Deborah Feldman

Deborah Feldman is a German-American author best known for "Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots," a 2012 memoir detailing her departure from the ultra-Orthodox Satmar Jewish community in Brooklyn. Born in 1986, Feldman was raised in a strict religious environment, where she struggled with the limitations placed on women. Her memoir, which became a New York Times bestseller, chronicled her journey toward self-liberation and independence. In 2020, "Unorthodox" was adapted into a critically acclaimed Netflix miniseries, further amplifying her story to a global audience.

After leaving the Satmar community, Feldman relocated to Berlin, Germany, where she continues writing about identity, belonging, and personal transformation. Her second book, "Exodus," explored her post-Satmar life and search for a new sense of home. She revisited and significantly expanded her story in "Exodus, Revisited" in 2021.

Her first German-language novel, "Judenfetisch" was published in 2023.

Through her writing and public speaking, Feldman has become a prominent voice on issues of religious freedom, feminism, and personal reinvention, offering insight into the complexities of leaving insular communities and forging a new path. Her work has been translated into Hebrew, Polish, Dutch and German.