Chasidic Womens' Voices Reverberate in Rock Band (For Women Only)

What's new in Brooklyn? An all-female Chasidic Indie Rock group called Bulletproof Stockings.

Yeah. Right. 

No, we're not kidding! Pianist and lead singer Perl Wolf, percussionist Dalia Shusterman and guitarist Miriam Brosseau have combined their talents to write and perform a collection of songs influenced by Hasidic, classical, rhythm & blues, and indie rock music.

Why "Bulletproof Stockings"? You probably guessed right. It's an inside joke. Read on.

As Yonit Tanenbaum wrote in a press release for the group,

The walls of the concert hall nestled on a small side street in Brooklyn reverberate with the solid beats produced by a five-piece maple wood drum set. Lead singer and songwriter Perl Wolfe's warm voice rises and falls as her fingers dance gracefully across her Yamaha keyboard. The expressions on the faces of the all-female audience exude their intense enjoyment of the performance.

No one would have guessed that here in Park Slope, a Brooklyn neighborhood filled with brownstones, quaint cafés, avid bicyclists, and streets bathed in the shadows of overgrown trees, an all-female Hasidic rock concert was taking place in a below-street-level synagogue-turned-music-café. Perhaps it's less surprising now than it would have been in years past; 2012 has brought with it a new sensationalized curiosity into the lifestyle of Hasidic Judaism, inspired by the likes of crossover artists such as Matisyahu. But even in today's anything-goes environment, the idea of an all-female Hasidic rock n' roll band still manages to raise eyebrows.

Introducing: Bulletproof Stockings -- Hasidic Judaism fused with alternative rock.

With lyrics such as "I followed you all the way down to the top" and "It's better to be outside looking in than to be inside looking out," 25-year-old Wolfe shares some of her deepest feelings and emotions blended with personal experiences and life lessons with her exceptionally diverse audience. Her songs and live performances speak to the souls of her fans, consisting of people across the spectrum of religions, ethnicities, ages and cultural backgrounds, but who have one thing in common: they are all searching for an authentic sound that truly expresses their needs, desires, goals and frustrations, and provides them with much-needed inspiration.

Bulletproof Stockings, whose name is drawn from the tongue-in-cheek description of the opaque tights worn by many ultra-modest Hasidic women, is quite unique in its makeup and message. The percussionist, Dalia G. Shusterman, says the name forms a juxtaposition whose message is meant to celebrate religious Jewish women and womanhood in general, "as well as get a bit of a laugh at a freshly owned inside joke" -- which could appear to be offensive toward the ultra-Orthodox.

"We are not making fun," Wolfe explained to the all-female crowd consisting of both non-Jews and Jews, observant and non-observant, during the opening of a recent concert at Café Bnei in Park Slope, Brooklyn. "We are Hasidic women. Stockings represent femininity. And we, the women, are bulletproof -- a force to be reckoned with. We are going to change the world!" Her declaration was met with resounding applause.

The name connotes an underlying contrast in daily life. "Everything in the world is a contrast, a balance between good and evil, dark and light. Being a Hasidic woman means not just holding on to customs from back in the day, but living in the here-and-now -- bringing those customs into our daily lives to make the world a better place and creating balance, harmony."

If you can't catch one of their performances in Brooklyn, or if you happen to be male, you can still listen to their songs on their myspace page, or download their MP3 album at Amazon.com.

Here's a video of another of Bulletproof Stockings' original songs, Day by Day. Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)