An Open Letter to Susie Essman

mimivan

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 6:53 pm

I'm sending this off ..just thought I'd let imamothers be the first to see it.

Quote:

Dear Susie,

First of all, I’d like to invite you to my home when you come to Jerusalem (not planning a trip to Jerusalem? Well, we all will find ourselves here eventually). I must warn you, my apartment is small and needs renovation. My wig may need some restyling (taking my wig to a stylist is a luxury I can afford before holidays and sometimes in between). I may not be dressed in the latest fashions. But don’t think this is true of all Lubavitch Jewish women. You would have seen a very similar person if you would have met me 7 years ago, before I became religious. But one thing you might observe about me that you wouldn’t have seen then; joy, light and purpose.

Although I don’t own a television, I saw a clip of you’re appearance on The View last week. You said you didn’t find Lubavitch women very attractive. Our wigs and our clothes do not impress you. And we have “weird” customs. Concerning the customs, I also thought some of them sounded quite strange before I became religious. But I do recall sitting on the number 3 train in Brooklyn, watching tastefully dressed, well-groomed Lubavitch women enter and exit the train with a sense of purpose in their step, brave in their desire to approach women they never met and invite them to perform a mitzvah, yet modest and genuine as they read scriptures or psalms, as comfortable speaking to the Creator as to the woman next to them about lighting Shabbos candles.

Susie, I could give you a long list of Lubavitch women whose natural, physical beauty outshines that of the model most actively pursued by the death-defying paparazzi, and yet these women aspire to more than catwalks or magazine covers that will eventually be thrown in the garbage. Out of total devotion to their Rebbe, who is truly a king of goodness and kindness, these women leave their comfortable lives and set up homes in the Ukraine, Latin America or India. Their homes are open to anyone who is hungry for kosher food and spiritual nourishment. Every Jewish child is embraced and educated as one of their own.

You may have heard of one of them, one of our own who actually made the headlines, but for what purpose, only G-d knows. If you would have found yourself in Mumbai, India, Susie, I am sure you and Rivka Holtzberg, of blessed memory, would have shared a delicious meal, an animated conversation over a cup of tea and insights that are not merely skin deep. Unfortunately, many of us have missed the chance to meet this special Lubavitch woman who was abruptly taken from us. But you can always look up one of her sisters. There are thousands of us around the world.

Last edited by mimivan on Mon, Jan 26 2009, 6:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

btMOMtoFFBs

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 6:57 pm

you go girl!

I'll bet she'd find any Lubavitch woman more deep and inspirational than those fawned over as "amazing women" in today's hollywood/political culture... (not naming names here, use your imagination)

octopus

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 6:58 pm

beautiful letter!

IamI

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 7:19 pm

Beautiful!
And thanks for the initiative...

TheBeinoni

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 7:33 pm

Wow. I'm speechless. Nearly brought tears to my eyes. You're a fantastic writer!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kol Hakavod!

bandcm

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 7:38 pm

It's very nicely written!
At the beginning of the second paragraph, change "you're" to "your".

mommalah

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 7:47 pm

Nice!!

yoy

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 7:59 pm

this letter is beautiful. Very Well written!
edited to remove a comment that I re-read and realized uneccesary

Last edited by yoy on Tue, Jan 27 2009, 12:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hashem_Yaazor

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 11:33 am

Nice letter! I did not find it sarcastic at all.

octopus

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 11:34 am

I didn't think the letter had a sarcastic overtone. I thought it was very kind and basically invited her into your home!

TheBeinoni

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 11:35 am

I also did not sense sarcasm when I read it.

mama-star

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 2:03 pm

very nice.

chocolatemilk

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 2:13 pm

well put

shopaholic

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 5:04 pm

I noticed a new Facebook group -"We are beautiful and Chassidic Women" so I joined!

chocolate moose

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 5:21 pm

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't care. She's a comic, she says what she thinks is funny. She doesn't have to pander to any group. Even one she is a part of.

costanza

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 6:00 pm

I agree with Chocolate Moose. It's a nice letter, but I don't think it will accompish anything. She has no understanding of anything frum and probably never will.

mimivan

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 7:23 pm

that's why it is an open letter...it is more to give chizuk by those who might have been hurt by what she said than to her...
She probably won't read it on the sites I'm posting...

baschabad

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 7:37 pm

shopaholic wrote:

I noticed a new Facebook group -"We are beautiful and Chassidic Women" so I joined!

Alright shopoholic, which one are you?? I'm also part of that group!!

Mimivan, beautiful letter, and a chizuk to ME whether SHE reads it or not!

anewday

Tue, Jan 27 2009, 8:44 pm

now I just hope she gets it and reads it Smile

greenfire

Fri, Jan 30 2009, 1:39 pm

while I think the idea of a letter is good ... I don't like the idea of you discussing yourself in a negative fashion (then it proves her point) ... and I also do not think bringing the holtzbergs into this discussion is respectable to their neshamas ...