Off the Derech is the phrase used within the Orthodox Jewish community to describe those who have left Jewish observance.

Using questionnaires, extensive interviews with psychologists and rabbis, and her Off The Derech website, the author reveals the multi-layered reasons for the defection of so many observant Jews from Judaism. At the same time, she presents solutions to this growing problem, thereby creating an invaluable handbook for parents, teachers and rabbis.

Each chapter of this well-researched book deals with a different element of the "Off the Derech" syndrome as it explains, in detail, how parents can reach children who have become alienated and disaffected from their culture and their people.

Sample chapters include:

• How Big is the Problem?
• Dispelling the Myths: Assimilation, Then and Now
  
• Rejection
• Imposing Religion: Free Choice and Conditional Love
• Who are the Parents?
• Understanding and Dealing with Rebellion
• Implementing Observance: The Role of Community
• Narrow Definitions of Observance
• Those Who Return Again