Podcast Summary: New Books Network

Episode: Dainy Bernstein, Artifacts of Orthodox Jewish Childhoods
Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Schneer Zalman Neufeld
Guests: Dainy Bernstein (editor), Goldie Gross, Yehudis Keller, Chana Leibovitz, Miriam Moster
Book Discussed: Artifacts of Orthodox Jewish Childhoods: Personal and Critical Essays (Ben Yehuda Press, 2022)

Overview

This episode delves into the recently published Artifacts of Orthodox Jewish Childhoods, a collection of essays examining the many material, cultural, and symbolic objects (“artifacts”) that shape childhoods within Orthodox Jewish communities. The guests—editor Dainy Bernstein and several contributors—discuss their backgrounds, the book’s genesis, and the varied themes and experiences reflected in Orthodox upbringings. They unpack how music, gender norms, communal subdivisions, modesty teachings, and questions of authenticity form and complicate the worldviews of Orthodox Jewish children.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Backgrounds and Entry Points

• Diversity Within Experience (03:43–08:14):
  • All contributors grew up in (ultra-)Orthodox communities, but with variations: Chabad Hasidic (Goldie, Yehudis), Yeshivish/Lithuanian (Chana), and moderate Haredi (Miriam).
  • Differing academic backgrounds span art history, psychology, sociology, and literature.
  • Several contributors use their personal experiences as a foundation for critical, autoethnographic reflection.
    • “I really came into this as an autoethnographer, considering the bounds of that qualitative research method.” — Chana (05:32)

2. Defining Orthodox Jewish Childhood and its Variations

• Multiplicity Within Unity (08:46–16:27):
  • Orthodox Jewish childhood is shaped by artifacts—books, music, toys—and a community’s degree of insularity.
  • Not a monolith: distinctions exist across Hasidic, ultra-Orthodox (Haredi), and Modern Orthodox lines, each with unique artifacts and practices.
  • Analogy to food kashrut (strictness of what’s kosher) is used to describe the boundaries around “acceptable” culture (21:41–22:13).
    • “Just because it was produced by Orthodox Jews did not necessarily mean that each community thought it was okay.” — Dainy (20:22)

3. Theories and Concepts of Childhood

• Social Constructions & Jewish Views (10:25–13:42):
  • Childhood is a social construct, differing vastly over time and culture.
  • In Jewish tradition, children are regarded variously as pure, sinful, or bearers of future hope—sometimes all at once.
    • “There are ideas of the Jewish child as completely pure… and at the same time... that the child is sinful and needs to be disciplined.” — Dainy (12:17)

4. Material and Cultural Artifacts: Diversity and Overlap

• Overlap and Boundaries (17:04–21:41):
  • Artifacts such as music tapes, coloring books, and storybooks differentiate communities.
  • Some cultural products (e.g., Journeys music CDs) are perceived as “universal” but are in fact excluded from some sects due to language or style.

5. Key Themes in the Book’s Essays

• Music, Gender, and Critical Reflection (26:17–28:33):
  • Music and gender are prominent themes; women writers especially reflect on gender norms and modesty (snius).
  • Many essays are both personal and academic, employing critical self-reflection.
    • “There was also a lot of grappling going on... What did these artifacts mean to me as a child?... What do they mean to children more generally?” — Dainy (28:28)

Deep Dives: Representative Chapters

6. Modesty (Snius) Diagrams and Gender Expectations

With: Goldie Gross & Yehudis Keller (29:01–40:47)

• Snius (modesty) is a holistic concept: dress, behavior, posture, thoughts, actions, but predominantly enforced on girls/women.
• Snius diagrams are provided in schools and stores, illustrating “correct” vs. “incorrect” dress—a widespread yet “minimalist” depiction to avoid immodesty even in images (34:11–35:17).
  • “They do have to depict the actual rule... only what's necessary is included.” — Yehudis (34:11)
• Authorship and intent: Often male rabbis/pamphleteers produce these for female audiences, sometimes in a “pedantic and... rude, frankly, way.” — Goldie (36:43)
• Psychological consequences: Emphasis on preventing male sin by restricting female appearance can cause poor body image and even contribute to eating disorders.
  • “Ironically, the focus becomes on bodies and how to guard them... that could have negative impact on a woman and girl’s view toward her own body...” — Yehudis (39:37)
• Effectiveness: Argued to be more harmful than helpful, especially as they negate women’s agency.
  • “We found in the article they’re probably doing more harm than good...” — Goldie (40:28)

7. Music as Artifact: Journeys, Child Socialization, and Disillusion

With: Chana Leibovitz (41:04–58:18)

• A.B. Rottenberg’s "Journeys" music: An influential Orthodox children’s/family music series blending parables, Jewish folklore, and everyday dilemmas.
  • “Within each of these songs there is some sort of dilemma... But by the end of the song, there’s this completion... here, you are safe.” — Chana (47:23)
• Rotenberg’s music depicted a world of resolution and “intentionality”—but real adult life in major Orthodox centers (Israel, New York, Lakewood) felt unintentional, harsh, lacking the “self-correcting” optimism of those songs.
• Chana’s adult reflection: She now lets her own kids listen to those songs, choosing to foster a sense of “wholeness” and safety for their childhoods, but does so with critical awareness and openness to conversation.
  • “I want to give my kids that... a sense that the universe that they’re in is whole... but I also want to do so... where when they notice a lack of intentionality, we can talk about that...” — Chana (57:08)

8. Music’s Role in Boundary-Making and Outreach

With: Miriam Moster & Chana Leibovitz (58:18–69:31)

• Orthodox pop music often borrows from non-Jewish styles but is “domesticated” with Hebrew/Yiddish terms, e.g., Miami Boys Choir’s “We Need You” (59:33–60:56).
• Hanukkah (and other outreach) songs serve dual purposes: reaffirming Orthodox Judaism for the insiders, and promoting Orthodox values to outsiders, framing Orthodox practice as inherently attractive and authentic (61:11–63:36).
• Shifts in technology (e.g., Amazon Echo) make passing these artifacts to children easier (68:04–68:31).
• Even those no longer religious experience nostalgia for the music, but with heightened awareness of problematic messages (especially toward outsiders, women, or non-Jews).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the complexity of Orthodox Jewish childhood:
  • “It is unique and varied and... not all that different from other childhoods.” — Dainy (69:57)
• On modesty instruction’s unintended focus:
  • “In a religious environment that is supposed to be spiritually focused... ironically, the focus becomes on bodies and how to guard them.” — Yehudis (39:37)
• On cultural boundary lines:
  • “Just like with kashrut, with... food consumption, subdivisions within the Orthodox community have their own standards... similar boundary maintenance process goes on when it comes to the consumption of culture.” — Schneer Zalman (22:02)
• On disillusionment and asset of childhood narratives:
  • “[Rotenberg’s music] continued to present a reality I could not find... either I was making mistakes... or that this Orthodox Judaism... did not exist.” — Chana (52:39)
• On why she lets her children listen to Orthodox music:
  • “Kids deserve... to engage with a world that’s whole... I want to give my kids that, but... also the tools... to recognize when it’s not so.” — Chana (57:08)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Backgrounds & Book Genesis: 03:39–08:14
• What Defines Orthodox Childhood: 08:46–16:27
• Material Culture and Boundaries: 17:04–22:13
• Themes in the Essays: 26:10–28:33
• Snius (Modesty) Diagrams & Gender: 29:01–40:47
• Journeys CDs and Childhood Experience: 41:04–58:18
• Music, Boundary-Making, and Outreach: 58:18–69:31
• Book’s Takeaway & Closing Thoughts: 69:57–72:29

Final Takeaways

• Orthodox Jewish childhood, while shaped by unique and sometimes insular artifacts and norms, exhibits themes—identity, boundary-setting, generational transmission, grappling with change—that resonate in broader contexts.
• The book’s essays offer both celebration and critique, giving voice to those who navigated the complexities of Orthodox communities and now reflect on what those artifacts meant—and still mean.
• Bernstein hopes the volume fosters both appreciation for diversity within Orthodox Jewish life and empathy from those outside it.

For more, check out Artifacts of Orthodox Jewish Childhoods and listen to the full episode for further nuance and personal narrative.