March 15, 2018 – People

Chavie Weisberger was raised in a Hasidic family ‘” an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect ‘” and ‘œwas groomed for the ultimate level of success, which was marriage,’ she tells PEOPLE.

But after she came out to her family, ‘œall hell broke loose,’ says the 35-year-old Brooklyn native who now works at Footsteps, an organization that helps people who want to leave or have left the ultra-Orthodox community. ‘œI lost my job and the support of my family and friends.’

She also lost custody of her three children, but after a five-year battle in court, she won her appeal in August 2017. Since then, it’s been ‘œa whirlwind of new experiences and beautiful family bonding time.’