The Non-Jewish World of Disney

Just to comment on what shprintza said..there is a way to be tzniut and still be "out there". tznius does not mean hiding away in your home so no one sees you. What about Rebbetzin Heller or Sarah Yocheved Rigler or a perfect example look at Sarah Schneir, she started the beis yaakov movement! Tznius means understanding the kochot that Hashem gave you and using them to help others serve Him in a modest way..Yehudit, in the chanukah story could have used her "womenly ways" as stated in the article for bad and as a yetzer hara but instead she used them to kill the enemy and help the jewish people win the war! obviously we are not all yehudits and therefore can not make that kind of call but each on our own levels. point is there is a way to be very tznius and still "out there" and in a certain sense if thats where your kochot lay then thats almost what Hashem expects of you.

First These stories were what Walt Disney heard as a boy. second not all Disney movies are about men saving woman. Hello there is Multan and the last Princesses story princesses and the frog.

A lot like Disney's Mulan, actually.

i feel that this is a slightly ridiculous rant. i am 15 and as a young girl, i enjoyed the disney princess stories. even as a child though, i knew that i would never be "rescued" by a handsome prince. i think that children realize as they grow older that they aren't princesses and no one is going to wake them up with true loves kiss and carry them away to a huge castle.these movies were made for a little girl's imagination, not to make them believe in princes and all that. also, i think that it is better for a little girl to dream about a prince then to learn about using her "womanly ways" to tempt a man. disney princesses are harmless, and little girls realize that when they get older.

Its up to us to teach them value's not Disney, or Hollywood. Sorry Lori...I love you on Lori almost live I never miss it! I still disagree about the princess thing.

this article was written nicely, but contradicts the ideal of tznius-if we're out there saving the day, how can we be inside away from prying eyes? this article raised a lot of unsettling questions for me and about the princesses, the way they were described was ridiculous!being familiar with their stories, i can say that firstly, them, not the princes, are portrayed as the real heros on the story-kind, good people. secondly, they were only drawn towards evil through magical forces, not because of their own faults.

This is the most absurd rant I've read as of late. First off, I'm a huge Snow White fan. I grew up knowing the story by heart, dressed up as her for Halloween, collected and still collect the memorabilia. I even got a Snow White tattoo for my birthday. Point is, I wanted to be her! However, even as a child I realized I knew it was, how should I put this, a story? Not an example to live by. Come on!! It is YOUR responsibility to teach your daughters what is right and what is wrong, not Disney's. It is YOUR responsibility to instill in them the independence and self confidence that makes true women. You can't tell me you didn't know the stories before hand. Snow White has been out there since the 1930s, and the story hasn't changed! If you were so upset by the 'message' you think it puts out, then why did you take them? I have been the bread winner in 3 seperate relationships when hard times came. I moved out at 18, alone. I got a job that I've kept for 5 years, by myself. I have succeeded marvelously. I met a man that is my equal. MY MOTHER taught me how to do that, not Snow White fairy tales. If you're frightened that your daughters enjoyed the magical, twirling, lighted display, then you're behaving more naively than a child. Yes they enjoyed it, they're kids! No, they didn't take it to heart and will not live their lives with the motto "Don't worry girls, if you get into trouble, the prince is on his way." Unless YOU teach them that. Everyone is always looking for someone to blame for the "corruption" and "misguidance" of our youth. What parents like you fail to realize, is that the old addage, 'it takes a village to raise a child' should not be taken literally. IT TAKES YOU, YOUR MORALS, YOUR VALUES. Are you honestly naive enough to believe that your daughters will take this to heart? That they will live their lives this way because a make believe princess, in a world of dwarves that mine diamonds and a witch with a magic apple, encourages them to? You have certainly underestimated your children. What you should have done instead of seeth like you had been dealt some injustice, is discuss it with your girls and let them hear what you believe is right. What YOUR family's beliefs are. Maybe if you would, your children wouldn't have to turn to the media. And at the same time, would you prefer your daughters to grow up and "use their womanly ways" as you put it to manipulate men? Because I hate to tell you, that's exactly what Judith did. Used her womanly ways and then tricked a man, only to kill him while he slept. Very courageous, indeed. Apparently stories that will 'corrupt' a young girl's mind are older than Walt Disney. Grow up!

I love the fairy tales but I agree with you, Lori, so much that we should not be teaching children from a young age that someone else will do it for them. The prince is a nice prize - but he is only that. We need to be teaching our children only they are responsible for themselves. I''m 56 and when I got married at 18, I believed I had found my prince and we would live happily ever after. Not so. I have had to learn how to do things on my own and to become brave enough to take the step out of the wrong relationship. Bravo for your comments and for your re-telling of the Judith story. Let''s tell it like it is! PS Remember your Prince in shining armour may come along but that white steed he is riding...is probably a Ford with payments and high gas consumption!

I think that Disney's princesses deserve a better traitement. I know that the message: your Prince will come one day to knock on your door and take you on his white horse to his castle, is misunderstanding and confused. All of us, we have dreamt of this man, the love of our life. So encouraging the hope and belief in the unique love is a good message. About the princesses, i just see that Cindrella had very good moral qualities and hope. Despite she was a servant, nothing, she remained positive and has been exauced. Ariel saved her love life and made so many sacrifices just to join him. She is brave also. I think that the jewish message is not so far away from these tales. Keep hope and stay good, we all deserve to meet the Prince and to know the real and unique love. Only the deseperates don't believe in that anymore and will not find the strengh to stay straight, to sacrifice themselves for the couple in begining. But of course, it's just a point of view and it can be itself contesting by some others. If your children feel joy from theses tales, you can orient their thoughts in a good way to interpretate it: Yes, there is your mazal somewhere, Yes you are a princess, Yes you are beautiful and good, Yes you are waiting for Love, Yes it's only one love, Yes you will meet him and Yes you have to believe in it and never loose faith.

I grew up on Disney films and other things like it, and to some extent, I have to agree. Most of the Disney princesses are too passive for my taste. However, I did like Belle (from "Beauty and the Beast"- my personal favorite) because she was smart, strong, and independent. This does not mean that young kids have to be taught adult-style reality right away. Let kids be kids.

whoever wrote the comment that "this is silly, all the disney princesses are good" dosent know what they are talking about. We ARE taught that queen esther won the contest, but we are also taught that she refused all privlages, perfumes, jewlery, fancy clothing and didnt want to be there. and the main reson girls dress up as her is because the mirical was hidden. and "all disney princesses are good?????" almost all of them are just super-model looking girls who meet a prince once and fall madly in love. Do you want to teach your child that if you wear a size four and a half shoe, you can marry a prince??? have you noticed, many of the villains are ugly??? where does the good princess come in??? because she was tormented by a evil step family or something and she didnt complain???? the entire disney concept is just trash, and not realistic. if my children need entertainment, ill put on a unlce moishy tape.

Instead of having strong, take-charge women, Disney encourages them to be passive and weak. The Torah portrays women as strong, powerful and wise. Who's more liberated? I read in a high school English class the story "The Princess who Stood on Her Own Two Feet." Instead of waiting for the prince to save her, she took matters into her own hands.

i know far too many women who are perplexed that they cannot attract a man or keep him interested by simply looking cute and batting their eyes. in fairytales there is no conversation, no discussion. its just love at first sight and BAM happily ever after! whether you call it dating, or courting or whatever is a series of intellectual engagements to see if someone is right for you. to brainwash so many women into believing that you can fall in love instantly and that it will last for eternity is destructive. furthermore, fairytales never show the "princes" who didn't work out. the dissapointments we all face in finding a mate. sometimes the frog just doesn't turn into a prince, he just stays a frog :-)

One of my advisors in my youth group gave me this link to read, and I completely agree. there are so many people so caught up in the Disney ending, they have forgotten how real-life factors into that.

According to a midrash one of the things that Naomi taught Ruth before she converted was that Jews do not go to the theater, meaning of course non-Jewish theater, not Torah oriented troupes. Good advice. Even though my family was not religious my parents greatly restricted the TV and movies that I was allowed to watch. I can not thank them enough for that today for not filling my mind with junk culture.

I first read the article thinking that the author had overreacted to a fairy tale. Then a non-jewish friend called me complaining of her fiance because he was not "perfect". She wanted him to fit into a fairy tale package. perfect, handsome, charming, wealthy, etc. Her fiance has most of these qualities and yet she refuses to see that he is real and fairy tale charactaers don't exist.

I prefer films to tv and have used them with my children for further conversation and understanding of our spiritual side. Disney is a good example. Look at Buz Lightyear - the LGMs have one eye and a unimind which with the good defeat the evil. There are many many more examples. Mulan is one of my all time favs. She acts out of love and honour for her family and suceeds in a male dominated world and yet is still a lady with a prince of a husband who finally understands through observing why she is who she is by leading through the heart. the power of film is a positive experience and led me here today. freedom of expression is through the arts and that is where many without religious beleifs will flock because they can identify it. Disney and Dreamworks should be congratulated for educating us in such an entertaining and everlasting way that warms the spirit and puts the whole truth into perspective.

Our household does not contain any traditional fairy tales. We do however own a copy of Domitilia: A Mexican Cinderella Tale. Instead of a girl dressing nicely to lure a man, she shows kindness and compassion to everyone and melts the prince's cold heart. That is more the value system I won't my kids to have. I have a hard time finding people (even family members) who can understand this staunch rule. Thank you for making me feel velidated.

Interesting article - I agree with both sides of the comments. In an English class we read an article of a wife wanting to "peacefully" seperate from her husband but live close enough so their daughter could be easily able to spend time with both parents. She felt that she wanted to protect her daughter's fairytale ideal (of Cinderella's, etc. "happily ever after") from the reality her & her husband's unhappy marriage & fighting. I found it so ironic.

Lady it's a fairy tale! Isn't the world in a ugly enough state to let children just have some fun. It didn't seem to make you a whimp,nor do I think it would have any lasting effect on any little girl, there is plenty of time to become hardend by the world why not let them play in make beleive for as long as they can.

I agree with your take on the Disney regular Princesses. But to Disney's credit MULAN shows a different side, maybe because it is supposedly based on a true stroy and the first "Cheetah Girls" movie had a great song about empowering girls to act and not wait for a Prince to save them. Check it out it has a great beat!

As a child, I got the message clearly. These were fantasy stories, with fantasy endings. I became a doctor, and married late to a trustworty guy. I had two daughters. No one ever asked me what the stories meant, so they didn't realize what I learned from them. If you had this reaction, maybe your daughters did, too. Buying a souvenir isn't an act of faith, so it's safe to say you were probably over-reacting. No wonder our kids think we're weird. The souvenir may have been a starting pint for a discussion at home. Even so, some women like itenerant princes. This could be a fun discussion.

All the Disney princesses are good. They do not 'blow it' morally. This is fantasy and make believe, and has brought joy to millions of kids and their parents. Millions of little girls have enjoyed pretending to be Cinderella or Snow White just as plenty of Jewish girls dress up like Queen Esther for Purim - the same Queen Esther, who, we were taught, won the beauty pageant. It is all very harmless. The Muslims also think they are doing the will of God when they cut off the heads of infidels. Do you think that beheadings make an appropriate type of entertainment for little kids? I think this is the silliest article I ever read on Aish. It isn't worthy of this fine website.

I strongly disagree with anon who thinks that you are overanalyzing. When it comes to children's chinuch, we have to be concerned with everything that they see and hear. Images, especially, are very powerful, especially when presented in such an exciting way. The author's children will probably never forget this exciting show. Every message, conscious and subconcious, enters their mind and helps contribute to who they are and will become. If someone brushes things like this off, I am strongly concerned about the chinuch of their children.

Yes, you are absolutely right, women seldom get credit for what they do, it is normally men who take the credit of what women do. The worst part is that as your girls, many generations of women have swallowed the story of the prince charming saving and protecting us, just to discover in real life that we, women are the ones who save them. The problem is that we have to be quiet and in the back, without letting anybody know that we are the real doers because men´s pride could get hurt. When will women´s merits will be valued for what they are worth? without hurting mens feelings. Perhaps when we do, men will start being doers themselves.

I'm so glad I'm not the only mother that's noticed this rubbish. It's Disney, it's Barbie, Bratz, Hans Christian Andersen, etc. and it's everywhere. Incidentally, most Disney stories are in other ways Jewishly problematic. The Little Mermaid intermarries, Snow White lives alone with a bunch of guys, Alice in Wonderland goes from one drug to the next. Many also teach that magic will solve the problem, rather than good thinking, problem solving skills and wit. I'm with you, Lori!

I think your overanalyzing the whole situation. It's just an innocent cartoon characters and it is supposed to be fantasy. You want to talk to your small daughters about what Yehudit did with the general between the wine drinking and the time he got to sleep? Yes the world is not a fairytale, but this is the appropriate context in which a kid can be entertained. When there a bit older you can teach them how bad the world is.

How childhood stories of fantasy can be miss interpited as real life amazes me. And trying to compare it to Religious Doctrine is just foolish. Last I knew there is no mention or Disney characters in the Torah. If we as parents have not learned to teach our children the differance between Religious Doctrine, real life and fantasy. We have failed our children and are doing them a great injustice for not preparing them for this world.

I appreciate the comments of the author of this article. But more and more in Judaism, the emphasis is getting a "prince" one who will study Torah while the "princess" takes care of "Kuchen und Kinder". Disney's ideas are dated, and should be used as a teaching tool to remind daughters that "princesses" can and should do more that "wait" for their "prince". Judaism seldom appreciates the "takin' care of business" woman (who are not appreciated in many Orthodox areas), for women are reminded constantly to concentrate on marriage and children. You see,it's not just Disney...

Some of the older Disney Princesses are a little outdated. We have all the Princess DVDs or at least most of them. I decided to censor them early on due to the violent content. We use only the scene selection option now. I stay in the room when my daughter is watching TV or a DVD in case she has a question or there is something to explain. You really have to be vigilant about what your children may be viewing.

I have a copy of Snow White and I couldn't help but think how creepy that whole story is. Snow White is the victim of child abuse and attempted homicide. What happened to her father? I think the stepmother took him out fairly early.

Sleeping Beauty is attacked as a baby and is take away by the fairy godmothers for almost 16 years. She is forced to use a false identity and not know her parents.

Cinderella is also the victim of child abuse and I wonder if her father met his end at the stepmother's hands.

Ariel, the Little Mermaid, makes a bad deal with Ursula because she wants something very badly (i.e. Eric).

Jasmine is not believeable to me even as a Disney character for some reason. In some situations she is very strong and in others she is weak, which is not consistent.

I think Beauty and the Beast is the least harmful to me except for where Belle forgets her promise and tells Gaston and the villagers about the Beast, showing them the mirror. Belle is also portrayed as an intellectual who likes to read and is a non-conformist in the village.

Check out how many women are remembered in the Bible and how many of them of remembered for brave - but often brutal acts - against the enemy. Or - using their womanly ways to get their (or G-d's) way. Think Devorah, Yael, Tamar, Dina. Even Rivkah and Rachel did dodgy things for the right reason. Interesting isn't it? Jewish women never were passive wilting creatures! Rock on!

I read with interest your remarks about an arena filled with hopeful, excited girls and the underlying message of salvation through men.

Granted, this Disney business is just that, business based on fantasies and age-old, worn-out, ridiculous ideas of women's inability to survive the challenges and dangers of Life without a man to do the heavy work.

My daughter has seen many of the Disney "princess" videos (loves Beauty & the Beast best)but I am confused by your comment that these women all fail a moral testing.

It seems to me, when my daughter retells the stories of the movies, that the wickedness of the villains and their deaths is a moral lesson about the rewards of doing evil.

I'm not saying these are timeless fables of good versus evil, but they are the beginnings of some interesting discussions about what it means to be a friend, to be innocent, to be falsely accused and hunted, about jealousy and anger and pride, about love and loyalty and compassion.

I have a background in literature and am very comfortable with discussing themes in literature and film and my daughter will not grow up to believe in fairy godmothers, mermaids or the power of the Wicked Witch of the West.

She WILL grow up believing in her G-d, her heritage and future and the transformative power of real Love(mitzvot).

I agree that it is unfortuned that our childeren are not taught more about woman rolls turning point of our history but I also have remind you that in the fifties when Disney made Sleeping Beatuty, Cinderela & Snow White everone was teaching little girls that what they should look for a man to take care of them. In fact all most Fairy Tales were about Princess looking for her Prince. There have been a few where the one who saves the day is Femail & even Disney has made a few like Mulan. It is our job as parents to teach all our childeren that they can be importaint,brave & change their whorld.

As I read the comments left by others, I was upset. I thought, how could you not see the problem that the what Disney feeds our children is destructive. I was then convicted by something more serious. We have set by and allowed someone else teach our children about god. The problem is that the god they educate our children about is not the G_d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We have let them believe in the god neptune, witches, sorcery, divination; etc., the entire time it was undermining Torah. My remarks may not make a difference in the grand scheme of things, but I know I can in my children's lives. We are instructed to teach them about the Almighty, what message am I giving my children if I tell of fictional characters while giving them the same attributes that G_d posesses. Is it that important for children to grow up with fairy tales. G_d please forgive me for missing the boat.

Judith was a heroine because she took matters into her own hands. Nowadays, that would be murder and she would be sent to jail.

I have been seeing things like Disney,Harry Potter,Superman,romance novels and many other types of rescued maiden ideas and I must say that my persona is still intact. I am a female that God created to do what a female was created by God for, but I am not a weak sniveling female who does not know how to put things in perspective. Get a grip. If a disney production threatens your being then you must be threatened by a whole lot of other things. I feel sorry for your husband.

OK, Ladies...
Granted the story of Judith is a great story of triumph for the Jews during such a time of opression. Auctually my aunt is named after her. But we have to keep in mind... Disney adapted his version of these stories from non-jewish writers of fairy tales. That's all it is... fairy tales. I believe it is wrong of us to belittle someone who can't defend themselves now for re-telling someone else's story.

disney is so much a part of so many of our lives. thanks for setting us straight!

At last, someone else sees the awful message of the Disney princesses! Everyone says I'm a fanatic when I object to indulging my niece's fascination with the princesses. The Little Mermaid especially - she was supposed to get the Prince to fall in love with her WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO UTTER A WORD! Otherwise, she loses everything! HELLO! What's that teaching, if not that our sex appeal is the most important thing. Not our opinions, not our values, not our experiences. Ugh. Thanks for pointing out that the Tanach has no such stories.

Thank you for the teaching about the Disney princesses. I read the story to me my 8 year old daughter. We want to serve the King - not wait for a make-believe prince.

Your Chanukah e-mail, The Non-Jewish World of Disney" was a wake up call for me. I did not know about Yehudit and after having read it, I now have a warrior's spirit welling up in me such as a strong woman committed to compel the nations and tribes to come back to Torah, Now. You go girl!

Your Chanukah e-mail "The Non-Jewish World of Disney" really struck a note of truth and I really appreciate the article... I want to get the books you suggested. Thank you!

It seems to me that every day of our lives we learn. This is what the Jewish people are all about. Learning and never forgeting. As the last candle burns tonight, let us look to many more Chanukah celebrations for the future generations of the Jewish people. Let it be said, that Hashem will bless all 13,000,000 Jews the world over.

Yes, I understand that there are some male chauvinist ideas expressed by what you and daughters saw, but that is an underlying problem that has existed thoughtout society from the time the tora was passed down by God to God's chosen people to present day. The Disney Channel is probably the only channel that has Channukah specials that express our faith in the story of the Macbees and shares that faith with the non-jewish community. Holiday programs like the one I saw last night, help break down the prejudice that has pleagued our faith, our people for centuries and allows us to take pride in our faith, our traditions, and our families. So although you see the Disney perpetuating male chauvinism, I also see the good it is doing for our faith and our families by sharing our beliefs with other non-jewish peoples and give a sense of pride that our faith is worthy of holiday specials. Happy Channukah!!

If you are going to remove your children from the right wing torah world, you are going to find distractions in every corner. You have little girls....Regardless of what your beliefs are, it is every little girls dream to be a princess. And yes...even princesses need to be saved by their prince now and again (and visa versa). There are other things to attack....but leave Ariel alone. Disney World (which we visit yearly)is full of Frum people and you can find a minyon in any disney park, any day.

Maybe you should produce an alternative called "Yehudit on Ice". Only cowardly men of course.

Disney has sold out to sex,false illusions of love and narcissistic tendencies.

It reminded me times of my child hood when our mother would tell my
sister and me how stupid these princesses were and that there is no prince in shining armor except for ourselves.
Judith was and is the incorporation of this.

Happy Hanukah! :-)

Disney's job is to entertain, to stur up our imagination , to create an illusion where every dream is possible, to help us ( for a brief time) escape reality. A parents job is to explain the difference between fantasy and reality. You seem to take your self to seriously and you sound very rightous. Get over your self and just live in the moment. Just watch your childrens faces while the watch the show. See through there eyes if only for a moment. Discover your lost innocence. The world is a harsh place to live and we all need a break from it once in a while.

The Disney princess movies are not as "unjewish" as one might think. Having a three year old granddaughter I have had the opportunity to watch these movies (many times over!) in the last few months. The prinesses display many fine character traits (good middos!)especially and including kindness and generosity even in midst of difficulty. Snow White is forced to leave her home yet takes care of animals and dwarfs as it is her greatest pleasure thinking nothing of herself. Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)is forced to leave her home as a baby and yet grows up to be extrememly kind and gentle. Cinderella extends kindness even as she is treated harshly, never turning on her step-family though they treat her much like a servant. Ariel (the Little Mermaid)is equally kind but is also courageous and it is she that saves Prince Eric from drowning. And Belle (Beauty and the Beast)shares her love of reading,is devoted to her father, rejects surface beauty, and has the ability to look inside of Beast to get to know the good "person" that dwells within. My granddaughter loved the ice show because she enjoyed seeing all the characters (who have come to be "good friends".) Bubbe and Zaide enjoyed the ice show because it was lovely and because we enjoyed watching our Racheli enjoy it so much. And as a co-principal of a yeshiva and I can also say the my junior high girls who are not always as nice to eachother and other girls in younger grades as they should be could learn a lot from these princesses.

I would love to debate this issue with Lori, since the common vision of the proverbial Jewish Girl is that she is a spoiled Princess....I have two sisters both of which thinks the world owes them a living and just about every Jewish Girl/Women I have ever met is the same way....I am not sure where you live or who brought you up, but I come from an Orothodox Russian Jewish backround...I am 61 and this is my experience up to and including today...Disney is great...

The point is that it is a fairy tale and what is wrong with kids believing in that? Kids grow up all too fast and, unless their heads are buried in the sand by overbearing and overprotective parents, they certainly will be able to separate fact from fiction. Are you, in effect, saying that a kid shouldn't be allowed to enjoy Disney World and places like it? We took our two kids there 6 times when they were growing up while being raised in a Conservative home and, believe me, they can separate fact from fiction and certainly know and appreciate their Jewish identity.

I grew up believing a prince would come and I wish my mother was as wise asin the example you gave!

Nowhere in your article "Non-Jewish World of Disney" do you mention that you explained to your children that this is just a fairy tale and is not the real world. Without this guidance our children cannot understand the world.

esther,

Many of us grew up, and bring our children up, with the saying, "if you've nothing nice to say, don't say it". Although we all grow from reading divergent, even opposing opinions in the talkback, it is surprising to read such hostility from an adult. I agree with you on one point- not appreciating the disney theme's is over reaction if it's at the expense of teaching manners and respectful, polite opinion giving to our young girsl.

Additionally, the clinical condition Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that you refer to is a very real and difficult condition for OCD sufferers, and it is unacceptable to use the term as an eptithet for those we wish to ridicule.

grettings from mexico
totaly agree and thanks for your issue
as parents we need to inspire and lead our children to seek G_d and be a ligth in this world of darkness

Well written article and I agree wholeheartedly.
I grew up for the first 10 years of my life in the U.S. in a modern orthodox home. I knew all the Mother Goose rhymes and saw all the Disney movies. I watched the Partrige Family, the Brady Bunch, I Love Lucy and To Rome with Love etc.
My own children are being brought up in a Hareidi community in Israel without a television set, without Mother Goose and without Walt Disney.
I buy them books that promote values that I want them to internalize.
I am totally thrilled that they don't have to be exposed to all the silliness to which I was exposed as a child. My children are perfectly happy without Disney on Ice or any movies, for that matter. They read books, play with their friends and listen to tapes that promote Jewish values.
What a concept!
I think they will be much better off than I was.

Hey Lori;

Great article. My kid is in love with Ariel from the Little Mermaid. I'm not too fond of all this disney stuff. How can I deprogram her? Just tell her the story of how Judith lopped off the general's head?

Thanks!
Eric

My name is Judith. I learned the song "Some Day My Prince Will Come" at a Jewish 'Y' sleep-away camp, when our major summer musical/drama performance was "Snow White" (This was probably around 1960). I will always consider myself Jewish. And I will always be proud of my heritage. But I will never be proud of the sexism so deeply ingrained in Jewish history (also in the histories of other organized religions). I could go on and on for hours. I know that the first time I saw a synagogue where all the males sat downstairs, and all the females were sent off to the balcony, I was for sure, damaged as a young female child. Give me a break. Really. If only it were true, that young Jewish females had been protected from sexism.

I had the same feelings when we took our grandchildren to see this show here in Chile! But a lifetime of disney has nutralized our feelings.Can you imagine any female in todays society,no matter how frum,no matter how idealistic,cutting off someone's head?They jump at the sight of a bug crawling around!

The more I read the comments the more I realize how many OCD people there are-jews or non-jews.Are children mentally challenged that they don't know what Disney on ice is about?It's the parents who need help.Maybe they need a reality check as well because every time I talk to peers with older daughters and sons it seems like everything they do is somehow for the great "shidduch"and learning,planning etc is somehow involved.Some women cannot even pursue a career they love because it'll also give the "wrong message".Give me a break,Lori.The hysteria over Disney is yet another example of over-reaction and over-kill and much ado about nothing...!!!!

I think the message you portray is very powerful, and is apparent not only in Disney movies, but is a subtle theme in the undertow of all Western culture. We should be careful with what we expose our children, even ourselves to- even when it seems as innocent as Disney!

I totally agree with Lori Palatnik. This theme of being saved by a man permeates almost everything geared for girls today. Even Princess Diaries (Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews) perpetuates the idea of, if not a man saving you, someday you will just "win the lottery of life by finding out you are really a princess and you will inherit a country to rule!". It makes me angry because it sends a misleading message. Funny, I would recommend the movie, "Legally Blonde" which shows that smart girls finish first. Happy Hannukah, Judy

YOUR STORY IS VERY CONVINCING AND TRUE, BUT ANALYZING IT; IT'S A BLOODY ONE. THIS IS NOT WHAT A PARENT WANT TO TELL A CHILD. LET THEM BE WHAT THEY ARE. WE ALL FANTASIZE ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IN LIFE, DIDN'T YOU? LET'S MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER ONE AND SHARE WITH OUR KIDS,THEIR OWN WORLD... WITHOUT FORGETTING TO TEACH THEM MORAL VALUES THAT ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO SURVIVE...THEY WILL LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE ON ITS APPROPIATE TIME...HAPPY CHANUKA!!!

In response to Howie Subnick:
The article did not state that there is something wrong with allowing children to dream. The question raised was: what should they be dreaming about? Being beautiful, passive creatures who await rescue, or being heroic themselves?

I am wondering where I can learn more about Yehudit.

Yikes. It's Disney. What the hey were the temptations the princesses had to be saved from? Lust? Greed? Violence? Anorexia?)
(I loved the rest of the article.

All I can say is that if you honestly think that there are not aspects of the Jewish tradition that convey to women the message of, "I'm sorry, you can't do this; this is for men," then you are simply living in a dream world.

Helloooooo.....We are talking about Disneyland, Disney on Ice, places where children can dream and enjoy the characters that WE ALL grew up with! I think your thoughts are a stretch. Let kids be kids...if they cannot dream, what does the future hold? Albert Einstein stated: Imagination is more important than knowledge.

I would like to see another article on the whole Disney charade that characterizes America. My children were taken to Disney World by a family member. They were mezmerized by it all.

About the comment about Disney making a movie about Yehudit. It was done as a silent film by no less then D.W Greffit in 1912

The story of Yehudit wouldn't sell as many tickets. Really, do we want to let our children watch a woman use her body to gain access to a mans tent so she can murder him?
And somehow I missed how the non-Jewish part of the title related to the article. There are plenty of stories of non-Jewish women taking a stand and making postitive changes without using their bodies.
Let's not pretend non-Jewsish women are all dopes and sit around waiting for their prince.

While I agree with the synopsis of this article. I must say that Disney does make unfavorable themes in there shows and plays. but not all is bad ladies.
recently I see the Jewish comunity upset at small things that , well, as we say here in the States, "Dont mount to a hill of beans" get over it, teach your children Torah only! and move on.

Carole,

I have never gotten the impression that stories regarding women in the Bible focused on beauty.

I am astounded by this assertion, and wonder if we're reading the same Bible?

Dear Lori,
Let's be truthful here about the pressure Young Jewish women face today in our own communities! Young girls STRAIGHT out of seminar are pressured to find that guy, play a role that will make them most attractive so that they too will ride into the sunset! TIME is made to feel like it is ticking for these religious girls and the families ALMOST sit Shiva if the girl is unmarried at 26!!! I'm shocked to hear you blame it on the world of cartoons when we in the orthodox world make a laid out plan for every women that clearly shows her how she will NEVER be complete without that princes by her side! I'm more surprised we women are not OUTRAGED at the pressure we put on the young women of our faith…AND, don't even get me started on my girl friends in their 40's who are meant to feel like their lives will have no meaning without a man attached to them! Disney did not invent the problem!

Faith, I sympathize with your experience, but at the same time, was quite startled at the evaluation. No mention of the story of Yehudit?

In every observant household, the story of Yehudit reigns supreme at the Hanukah celebrations and ceremonies. I am well traveled, and I have yet to see an observant household whose children did not know the story of Yehudit's wit and courage inside out, told and retold hundreds of times.

At our extended family's yearly Hanukah get-together, the children all act out the story of Yehudit, and they never tire of the theme. I know similar scenes are enacted countless times over, from school performances to living room impromptus. I have decades old photos of myself performing in a production on the story of Yehudit. It is one of the most well known stories in Jewish history.

I encourage you to look around a bit more- you will surely be surprised.

May you have a wonderful and Happy Hanukah

Dear Lori,
I feel the same way about the Disney princess stories. They are not the example I want for my daughter. Great article! I am going to share it with my friends.

Yes, Disney has the same tired stories about women, but I'm disturbed by how many biblical stories about women seem to have the same theme too, i.e. "use your beauty to confuse or distract the men and then use your brains or bravery to accomplish your task." In other words, can an unattractive woman who is smart ever get anywhere? Or must a girl be beautiful first, in order to get in the door, so to speak? It seems like too many women only get what they want (in biblical stories) by using some sort of physical distraction. Why so much focus on this? How many women in biblical stories use wit or intelligence without ANY mention of how they look?

1) Re: no one hears about Yehudit. There is a well-known custom on Chanukka to eat dairy foods. The reason? in rememberance of Yehudit's bravery, and her brilliant plan to feed the enemy general cheese, whereby making him thirsty enough to drink more wine than he could hold.

2) Re: Judaism and bible stories giving "credit to the men". A problem in "watered-down" Judaism, which I myself grew up hearing, is you only get half the story. And many women (as I did too) end up feeling that Judaism is just another mysogynist religion. But the more I searched out Torah-true Judaism the more I realized how untrue this is. Torah and Judaism are way more respectful of women than any other "-ism" on the planet. Yes feminism included. Because feminist philosophy embraces external measures of success only, precisely like the rest of the male-dominant world, and negates a female's (internal) spiritual power as a woman, wife and mother. In Judaism every jewish woman is the driving force in her domain, the family unit, even though the external (usually male) powers are the ones that are more tangible. Like in life – the physical world is far more tangible than the spiritual world, but that doesn't make it more "real" and it certainly doesn't make it "better"!
What better holiday to bring this out than Chanukkah, when we celebrate the power of the internal, the spiritual; the jewish men weren't "able to fight and defeat the Greeks" by merit of their physical prowess. It was their inner strength and belief in G-d, inspired by a woman, that made them worthy of G-d's miracles.
May you have a wonderful, light-filled holiday!

Children are smarter than we may think. They know the difference between the world of make believe and the real world in which we live. Just let them be children. They will have to grow-up soon enough.

I love the part about Yehudit saving the day.

I have only one question:

Why is this fact something that most Jews do not know about, and why is it not commonly taught in Torah studies?

Answer: Just as the "princess" in the Disney stories is always waiting for her savior "prince", so in Judaism, very little credit is given to any of the women, and most of the stories are focused on the men.
I have yet to hear any Jew relate this story as part of the miracle of Chanukah.
Again, credit is given only to the men, who were able to fight and defeat the Greeks. More like a whole pack of princes and not just one. Is it any wonder that fairy tales follow the themes of the bible?
There are a few women of valour mentioned in the Tanach, yes: Esther, Devorah and a few others. Usually, they are in the background, behind the "great" and heroic men.
If a woman does become the main heroine, she of course must be beautiful and use her feminine charms to save the day.
Zeporah saved Moshe's life, yet it is just a minor thing, and she doesn't get that much credit.

So, maybe it's better to have the prince come and take care of business, in the end.
He's going to get all the credit anyway.

I Went with my four daughters to Disneyland and enjoyed every minute of it, we ride all the rides and feel we were at, like they say, the happiest place on earth. I love Winnie Pooh and stand on line to get a picture with Mickey. We don't own a TV nor go to the movies but Disney is Disney even Dumbo story make us cry.

Comming from a man with a daughter, it makes me proud to hear this, it is true, one more reason to read more to our children. There are many great jewish childrens books out there and they convey great messages about being a jew as well as how important it is to stand up and be counted as a woman as much as it is a man. Let the children be children, but remember we are raising future adults, keep it real and talk to them about what they think, they actually care about our opinions and that is how they learn about what is truely real. Lessons without understanding are only gestures in a dark world.

I think THat you should look at Disney as a metaphor for our relationship with G-d. we are the princess, blessed with loyalty which was bestowed upon us by hashem. We are different and just like many disney characters we have hard lives, we are orphans put to work by our evil step sister. Let the sisters be the nazi's or the Egyptians. the prince is our only saviour -- G-d.

I've shyed away from buying Disney books for my daughter. The same books I loved as a little girl carry a message to my daughter that I don't want her to beleive-that her prince will save the day, that she should give up everything for a man, that she should forsake her education and dreams for someone else. I want her to be strong in her own right, so that when she does find that special someone with whom she decides to spend her life she (and he) will find the happiness of true, healthy love and partnership.

Say, do you think the Disney studio will make a movie about Yehudit? Don't count on it, old Walt was a notorious anti-semite.....Who knows if his tradition is being carried on.

No need to get upset Disney. We have to teach our children that this is fantasy. The Prince rarely shows up. It's the way the cartoonist would like it to be. When they get to college they will find out the entire period of history when Princes and the rest of "Royalty" ruled were known as the dark ages. Most of them were overthrown and few were executed. None have any real power today (In the west).

An excellent article, Lori. So many young girls get caught up in idealistic fantasies inspired by fairy tales that they lose sight of influential women whose examples they should look up to. I'll take a biblical heroine as inspiration over a fictional princess any day.

I don't have kids, but I love good animation. I made the mistake of going to see "The Little Mermaid" once with some adult cousins, who also like good animation. No animation could be good enough to get me to stop fuming about the message in that movie.
This is not the message we need to give little girls! Telling them to look for their "Prince Charming" denigrates their own self-esteem, suggesting that they can't possibly solve their own problems. Worse, it puts Prince Charming above Hashem, who is the Source of their strength. Furthermore, this "Prince Charming" fantasy is responsible for secular women feeling it necessary to satisfy a man's every sexual/financial/etc need with no concern for her own needs and, thus, is responsible for a lot of unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and destroyed lives.
Thank you for pointing out such a powerful alternative story. Being apocryphal, it's easy to overlook. Thanks so much for the reminder!

I think some readers are making the mistake of viewing the Disney culture from their own, developed minds rather than an impressionable child.

Sure, if WE took a Disney to be anything other than a flight of fancy, we'd need a reality check.

But Lori is doing what few are able to do- see the films from the eyes and mind of an impressionable child, and understand the subtlety shaping our children's minds.

Lori, your readers are correct, because they're seeing your article from an adult's perspective. Your intelligent understanding reflects a real understanding of how we shape our children, and as a long time educator, I appreciate your keen understanding of child development in this realm.

It's make believe.Let a kid think at times a kind and attractive hero will come too the rescue. They wil learn about people who glory in chopping off their enemies heads soon enough and the need to fight and never lose hope.

Lori,
Please, Please, Please, This is only a fairy tale! Lori, get onto things more important than Disney Ice Shows. Don't you all see where the "evil one" is leading us...To argue the ridiculous while the world is about to be destroyed(Nero fiddles while Rome burns). Let's get with the more important issues than your(an adult mind)version of a fairy tale. Let the children enjoy the moment, and maybe you would have too. Remember the quality time with them cannot be bought or sold, but only given as a loved one could. Try to look at the brighter, lovlier, kinder, more simplistic things in life as through the eyes of a child. Remember, God came to the simple, poor, lonely, desperate or needy (in wisdom) to talk with and enlighten them. Listen more to them first.
Sincerely,
Gene Mazzil

P.S. The best times with our children is when we become emersed in their lives through the things that make them happy. They will remember those happy moments long after we're dead and buried.

I've had my issues with Mr Disney's empire also...until a recent sojourn in Florida. The popularity of the american princess behavior makes me cringe! The message to which so many people respond seems to be "happily ever after" for right now. We forget that we are temporal, while our King is eternal. But don't you hear that inner murmering that recognizes our Father's voice? We long for the Promised One to sweep us off our feet, and to carry us to the better world! This is why Disney continues to impress...it's those of us who habitually turn to the Author of our faith who see the charade. (Like a Simpson's adaptation of Shakespeare?) Now, consider the Disney theme park concept: it's he attempting to replicate our Father's kingdom here on earth? Everybody lives happily-ever-after! Dreams really can come true! What if we let the Spirit of all good things defeat the evil prince? How could we live as if love mattered? One last comment; as I was walking against the current of humanity with my family, I observed people claiming their curbside view just before a parade. A boy of about 6yrs was settling down next to his father. "Tell me a story, Daddy," he commanded. I saw the kippah, and didn't doubt that this story would be one that had been impressed from father to child for several thousand years. We recognize real adventure when we hear it!

The biblical reference in my response was not meant to "destroy" Ms. Palatnik's opinion. I used it to perhaps show that you can look at that account and see that David ultimately rescued Abigail, as by HaShem's hand, David took her as his wife. Sure her actions ultimately helped King David from messing up, but she also could have been wiped out of house and home. Oy vey. You're all missing the point. Ultimately it's HaShem who should get credit for any opportunities we have to "rescue" one another. It's an opportunity to do a mitzvah.

Thank you for putting this to words so succinctly.

Thanks

Good for you! All these damsels in distress become rather tiring. Sometimes we women want to be the "knights" and slay the wicked dragons...and sometimes we do. Often though, this is overlooked or forgotten.
Girls should grow up with the idea that they can take care of themselves just as well as boys. We can all be heros and sometimes, we all need help, male or female. When this is understood by all, there will be real equality.

Excellent article. I disagree with a lot of the comments - the Disney ideals are very harmful for Jewish girls (or any girls) to learn from. They portray women as valuable in terms of their looks, and dress them in ways to emphasize only that. Obviously, the story of Yehudis is not the one to display on ice nor teach in depth in a preschool, but there are plenty of stories of quietly heroic Jewish women who saved the Jewish people without violence nor fanfare (see recent Torah portions for examples - Sarah, Rivkah, etc). They are excellent role models for our daughters to learn from.

Finally, a sane voice about this subtle yet powerful influence on little girls-future women.

I don't agree that you need to lighten up- I don't think the article was heavy at all! Interesting to read how some people took it, though...

Although the story of Yehudit is associated with Chanukah, Holofernes is an Assyrian, not a Syrian, general. The Assyrians conquered and dispersed the Ten Lost Tribes; their empire, and their entire civilization had vanished more than five hundred years before the events leading up to Chanukah took place .

The "Syrians" against whom the Maccabees fought were Seleucid Greeks, i.e., descendants of Alexander the Great's general Seleucus, who were based in Syria after Alexander's death. There is no connection between the "Syrian" Greeks who fought the Maccabees and the Assyrians.

While neither the story of Yehudit nor the story of the Maccabees made it into the Tanach, the figure of Judith is so traditionally associated with Chanukah that her figure, sword and sometimes severed head in hand, appears on many medieval chanukkiot. But her deed of heroism occurred long before the Maccabee revolt, and long before Chanukah.

Thanks for the belly laugh! I don’t know which was funnier, the article or the letters that supported it. The day that I take a Disney version of a fairy tale seriously is the day that I want them to take me away and put me into a rubber room where I won’t hurt myself.

When I was a little girl I too was tickled pink when I heard or saw those stories. My mind wasn’t on “wow a MAN saved her,â€NSM_BADCHAR=<0x9d> it was a just a nice romantic story that all little girls love to fantasize about until the next morning when it was time to go out and play.

Nowadays, when men open a door that I am perfectly capable of opening myself, I smile nicely and say, “Thank you!â€NSM_BADCHAR=<0x9d> I throughly enjoy being a woman and being shown the little courtesies that some men still show women. Of course, I also have women open doors for me because I’m in a wheelchair, but again, I can open the doors myself, but why spoil someone else’s feeling good about themselves for doing something they think is nice? I just smile, say thank you and let them have their nice feeling.

And it is a nice feeling when I can take my granddaughters to see a movie or show that touches a little girl’s heart. Doggone it, we ARE different than men and I enjoy to the hilt that we are. So what if the prince comes along. Soon enough they’ll realize that what they thought was a prince is, in fact, a frog. There is more than enough time for them to grow up and realize the facts of life.

In closing, I offer this little tale: A princess was walking by a stream one day and a frog said, “I know that I look like a frog, but I’m really a handsome prince and if you kiss me, we can get married and you can cook for me and do my laundry for me, and clean up after me and have my children…â€NSM_BADCHAR=<0x9d>

The princess picked up the frog and took him to her castle where looked in the basket and told the frog, “Over my dead body,â€NSM_BADCHAR=<0x9d> handed the frog to the cook and she dined that night on frog’s legs sautéed in butter.

everybodies writing about how we shouldnt be teaching our little girls about prince charming coming to save them but i think the point was missed. The message was about not teaching our little neshamalas that somebody will come and save you from all your problems. only one being can do that-Hashem, not princess or prince charming.

Thank you for sying to world what I've been saying for years. Ever since the sixties I have been trying to make friends understand how this idea of prince will come can harm their daughters. I hope you take this on the road to all the Jewish womens organizations.

And thank your husband for inforrmation I never learned in Hebrew
School. Instead of next greyhound being called Lilith she will be called Judith.

um i totaly disagree with the womans point about the disney story!!!! the point of the show is totaly not that, there are other valuable lessons!!! i myself went with my family and i didnt feel that way!!!! all that part about the prince coming and saving the princess is just for fun but its not the point of the show!!!! you should reexamine and see all the other lessons, like in snow white, dont invite/talk or take anything from strangers etc. and so much more!!!!! but also on a jewish level think of the Prince as Hashem (lehavdil), that even if you a person (the princess) falls into Sins or your Yaytzer Hara (the villian) that Hashem (the prince) will always show up to forgive you and help you in all bad situtations, and that hashem will always be there for you!!!!!! and the point about Yehudit was not that she wasnt waiting for her "prince" but she knew Navi and knew about a woman named yael who did something very similar to Sisera!!! and saved the jews!!!! she was also like who jumped into the Yam Suf firts and it split!!!! it could have been anyone to kill the syrian greek general, she just decided to do it because no one else would but not because she wasnt gunna wait for someone else to do it, she waited and when she saw no one else would she jumped up and said enough is enough and killed him!!! so my question to this woman is would you send your daughters to the Israeli Army? and if she had the opportunity would she herself join the Israel Army, on would she be more supporting of her sons to go and join??????

I agree with Lori. It is arelief to know I am not the only Mom who is NOT a fan of Disney. Are you aware that all the heroines in Disney also have NO MOTHER!!?? Think... Cindeella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Ariel the list goes on and on and on. Not only are these princesses perpetually in need of being "rescued" they don't even have their mother's to turn to for support, nurturing and advice. Disney makes me sick.
In Los Angeles there is a delightful women's theater group and they stage full theatrical productions for women and girls only. I love to take my daughter and rest assured I let her know only women worked on the entire production from sound and lighting, to piano and flute, to scenery and costumes, to actually starring in the show.
The Torah is filled with Heroines. We certainly dfon't need to stuff our precious daughters' head with disney garbage.

But...... lets give the little girls a break.
They don't want to hear about some homicidal masugana mama chopping off a guys head..they want to dream about being a princess, dressing like a princess and having a nice handsome prince come along and save them from their mother..It is soon enough they have to face the problems of the world.
-the end-

One of the comments talked about David saving Abigail from Nabal. Please read the story again. It was Abigail who saved David from doing the wrong thing. That story does not destroy Lori's argument but supports it. Read more carefully!

I think this is a wonderful article and it gets at the truth - we need to give our Jewish girls Jewish heroines, the earlier the better. Teaching them that there will always be someone (usually male) to catch them when they fall does not help them to mature and realize that they should be active and do some of the "saving" themselves. We need to tell our daughters more about people like Sarah Aronson of the NILI (very popular heroine for young girls in Israel) and Hannah Senesh.

I love this reminder about who we are as Jewish women and what we are capable of doing.

I let my little girl feel as safe as can be for as long as can be. But when the katyushas fell next to our home this past summer my kids had to face directly the hate that is aimed at the Jewish nation. When my son found shrapnel it was with the understanding that some Arab guy packed the bomb with nasty, rusty, and deadly pieces with evil intent.

My kids play with beanie babies and clay, they ride horses and tell stories. AND They are learning Torah and what it is to live like a Jew. At their young ages, they are learning about the courage it takes to walk a Jewish walk. And the beauty too, of Shabbat and mitzvot and Torah. I hope, like Rebbitzin Palatnik, that I can teach them the power and majesty of what it is to live like a prince and princess in the truest sense.

For the readers that think Lori Palatnik should calm down, you need to know her better, I recommend listening to an audio of her (Aish Audio) and get to know her tone. She's one amazing Jewish Princess! Lori, I hope you never calm down because we need you just how you are!

Go Lori, I hope to read more from you on Aish.

Excellent! Thank you - good to know we had some strong women back then...

You've spoken and written many times answers to Feminism, and here you are illustrating one of Feminism's most classic points !! Do you not know your own history as an American woman ? It's what drives me crazy about frum women when it comes to the debate about Feminism, they don't know the history of the experience of women in Western Culture ! The next time you address women who complain about sexism in Judaism, please remember this article and understand where they're coming from. Then you can know how to answer them.

And for those who commented that she needs to lighten up, many of the strides made by women in the past 40 years is due to the diligent reversal of this exact archane attitude about women being saved by men, so as much as you think she should lighten up, you need to take these things more seriously, before you find yourself back where we started and *you* have to put up with being told by a loan officer "umm...let's wait for your husband to get here...oh, you're not married...why don't you come back with your father."

I am reading "Remember My Soul" by Lori Palatnick, and it is a wonderful book for those who have gone through a loss. I also liked the way she handled this and it had a little less of a smattering of the goody-goodness that is often found on this site and in many of the articles, so thanks, Lori.

I agree with the comment below me. I can't imagine being *that* unfamiliar with Disney stories as to not expect what you saw in the ice show, and then complain about it later.

However, I do have to say the later Disney movies feature pretty strong-minded females. Mulan? Lilo? The Little Mermaid...which, IF you recall, she saves her prince *first*, and at the end, he saves her!

To add to that, if you only knew what the original, unedited Grimm's versions of these stories the Disney movies are based on are like, you'd probably have hit the ceiling a lot sooner!

But I understand the spiritual message you're getting at. The prince saving the princess...isn't this more like a metaphor for Moshiach and the Jewish people??

Now that would make a nice Disney on Ice, cutting off the head of the wicked general! And we teach our kids that Al Zarqawi was a barbarian? Great, what entertainment for little girls - sure to give everybody nightmares!

Frankly, I think every little girl ought to be treated like a special, beautiful princess, and should enjoy the security that her mommy & daddy (and other family & friends) are there for her, and if she slips, they'll help her get back up. There is plenty of time later to learn about all the heroes and heroines who fought for the Jewish people. But Judith, Yael, Hanna (of the 7 sons),Hannah Senesh, Rosa Robata, Mania Shochat, and others are not appropriate subjects for entertainment for little children - they are all about serious learning for older children who can handle these topics.

While your children are little, let them be secure, loved, and let them enjoy being beautiful princesses. Let them be Queen Esther on Purim - do you think they need to hear the gory details of what happened to Vashti or to Haman's daughter? Let your little girls think that they are the most beautiful Queen Esther! Even if they aren't so pretty, if you make them feel beautiful, you will make them feel like magic!

I really think Lori Palatnik needs to relax a little.

After reading your article, I decided to read or hear what your thoughts are on other topics. I just watched your video on Gossip/rumors- I agree... Disney's chauvinistic theme- dead wrong! The Little Mermaid saved prince Eric from drowning. Maybe she should had left him to drown and called it the end of the story. I'm sure your little girls would have loved that ending. Stick to your principles and not spread gossip.

Do you genuinely deem the chopping off the head story more age appropriate than the romantic disney on ice stories? Ms.Palatnik your views embody the polarisation of our religion.

Who gets upset because Disney has a few "feel good" fairy tales about a prince saving the princess??? Its not the same as a woman saving a city. If you are that insulted, watch some of the other Disney films where the female is the hero (Pochohantis or Mulan), it doesnt offend me. Women saving the day is a fact of history and because some fairy tale did not reflect historical event, is why "fairy tales" are not taught in history classes.
Hey, I gotta idea- lets ban all prince and princess stories because they make your children feel good! These fairy tales are just as evil as drug abuse or tagging buildings. Not the same.

Very nice story, but you need to relax a bit. "Over my dead body" is a little dramatic. It's nice to keep children as innocent as possible. They will have enough of reality as they grow. Fairy tales are just that. . .fiction. Let them enjoy a little escape, a little refuge from the cold, hard world. You sound a bit resentful that men get more of the limelight than women. I'm a woman and have no problem with it. Men are cognizant of all that women do their lives, though they may not shout it from the rooftops. You said there was never an account in the Tanach about a prince rescuing a princess, but there's a fairly interesting account of David rescuing Abigail from Nabal in Shmuel 1, chapter 25. That's a love story.

My daughter and I read this article together. We both agreed with the writer's assessment that we shouldn't count on men to save us. We have to make our own choices and save ourselves.

I just reasd the above story "A Jewish princess does not wait for her Jewish prince" and I would like to ask the following question:

How come a jewish girl bringing cheeze and wine to a Syrin-Greek General can get away with cutting his head?
One would imagine that a Generail would not be so naive to fall asleep with a stranger in his tent..unless she had relations with him and then took the chance.. could you please clarify this point?
thank you.

It was your decision to take your daughters to the show; if you are not familiar with the Disney stories you should have done your homework. Take a break, it's a fairy tale; expose them to the world and give them the opportunity to decide for themselves.

You, Go Girl!

WONDERFUL, FANTASTIC, INSPIRING...IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!!

Kol HaKovod! This Disney theme ruined so many girls growing up! I will teach this storyof Judith to my class!

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. Truth sprinkled with humor goes a long way. I believe the Almighty created women for great things. I applaud my wife, my daughters, and all women who seek to "be all they can be." I cringe to think where I would be without the benefit of the women in my life.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with others.