At the end of World War II, there were only a few thousand ultra-Orthodox Jews in the United States, mostly living in New York City. Seventy years later, the numbers have grown to around two hundred thousand in New York alone. Most of the expansion came from natural growth and large families. Emerging at the same time was a community of mostly young men and women who decided to leave ultra-Orthodoxy. Withdrawing from any strict religious community is not simple: it requires a dramatic change in lifestyle and, as a result, one might find oneself cut off from family and friends.
“Off the Derech” (OTD) means off the righteous path. This term describes those who have departed the fold of ultra-Orthodox Judaism. With the rise of OTDs, public awareness has also grown. Several academic monographs describe this community and some members have written memoirs that became best sellers. The hit...
University of California Press