Yetzia bish'eila

Yetzia bish'eila (Hebrew: יְצִיאָה בִּשְׁאֵלָה‎, lit. "leaving with a question") is the Israeli term for leaving a religion, usually Judaism, to lead a secular life-style, or a life-style adhering significantly less to religion. It is sometimes also called chazara bish'ela ("return with a question"); both terms are attempted reversals of the term chazara bit'shuva (lit. "return with repentance", the word for repentance being the same as the word for answer), which refers to the opposite act: becoming religious. In Israel, the term for Jews who are non-observant is Hiloni.

Many yotz'im bish'ela (pl. noun for those who leave their religion) face ostracism from their original community. Mainstream secular education, social interaction with non-Chareidi people, outside literature, TV and internet are generally prohibited, which means that many are unprepared for life in the "outside world".

Famous people who left the Jewish religion or became less observant include Elisha ben Abuyah, Baruch Spinoza, Sholom Aleichem, Yosef Haim Brenner , Micha Josef Berdyczewski, Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Haim Cohn, Ahad Ha'am and Mendele Mocher Sforim.

See also

• Apostasy
• Baal teshuva
• Footsteps
• Haskalah
• Religious disaffiliation
• hiloni

External links

• Hillel Organization in Israel to assist those wishing to leave the chareidi community
• Freedror Organization that helps those wishing to integrate in the wider community.
• Footsteps organization Organization based in New York that gives emotional support and provides education for those who left or want to leave their ultra-orthodox community.

[1] MA Thesis in English on Leaving Haredi (Ultra Orthodox) Judaism