Thanks so much Melissa for sharing with such an open heart and candor. Here are the links:
https://www.instagram.com/melissaweisz/
https://www.melissaweisz.com/

I was happy to hear that Malky has a good relationship with her family and that they were so supportive of her nonconformity.

Freida you are so kind and gentle. Compassionate in your approach to people. Thank you Melissa for sharing your story

Melissas family is a study in how we all need to behave.

Love this interview. I was pushed out way before leaving was a thing. It was a very lonely experience. It took a lot to build my life up from nothing. I had no real education, nobody on the outside to guide me, I lost my entire family, I had no money, it was so hard. I was cut off. Completely. I didn't really meet people who knew my family until much later. That is an experience that is kind of book-worthy. I love the perspective of "feeling more chasidish" after leaving. I now teach Yiddish, I teach cooking and culture, and embrace my own version of Yiddishkeit that is very different from the way I was raised. Thank you so much for this.

Im the neighbor!! Malky I miss you so much. You were like an older sister (its RY) as you were so often called by your mother malky k ;) I love you!

"Do you know any women who are meek?" "Only in movies!" 🤣🤣🤣
Absolutely finished for that. But seriously, this interview/chat ranks up there with the best of them. It was emotional, it was nuanced, it was funny and there was a lot of joy, empathy and first-class storytelling – so much of it universally relatable. Sh'koyech to you two "tzadeikiyos" – you're both curious, wise and your work brings only light. I could've sat on a couch with you guys for another few hours and never got bored.

Wow her parents were really ahead of their time

I love it that Melissa's dad gave her a bekeshe!  Haha It sounds like her parents stretched some to try and meet who she was and was becoming, which is lovely, and caring. It's fantastic that she still has strong family connections and lives as she wishes. I recognize that in some Chassidic families, they can't let go of their treasured ideals for their children and it ends up being eternal conflict or complete alienation.

Malky has such great insight.

What a powerful message! Melissa’s honesty and genuine love for her former husband is remarkable! It is interesting how much they loved each other!

Another wonderful interview--I watched part of it 'live" and then again here. There is so much packed into this very rich interview. Listening to Melissa describe her engagement, marriage, and then her decision to leave was very touching. It was a stark contrast to what you beautifully described in your very emotionally raw video (“He wouldn’t look at me,” October 26, 2025) when you shared your feelings following your own “get” or religious divorce. Yours and Melissa’s experiences were markedly different, and I felt sad. Then, toward the end of the video, Melissa commented, “Whose lives aren’t messy?” Well, I couldn’t agree more. Frieda, thank you for your gift of storytelling. And thank you, Melissa, for sharing your story.❤

At the very end of the conversation Mellisa spoke about men helping with child rearing.
As a doula working with very frim  intensely Chassidish families.
I’m the one who gets to see the husbands who leave the room for the actual birth.They challiash for their wives to be done and completely covered up. So they can come back in and stand close . They go crazy for their wives golden hr to be over so they can finally get to hold the baby. The Brochos that I get from men who will not directly look at me … thanking me for helping their wife …. Because it’s soo hard for them that they can’t . Their love for their wife and their newborn is so immense . These are men that our melting when it’s baby number 8.

I'm only part of the way through but had to share such a similar yet different experience asking a nun at my Catholic high school 'why do we think we're right?' in terms of religion. There are so many people all over the world with different experiences, so how could we possibly hold not sharing our religion against them? This nun had a response that I don't think was incompatible with Melissa's dad's - that there is truth in all religions, but that we practice ours because we believe it to be 'the truest truth.' I'm much less religious now but still appreciate that she took my question seriously and gave a thoughtful answer.

I am not Jew But what she said about her thinking as a child it hit me and I thought:
WOW she said it. That is called the "innate feeling." Its given by God. When she was little. She said she would "think she had a personal relationship with God". We all do have personal relationships with God.  And she said, " why would Hashem put the words in my mind.
THAT IS THE TRUTH.  We are born knowing God, it is "innate" in us. No matter what religion or of no religion we are. It was God putting those ideas in her head, for sure. God has a plan for our purpose and destination on earth. And God guides us to it.

Just like I am sure God brought me to your chanel. I came upon it by chance and I am so glad I did. You both did a great job and very interesting too. I also learnt a lot too. As a Muslim I also found some similarities too. Had no idea what "mikvah" is had to google it lol, but I now know and why men and women go at different times and for different reasons.

It is wonderful that Melissa's family have accepted her for who she is. Kol hakovod.

This was a wonderful conversation - your intelligence shines through as does your caring natures. Thank you!

What a beautiful and inspiring conversation! It is rare to hear from people who have found their own way to live a unique life who are also positive and loving and see the goodness and love in their families of origin. We need to see and hear more of this.

This was such a special episode!
Thank you  Malky for sharing your poignant story and your exceptionally beautiful family!
Thanks Frieda, for bringing Malky to us!
You are both amazing people!

Their mutual respect & love is a beautiful story!