Kiras Joel, NY (January 19, 2026)
Aija Mayrock, a Jewish poet, performer, and author known for her work on bullying and antisemitism, has turned her attention to the surge of online content targeting Chasidic communities in New York. In a recent reflection on social media, she responded directly to a widely watched video about Chasidic Williamsburg, saying she once shared similar fears but changed her mind after spending real time with residents there.
Mayrock explains that she went into Chasidic Williamsburg without a project or agenda and simply spoke with people over several days. That experience, she says, convinced her that many popular portrayals are badly distorted. She describes the community as largely descended from Holocaust survivors who lost entire families and chose separation and cultural preservation as a means of survival. Rather than assimilating, they built self-sustaining neighborhoods with their own schools, bakeries, technology stores, and other businesses, while remaining open to both Jewish and non-Jewish residents…