What does OTD mean in Unclassified?

Off the derech

Off the derech (OTD), from the Hebrew word דֶּרֶךְ derech (meaning "path"), is an expression used to describe someone who leaves an Orthodox Jewish community. The term applies to a broad range of ex-Orthodox Jews, including those who leave Hasidic communities, ultra-Orthodox or Haredi communities, and Modern Orthodox communities. At times, individuals who move from a stricter form of Orthodoxy to a "more lenient" form of Orthodoxy are considered "off the derech" by their original communities. OTD is not a community or movement, but simply describes someone who leaves an Orthodox community to find a different path in life, ranging from other forms of Judaism to other religions, or none. There are three broad groups of those who have left Orthodoxy. There are those deemed to be "kids at risk" – those people who behave badly, do drugs, engage in criminal activity, and do not keep halacha; those who are well-adjusted and have stopped keeping halacha; and those who still keep halacha, but do not share the beliefs of their previous form of Orthodoxy.

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