Chani Getter

Chani Getter is an American counselor and interfaith minister focusing on those leaving the Haredi Jewish community and those in transition. They are also an activist and educator who supports the LGBTQ community.

Their life and work has been featured in two documentary films, DevOUT (2012) and One of Us (2017).

Early life

Chani Getter was born into a Haredi Jewish family affiliated with the Nikolsburg-Monsey Hasidic community, and was legally married off by their family at the age of seventeen.[1] Getter had three children over the next five years, before coming out as gay, a story that was covered in the documentary film devOUT[2] and also featured in a PBS documentary television show, Religious & Ethics Newsweekly.[3] They later left their husband with their children, which resulted in divorce. Getter then became a part of the Jewish Renewal movement, and maintained their Orthodox observances for some time.[4][5] They have been critical of the insular nature of Hasidic communities in New York City.[6]

Career

Getter was previously the program director at Footsteps, which aids former Haredi Jewish people enter mainstream society,[7][8] including those exiting to follow their natural sexual preferences.[9] Their work as a life coach and counselor was featured in the documentary film One of Us. They have also facilitated an LGBTQ women's support group for Keshet.[10][11][12]

References

  1. ^ "The harsh reality awaiting Hasidic Jews who leave their community behind". Haaretz. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  2. ^ ""DevOUT"— a new film about Orthodox Gay Jews (from Tablet Magazine)". December 19, 2011.
  3. ^ "May 10, 2013 ~ Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism - May 10, 2013 - Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly - PBS". PBS. May 10, 2013.
  4. ^ "Haredi and Out of the Closet". The Forward. September 10, 2009.
  5. ^ "Gay Jews Struggle in the Orthodox World". Tablet Magazine.
  6. ^ Zarum, Lara (October 16, 2017). "Netflix's One of Us Reveals the Fight of Hasidic Jews to Break From the Sect". LA Weekly.
  7. ^ Otterman, Sharon (May 25, 2018). "When Living Your Truth Can Mean Losing Your Children". The New York Times.
  8. ^ West, Melanie Grayce (August 12, 2014). "Formerly Orthodox, and Struggling for Parental Rights". The Wall Street Journal.
  9. ^ "'You Will Lose Your Entire Family': Inside The Struggle To Come Out In Ultra-Orthodox Judaism". Gothamist. Archived from the original on February 25, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  10. ^ "'One of Us': Film Review - TIFF 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. September 10, 2017.
  11. ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (October 19, 2017). "Review: 'One of Us', a Portrait of Starting a New Life". The New York Times.
  12. ^ "Breaking Up: Why Is Leaving Religion So Hard? Hasidic". Godzooks: The Faith in Facts Blog. May 19, 2018.