Out-Of-Town Jewish Hillbillies

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  • #617115
    Joseph
    Participant

    This thread is intended to be a reference for when folks google out-of-towners, in the frum context of how it’s used and what is means in the Yeshiva/Torah world, they’ll find this link answering it for them.

    An “out-of-towner” is the Jewish equivalent of a hillbilly. A simple, unpretentious, person from outside the great Jewish metropolis of New York. Folks who live the simple life and are always happy with their lot. Not overly sophisticated but knows how to get by in the world.

    Of course for certain things in Jewish life they, too, need to come to the great New York Metropolitan Torah centers of life to persevere with. (The greater metropolitan area, in this context, includes nearby metropolitan Jewish shtetls, including Monsey and Lakewood.) Some of the many examples when New York becomes essential for the frum hillbillies are shidduchim, seforim, kashrus, specifically Jewish articles of clothing and numerous other essentials of Jewish life.

    Surely other kindly commentators will be adding additional examples along these same lines.

    #1138016
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    Lol

    I just mentioned to people in my oot community where I used to be from that I am officially a New Yorker because I look at the houses that I’ve grew up with and say to myself this is what it means to be oot

    #1138017
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    Please don’t use the h word.

    #1138018
    Sam2
    Participant

    Well this is just rude.

    #1138019
    lesschumras
    Participant

    Joseph, calling someone a hillbilly is like calling a Jew a “_____”. It’s not a term of endearment.

    #1138020
    appdev
    Participant

    The first time I heard this term (when I was in Yeshiva in Israel) I found it highly offensive. What makes the rest of the Unites States ‘Out of Town’?? There are cities that are bigger than NY (shocker, I know), are they oot too?

    Since then I have learnt that being a New Yorker is nothing to be proud of, in fact many people introduce themselves as ‘from Flatbush/Brooklyn but not Flatbushy/Brooklyny.

    Sam2, growing up out of NY gives us a different life perspective that New Yorkers could never dream of having. ‘Out of towners’ are knowledgeable, open-minded, kind, considerate, accepting, and non-judgmental. New Yorkers (Brooklyn in particular) are lucky if they can check off 2 of those traits.

    (Disclaimer, not all New Yorkers are like this. I don’t mean to rip on an entire city, especially one as large and diverse as NY. There are many good people in this city. But I have no patience for anyone who uses this term. It is rude, offensive, and ignorant. I will not respond here. Please let this thread die.)

    #1138021
    Joseph
    Participant
    #1138022
    Joseph
    Participant

    There are cities that are bigger than NY (shocker, I know), are they oot too?

    Er, the New York Metropolitan Area is, by far the largest in the United States by land area and their surrounding urban areas by population. And it is the second largest in the world, with a population of almost 18 million, second only to the Tokyo Metro Area. And it is the largest in terms of Jewish population as well. So which cities larger than New York are you talking about, exactly?

    #1138023
    lesschumras
    Participant

    Pure Joseph! You pick on the obvious demographic error and ignore everything else.

    #1138024
    golfer
    Participant

    Joseph, maybe appdev was using the Chofetz Chaim’s map.

    #1138025
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    New York has less land area per person living in it. So it’s crowded and uncomfortable for a lot of people.

    #1138026
    Joseph
    Participant

    golfer: The CC’s map doesn’t use humor.

    RY23: Living in the boondocks gives you lots of room.

    #1138027
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    The country is a lot bigger than the city for that reason. And people who live in the country are a lot stronger and more self-sufficient.

    #1138028
    golfer
    Participant

    Humor?

    Who said anything funny?

    The map of the Chofetz Chaim is all about Torah.

    Arguably, there IS a lot of that in NY.

    But is NY The Capital of Torah in the whole world?

    #1138029
    MDG
    Participant

    Joseph,

    As someone who is originally from OOT, lived in NYC metro, and moved OOT, I really liked your opening post. It gave me a smile. I know that you are using some humor in your generalizations and caricatures, but there is much truth in it.

    While you call the OOT’s hillbillies (and I think many in-towners agree – even if they won’t say it), you imply that in-towners are pretentious and always wanting more (“Yesh li rav” mentality), which is how many OOT’s view in-towners. OOT’s see that NYC metro has needed Jewish things, but the spirit is often lacking.

    You captured the views of both sides.

    #1138030
    Joseph
    Participant

    Someone got it, someone got it, yes the thread was worth it!

    Thank You, MDG.

    #1138031
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Golfer, considering that the conversation was about the U.S., and that Joseph included Lakewood and Money, it’s hard to argue.

    #1138032
    MDG
    Participant

    Joseph,

    You’re Welcome.

    I really appreciate that the Mods let you post with your “real” name. Your posts have gotten so much better.

    _____

    Mods, Thank you.

    #1138033

    Kinda like eminem verifying the qualitative nature of two-pack’s music. Hard to know which is more offensive.

    #1138034
    CTLAWYER
    Participant

    Joseph………..

    Your basic premise is flawed.

    I live in Fairfield County, CT. Definitely part of Metro NY, lots of commuters to Manhattan on Metro North. But my small town is definitely considered out of town. It is NOT considered hick or hillbilly. The level of education of residents is much higher than NYC–daughter did a sociology paper on this demographic last semester.

    Those who choose to live here may well be pretentious, and don’t necessarily lead a simple life. I am an attorney, father, grandfather, property owner, landlord and an elected official……….

    Couple that with Jewish involvement, learning, being on the board of assorted shuls, day schools, Jewish charities..that doesn’t make my life simple.

    I certainly question what you mean by sophisticated? I think your urban centric attitude is myopic.

    Not everyone wants to live in a ghetto, even if it is high income and self-imposed. We are not kollel people. We go to Yeshiva, seminary and then University and graduate schools. Jews need members of the tribe who can represent them in the civil legal system, tend to their medical and dental needs, etc.

    One can be part of the Yeshiva affiliated world and still have a profession.

    I only live an hour from midtown Manhattan, that’s out of town, but not hillbilly.

    #1138035
    Joseph
    Participant

    CTL: Let’s face it, every hick town’s got elected officials. But don’t kid yourself about the level of education. New York’s a highly educated town any way you face it. Some of the most powerful and educated players grace this city. You aren’t getting a job with Goldman Sachs without a resume that will soften any country boy.

    But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves; the entire premise of this thread relates to the frum world, and as everyone knows the New York Metro Area has, by far, the largest number of gedolei rabbonim, yeshivos, butei medrashim and kollelim than anywhere in the entire chutz la’aretz.

    Now of course we must admit there are exceptions to every rule. And by all appearances, you certainly are a New Yoker at heart. Indeed, by recollection I believe you’ve even indicated you’re a New Yorker by blood and upbringing. And as you’ve surely heard, once a New Yorker always a New Yorker. It’s the same thing as once a Jew, always a Jew.

    #1138036
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    Surely you’re not suggesting that being a New Yorker is the same thing as being a Jew, or even anything close.

    #1138037
    Joseph
    Participant

    Of course not, just making an analogy on a limited point.

    #1138038
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    Also, there are a lot of things country people know that city people don’t. Arguing that city people are better because they are more educated in city-specific ways is like arguing that the Polish people are smarter than the Greeks because they speak the Polish language better than the Greeks do.

    #1138039
    Joseph
    Participant

    They definitely can milk cows better than any city slicker, that’s for sure. And we can all agree that farming is certainly a necessity and vital function in this world that any country boy can put a sophisticated urban dweller to shame with.

    #1138040
    ☕️coffee addict
    Participant

    Am I going crazy?

    Rebyidd is actually making sense and putting Joseph on the defensive

    #1138041
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    I can’t answer that question, but I can point out that RebYidd23 usually makes sense, and if you don’t see that, the fault is with you.

    #1138042
    MDG
    Participant

    “Let’s face it, every hick town’s got elected officials….”

    Joseph,

    You Crack me up 🙂 I had to stop reading after that line because I was laughing so hard.

    Unfortunately, I don’t think everyone else here understands your humor.

    #1138043
    lesschumras
    Participant

    Sophisticated? The trend in yeshivish is to eliminate as much knowledge of the outside ( including England sh, math and science ) world as possible.

    You don’t have to be a resident of NYC,to be hired by Goldman Sachs

    #1138044
    Joseph
    Participant

    Wow, another fan laughing too hard. My first long-time fan will always be squeak:

    http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/prepare-to-flee-america/page/3#post-9720

    #1138045
    Joseph
    Participant

    LC: Yeshiva guys have more real knowledge, i.e. Torah, than just about anyone else. As far as Goldman Sachs, we’ll consider you a New Yorker if you are an arbeiter in the city that never sleeps – even if you sleep elsewhere.

    #1138046
    Quacky the duck
    Participant

    Who are you to knock out of towners i know many big talmedai chochamim who live out of town

    #1138047
    Shopping613 🌠
    Participant

    I consider myself to be a OOT and I’m proud of it!

    #1138048
    Joseph
    Participant

    Another hillbilly giving their two cents…

    #1138049
    mobico
    Participant

    I’m confused … is OOT like OTD? And are either one related to OCD?

    #1138050
    MDG
    Participant

    “Another hillbilly giving their two cents…”

    Your caricature of a New Yorker made me laugh so hard that I almost fell off my milking stool (how else can you get chalav yisrael milk out here).

    But you New Yorkers should be careful out here. My friend from New York came out and wanted to try milking. He thought it couldn’t be too hard. Seriously, if a hillbilly could do it, he could easily do it. I stood back and just let him try. After 10 minutes or so, he wasn’t getting any milk, so he asked what was wrong. I told him that we don’t milk bulls.

    #1138051
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    Cruelty to animals is wrong even if it’s funny.

    #1138052
    Geordie613
    Participant

    Excuse me Americans. I’m an OOC (Out of countryer).

    Is it true that “New York becomes essential for the frum hillbillies are shidduchim, seforim, kashrus, specifically Jewish articles of clothing and numerous other essentials of Jewish life”?

    No. Only in the visions of his mind

    Really? If someone from Chicago for example needs tefillin, a sheitel, a shidduch or a R’Chaim in stencil, s/he needs to go to the New York area?

    Come to Manchester, I’ll (try) find you any one of those very easily.

    #1138053
    Joseph
    Participant

    Aside from the throngs of former out-of-towners (known as X-OOT, for short) that wisely moved to make their home and live in Brooklyn, there are so many X-OOT in Lakewood that many Jewish OOT communities are shrinking.

    Everyone wants to move up in this world.

    #1138054
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    OOT doesn’t have much meaning. It’s as unspecific as calling the shirt I’m wearing non-purple.

    #1138055
    MDG
    Participant

    I was just learning Mishnayot Ketubot.

    It seems that much of the discussion of little towns vs big cities are encapsulated in the Mishnah of 13:10.

    #1138056
    Avram in MD
    Participant

    Yeee haw! Good Shabbos, you’uns!

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