Hasidic Jews and the Fedora

[Ticklishchap]

Below are two interesting and relevant articles about the relationship between Hasidic Jews and hats, the first referring to modern Israel, the second to historical developments in central Europe.

I work very near Hatton Garden in central London, where (as in Antwerp) a large number of Hasidic men work in the diamond and jewellery trades. I find them to be warm, friendly, elegant, masculine and highly cultured, with a tradition of skilled craftsmanship passed from father to son. They are charming in their manner and wonderfully unspoiled by political correctness. They are not fundamentalists and so are quite different from evangelical Christians or hard-line Sunnis. Indeed many of them have esoteric beliefs associated with Kabbalah and including a form of reincarnation or transmigration of souls.

Altogether they are an asset to our city, enriching it culturally and economically.

israel-us-ultra-orthodox-hassidic-fur-hat-knesset-law.html

jewish-hats

 

[Edward]

Below are two interesting and relevant articles about the relationship between Hasidic Jews and hats, the first referring to modern Israel, the second to historical developments in central Europe.

I work very near Hatton Garden in central London, where (as in Antwerp) a large number of Hasidic men work in the diamond and jewellery trades. I find them to be warm, friendly, elegant, masculine and highly cultured, with a tradition of skilled craftsmanship passed from father to son. They are charming in their manner and wonderfully unspoiled by political correctness. They are not fundamentalists and so are quite different from evangelical Christians or hard-line Sunnis. Indeed many of them have esoteric beliefs associated with Kabbalah and including a form of reincarnation or transmigration of souls.

Altogether they are an asset to our city, enriching it culturally and economically.

israel-us-ultra-orthodox-hassidic-fur-hat-knesset-law.html

jewish-hats

London is very much a city of immigrants, and the Jewish community have contributed a lot to that, not least where I live in the East End (even if much of the community these days has moved further North). All part of our city' rich diversity, long may it continue!

 

[GHT]

London is very much a city of immigrants, and the Jewish community have contributed a lot to that, not least where I live in the East End (even if much of the community these days has moved further North). All part of our city' rich diversity, long may it continue!

When I lived there, Petticoat Lane market, on a Sunday, was the place to be. It was said that if your wallet was stolen at one end of the market, within an hour you could probably buy it back at the other end.
After wandering around the market the next place to be was Blooms, where you could buy the best hot salt beef sandwich, on rye bread, in London.

 

[Ticklishchap]

When I lived there, Petticoat Lane market, on a Sunday, was the place to be. It was said that if your wallet was stolen at one end of the market, within an hour you could probably buy it back at the other end.
After wandering around the market the next place to be was Blooms, where you could buy the best hot salt beef sandwich, on rye bread, in London.

Although a North Londoner by upbringing, I remember going to Petticoat Lane market. Another memory I have of that time was the radio jingle “Goldrange, Sheepskin and Leather Centre - The Big Red Building on Petticoat Lane!” advertising aforesaid attraction on LBC Radio. The Big Red Building later moved North to Golders Green Road.

 

[Edward]

When I lived there, Petticoat Lane market, on a Sunday, was the place to be. It was said that if your wallet was stolen at one end of the market, within an hour you could probably buy it back at the other end.
After wandering around the market the next place to be was Blooms, where you could buy the best hot salt beef sandwich, on rye bread, in London.

Still a great place. Both the big Brick Lane bagel stores are still there (though I'm not sure of the future of one of them - recently the son of the business was charged with murder of family members). The whole area has been revitalised in the last decade; since Camden Council helped the landlords destroy Camden market, a lot of the better stuff from that shifted east to Spitalfields, which spills into Brick Lane and Petticoat lane, especially at the weekends. What they said them about the allet is probably still true now!

Although a North Londoner by upbringing, I remember going to Petticoat Lane market. Another memory I have of that time was the radio jingle “Goldrange, Sheepskin and Leather Centre - The Big Red Building on Petticoat Lane!” advertising aforesaid attraction on LBC Radio. The Big Red Building later moved North to Golders Green Road.

I've heard the GGR version of that jingle, though I had to stop listening to LBC for my own sanity.

 

[Ticklishchap]

Still a great place. Both the big Brick Lane bagel stores are still there (though I'm not sure of the future of one of them - recently the son of the business was charged with murder of family members). The whole area has been revitalised in the last decade; since Camden Council helped the landlords destroy Camden market, a lot of the better stuff from that shifted east to Spitalfields, which spills into Brick Lane and Petticoat lane, especially at the weekends. What they said them about the allet is probably still true now!

I've heard the GGR version of that jingle, though I had to stop listening to LBC for my own sanity.

I recall the bagel murder case from earlier this year. ...

Re. the Golders Green Road version of the Big Red Building jingle, it is of much more recent vintage. I also stopped listening to LBC when it became an imitation of American 'shock jock' stations and hired one of our worst political plonkers as a 'phone-in host as a consolation prize for not winning a seat in Parliament. Oh for the innocent days of the early 1980s and 'the Big Red Building in Petticoat Lane'.

 

[Edward]

I recall the bagel murder case from earlier this year. ...

Re. the Golders Green Road version of the Big Red Building jingle, it is of much more recent vintage. I also stopped listening to LBC when it became an imitation of American 'shock jock' stations and hired one of our worst political plonkers as a 'phone-in host as a consolation prize for not winning a seat in Parliament. Oh for the innocent days of the early 1980s and 'the Big Red Building in Petticoat Lane'.

It's a strange channel ,and probably best left at that. I did often wodner how Ofcom let them away with what seemed extreme violations of the broadcaster's duty of impartiality, but c'est la vie!

 

[GHT]

The whole area has been revitalised in the last decade; since Camden Council helped the landlords destroy Camden market, a lot of the better stuff from that shifted east to Spitalfields, which spills into Brick Lane and Petticoat lane, especially at the weekends. What they said them about the wallet is probably still true now!

It's good to know that East London, especially the inner part, E1, E2, E3 & E14, has been or is being regenerated, although there are set backs. Recently I watched one of those find me a property type TV programs. A fellow had sold his modest terraced house, in Hackney, for a whopping £1.3M. I got nowhere near that for a desirable place in Wanstead. I should never have moved out of Forest Gate.

Showing my age now, but I can remember Spitalfields market when it was a market. It always looked run down and shabby and the strongest image in my mind was that of a Christmas Day morning. I had driven across to my brother-in-law's place at Islington to drop in their presents. On the way back I drove past Spitalfields and saw a large crowd of homeless men. They were waiting for The Salvation Army to bring them their Christmas meal. An image that has seared onto my brain to this day. There but for the Grace of God and all that.

 

[Ticklishchap]

It's a strange channel ,and probably best left at that. I did often wodner how Ofcom let them away with what seemed extreme violations of the broadcaster's duty of impartiality, but c'est la vie!

I found myself thinking about LBC as a result of this thread and its detour. In the 80s and early 90s there was actually quite a good level of reporting and even investigative journalism. There was a reliance on 'phone-ins (with the amusingly rude Australian, Brian Hayes in the morning for instance) but even the crank callers were either amusing or veery far left rather than conspiracy nuts. The morning news programme with Douglas Cameron and Bob Holness had quite a variety of news items on a wide range of subjects (certainly better than the 'Today' Programme on BBC Radio 4 now, with its z-list celebrity interviews). I recall that the show had a very chirpy-voiced astrologer called Carole Golder who referred to Saggitarians as 'Sadgies'!

 

[Ticklishchap]

It's good to know that East London, especially the inner part, E1, E2, E3 & E14, has been or is being regenerated, although there are set backs. Recently I watched one of those find me a property type TV programs. A fellow had sold his modest terraced house, in Hackney, for a whopping £1.3M. I got nowhere near that for a desirable place in Wanstead. I should never have moved out of Forest Gate.

Showing my age now, but I can remember Spitalfields market when it was a market. It always looked run down and shabby and the strongest image in my mind was that of a Christmas Day morning. I had driven across to my brother-in-law's place at Islington to drop in their presents. On the way back I drove past Spitalfields and saw a large crowd of homeless men. They were waiting for The Salvation Army to bring them their Christmas meal. An image that has seared onto my brain to this day. There but for the Grace of God and all that.

Re. your Islington reference: recently Islington was voted the most miserable place in the country to live, first in the Evening Standard for women, then in another newspaper for us chaps as well - in fact all of humanity. I know it well through work and apart from a few tiny oases it is an overpriced dump.

 

[Edward]

I found myself thinking about LBC as a result of this thread and its detour. In the 80s and early 90s there was actually quite a good level of reporting and even investigative journalism. There was a reliance on 'phone-ins (with the amusingly rude Australian, Brian Hayes in the morning for instance) but even the crank callers were either amusing or veery far left rather than conspiracy nuts. The morning news programme with Douglas Cameron and Bob Holness had quite a variety of news items on a wide range of subjects (certainly better than the 'Today' Programme on BBC Radio 4 now, with its z-list celebrity interviews). I recall that the show had a very chirpy-voiced astrologer called Carole Golder who referred to Saggitarians as 'Sadgies'!

I suspect the drop in quality is systematic of the drop in advertising revenue that has hit the whole sector. I still miss BBC RAdio London when it really was BBC RAdio London, and they used to invest in interesting people to DJ. I'm sure I remember Sean Hughes having a show, and I think they also ran the World Service show that Joe Strummer did for a while.

 

[Ticklishchap]

dynamic-and-polyglot-judaisms-hasidic-revival-movement

Another article from 'My Jewish Learning' with some details of the Hasidic revival, which seems to be quite large-scale. There are references to the doctrine of reincarnation in Hasidic spirituality: I don not know whether the fedoras belonging to the men are reincarnated as well. ...

 

[Ticklishchap]

I suspect the drop in quality is systematic of the drop in advertising revenue that has hit the whole sector. I still miss BBC RAdio London when it really was BBC RAdio London, and they used to invest in interesting people to DJ. I'm sure I remember Sean Hughes having a show, and I think they also ran the World Service show that Joe Strummer did for a while.

I was more an LBC listener I have to admit because I am a bit of a news junkie and was one even back then. ... I think I remember that there was a good jazz programme on Radio London before it became GLR.

 

[Edward]

It's good to know that East London, especially the inner part, E1, E2, E3 & E14, has been or is being regenerated, although there are set backs. Recently I watched one of those find me a property type TV programs. A fellow had sold his modest terraced house, in Hackney, for a whopping £1.3M. I got nowhere near that for a desirable place in Wanstead. I should never have moved out of Forest Gate.

It's amazing how it goes. When I was first looking, I wanted to move to West London, ideally within sight of the Westway (that's what growing up a Clash fan does to you...), but I would have been out in zone three or four before I could afford something - and in an area which was soheavily residential, I'd need a car to go buy a newspaper. Instead, I moved East, to Whitechapel. sixteen odd years later, that turns out to have been a great investment - though in all honesty, as I want to stay in the area, it's largely irrelevant, as to upgrade from the two-bed, ex-LA flat to ahouse big enough to be worth it, we'd need another million we're never going to have. Still, I'm acutely aware that we're so, so lucky compared to my contemporaries and the kids we socialise with who are maybe ten or fifteen years younger than us - forced to move at least once a year, many of them, and many unable to have even a much desired pet because of rental rules. And they're still lucky, as they have a roof over their heads....

Showing my age now, but I can remember Spitalfields market when it was a market. It always looked run down and shabby and the strongest image in my mind was that of a Christmas Day morning. I had driven across to my brother-in-law's place at Islington to drop in their presents. On the way back I drove past Spitalfields and saw a large crowd of homeless men. They were waiting for The Salvation Army to bring them their Christmas meal. An image that has seared onto my brain to this day. There but for the Grace of God and all that.

God bless the Sally Army, they get a lot of flak (and there are certainly things I'd take issue with them over), but for all that, they're out there doing a lot 24 7, 365 for those ignored and left behind by society....

I've become much more aware of homelessness since moving to London back in 1999. It's there in Belfast, but not as visible - or wasn't, at least, when I left (that seems to be changing now). But in London.... yeah, it's hard seeing it all the time. It was also shocking in Paris when we were there in August - one thing I saw there that I've never seen in the UK were whole family groups - mum, dad, two kids and the dog, bedding down on the street for the night; elderly people in couples with much-loved pets.... (the memory that really breaks my heart, for some reason, though, was an elderly lady on her own with a tiny kitten that was clearly not long weaned, obviously her pet and they clearly adored each other). I like to think I've worked hard for what I have, but I've also had tremendous advantages like parents that could pay for my postgrad fees and help with my home deposit. It bothers me a lot all the time how unfair life is for those not so fortunate.

Re. your Islington reference: recently Islington was voted the most miserable place in the country to live, first in the Evening Standard for women, then in another newspaper for us chaps as well - in fact all of humanity. I know it well through work and apart from a few tiny oases it is an overpriced dump.

It's an area of extremes, certainly - which only exacerbates a lot of the social problems in the area. West Kensington, around Grenfell Tower, is much the same.