According to its website, Footsteps provides educational, vocational, professional, social, and legal support to those seeking to enter or explore the world beyond the insular ultra-Orthodox communities in which they were raised. Some people from the Haredi and Hasidic communities who choose to enter mainstream America may feel like "cultural immigrants". They may face cultural disorientation and isolation, coupled with a lack of practical and marketable skills. Founded in December 2003, Footsteps aims to assist individuals who choose to make this difficult transition. Individuals frequently refer to themselves as "off the derech", or OTD, reclaiming the dismissive term given to leavers by members of the ultra-Orthodox communities they have left.
History
Footsteps was founded in December 2003, by Malkie Schwartz, a former Chabad Hasid from Crown Heights, while enrolled as a student at Hunter College in New York City. According to Schwartz, 20 people showed up to the first meeting, announced on flyers around the Hunter campus and through word of mouth. Footsteps began as an informal social group, and soon developed an educational study group and a sex education and relationships group, members finding they had been denied access to basic sex education instruction within the Haredi community. As the organization grew, it became a 501 non-profit, with a broad remit of support and education for ex-Haredi Jewish individuals. Footsteps can also provide counseling, and has partnered with New York Legal Assistance Group to provide legal assistance and advice in divorce and custody cases. As of summer 2015, Footsteps has a permanent staff of 10, a membership of over 1000, and an annual budget in excess of $1 million. Its current director is Lani Santo. The organization's program director is Chani Getter.
Activities
Footsteps provides an array of services for its members. The Footsteps offices are known as "The Space", and are situated at an unpublicized location, due to privacy concerns. They contain a computer lab, library, meeting space, kitchenette, and lounge, where members can work and hang out. Members gather for various groups, events, and workshops on topics including dating and sexuality, navigating the college admissions process, career advancement, and painting. Footsteps also holds several annual events, which are open to members and guests. Events include: Thanksgiving dinner, Passover Potluck, and an annual camping trip. Since 2009, "Footsteps Celebrates" has been held each year in June, to celebrate graduations, accomplishments, and leadership roles. During the summer months of 2012, Footsteps organized a weekly soccer game in Prospect Park. During winter, an indoor game of basketball took place bi-weekly. Footsteps has also holds annual art shows in which it exhibits works by Footsteps members.
Footsteps has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, PBS, NBC, and many others. The book Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels by Hella Winston relates the story of the founder of Footsteps and some of those who have gone through the organization as part of their journey to leave the Haredi and Hasidic communities. The National Geographic program, "Inside Hasidism", included a segment about Footsteps and some of its members. The 2017 documentary, One of Us, referenced Footsteps repeatedly.
