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OTD: Leaving Religion

Moshe Krakowski: Why Jews Leave Faith Behind

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SUMMARY

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In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, talk to Moshe Krakowski, a professor at Yeshiva University, about his work on Attrition and Connection in American Orthodox Judaism, the OU’s study on what we crassly call “OTD.”

Dr. Krakowski takes us “under the hood” of those who leave their religious communities to show us what factors lead Jews to leave faith behind. In this episode we discuss: 
  • Why do so many of us choose the countercultural life of Orthodox Judaism?
  • What leads someone to leave a religious community—or seek out a more insular one?
  • How do we create a Jewish world that is sticky, rich, and spiritually nourishing?
Tune in to hear a conversation about why we leave Jewish communities and, maybe more importantly, why we stay.

Interview begins at 9:29.

Moshe Krakowski is a professor at the Azrieli Graduate School for Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University, where he also directs Azrieli’s doctoral program. He studies American Haredi education and culture, focusing on the relationship between communal worldview, identity, and education. He also works on curriculum, cognition, and inquiry learning in Jewish educational settings.

References:

18Forty’s OTD Archive

“Passing Through” by David Bashevkin

Attrition and Connection in American Orthodox Judaism by Dr. Moshe Krakowski, Dr. Rachel Ginsberg, Aliza Goldstein, Abby Nadritch, Joshua Schoenberg, and Akiva Schuck

“Yiddishe Taavos” by Motty Ilowitz

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