Heart and Soul: The New York Supreme Court's first female Hasidic judge
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 27 October 2023
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Rachel Freier was 30 when she started her training to be an attorney, and many people told her she was making a mistake. Growing up in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York, women having high-powered careers has not been the norm, and even discouraged. But for Rachel, a mother of six, she felt that she could be a good mother, a good housewife, stay true to her Jewish faith and beliefs, while still being able to have a career – even if she was a woman. With the support of her husband she graduated law school and became an attorney, and then made history becoming the first Hasidic woman to be appointed as a judge at the civil court. Now, she is making history again, having just been elevated to the New York Supreme Court. We pay a visit to her home in Brooklyn to hear how she balances everything in her life, while managing a hugely demanding career.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Any society needs heroes to have something to believe in something really extraordinary not always just the winner |
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| 0:20.0 | I |
| 0:27.6 | Never did it because I wanted to be the first I did it because I wanted it for myself |
| 0:32.2 | I wanted to prove to myself that I could be a |
| 0:35.6 | Hasidic woman not compromise my values and still achieve |
| 0:40.0 | Success in the legal world |
| 0:42.1 | No |
| 0:45.1 | Now she's been chosen by her supervisors to fill a vacancy on the supreme court |
| 0:50.2 | Rachel Fryer made history when she was sworn in as a supreme court judge in New York earlier this year |
| 0:56.9 | Religious leaders believe she is the first Hasidic woman to hold the role at New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, Lisa Rosner |
| 1:04.3 | We violence of which call mom sitting in above me other words and God we trust |
| 1:08.1 | But |
| 1:10.1 | How did judge Rachel Fryer achieve such success in the secular world when she is from the orthodox |
| 1:17.3 | Hasidic Jewish community where traditionally a woman's role is in the household and the focus is to be deeply religious |
| 1:25.1 | Not extremely successful |
| 1:28.6 | Hey, this is the documentary from the BBC World Service |
| 1:32.3 | I'm column Flynn and in this episode of heart and soul which explores |
| 1:36.4 | Personal approaches the spirituality from around the world. I've come to meet judge Rachel Fryer |
| 1:46.0 | We're gonna be baking vahalo |
... |
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