Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots

Deborah Feldman

Feb 2012 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Now a Netflix original series!

Unorthodox is the bestselling memoir of a young Jewish woman’s escape from a religious sect, in the tradition of Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Infidel and Carolyn Jessop’s Escape, featuring a new epilogue by the author.

As a member of the strictly religious Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism, Deborah Feldman grew up under a code of relentlessly enforced customs governing everything from what she could wear and to whom she could speak to what she was allowed to read. Yet in spite of her repressive upbringing, Deborah grew into an independent-minded young woman whose stolen moments reading about the empowered literary characters of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott helped her to imagine an alternative way of life among the skyscrapers of Manhattan. Trapped as a teenager in a sexually and emotionally dysfunctional marriage to a man she barely knew, the tension between Deborah’s desires and her responsibilities as a good Satmar girl grew more explosive until she gave birth at nineteen and realized that, regardless of the obstacles, she would have to forge a path—for herself and her son—to happiness and freedom.

Remarkable and fascinating, this “sensitive and memorable coming-of-age story” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) is one you won’t be able to put down.

Ratings and reviews

As a Chassidik, mother of 4, by choice, who ran from the non relIgious way of life, at the young age of 8, to my religious father and stepmother, I'm appalled and surprised at how many uneducated people there are. At first glance, as you start reading, I agree, that if you know nothing about the ultra orthodox lifestyles and customs, you may think of this book as a story of a young woman's struggle to live in the "jailed" community of Satmar, when in truth she escaped from Airmont NY. Too many lies.

Full of lies & embarrassing stories she writes .. im sure that there is religion domination going on among the community.. .but saying stories that r full of lies makes her book worthless just trying to get fame at all cost.... what goes around comes around....enjoy ur future life

Deborah has zero credibility to give an objective portrayal of the hasidim, she is obviously biased by her desire for revenge against a community that seemingly abandoned her. There's a blog out there dedicated to exposing the many lies and libels contained in this book. Search deborah-feldman-exposed.

About the author

Deborah Feldman was raised in the Satmar Hasidic community in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. She lives in Berlin with her son.