Posted on 04/04/24
New York, NY - Apr. 3, 2024 - Faces of Orthodoxy is a social media initiative powered by the Orthodox Union. Launched in 2022, Faces of Orthodoxy puts a human face on Orthodox Jews by telling the day-in-the-life stories of diverse religious Jews through portrait photography, personal photos, and journal-style posts. Each season takes place in a different city in the United States. The account highlights everyday heroes of faith who share their journeys, struggles, and triumphs.
The mission of Faces of Orthodoxy is to expose the non-Jewish and non-Orthodox communities to the diversity within the Orthodox community while emphasizing the universal values we all share. The initiative 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 individuality of the Orthodox Jews in our communities.
More than ever, we need to put a human face on Orthodox Jews. We need to tell our stories. We need to show the world that we share similar human struggles, overcome universal challenges, and live fulfilling lives in the modern world guided by the values and traditions of our ancient wisdom. Because if we won’t tell our stories, who will tell them for us?
Faces of Orthodoxy has partnered with Baltimore Jewish Life to reprint the profiles from the Baltimore season of Faces of Orthodoxy. Follow @facesoforthodoxy on Instagram and Facebook.
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Delegate Dalya Attar
“I’m a Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly, representing District 41 of Baltimore City. I’ve been noted as the highest-elected Orthodox Jewish female in history. Being Orthodox in this position is an uphill battle at times. We’re in session January through April & have had session on Shabbos & Pesach. The clerk votes for me during those sessions.
In addition to being a Delegate, I’m also an attorney in private practice. In both these worlds, going out for dinner is the norm. 99% of the time, the food is not kosher & I get strange looks for not eating. It took a while for people to understand, although I still get comments like, ‘Can’t you just take the chicken out of the salad & eat it?’
I’m also a single mom of two children. Running a house while balancing my public service job & law practice can be challenging. I host Shabbos meals often as well, which I love to do. I’m so grateful to have my family nearby to help me. My parents are both immigrants – my dad is from Iran & my mom is from Morocco, but I was born and raised in Baltimore. I was raised in an Orthodox home, & I’m a proud Bais Yaakov of Baltimore graduate. The morals & values I grew up with have stuck with me throughout my career.
When I ran for public office, I was initially convinced I’d lose my election because I couldn’t participate in many events due to Shabbos. A very small portion of my district consists of Orthodox Jews so I needed a lot more than just my community to vote for me. However, at age 26, I won the primary election with the most votes.
My job as a Delegate consists of introducing legislation. I work on a wide range of bills, many crime-related. This session, I’m working with the Orthodox Union on a bill to fund STEM teachers in private schools. Some other legislation I’m working on is bussing for private schools in Maryland, school & synagogue security funding, & textbook funding for private schools. In addition to my regular responsibilities, I’m also the Chair of the Local Revenues Committee. As an Orthodox woman, I believe there is no limitation to what you can achieve. Set a goal, stick to your morals & values, & you’ll get there.”
- Dalya Attar
