Newly synthesized slang term referring to an
Orthodox Jewish
lesbian woman. As with most words for denominations of people, including "
dyke" itself, the word can be used as a
slur or with affection and self-mocking.
The recent film
Trembling Before God, a documentary by
Sandi Simcha Dubowski about Gay and Lesbian Orthodox Jews, mentioned an organization called the "
Orthodykes". Apparently it meets regularly in a number of U.S. cities.
While female (as opposed to male)
homosexuality is not condemned in the
written Torah, Orthodox Judaism has never been about the written Torah, but rather the
oral one. (Ha ha, oral...) So within mainstrem orthodoxy, lesbianism is looked down upon as unnatural, immoral and licentious. Orthodyke women choose nonetheless to observe its
rituals. See:
Do Orthodox Jewish lesbian couples practice "family purity"?