Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman is a 2012 coming-of-age memoir about growing up in an insular, religious community. The account is written as a stream-of-conscious recollection, a style that Feldman discusses in her Afterword. The book was adapted into the 2020 Netflix miniseries Unorthodox. This study guide uses the 2012 edition from Simon & Schuster.

Summary

Deborah lives in the Satmar Hasidic Jewish community in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, with her grandparents, Bubby and Zeidy. Her mother left when she was young, and her father suffers from mental health problems. Growing up in a rigid and religious community, she recognizes that she is different; she questions many of the rules and traditions, does not easily conform to her community’s standards, and enjoys participating in mischievous acts. She secretly begins to read English books, expanding both her language skills and knowledge of the world. By the time she approaches the end of high school, she realizes that she wants to leave Williamsburg and explore the world.

As is the custom in her community, she is matched for marriage at 17. Although she is at first optimistic that her husband, Eli, will allow her the freedoms she seeks, she soon realizes that he is more interested in a wife who prioritizes her household duties. The relationship is fraught with strife, such as difficulty in consummating their marriage and lack of communication. After she eventually becomes pregnant, Deborah and Eli decide to move from Williamsburg to Airmont, where they raise their son, Yitzy. Deborah begins to secretly change her life, ultimately leaving the Hasidic community and finding her authentic self. Since publishing this account, which received backlash from the ultra-orthodox community, she continues to advocate for women’s and children’s rights. She now lives in Berlin.