Tel-Chai Nation

There's news here about a former soap opera star from Columbia who converted to Judaism, but the way she did it, sadly enough, is the way the ultra-Orthodox want it done:

A Colombian telenovela star who converted from Catholicism to Judaism before getting married is now living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel.

Sarah Mintz, who was born Maritza Rodríguez, married her husband, the Emmy Award-winning Mexican TV producer Joshua Mintz, in 2005. In 2014 she gave birth to twin boys, Akiva and Yehuda. And in April of this year, the family relocated to Jerusalem after years of moving toward religious observance.

“For more than 25 years I had a career as a TV host, actress, model, in the theater on the red carpets — what didn’t I do,” Mintz told Channel 13 news in a recent interview. “But none of it compares to what I have today.”

Judaism is the good news. But the bad news is that she's adhering to a false portrait of the faith, more akin to what the Haredi lifestyle does:

Mintz, who has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, now describes herself in her bio as a “Jewish Orthodox Fashion & Lifestyle Influencer.” The former actress, who now wears a wig and full-coverage clothing, posts regularly about modest fashion and her love for Judaism and Israel.

Guess who finds that atrocious? Me. Much as I'd love to cherish the lady's conversion to Judaism, I cannot and will not condone the notion she would turn to a form of dress that's basically stating she believes her body is an abomination. Especially if, under that wig, she cut away her natural hair. This is what Judaism, Orthodox or otherwise, is all about? I'm sorry, but the interpretation she's going by is something I cannot and will not accept at this point, based on what I've been pondering over the years, having seen only so much sex-negative propaganda over the past decade, and now, another woman's bought into such nonsense that's been normalized by people who've decidedly become too influenced by a Catholic-style viewpoint. One of the commentors said:

Religious conversion happens,but the fact she completely erased her entire name just seems like she is turning her back on her culture, and where she comes from. Maritza Rodriguez to Sarah Mintz?? I'm sorry,but as a latino that just seems like she is erasing her cultural identity

I'm afraid there's a very valid point here. She did not need to change her name wholesale, nor did she need to abandon all of her Columbian culture either. She certainly didn't need to take up an interpretation of Orthodox Judaism going by the belief a woman must dress modestly. Seriously, I think it's a disgrace because of the poor message it sends. You could assume she took up such an interpretation because of her former Catholic faith's belief in how a nun should dress, but that's just the problem. IMO, the ultra-Orthodox interpretation of the Judaist religion borrowed too much from Catholicism, and made an embarrassment of Judaism. It may not be exactly the same as what Islam goes by, but it's still no excuse. If any Haredi rabbis were in charge of her conversion, that's not acceptable, and she shouldn't have to dress that way or abandon her showbiz career, period.

So there you have it. If there's anybody who's not going to hold back and say this is counterproductive for Judaism, it's me. And I'm saying what I did because I care about the Orthodox Judaist faith, and don't want it to be held hostage to such ludicrous and insulting standards. That the lady's converted to Judaism is wonderful. It's just the interpretation she embraced that's not.

Labels: Christianity, communications, haredi corruption, Israel, Jerusalem, Judaism, Latin America, misogyny, Moonbattery, showbiz