Portman’s complaint
Author Suketu Mehta (Maximum City) reportedly scripted Mira Nair’s segment in the film anthology New York, I Love You. It’s a response of sorts to Gurinder Chadha’s short film in Paris, Je T’Aime. In Mehta’s story ‘Kosher Vegetarian,’ Irrfan Khan is a Gujarati man who marries a Jewish girl played by Natalie Portman.
Here’s the funny part. Mira Nair somehow managed to find the one community in the world as conservative as Mehta’s Jains — Hasidic Jews in south Williamsburg, which is truly a time capsule — and nearly got the actor kicked out of his chabad house.
“It’s not acceptable in my community… [The rabbis] didn’t like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood. I have my kids in religious schools, and the rabbi called me over yesterday and said in order for me to keep my kids in the school I have to do what they tell me and back out.”
… Karpen was strolling along the Fulton Ferry State Park under the Brooklyn Bridge alongside Portman, 26, who sported a dark head-covering and a coat. “They wanted me to hold her hand, but I said ‘no way’… It’s against our religion. You can’t even hold your wife’s hand on the street.” [Link]
You can’t hold your wife’s hand, but you can ask her to shave her head and wear a wig of Indian temple hair. My one-time rental agent in Williamsburg was mighty offended when my Hasidic landlord refused to shake her hand. Had to explain it to her.
C’mon now. Where would Sikhsters and urban turbans be if a granthi had laid down the law with Waris S.?
(thanks, AC and Filmi)
on Monday, March 17th, 2008, 10:32 pm in Fashion, Film, Photographs, Religion › 
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natalie looks beautiful!!
And here I was going to say, it’s so good to know that Natalie Portman looks just as much of a drag queen as we do with Indian bridal make up. =D There’s no accounting for taste, clearly.
Is that right? I thought I had heard or read somewhere a while back that Hasidic wives don’t have to actually shave their heads, but rather, they wear wigs or cover their hair so that no one but their husbands may see their hair…
Nice pix, Manish. Princess Amygdala looks quite pretty.
I thought I had heard or read somewhere a while back that Hasidic wives don’t have to actually shave their heads
Maybe just the Satmars of Williamsburg:
Indian hair wigs are no longer OK. Temple hair sacrifices are considered an “idolatrous” source of material and the orthodox have objected to this
Wasn’t her outfit in Hotel Chevalier much better?
And lightweight too. It really gave her freedom to move.
*sigh* i guess the sap’s flowing slower if the first thing i notice is the fine herringbone and (I think) alpaca wool scarf. but it is a fine twill.
Hotel Chevalier was a visual feast, clothing included. Silly people though.
My favorite filmlet in Paris, Je T’Aime was the last one (the American in Paris, of course, but so different than what most would do), although Chadha’s was cute. Still, the last little film….I still look it up on youtube occasionally to watch. 17th arrondissement, or something like that.
*Your Boston stuff almost makes me wish I were back in Boston. Okay, it makes me shudder to think I wasted five years of my life there, but, what a wonderful city! Too bad my job was a soul-eater and soul-killer. I might have had a different experience. Glad you are having a good one.
Every chasid group has their quirks and peculiarities, usually in terms of dress and style (or anti-style, as it seems to be).
The Lubavitchers are another class altogether. W/o getting into pedantic details, they’re freaks. Most Jews pale at their messianic fanaticism.
I don’t know much about the Satmars other than they’re hardcore, insular anti-zionists and not to be effed with. Only the Naturei Karta are scarier.
Check out Waris singh’s competiton. Sorry, i was having troubling posting…
better picture of the kid
New Delhi Fashion: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-delhi-in-black-white-and-color.html
Hehe Filmiholic, Princess Amygdala.
Is Natalie Portman really pro-Israel? I, like most men, think she is gorgeous. Someone told me she was some militant Jewish supremacist. I’m too lazy to actually find out myself, but to be honest I want to live in ignorance. I like the image of her as a militant Jew. It makes her sexier. Militancy - big turn on. Militant Jew - the ultimate I’ll-never-hit-that, hence making her more desirable.
I love you Natalie. And I hate sand.
Sounds like Portman’s complaint alright: A disorder in which strongly-felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of a perverse nature…
Thanks for linking Roth. What a goy.
It’s more of a ‘I’ll-never-hit-that’ than a niqab clad Militant Muslimah? Hindu-hating Militant Muslimah is like the ultimate turn on for me.
Dil se karo, na?
It’s worth noting this is in the context of what seems to be a wider culture war among Brooklyn’s Orthodox commuity. The rapper Y Love, who (unlike me) is an Orthodox Brooklynite, has had some things to say about that recently. Here’s a few select posts. I’m not sure exactly what it is about this that’s so offensive. My taste runs more toward Y Love, but I suspect Lipa’s critics aren’t coming at it from the same direction.
(As for Natalie Portman being “some militant Jewish supremacist,” you can read all about that in David Duke’s book Jewish Supremacism.)
I think you mean militant Zionist. Unless you mean she’s militantly pro-bagel; then she’d still have the Pita Liberation Organization to contend with.
Not to mention the trouble with the Hummus resistance movement. I’ve even heard there’s an even more extremist splinter group led by a shadowy Baba Ghannoush. You dont want to mess around with these people.
Especially if you like cream cheese and lox. Bagels über Alles! Oy Vey!
Is that a report from Shwarma intelligence? Maybe a blintzkrieg can bring them to their kneesh?
Matzo fast, you punsters. You’re giving me a challahtomy.
I like the image of Rahul as a militant punster. It makes him sexier.
Sometimes I can’t believe how much Jews remind me of Indians. It’s like you are white versions of us.
On that note… GGM on typical Asian parents.
Except for the Ethiopian and Indian ones. In which case you are African and Indian versions of us.
What about Indian versions of us? Talk of self referential !
Nina/Manish/Rahul/khoofia : stop ! you guys are killing me with your pun-ditry.
Rahuligans for a new Vey!
Too rabbi-d for me ! :-)
Speaking of which, someone please invite me to an Indian seder. Please?
The Indian seder’s recital of plagues: Collegerejection. Infertility. Poverty. Sluttydaughters. Nomercedes. Moviewithnosongs. Sofawithoutplasticcover.
Clearly you need to write a Haggadah, Manish. Or contribute to mine, which will be titled Seder-Masochism: a Self-Hating Haggadah.
Gee, do you think there’s a parallel universe someplace where urbane Jews are throwing Hindi puns around like snuff at a wake?
Sure– in Britain or Bombay.
MD, sorry you had such a Chetan Bhagat experience.
I think this is the funniest comment thread EVER.