Posted on 04/09/24
Baltimore, MD – Apr. 9, 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.
Tzadik Womack
“Who am I? I’m complicated. I’m a nuanced conversation. Intersectionality is very important to me. I am a Black Orthodox Jewish man who is a husband to a Black Orthodox Jewish woman & a father to three Orthodox from birth Black Jewish boys. I am an attorney, committed to halacha (Jewish law) & a heavy metal fan. I represent myself in different personas & live my life in the intersection.
At our Seder, we add three extra items: containers of tobacco, rice & cotton. We ask, just like every Jew at the Seder, ‘How do we see ourselves coming out of slavery?’ Our family thinks back to the Atlantic slave trade & how that impacted Blacks in the US. The rice represents a crop my maternal Temne ancestors were known to farm skillfully. The tobacco & cotton represent cash crops my ancestors were forced to farm. We smell the tobacco & pass the cotton to our children. We’ve gone through two different slaveries. My culture, practiced within the bounds of halacha, enriches my observance.
I enjoy learning Jewish law. I also enjoy learning about my history & traditions. My conversations at the Shabbos table & my interactions with others reflect these shared histories. It is how I engage with others. This is how I teach my children to value their identity & the unique gifts that Hashem has given them. They must see themselves in their history & understand what it means to be both Black & Jewish. Why is this important? You need to follow halacha but that doesn’t mean you have to be like everyone else. Judaism isn’t one expression of how people must be & must present. As Jews, we all have our own intersections. How do you show up as authentically Jewish? Embracing this ideal within the bounds of halacha can heal wounds, create unity & create understanding in & outside of the Jewish community.
How do I show up in the world? I don’t hide that I’m Jewish just like I don’t hide that I’m Black. My tzitzit is always out, my kippah is always on. You’ve got to have authenticity to halacha as well as to who you are.”
