Netflix’s newest miniseries Unorthodox follows the story of a young Hasidic Jewish woman who was born in a tight-knight Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York. Fleeing from an arranged marriage, the woman ends up in Berlin, Germany trying to escape the harsh realities of her past that continues to follow her.

Based on a true story, the young woman, named “Esty,” finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage at a young age. Struggling with her body’s rejection to intimacy, Esty becomes overwhelmed with the pressures from the community to become pregnant just shortly after being married. After finally becoming pregnant, Esty is determined to escape her marriage and the community she felt confined to for Berlin, Germany where her mother had been living.

Berlin represents a new beginning for Esty. She creates a new life for herself in Germany and befriends music students, ultimately leading her to secure an audition with a prominent music school. Confident in the woman she was becoming as well as the life she had created, all of it comes to crashing stop when her husband “Yanky” comes to Berlin to bring her back to New York and the Hasidic Jewish community.

What makes Esty’s departure from New York and the Hasidic Jewish community so significant is the fact that Hasidic Jewish communities are highly traditional and extremely tight-knit. It’s rare for anyone to leave the community for a secular life, and those who choose to are almost always excommunicated from their family.

The Netflix series is based on Deborah Feldman’s 2012 memoir titled Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots which uncovers Feldman’s Satmar upbringing in a Williamsburg Hasidic Jewish community where every aspect of her life was governed by enforced customs. From what she was allowed to wear ,what she able to read, even the language she spoke, Feldman’s rebellion and journey to self discovery began after she found herself in a dysfunctional marriage and pregnant.  Realizing she wanted a better life for her child, Feldman planned her escape from the community. One of the main differences between the series and Feldman’s memoir was the fact that Esty’s escape from the community was immediate, verses Feldman’s whose escape was gradual over time.

Actress Shira Haas, who stars as Esty in the series, gave a memorizing performance while she told Feldman’s thrilling story of strength, identity, and perseverance.

Check out the series trailer below.

https://youtu.be/-zVhRId0BTw