Freidom, originally OTD Meetup, is a non-profit organization based in New York City that hosts social and cultural events for

former A former is an object, such as a template, gauge or cutting die, which is used to form something such as a boat's hull. Typically, a former gives shape to a structure that may have complex curvature. A former may become an integral part of the ...

Haredi Haredi Judaism (, ) is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that is characterized by its strict interpretation of religious sources and its accepted (Jewish law) and traditions, in opposition to more accommodating values and practices. Its members are ...

Jews in a dozen cities throughout the US and Canada.

History and Mission

Freidom was founded as OTD Meetup by Gene Steinberg, himself a former

Satmar Satmar (; ) is a group in Hasidic Judaism founded in 1905 by Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum (1887–1979), in the city of Szatmárnémeti (also called Szatmár in the 1890s), Kingdom of Hungary, Hungary (now Satu Mare in Romania). The group is a b ...

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

Jew raised in Kiryas Joel, NY, inspired by the suicide of his close friend and former Haredi Rachel Nove in 2010, to create a supportive environment for people of such background during their transition into mainstream society, which can be isolating, and to introduce them to new cultural experiences. In 2012, the first events were Shabbos meals and gatherings. Steinberg changed the name in 2019 to Freidom – ''Frei'' being the

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

word for free – to reflect its members' choice to free themselves from the idea that there is only one path to follow.

Activities

Freidom holds almost 200 events annually in twelve United States and Canadian cities. These include outings to museums, the

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...

sporting events Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in a ...

, movies, and restaurants, as well as gatherings and virtual meetups. In 2019, Freidom launched its annual "Freifest" festival, which was attended in its first year by around 95 people.

Membership

In 2019, Freidom had a reported membership of 1,300. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the organization saw a significant rise in membership and a 50% increase in participation in events, a result of a wave of religious laxity and disaffiliation caused by various aspects of the pandemic.

Allegations

In September 2023, New York based ex-Hasidic support organization Footsteps sent a letter via email to its members stating it had cut ties with Freidom and would no longer promote their events, due to allegations by Footsteps members of lack of safety at Freidom events. Freidom responded in a statement that it could not address the allegations due to the vagueness of the statement.

References

{{Reflist Secular Jewish culture in North America Secular Jewish culture in Canada Disengagement from religion Non-profit organizations based in the United States Haredi Judaism

History and Mission

Activities

Membership

Allegations

See also

References