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I found a book titled:

Off the Derech: Why Observant Jews Leave Judaism : how to Respond to the Challenge by Faranak Margolese.

The topic seems interesting, offhand. I read the introduction, and skimmed some of the chapters on Google books, but, after doing that, I am a bit skeptical about the author's reliability on discussion this subject. I think that people become Off the Derech for no reason other than being lured by something that they find more interesting than what they have. I don't think it's as complex as the author attempts to present this.

I am open to viewing other opinions on this matter, but, I don't want to waste my time reading something that has a weak foundation and is, essentially, a personal "rant".

Does anyone know anything about this book and / or the author to recommend or not recommend this book?

DanF
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    The author has a wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faranak_Margolese Consider too linking to the book (eg. on Amazon or the like) – Double AA Aug 29 '17 at 18:21
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    Here's a review found via Google: http://onthemainline.blogspot.com/2006/05/off-derech-by-faranak-margolese.html – Double AA Aug 29 '17 at 18:22
  • @DoubleAA Thanks for the links. I'll have a look. I'm aware that this Q might be VTC as "opinion-based". Let's see. – DanF Aug 29 '17 at 18:24
  • Off topic as looking for a book review? – DonielF Aug 29 '17 at 22:44
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    The reviewer linked by DoubleAA wonders why Rabbi Dessler's opinion that the yeshiva system will certainly fail some individuals and was still instituted wasn't addressed. That quote is a misleading half quote. Rabbi Dessler went on to say that anybody who cannot hack the yeshiva life should be encouraged into a kosher business life like running a store. His point was not to go to college. Not that people who don't survive in yeshivas are somehow sacrificed for the greater good. – user6591 Aug 30 '17 at 18:15
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    The opinions written in the book are based on dozens of interviews and anonymous surveys with hundreds of respondents. You believe your opinion is better than hers? If you're not interested in the book fine, but to say it's a baseless rant isn't so justified. – robev Aug 30 '17 at 23:43
  • @robev do you have experience doing social research? The data quality and survey design is terrible, to make any possible derivations using such data is impossible. There was no null hypothesis presented and no statistical tests done. To claim to be a response to the challenge of the OTD phenomenon using such data is laughable. She does do some ethnographic research however, no real policy can be derived using her analysis. – EconJohn Sep 01 '17 at 04:07
  • @robev You took my comment completely out of context. Re-read what I said. I implied that I don't want to read something that MIGHT be a rant. That's why I asked my question, here. Don't you make similar decisions before you buy a product? You ask for other people's recommendations? – DanF Sep 01 '17 at 15:53
  • @DanF the way I read your comment is at this point it appears to you to be an unjustified rant. I'm questioning that assumption. I didn't say you weren't looking for other opinions, which is what you asked. I was saying I don't see why your assumption is warranted, or why your opinion on the subject carries more weight than the one in the book. – robev Sep 01 '17 at 15:59
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    @robev OMG! I really don't see how you're inferring any of that. If I assumed that my opinion was any better, I wouldn't be soliciting other people's opinions, would I? I made an assumption, and I think I've clarified that my assumption may be incorrect. I think that point is very clear. – DanF Sep 01 '17 at 16:03
  • @DanF again I'm not saying you aren't open to other assumptions or opinions. All I'm doing is agreeing that yours is incorrect. – robev Sep 01 '17 at 16:12

1 Answers1

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As a quantitative analyst and amateur social scientist a I found the book to be rather ignorant of formal methods employed in social research.

The derivations obtained from Margolese's study was a simple tabluation of results without any real numbers to back it up. There were no formal statistical tests done or regressions ran, even control variables were not included.

In terms of specific policy derivations from such data she collected, such information is useless because there is a lack of unit measurement and formal testing. Statisticans work with numbers, she has not provided any1.

Bottom Line

In my opinion, I think the book isn't worth the read as there aren't real practical and statistically valid policy tools to engaging or disengaging the OTD community.

1. Though linear probability models can be generated with such data, such techniques were not employed.

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EconJohn
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  • Thanks. Useful info. Would you know anything about the topic she discusses, or, is your opinion based solely on her statistical methods used at deriving her conclusion? – DanF Aug 30 '17 at 13:44
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    @DanF my argument is based on the methods she employs. – EconJohn Aug 30 '17 at 17:57
  • I know nothing of this book, but isn't there some value brought by non-fiction books that may lack the rigor of scientific studies, but are still more than just a (possibly biased) selection of anecdotes? In other words, I see social scientists collect field data and publish books that are not statistic-driven, but are still considered good social science (Mystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers springs to mind). While statistics help social science become a "harder" more formal science, aren't other methods acceptable too? – Mike Sep 01 '17 at 02:27
  • @Mike qualitative research is an academically valid method when applied appropriately. She does do ethnographic research i'd give her that. If someone is completely uninformed about what someone is off the derech is like, then the book would be for them. However its definitely not a book which should claim to be a "response to the challenge" of the OTD phenomenon (as claimed in the title) as that statement demands policy change which requires quantitative methods if you are dealing with something which will affect a whole demographic. – EconJohn Sep 01 '17 at 03:52
  • @Mike If it was a book presenting a Torah hashkafa to dealing with the issue id have no problem. However once you enter the realm of research and studies it simply fails to meet my standards as an educated consumer. I'd reccomend reading this before reading anymore of theses studies on the jewish community if you are unfamiliar with qualitative methods. http://faculty.cbu.ca/pmacintyre/course_pages/MBA603/MBA603_files/IntroQualitativeResearch.pdf – EconJohn Sep 01 '17 at 03:54