Judaism
Jewish Renewal Movement / Romemu (mainstream)
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Mainstream Jewish Renewal Movement (Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi lineage) and Romemu (NYC). Egalitarian, mystical, deeply low-control. Included as Judaism-spectrum reference.
CLCI radar
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Low Control
BITE breakdown
Behavior Control1/10
Information Control1/10
Thought Control1/10
Emotional Control2/10
Modifiers (+1)
+1 minor patterns; net very low.
Profile facts
Founded
1962+
Members
Tens of thousands (2026).
Active in
USA, Global
In context
Jewish Renewal grew from Zalman Schachter-Shalomi's late-20th-century work integrating Hasidic mysticism with progressive theology. Romemu (NYC, founded by David Ingber) is the largest single Renewal congregation. Egalitarian, low-control mainstream tradition.
Key control doctrines
- Hasidic mysticism integrated with progressive theology
Recovery resources
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service covering new religious movements.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Evidence by BITE axis
Behavior Control
- Annual dues can be substantial
- Hasidic mysticism integrated with progressive theology
Timeline
- 1962Schachter-Shalomi launches Renewal-precursor work
- 2008Romemu founded by David Ingber
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
Sources
- Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, 'Wrapped in a Holy Flame' (2003) search ↗
- LGBTQ+ Leader & Advocate for Palestinian Rights, Abby Stein, Named Senate Woman of Distinction — https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/jabari-brisport/lgbtq-leader-advocate-palestinian-rights-abby-stein open ↗
- Descendant of Hasidic Judaism Founder Comes Out as Transgender — http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/1.687051 open ↗
- From Hasidic Brooklyn to Off Broadway: The Life of a Trans Rabbi — https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/theater/becoming-eve-trans-rabbi-off-broadway.html open ↗
- Amid a shifting tide of tolerance, transgender Jews search for faith and community — https://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2016/02/23/finding-faith-and-community-as-a-transgender-jew/ open ↗
- Ultra-Orthodox and trans: 'I prayed to God to make me a girl — https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-51928077 open ↗
- Hasidic rabbi who can't 'pray the girl away' transitions to female activist — https://www.timesofisrael.com/hasidic-rabbi-who-cant-pray-the-girl-away-transitions-to-female-activist/ open ↗
- Trans woman spreads LGBTQ awareness in Jewish Orthodox community — https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/outfront-trans-woman-spreads-lgbtq-awareness-hasidic-community-n706611 open ↗
- Gender Began Punching Me in the Face': How a Hasidic Rabbi Came Out as Trans Woman — https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2017-02-17/ty-article-magazine/.premium/how-a-hasidic-rabbi-came-out-as-trans-woman/0000017f-ef1c-dc28-a17f-ff3fe4200000 open ↗
- From ultra-Orthodox rabbi to openly transgender: Abby Stein shares her story — https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/ultra-orthodox-rabbi-openly-transgender-abby-stein-shares-her-story-n1085951 open ↗
- Transcript of President-elect Joe Biden's victory speech — https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-religion-technology-race-and-ethnicity-2b961c70bc72c2516046bffd378e95de open ↗
- How to watch today's 'Call to Unite' coronavirus benefit with Hollywood stars — https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-05-01/coronavirus-how-to-watch-call-to-unite-oprah open ↗
- Watch Ex-Chasidic Activist Abby Stein Grill De Blasio On Yeshiva Probe — https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/watch-ex-chasidic-activist-abby-stein-grills-de-blasio-on-yeshiva-probe/ open ↗
- NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announces transition committees — https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/zohran-mamdani-transition-committees/ open ↗
- The travel photo project that aims to change the meaning of 'all-inclusive — https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/all-inclusive-photo-project-celebrity-cruises/index.html open ↗
- Ex-Hasidic trans activist gets dream photo shoot with Annie Leibovitz — https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-hasidic-trans-activist-gets-dream-photo-shoot-with-annie-leibovitz/ open ↗
- Formerly Orthodox, and Struggling for Parental Rights — https://www.wsj.com/articles/formerly-orthodox-and-struggling-for-parental-rights-1407810872 open ↗
- Off-road Jews: A Helping Hand for Those Who Stray From the ultra-Orthodox Path — https://www.haaretz.com/2013-11-29/ty-article/.premium/off-the-ultra-orthodox-path/0000017f-e0c7-d7b2-a77f-e3c71a650000 open ↗
- On Tisha B'Av, ex-ultra-Orthodox Jew mourns destruction of 'personal temple — https://www.timesofisrael.com/on-tisha-bav-ex-ultra-orthodox-jew-mourns-destruction-of-personal-temple/ open ↗
- Limmud Conference Tests Limits Of Pluralism — https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/limmud-conference-tests-limits-of-pluralism/ open ↗
- She divorced her wife and left the community. — https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Member-of-prominent-Hasidic-family-from-Brooklyn-comes-out-as-transgender-434619 open ↗
- Trans woman who also left Hasidism blogs about double transition. — http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/11/20/trans-woman-who-also-left-hasidism-blogs-about-double-transition/ open ↗
- Gender began punching me in the face': How a Hasidic rabbi came out as trans woman — http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/features/.premium-1.771440 open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.liberation.fr/planete/2020/08/07/abby-stein-du-hassidisme-a-la-transidentite_1796302 open ↗
- lire en ligne — https://www.lemonde.fr/series-d-ete/article/2022/08/22/dieu-je-veux-etre-une-jolie-petite-fille-abby-stein-recit-d-une-transition-chez-les-juifs-ultraorthodoxes_6138638_3451060.html open ↗
- Descendant of Hasidic Judaism Founder Comes Out as Transgender — https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/baal-shem-tov-descendant-comes-out-as-transgender-1.5424014 open ↗
- Neuf militants juifs LGBTQ à connaître. De Stonewall à la Cour suprême, les Juifs américains sont en première ligne pour défendre les droits LGBTQ — https://fr.timesofisrael.com/neuf-militants-juifs-lgbtq-a-connaitre/ open ↗
- Meet the former ultra-Orthodox rabbi now living as a woman — https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/17/health/transgender-orthodox-upbringing-trnd/index.html open ↗
- Gender Began Punching Me in the Face': How a Hasidic Rabbi Came Out as Trans Woman — https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium.MAGAZINE-how-a-hasidic-rabbi-came-out-as-trans-woman-1.5433803 open ↗
- Off-road Jews: A Helping Hand for Those Who Stray From the ultra-Orthodox Path — http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.560872 open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Mainstream-comparator lighter.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
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Disclaimer. This profile is an educational summary based on publicly available reports. Many members of this group do not experience the patterns described. Individual congregations and chapters vary widely. If you or someone you know needs support, contact a licensed therapist or the International Cultic Studies Association.