EL FUERTE

Orthodox Jewish Culture

in Williamsburg, in Brooklyn, NYC.

The Orthodox Jews live in poor houses, they have a lot of money and they spend it on diamonds.They have 60% of the diamonds of New York. They think that 'a new Hitler' can exist and they will have to scape through secret doors at their houses and in their synagogues (jewish temples). So they collect diamonds because it is the best way for moving big amounts of wealth in a small space. There are some rumors that if a Jew is in danger, he will eat his diamonds.

In this religion women are impure: they have to shave their hair when they get married, they can wear a wig to walk around the streets. They usually get married when they are between 15 and 18 with a man who is between 30 and 40.

Men must have a specific hairstyle. When they are young they have to read the Torah for 6 or 7 hours everyday, because of it, when they are adults, they have to wear glasses. They also have to wear a black suit in public. When a boy is born, the family is very happy and proud, but if it is a girl, they are upset, and some fathers don't touch them until

24 hours.

When they talk to each other, they speak Hebrew. All in this neighborhood is in Hebrew (buses, signs,etc.).

They have their own hospitals, schools, universities... and they have schools for children with mental problems. There are a lot of them because an uncle-niece marriage is very common.

Jesús Rubio González and Luis Gallego Ledesma