Bracha Jaffe | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988 (age 36–37) Brooklyn, New York, US |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Website | brachajaffe |
Bracha Jaffe is an AmericanOrthodox Jewish singer.[1]
Jaffe began playingpiano at four years old and would sing as well. She later auditioned for Malky Giniger's Voices of Youth Choir. In high school, she taught piano and gave voice lessons.[2]
Jaffe began performing for local women’s events as a pregnant newlywed innursing school.[3] In line withOrthodox Jewish law, Jaffe sings only with an all-female band and plays only for all-female audiences. She also makes hersocial media accounts available only for female visitors.[4]
Jaffe was scheduled to perform in concert on January 15, 2023 atHackney Empire in London. In late 2022, various religious authorities banned girls from local Jewish schools from attending the event, and the Vaad L'maan Tohar Machneinu ("group for the purity of our camp") branch of theUnion of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations (UOHC) stated they "[endorse] and [support] this decision" to ban the concert, citing fears of "spiritual harm inruchniyus [spirituality] andhashkafa [Jewish ethos]".[5][6] In response, Jaffe said "Our girls need healthykosher music, healthy kosher entertainment that will bring them closer to God. [...] I only want to be a positive role model.".[5][6] In a video message, she said that she was "greatly saddened" by the controversy but nevertheless hoped to have "an emotional and spiritual connection" with fans at the concert.[5] Reportedly, some women only attended the concert after hearing about the ban.[6]
Jaffe was raised inBoro Park,Brooklyn,New York and lives there with her husband and five children. For a time, she lived inFar Rockaway.[4] She is anurse practitioner.[7]