Here's a conversation from a different podcast by the Shalom Hartman Institute called Identity/Crisis, Hosted by Yehuda Kurtzer. In this episode, he interviews Naomi Seidman on the making of Heretic in the House, and some of the ideas behind it.

The crucial moment in so many stories about leaving the Orthodox community is the decision itself, which is frequently portrayed as a painful and heroic act, one that requires tremendous willpower. But leaving rarely works this way; instead, it is a messy and gradual process, one that can leave scars on both the leaver and their community. This episode examines the act of leaving, and whether it is always the leaver who decides that it’s time to go. Episode Credits: Written by Naomi Seidman...

The secular world has a narrative about what it means to leave Orthodox Judaism. The Orthodox world has a narrative, too, one that treats those who leave as pitiful people who were dealt a bad hand in life. This story is so deeply ingrained that even those who leave take it with them, whether they want to or not. What does it mean to shed that self-perception? Episode Credits: Written by Naomi Seidman and Produced by M. Louis Gordon. Recorded by Lucien Lozon at MCS Studios Toronto. Mixed by...

There’s a widespread notion that people who leave Orthodox communities are typically shunned, completely cut off from their families. Even those who leave Orthodox communities believe this. The truth is that it’s not true—but what really happens may not be any less painful. Episode Credits: Written by Naomi Seidman and Produced by M. Louis Gordon. Recorded by Lucien Lozon at MCS Studios Toronto. Mixed by Cory Choy at Silver Sound NYC, with theme music by Luke Allen. Our Senior Producer is...

One of the deep ironies of leaving Orthodox Judaism is that people ask you to tell the story of your exit over and over again. Some people who left even make their living telling that story. Why do people who have no connection to Orthodox Judaism find these stories so interesting, and why does telling the story feel false even when it’s completely true? Episode Credits: Written by Naomi Seidman and Produced by M. Louis Gordon. Recorded by Francois Heroux and Lucien Lozon at MCS Studios...