Purim, Vodka & Divorce: When Orthodox Judaism Couldn't Save Me | Andrew S.
Manage episode 491011800 series 3624010
Andrew Strauss, an Orthodox Jewish man born to Holocaust survivors, traces his alcoholism back to his bris ceremony at just eight days old. This raw confession reveals his double life - from getting expelled from yeshiva for talking to girls, to smuggling drugs across borders, multiple failed marriages, and losing his million-dollar home on a golf course. The story culminates in his 2007 suicide attempt and final redemption through an unexpected spiritual awakening in detox.
Spanning 40 years across Montreal, Israel, and Florida, this is a story of cultural pressure, hidden addiction, and ultimate recovery. Andrew shares how trying to please his rabbi father nearly destroyed him, why moving to Florida accelerated his alcoholism, and the moment he finally asked: "Who are you to say there's no God?" A powerful testament to the universality of addiction and the possibility of transformation.
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