Regarding Project Makom, I did come across their website sometime in the past. I think at the time they had not had any events yet. I was very excited about this project. I imagined it might be something that might help my own young friends. (These are two unrelated young people for whom I was presented an opportunity to enter their lives, each under particular circumstances). I may have even sneaked in a link as an “item of interest” in a social email to one of them.
I believed, and still do believe that the Modern Orthodox option can help many people who were raised chassidish or yeshivish, but for whatever reason, felt stifled or trapped by the intensity of yiddishkeit as it was presented to them. Project Makom, in addition to the support services they offer, appears to be a wonderful resource for those individuals, as they are exposed to religious practice in a way that does not trigger their defense mechanisms, and allows them to experience fulfillment and meaning that is inherent in Torah living. That is the way we were all meant to experience it in the first place, but for these individuals, something backfired.
A Torah centered life, which follows halacha, and allows for some of the things that were not accepted in their communities of origin may be very attractive. Too many people have no idea that there is a concept of “machlokes haposkim”, which explains why there are different derachim, and hashkafos still within the framework of halacha. In addition, they have somehow grown up unable to appreciate the difference between an emotionally meaningful family minhag and Issurei Kareis! Once they are ready to discard the former because of the strings attached, they often go straight toward the latter: they don’t know the difference. Education and information about basic halacha, chumra, hiddur, and minhag is key to their remaining Shomrei Shabbos and Kashrus, instead of tossing it all out together.
But I mentioned in my previous post, that, to quote myself,
By the time they are seeking a place like Footsteps, such individuals do not believe that there are satisfactory answers, or validating approaches in a Torah life. In my experience, that includes a Modern Orthodox Torah life.