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Magical Hasidic Crown Heights Family Makes Oprah "Normal"
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 12, 2012
Modified Feb 12, 2012
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 12, 2012
Modified Feb 12, 2012
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The country's richest woman spent a day with a Hasidic family in Crown Heights, and when she realized they had no idea what an "Oprah" was, she was apparently transformed into a normal person. "I didn't know I was more Hasidic Jew than I thought," she told Rabbi Motti Seligson in an interview after the visit. "I respect its reverence for a sense of family, a sense of harmony, a sense of grace and graciousness within the family."
Rachel Shukert of the Jewish online magazine The Tablet reviewed the show, which will air in two parts on Oprah's eponymous network starting tonight, and calls it "profoundly illuminating." Although the Ginsburg family glosses over some of the more controversial questions (“Having nine kids is a blast!” “Separation between the sexes brings us closer!” “You can’t even tell it’s a wig!”) Shukert notes that their refusal "to be any more impressed with her than she was with them" allowed Oprah to let her guard down—and Gail was nowhere to be seen!
Divested of special status, Oprah did something I haven’t seen her do in years: She began to relate to these women as her equals. She listened to their explanations of their faith, their family, and their spirituality not just with camera-friendly attentiveness, but genuine openness. She allowed them to speak directly to each other; she let them interrupt her, she even let them talk over her.
Granted, they probably wouldn't air the footage of OWN shock-troops using those Men in Black thingys on the whole family afterwards, and papering the walls with O Magazine, but still! She connected with people, and didn't even have to give them a car. Now if only she took the bus...
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First Look: America's Hidden Culture, Part 1
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hasids
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oprah
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richest woman in America
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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