In this video Ben answers two viewer/reader questions – on why Amish don’t fly in planes, and on Amish in Florida. We also touch on why Amish in his community (Lancaster County) mostly use only scooters – but not bicycles. This puzzles people especially since Amish in Lancaster County generally are among the most progressive when it comes to technology. While Amish in other major…
Stories of Amish and Mennonite people doing outreach projects pop up often in the news. This one caught my eye for a couple of reasons. One is the place where they did the work. But the main reason has to do with how they commemorated the experience. Fixing up a “Deaf Camp” The Amish and Mennonites in this story helped repair what’s called in the…
In this video, Ben and I do a semi-deep dive on the topic of Amish ministers. I quite appreciated this conversation – it was a chance to get his answers to a lot of questions surrounding both choosing ministers, and the experience of being a minister, including: How Amish choose ministers What is “the lot“ Do Amish spouses know who the other has nominated? Ben’s…
On January 8, the first day of the so-called Spring Semester at The Ohio State University, the Department of Near Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures sponsored a very interesting and special presentation by Professor Rivka Neriya-Ben Shahar on “Old Order and Jewish Ultra-Orthodox Women’s Responses to the Media.” Her lecture was built from a comparison of two very distinctive groups by lifestyle and…
I recently sat down with my friend Ben Riehl for a couple of extended conversations on a wide range of topics (more to come). Ben is Old Order Amish, living in Lancaster County. You might remember Ben from previous posts on Amish auctions and how he chooses a horse. So in this clip, a YouTube viewer asked: “Do you know if the Amish believe they…
Jim Halverson checks in with a photo set from a Swartzentruber Amish barn-raising. This took place back in the summer as should be obvious from these photos. If you missed it, we recently took a closer look at the Amish barn-raising via Burton Buller’s excellent film The Amish Barn-Raising Day. In it, we see footage of two separate barn-raisings (in Ohio and in Pennsylvania), done…
On certain things, essentially all Amish agree. Things like wearing plain clothing, not fighting in wars, or closing businesses on Sunday. These are universal across all Amish groups – part of a widely-shared culture, tradition, and belief system. Outlined in each church’s Ordnung are more specific rules and understandings, which will vary. There can be a lot of overlap, as well as variation, on…
From time to time I draw attention to the more eyebrow-raising comments we get here on the site, or on the YouTube channel. They might contain very strong and certain claims about the Amish, or shine a light on popular misconceptions. For example, there was “Utterly NOT an Amish Home!“, or “Why are the Amish using plastic packaging? I am so disappointed.” Today’s entry is…
After 15+ years of writing a blog on the Amish, from time to time I still hear from people who wish to become Amish. I usually advise people to take a look at what is attracting them to want to join the Amish. Often, I suspect, the real reasons have little to do with the Amish at all (more on that below). Often it seems…
In this video I share five reasons people either a) decide not to join the Amish (that is, decide not to be baptized), or b) leave the Amish church after joining. I call it “leaving” in either case (and explain that at the beginning), even though the consequences are different. Not everyone who is born Amish decides to be baptized in the faith. And…