Yehudis Fletcher, at The Blogs

Mar 17, 2022, 10:06 AM

At King David High School, it’s time to aim for more than academic excellence

King David High School in Manchester (Wikipedia)

The King David High School in Manchester is a jewel in the crown of North West Jewry. There is no doubt that enormous personal effort and expense have been invested in building it up to be a centre of academic excellence. That is an achievement...

Dec 8, 2021, 3:34 PM

Have you ever met a chasid?

Chasidic Jews in Jerusalem (Photo by Blake Campbell on Unsplash)

I grew up the daughter of a pulpit rabbi – we were Charedi, his congregation was not. I married a Satmar Chasid when I was 18. I now inhabit a hybrid identity; a woman whose roots and heritage are Charedi, who has a voice outside of...

Jun 11, 2021, 4:47 PM

JFS kids have spoken – I cry for other children who are being silenced

Three children at JFS have lost their lives to suicide in the past few years. On Facebook, the family of one of the children issued a public plea for JFS to recognise the bullying she experienced. Using the website Everyone’s Invited,survivors of sexual assault shared...

May 14, 2021, 11:53 AM

Saying ‘I do’ to the Torah on Shavuot

Groom breaking a glass at Jewish wedding (Jewish News)

We learn about the Jewish people’s commitment to the Torah at Mount Sinai in Exodus, 19:17. The Torah says, “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lowermost part of the mount”. The Talmud (Shabbos...

Oct 1, 2020, 5:34 PM

I am woman, watch me grow

Helen Reddy in 1973 on the The Carol Burnett Show. (Wikipedia/Author CBS Television/ Permission: PD-PRE1978.
- © United States Copyright Office page 2 /via Jewish News)

Helen Reddy has died, and I only just discovered her. I came across ‘I am woman’ a few weeks ago. The feminist anthem from 1971 found me, in 2020. That first day, I played it again and again, and now I listen to it every...

Aug 19, 2020, 1:13 PM

Nobody should need ‘consent’ to seek support after sexual abuse

Jim Gamble, the Independent Child Safeguarding Commissioner of City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership (Jewish News)

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in England and Wales was announced by Theresa May, on 7 July 2014. The inquiry was established to examine how the country’s institutions handled their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse, particularly in light...

Jul 13, 2020, 4:09 PM

Marital rape is expressly forbidden in Jewish law. However…

“Unorthodox,” the four part Netflix original depicting a Chasidic girl leaving her marriage captivated viewers across the world and generated fierce debate. I won’t comment on the accuracy of the costumes or the dialogue, or whether the Berlin scenes added or detracted from the portrayal,...

Jul 31, 2019, 4:09 PM

A Charedi family is as unique as yours

Four and a half years ago, I stood on the witness stand and answered Jonathan Goldberg QC, as he defended now convicted and jailed sex offender Todros Grynhaus. The barrister asked if I was a member of the Charedi community, and I told him I...

Jul 17, 2019, 1:58 PM

How do children learn equality if they’re taught prejudice?

Eli Spitzer (Credit: BBC Panorama: ‘Sex Education: The LGBT Debate in Schools’)

On Monday night’s BBC Panorama, Judith Nemeth from The Values Foundation proclaimed: “There is no way people of faith will say it is OK to be gay, because the Bible says it isn’t.” She is misreading the text. The Torah states everyone is created in God’s...

May 9, 2019, 5:32 PM

We condemn each new generation to ignorance

When I read the final version of the much-anticipated new independent school guidelines, I was relieved. Many private Chasidic schools in our community are failing the children to which they cater. Not all of the schools are registered, but those that are are subject to...

About Me

Yehudis Fletcher is a political and social activist. She co-founder of www.nahamu.org and an ISVA at Migdal Emunah. She is studying social policy at Salford University.