Antisemitism is experiencing a modern revival worldwide. Awareness of media stereotypes and misrepresentations faced by the Jewish community, and Orthodox Jews in particular, is fundamental in countering this anti-Semitic resurgence by heightening public awareness through enlightenment and elucidation about who we are.

To that point, Alexandra (Alex) Fleksher is on a mission. Never one to be deterred by a challenge, the intrepid co-host of the popular “Deep Meaningful Conversations” podcast and columnist for Mishpacha Magazine embarked upon a new endeavor that virtually took on a life of its own.

What began as the viral hashtag #MyOrthodoxLife in response to Netflix’s 2021 release of “My Unorthodox Life,” a series centering on Julia Haart who left and subsequently assailed the Orthodox community, became the impetus for Fleksher to create a powerful new initiative in collaboration with the Orthodox Union called Faces of Orthodoxy.

“With #MyOrthodoxLife, I wanted frum women to have a platform to say, “This doesn’t feel right and this isn’t the Orthodox Judaism I know,” Fleksher explained. “ Julia Haart doesn’t have the right to speak for all of us and paint these wide brushstrokes of what Orthodoxy is. I had heard about young Orthodox women who were watching the show and binging it, and I was very concerned because we are influenced by what we see. If we are put down in this manner and depicted as extremists, I wanted to create a platform to strengthen ourselves and give an accurate portrayal of who we really are.”

After #MyOrthodoxLife, the Orthodox Union reached out to Fleksher to sustain the idea of telling our stories as proud Orthodox Jews. Powered by the OU, Faces of Orthodoxy was born. It’s a social media platform that tells the personal stories of diverse Orthodox Jews through portrait photography, personal photos, and journal-style posts. Launched in March 2021, it has almost 11,000 followers on Instagram and has become a positive space on social media that celebrates the individuality of Orthodox Jews. The platform highlights our everyday heroes of faith, not perfect people, who share their triumphs and struggles.

Alexandra Fleksher

In sharp contrast to the show’s tainted perspective that success is the antithesis of Orthodoxy, many of the posts feature stories of men and women who have reached the pinnacle of their respective careers and are well-educated.

“Our followers engage daily with our content, cheering on our subjects as they share their life journeys,” Fleksher explained. Unique in its concept, Faces of Orthodoxy aims to expose the non-Jewish and non-Orthodox communities to the diversity within the Orthodox community while emphasizing universal values. The account also aims to inspire Orthodox Jews to be proud of who they are, what they do, and what they believe. Faces of Orthodoxy has become a supportive community and a positive space on social media that celebrates the Orthodox Jews of our community.

Thus far, Faces of Orthodoxy has highlighted over 70 Orthodox everyday heroes of faith each week via social media, each with a fascinating and unique story to tell. Faces of Orthodoxy features provide a window into their struggles and triumphs as well as the rigors and routines of their daily lives.

Representing various segments of the Orthodox community, Fleksher is obliterating the misconceptions about Orthodox Jews created by the media’s negative portrayal of our community by telling the day-in -the-life stories of diverse religious Jews. Representing every segment of the Orthodox community, participants include individuals who are frum from birth, baalei teshuvah, gerim, Modern Orthodox, Yeshivish, Chassidish, Sephardim, Ashkenazim—and those who wear no label—all Yirei Shomayim and shomrei mitzvos and all beloved by the Ribbono Shel Olom and an integral part of the fabric of Klal Yisrael.

“We hope we’re sharing stories of Orthodox Jews in various careers, of various ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds who serve as role models to us all—and perhaps break stereotypes along the way—as they live their lives committed to their faith,” Fleksher says.

Since its inception, Faces of Orthodoxy has accomplished much in putting a face on Orthodox Jews. “More than ever, we need to put a face on Orthodox Jews,” Alexandra Fleksher declares. “We need to tell our stories. We need to show the world that we share similar struggles, overcome universal challenges, and live fulfilling lives guided by the values and traditions of our ancient wisdom. Because if we won’t tell our stories, who will tell them for us?”

Follow @facesoforthodoxy on Instagram and Facebook.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/faces.of.orthodoxy?gshid=MzRIODBINWFIZA==

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/facesoforthodoxy1?mlbextid=LQQJ4d

Rochelle Maruch Miller is a contributing editor for the Five Towns Jewish Times. She is a journalist, creative media consultant, lecturer, and educator, and writes for magazines, newspapers, websites, and private clients. She welcomes your comments at Rochellemiller04@aol.com. Read more of Rochelle Miller’s articles at 5TJT.com.

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