Abuse of ‘Kadosh’

In his review of “Kadosh,” an examination of haredi Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood, Kevin Thomas observes that filmmaker Amos Gitai “treats the Orthodox way of life with the utmost reverence and respect” and that Gitai “is in awe of the Orthodox community” (“A Devastating Tale of Devout in ‘Kadosh,’ ” March 17).

As an Orthodox Jew, I strongly disagree. Gitai’s disturbing images of the helplessness of women, their subservience and victimization are poignant and powerful, but the film’s social commentary is suspect and the film itself filled with inaccuracies.

Hasidic, fervently Orthodox and modern Orthodox young men are taught, along with the laws of family purity, to treat their wives with love and dignity, with respect and gentleness. Sadly, some men fall short; some abuse their wives. But Gitai misinforms in suggesting that the pursuit of the sacred leads to and justifies this abuse. There is nothing “kadosh” about the subjugation or abuse of women, but there is something abusive about “Kadosh.”

ROCHELLE KRICH

Los Angeles