation: https://youtu.be/KCS9vAundms How do you tell the history of Jews in Poland? Why is there so much debate about this from Polish people? I ask the curator of the Polin museum about her work at the crux of this debate: when telling the story of Polish Jewish history for the museum.  Watch part 1 for Barbara's life story here: https://youtu.be/xXqmG4rI-sE Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link: https://youtu.be/qdQi26lBQ7Q Today I have the great honor and pleasure of speaking with Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, a renowned scholar of Jewish culture, folklore, and performance studies. She is best known for her work exploring how Jewish history and heritage are presented in museums and public culture, and she served as the chief curator of the core exhibition at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, the landmark institution that tells the thousand-year history of Jews in Poland. Barbara's own story, and her relationship with her father, is part of the Polish Jewish story. For many years, her father shared memories of his life in Poland with his Canadian-born daughter. Later, during a period of depression, he began illustrating those memories in a remarkable series of paintings. Those paintings became the foundation for a book Barbara created, preserving both his experiences and a vanished world. Please check out part 2 where we talk about Barbara's work in Poland as the chief curator of the Polin musuem. https://youtu.be/KCS9vAundms Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/gwCyNjr2vU0 Today I am talking to Doran from the channel  @TheEasyWayDMS  about philosophical subjects. What is antisemitism? How does it form and change? What are the guises it comes in? In a world in which there's so much muddled dialogue about antisemitism, I thought it was important to have a nuanced, thoughtful conversation. I invite your comments and thoughts. For more on this subject, see these videos: Everyone is talking about Jews: https://youtu.be/A1aOTCsYQfM My experience with antisemitism as a Jewish content creator: https://youtube.com/live/IZuSqgQGDBU Antisemitic attack in the UK with Izzy Posen https://youtu.be/IfWm5mlQRwg He lived through the Bondi Beach attack: https://youtu.be/css7bPGITTE Also, check out my conversation with Doran for his channel. https://youtu.be/utFUQCFnqdc?si=UEUJJjqYDNKhdoie Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.