Ep 4: Across The River, Worlds Away

People Place Power

For Abby Stein, home was the insulated Hasidic neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She came from a lineage of prominent religious figures, and grew up speaking mostly Yiddish, avoiding any and all pop culture, and believing that most of the world was Ultra-Orthodox Jewish. Eventually, she was ordained as a Rabbi and started a family.

The only problem? Everyone thought she was a man.

In this episode, we'll hear about Abby's experiences as an author, model, speaker, rabbi, and the first openly transgender woman raised in a Hasidic community. She'll tell us how she left her home and her family and learned to live a vastly different life only a short subway ride away. We'll explore how Abby is pursuing change in her community from the outside.

To support people who are considering leaving their religious communities, donate to Footsteps, the non-profit that helped Abby. Read more and support our work at www.peopleplacepower.com.