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Article: THE CONCUBINE CONNECTION
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- October 20, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1996 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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ON A pavement in a respectable district of Brooklyn, New York
City, a man and a woman bump into each other accidentally. They
neither apologise nor acknowledge one another. Instead, they cast
their eyes downwards and scurry on.
It is a typical scene. This is Williamsburg, only a few miles
from the vulgarity and permissiveness of Manhattan - but light
years away in atmosphere. In this tightly knit community of
Hassidic Jews, all traces of sexuality are hidden beneath layers of
shapeless clothing. The men - dressed in black from head to toe,
save for the odd fur hat or prayer shawl - gather in groups, their
pale faces hidden by heavy beards. The women, faces untouched by
make-up, hair ...