An Open Letter to Susie Essman

by Miriam Metzinger | More from this Blogger

26 Jan 2009 05:01 PM

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 your 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, Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, 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.

Learn more about Miriam Metzinger

Miriam is a freelance writer, a work-at-home mom and lives in Jerusalem with her two sons, Schneur Zalman (3), Yosef Yitzchak (6 months and counting) and her husband, Yehoshua, who is a rabbi and i...

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

mcmama (51978) 26 Jan 2009 09:30 PM

Honestly, those inane women think nothing of hurting other people. That show is high profile horrible. What a waste. To think that this is supposedly entertainment.