I'll bite
Note: I will follow up with some of my sources locations once I am home as I do not have access to them at work.
Ms. Feldman's issue is not uncommon, nor is it new. There are some groups within Orthodox Jewry who repress sexuality, usually as a means of protecting the "innocent", more or less a way to combat some of the current views on sex and sexuality and affecting the community. Truth be told, almost all groups/sects within the Orthodox community do it to some extent.
As far as the community that she grew up in, some of their practices are questionable, if not outright in conflict with Jewish law:
Many Hasidic sects, Satmar especially, took some extreme measures to stem the loss of young men and women to the enlightenment(circa late 1800's to early 1900's), some of their more extreme *current* practices were borne from that era.
For example, while a married Jewish woman has the requirement to cover her hair and dress modestly in
public, their practice of shaving their heads is wrong, and has been called out by several mainstream Orthodox leaders.
The concept of modesty in Judaism does not stem from the idea of repressing women, or treating them as second class citizens. The goal is that a women is modest in public so that she does not have to be in private with her husband[1], essentially preserving that which is special between them, and not "cheapening" it by displaying it to the world.
That said, sex and sexuality has sadly become a taboo subject in the Orthodox world. Unlike some of the prevailing views of sex as "just another bodily function", in Judaism, sex is a special act between a husband and wife, Maimonides[2] states that the revelation that occurs in the bedroom is as great as the one at Sinai. A man is required to give his wife three things, one of them being sex[3], if he refuses, the courts send several strong men over to his dwelling, and they tie him to a chair and beat him with brambles until he either acquiesces or gives her a divorce[4].
While the importance of the act has been cheapened by wanton lust and Western ideals, the Orthodox communities efforts to protect themselves from it have only made the situation worse by making sexuality what it isn't according to Jewish law...
Quote:
When she was twelve, she suffered a sexual assault, which she kept hidden because she had been taught that men's lust was ungovernable.
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First things first: the reporting and handling of sexual abuse in the Orthodox community, especially in some of the Hasidic communities is a massive problem[5]. The issue is a complex one, as there are laws regarding turning in a fellow Jew to secular authorities[6], much of the law and interpretation around it was when doing so meant a certain death for that individual. In this day and age, when NOT doing so will do more harm, these laws need to be revisited. The good news is that there are community leaders and organizations that are making headway in this area. I recently attended a very informative presentation at my daughters school regarding this issue, and her class was given a similar presentation by a social worker with over 30 years of experience in dealing with abuse and abuse victims.
As far as "men's lust was ungovernable", that is complete bullsh*t. There is no place in Jewish law that I know of which permits a man to do whatever he pleases. In fact, there are several negative commandments regarding prostitution. If anything, controlling those lusts is paramount as sexual purity is a cornerstone of Judaism.
[1]Rambam, Mishnah Torah, Kedushah
[2]Rambam, Mishnah Torah
[3]Rambam, Mishnah Torah, Nashim, 1:12:2
[4]Talmud, Sanhedrin
[5]http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/orthodox_sex_abuse_scandal_Vzaqd3TbKtikUv0h6b3clI
[6] Moser and Malshin(translated: one who gives over and one who snitches)