I’m Rachelle Dickstein. Born in 1982, I grew up in Be’er Sheva in the Chabad movement. The process of disaffiliating took me five years, from when I was 18 to 23. I first heard about Hillel from a friend who had also split from extreme Orthodoxy, and on his recommendation, I made the call. I received a scholarship through Hillel, and today I’m a language and literature editor, as well as an author. I have plans to move forward, develop in my field and write more plays and books. The most important recommendation I have for anyone thinking of leaving ultra-Orthodoxy is: Don’t go through it alone!