- This topic has 41 replies, 16 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 9 months ago by .
-
Posts
-
This thread is intended to be a reference for when folks google out-of-towners, in the frum context of how it’s used and what is means in the Yeshiva/Torah world, they’ll find this link answering it for them.
An “out-of-towner” is the Jewish equivalent of a hillbilly. A simple, unpretentious, person from outside the great Jewish metropolis of New York. Folks who live the simple life and are always happy with their lot. Not overly sophisticated but knows how to get by in the world.
Of course for certain things in Jewish life they, too, need to come to the great New York Metropolitan Torah centers of life to persevere with. (The greater metropolitan area, in this context, includes nearby metropolitan Jewish shtetls, including Monsey and Lakewood.) Some of the many examples when New York becomes essential for the frum hillbillies are shidduchim, seforim, kashrus, specifically Jewish articles of clothing and numerous other essentials of Jewish life.
Surely other kindly commentators will be adding additional examples along these same lines.
Lol
I just mentioned to people in my oot community where I used to be from that I am officially a New Yorker because I look at the houses that I’ve grew up with and say to myself this is what it means to be oot
Please don’t use the h word.
Well this is just rude.
Joseph, calling someone a hillbilly is like calling a Jew a “_____”. It’s not a term of endearment.
The first time I heard this term (when I was in Yeshiva in Israel) I found it highly offensive. What makes the rest of the Unites States ‘Out of Town’?? There are cities that are bigger than NY (shocker, I know), are they oot too?
Since then I have learnt that being a New Yorker is nothing to be proud of, in fact many people introduce themselves as ‘from Flatbush/Brooklyn but not Flatbushy/Brooklyny.
Sam2, growing up out of NY gives us a different life perspective that New Yorkers could never dream of having. ‘Out of towners’ are knowledgeable, open-minded, kind, considerate, accepting, and non-judgmental. New Yorkers (Brooklyn in particular) are lucky if they can check off 2 of those traits.
(Disclaimer, not all New Yorkers are like this. I don’t mean to rip on an entire city, especially one as large and diverse as NY. There are many good people in this city. But I have no patience for anyone who uses this term. It is rude, offensive, and ignorant. I will not respond here. Please let this thread die.)
Pure Joseph! You pick on the obvious demographic error and ignore everything else.
Joseph, maybe appdev was using the Chofetz Chaim’s map.
New York has less land area per person living in it. So it’s crowded and uncomfortable for a lot of people.
The country is a lot bigger than the city for that reason. And people who live in the country are a lot stronger and more self-sufficient.
Humor?
Who said anything funny?
The map of the Chofetz Chaim is all about Torah.
Arguably, there IS a lot of that in NY.
But is NY The Capital of Torah in the whole world?
Joseph,
As someone who is originally from OOT, lived in NYC metro, and moved OOT, I really liked your opening post. It gave me a smile. I know that you are using some humor in your generalizations and caricatures, but there is much truth in it.
While you call the OOT’s hillbillies (and I think many in-towners agree – even if they won’t say it), you imply that in-towners are pretentious and always wanting more (“Yesh li rav” mentality), which is how many OOT’s view in-towners. OOT’s see that NYC metro has needed Jewish things, but the spirit is often lacking.
You captured the views of both sides.
Golfer, considering that the conversation was about the U.S., and that Joseph included Lakewood and Money, it’s hard to argue.
Joseph,
You’re Welcome.
I really appreciate that the Mods let you post with your “real” name. Your posts have gotten so much better.
_____
Mods, Thank you.
Kinda like eminem verifying the qualitative nature of two-pack’s music. Hard to know which is more offensive.
Joseph………..
Your basic premise is flawed.
I live in Fairfield County, CT. Definitely part of Metro NY, lots of commuters to Manhattan on Metro North. But my small town is definitely considered out of town. It is NOT considered hick or hillbilly. The level of education of residents is much higher than NYC–daughter did a sociology paper on this demographic last semester.
Those who choose to live here may well be pretentious, and don’t necessarily lead a simple life. I am an attorney, father, grandfather, property owner, landlord and an elected official……….
Couple that with Jewish involvement, learning, being on the board of assorted shuls, day schools, Jewish charities..that doesn’t make my life simple.
I certainly question what you mean by sophisticated? I think your urban centric attitude is myopic.
Not everyone wants to live in a ghetto, even if it is high income and self-imposed. We are not kollel people. We go to Yeshiva, seminary and then University and graduate schools. Jews need members of the tribe who can represent them in the civil legal system, tend to their medical and dental needs, etc.
One can be part of the Yeshiva affiliated world and still have a profession.
I only live an hour from midtown Manhattan, that’s out of town, but not hillbilly.
Surely you’re not suggesting that being a New Yorker is the same thing as being a Jew, or even anything close.
Also, there are a lot of things country people know that city people don’t. Arguing that city people are better because they are more educated in city-specific ways is like arguing that the Polish people are smarter than the Greeks because they speak the Polish language better than the Greeks do.
Am I going crazy?
Rebyidd is actually making sense and putting Joseph on the defensive
I can’t answer that question, but I can point out that RebYidd23 usually makes sense, and if you don’t see that, the fault is with you.
“Let’s face it, every hick town’s got elected officials….”
Joseph,
You Crack me up 🙂 I had to stop reading after that line because I was laughing so hard.
Unfortunately, I don’t think everyone else here understands your humor.
Sophisticated? The trend in yeshivish is to eliminate as much knowledge of the outside ( including England sh, math and science ) world as possible.
You don’t have to be a resident of NYC,to be hired by Goldman Sachs
Who are you to knock out of towners i know many big talmedai chochamim who live out of town
I consider myself to be a OOT and I’m proud of it!
I’m confused … is OOT like OTD? And are either one related to OCD?
“Another hillbilly giving their two cents…”
Your caricature of a New Yorker made me laugh so hard that I almost fell off my milking stool (how else can you get chalav yisrael milk out here).
But you New Yorkers should be careful out here. My friend from New York came out and wanted to try milking. He thought it couldn’t be too hard. Seriously, if a hillbilly could do it, he could easily do it. I stood back and just let him try. After 10 minutes or so, he wasn’t getting any milk, so he asked what was wrong. I told him that we don’t milk bulls.
Cruelty to animals is wrong even if it’s funny.
Excuse me Americans. I’m an OOC (Out of countryer).
Is it true that “New York becomes essential for the frum hillbillies are shidduchim, seforim, kashrus, specifically Jewish articles of clothing and numerous other essentials of Jewish life”?
No. Only in the visions of his mind
Really? If someone from Chicago for example needs tefillin, a sheitel, a shidduch or a R’Chaim in stencil, s/he needs to go to the New York area?
Come to Manchester, I’ll (try) find you any one of those very easily.
OOT doesn’t have much meaning. It’s as unspecific as calling the shirt I’m wearing non-purple.
I was just learning Mishnayot Ketubot.
It seems that much of the discussion of little towns vs big cities are encapsulated in the Mishnah of 13:10.
Yeee haw! Good Shabbos, you’uns!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.