Media links

Two people who share a common experience meet for the first time. Each has a gift for the other - an object that unlocks their story. With the help of presenter Catherine Carr, they exchange personal experiences and uncover the differences between them.
Emily and John both grew up in strict religious communities where centuries old traditions are preserved in the modern world. Religious laws governed everything from their clothes to their diet. Each community maintained a degree of separation from the ‘secular’ world.

What is it like to break away from a strict religious community? Emily grew up in the Hasidic Jewish community, known for its religious conservatism and social seclusion, but left with her children following a difficult divorce. She tells her story to Emma.

When Miriam left the Hasidic Jewish community she had to say goodbye to her parents, siblings and children. The night she fled she knew she would be ostracised. But didn’t realise that six years on she would still be untangling herself from a series of complex financial arrangements which risk her going to prison. File on Four tells the story of this extraordinary woman which puts the financial affairs of one of the most guarded and insular religious communities under the spotlight. A judge has ruled Miriam acted under undue influence from religious and community leaders. How widespread are these practices? And why have they gone unchecked for so long?

Faith Or Family - 6th December 2016

Listen on BBC Sounds - 38 minutes

What happens when individuals try to leave Britain's Hasidic Jewish community? Strictly-orthodox Jews live by 19th-century traditions in a modern world. But there are some who struggle with this way of life. In this documentary, two people reveal what happened to them once they made the decision to leave - a decision that meant letting go of everything they knew. This is a story about sacrifice and tradition, and a clash between two worlds

Podcast from "Sunday" 11/9/2016

The "Sunday" religious program transmitted on 11 Sept 2016 on BBC Radio 4, contained an item about the £1m fund-raising effort in Stamford Hill, to be used in family court cases where on parent chooses to leave the community and wishes to maintain contact with his or her children.

Meet Emily Green, a mother of 5 who made the brave decision to leave the Ultra Orthodox Hasidic (Jewish) community of Stamford Hill in London, England. In this video she shares her story and the struggles she endured during and after leaving the insular world of Hasidic Judaism.

The Family Survival Trust event, March 10, 2020, at University Women's Club. Featuring three talks by Emily Green, Ste Richardsson and Jacky Hart about their cult experiences and their subsequent activism.