Rachel was raised in Israel by Canadian parents who converted to strict Orthodox Judaism as adults. Girls were taught from a very young age that their primary purpose was to become wives and mothers, and the culture emphasized conformity, modesty, and obedience. Rachel explains how these systems created strong psychological pressure, particularly around purity culture, body image, and social behavior, while also framing outsiders and even other Jewish groups as morally inferior. At 18, after only a few weeks of dating, she became engaged to a man who fit the religious and cultural criteria expected of her, despite lingering doubts and emotional attachment to someone else. Watch our follow up live stream with Rachel: https://www.youtube.com/live/X4Y-Wnr5UtM?si=huI9eDePpuYw-7U_ Watch our recent panel with 4 Former Ultra Orthodox women: https://youtu.be/z57-ezTPwU8?si=RpDJsQlWCG4ct-pL Find and support Rachel! IG: @permissiontobeyourself https://www.instagram.com/permissiontobeyourself Subscribe to our C2C "CLIPS" Channel! https://www.youtube.com/@CultstoConsciousnessClips Support C2C - Any donations are welcome and appreciated to support the making of this podcast. Find our FULL (uncensored) merch store here! https://cults-to-consciousness-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cultstoconsciousness Venmo @sheliseann Find us on Social media! Instagram @cultstoconsciousness https://www.instagram.com/cultstoconsciousness Host Instagram @sheliseann https://www.instagram.com/sheliseann/ Co Producer / Host @jonathan.rosales_ https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.rosales_ TikTok @cults.to.consciousness https://www.tiktok.com/@cults.to.consciousness Twitter @cultstocon https://twitter.com/cultstocon 00:04:15 How Raquel's parents got involved 00:11:16 Growing up in Israel 00:15:31 Modest dress rules 00:28:47 Education 00:30:02 Moving to Canada 00:37:25 Matchmaking 00:45:13 Marriage 01:08:51 Birth experience 01:21:47 Post divorce 01:31:55 What brings Raquel joy now 01:33:31 The effect of leaving on her chiIdren 01:36:57 Linda, listen **Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. This podcast provides a platform for guests to share their personal experiences and opinions. The views expressed are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or producers. Any allegations discussed are unverified and represent personal accounts only. All individuals mentioned are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. The podcast assumes no legal responsibility for statements made by guests.**