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I can't even count the number of times the Torah talks about how important cheap plastics are to their way of life.

I'm don't know any ultra-Orthodox but do have several friends/family that keep kosher, and all of them are satisfied with just keeping two sets of dishes (although some just have one set and are satisfied that washing them count).

The disposable dishes, cooking in foil, and such comes up when they visit someone like me who does not maintain a kosher kitchen (and even then, only one family actualy cares enough; but, as I said, they are not ultra Orthodox)

How can it be, it's millions of microplastic particles. Am I wrong? Those single use plastics produce a ton of microplastics, right?

It’s not really a question of antisemitism - this is a kerfuffle between Jewish groups.

The ultra orthodox in Israel are on a whole new level of Judaism with prescribed clothing, hairstyles, foods, language, sabbath rules, and marriage practices. Many in-groups around the world insulate themselves by creating all these little divides with the out-group. “Oh no, you can’t eat with them - their food is contaminated and dirty. Of course you can’t marry one of them!”

So there’s quite a cultural divide between them and every other Jewish person there, many of whom are devout but live a modern lifestyle, and many of whom are just cultural members of Judaism, citizens of Israel, and not religious at all.

The reason disposable cookware is a division point has to do, I expect, with keeping kosher / observing the sabbath. Kosher isn’t just for food - a plate or spoon can be kosher to use or not, depending on whether it has ever touched anything “unclean.” Single-use plastics new from the box have never touched anything. And washing dishes counts as doing work (a sabbath tabboo) but dropping a plastic plate in the trash might not count. Hence: anything that affects single-use plastics may have an acute impact on the orthodox because they believe they need these things to adhere to their religious and cultural prohibitions.

I’m not justifying, just explaining. I think this shit is cuckoo.

Durable reusable utensils are wayyyy cheaper in the long run than disposable.

For real, I could go get a basic stamped set of metal utensils from Walmart for less than 50¢ each. They would look like cheap diner utensils, but I’d never need to spend that money again. And besides, if I’m using plastic utensils, I’m probably not worried about my stuff looking like it came from a diner. Instead of spending $10 on a pack of single use plastic utensils, I could get a full set of silverware.

Wut? With that many people you can very efficiently distribute the work load and get things done a lot faster than one person living alone can do the equivalent amount of housework.

While I agree, this is orthodoxy we’re talking about. I can almost guarantee that the mother and daughters are the ones who default to doing all the housework and homemaking. Orthodox Judaism doesn’t enforce straight up tradwife roles, but it often sits across the table and swaps notes.

$10 says the "disproportional usage" is largely tied to them not "working" on the Sabbath and using disposable utensils as a loophole.

I'm guessing strict gender rules about who does the washing up and a very zealous interpretation of ritual purity rules has something to do with the preference for disposables, as well.

Whether that falls under self-righteously lazy, I'll leave as an exercise for the reader.

You can get a family pack of metal utensils at the dollar store for like $5

Orthodox Judaism is only a couple hundred years let alone a couple thousand. It's a modern practice and it's ultra orthodox subsect is barely older than scientology.

Religion is not so much a choice, it is a conviction. If you believe in God and his laws, then you have to observe them as good as possible.

That is also not the point here. Jews did just fine without single use plastic for thousands of years. There is no religious reason as to why they need that stuff. I am not familiar enough with the specifics of Judaism to say for sure, but i would expect that the preparation for and work that is left over after the Sabbath is part of the concept.

So just leave the dishes and clean them the next day.

Yes they have. Also "Orthodox" is a quite difficult term in regards to Judaism. "Orthodox" Jews outside of Israel are among the strongest critics, as Israel is a direct violation of Gods command for Jews to remain in exile until the Messiah appears. (According to Jewish scripture). The Zionist "Orthodox" are already quite selective of which parts of their faith they emphasize and in which they are "flexible".