Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots

Deborah is the narrator and author of this autobiographical account. Writing from the first-person perspective, her narration begins with her as a young girl living in the Satmar Hasidic Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and ends in the Afterword with her living in Berlin, Germany. The account focuses on her journey from adolescence to adulthood, which mirrors her journey out of the ultra-orthodox community.

As a child, she considered herself to be different from her peers and family: she loved reading books, was inquisitive about certain subjects, and participated in mischievous acts that she knew were not allowed. Her family structure set her apart as well: she was one of the few people she knew growing up who did not have the steady presence of both a mother and a father. As she transitioned into adulthood, she also experienced an inward transition: the feeling that she wanted to leave her community. She was generally drawn to people who were independent thinkers and challenged the pervasive traditions of the community, and she recognized when people are more interested in pleasing the community than doing the right thing. Her knowledge and love of English helped her receive employment as an English teacher after she graduated high school.