Under the sheitel

From modest dress to ritual purity laws, women who adhere to Orthodox Judaism have a set of rules that dictate how they relate to their bodies. Sometimes these practices can bring a sense of structure and relief, while also placing significant demands on those who follow them closely.

Here, three women talk about how the demands of Orthodoxy affect their body image.

Liat’s* relationship with her body took an unexpected turn when she began going to the mikvah each month. The traditional post-menstrual immersion requires women to be completely naked, stripping off Band-Aids, jewellery, nail polish, and make-up.

Growing up in Melbourne, Liat said her body image relied heavily on external validation and because the feedback was mostly positive, she felt comfortable in her own skin. Raised in a home “that wasn’t religious”, Liat decided to take on the mikvah ritual because it moved her when she was encouraged to go as a ‘once off’ before her wedding.

After Liat was married, she stopped hormonal birth control, and her skin broke out with acne. As she prepared for her monthly mikvah, Liat struggled to stand in front of the mirror without her makeup on; “I was ashamed of the way that I looked. My reflection didn’t match the way I’d viewed myself up until that point”.

In those vulnerable moments, Liat longed to hide, to put her make-up back on, to escape. But mikvah didn’t allow for that. When Liat became pregnant, it was a turning point in her attitude to her body. “I was afraid that I would give birth to my daughter, and she would look at me and think I’m ugly. That’s how I actually viewed myself”.