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Woman, 30, who leapt to her death from the top of a New York City rooftop bar 'struggled with her Hasidic upbringing and had become estranged from her family'

Faigy Mayer, 30, jumped from 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar on Monday at 7.30pm
Onlookers said she ran through a group of people before jumping through bushes that lead to a 4ft-wide ledge
After she jumped, some customers continued to drink at the swanky bar
Three years ago she participated in a documentary about her struggles with her childhood as a Hasidic Jew and issues with her family

Published: 05:44 GMT, 21 July 2015 | Updated: 01:43 GMT, 22 July 2015

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A startup founder and tech entrepreneur tragically leapt 20 stories off a New York City rooftop bar on Monday night as other patrons just carried on drinking.

Faigy Mayer, 30, sprinted toward a row of bushes on the roof's edge at 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar in the Flatiron District at about 7.30pm, onlookers said.

She went over the wall and landed on the sidewalk of West 27th Street, 20 stories below.

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Passed away: Faigy Mayer, 30, jumped to her death from 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar in Manhattan on Monday night in full view of other revelers

Faigy Mayer, 30, jumped off the ledge of 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar (pictured) in the Flatiron District of New York City on Monday at about 7.30pm (file photo)

'I was walking across the street and I saw she was falling,' Dale Martin, who witnessed the incident, told the New York Post. 'You can tell it was a lady. She had on shoes and a dress.'

One witness said she ran through a group from a big corporate party before jumping off of the roof.

'They closed off the section where she jumped from. I think a lot of the people up there had zero clue what was going on,' the witness, Becky Wittemore told the Post.

According to Mayer's Facebook profile, she worked as an iOS developer at Appton and had just recently moved to Greenpoint, in Brooklyn.

She grew up in Williamburg's bustling Hasidic Jew community but rejected her strict religious upbringing.

Indeed, one of the apps she was developing for Appton was specifically for ex-Hasids to navigate their way around New York City.

Mayer took part in a 2012 National Geographic Documentary entitled Inside Hasidism, which examined the unique pressures of the secretive religious community, which has approximately 125,000 followers in New York City alone.

Mayer explains during the course of the documentary that she eschewed Hasidism and because of that was thrown out of her home by her own parents although she says she was later reunited with them.

In the documentary she explains how she remembers having no interest in Yiddish or Hebrew from an early age.

'I wanted to transition out at a very fast speed,' said Mayer. 'And it was so challenging emotionally.'

The program covered her journey working with the group, Footsteps, which helps those who have left ultra-religious Jewish communities.

'My parents they were like, point blank, you have to get out of here because you are not religious anymore,' said Mayer who added that her parents did take her back into their home.

Tragedy: Faigy was working for a Brooklyn based technology firm and had recently moved to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City

Popular: The 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar is one of the most crowded open air drinking areas in Manhattan and attracts a varied crowd

Growing up in the Belz Hasidic communities of Williamsburg and Borough Park in Brooklyn, Mayer did not want to get married as was expected of her and left her family to start a new life in Manhattan.

However, the strain of this schism with her family appeared to weigh heavily on Mayer.

In certain posts to social media, she aludes to troubles with relatives and in one Facebook update poses with a woman she identifies as her grandmother, whom she says openly dislikes her.

At the beginning of the month, Mayer appeared to take a trip down memory lane, posting nostalgic pictures to Facebook of some of her favorite places as a child in Williamsburg.

Picking out Greens Pizza parlor in the center of Hasidic Williamsburg as a place with special significance, she also posted a photograph of her aunts stoop, which is nearby.

Mayer graduated from Touro College with a bachelor's degree and achieved a master's in accounting from Brooklyn College.

The highly educated web-developer had recently been awarded a certificate in Data Science Specialization from Johns Hopkins University.

In posts to social media, Mayer describes herself as an ex-Hasid who likes coding, bacon, the Apple Watch and life.

The food lover also uploaded pictures of her culinary adventures and on June 21 posted about needing some help moving out of her Brooklyn apartment.

'Paid job: looking for someone to help me move on Sunday, June 28, from Greenpoint to a 20 min drive away. Have 12 boxes to move. Need you to drive a car,' wrote Mayer.

Officials recovered a purse and a backpack, believed to be Mayer's, from the bar, which calls itself 'New York's largest outdoor rooftop garden and fully enclosed penthouse lounge'.

Service held for Faigy Mayer who leapt off NYC roof

Food pics: At the beginning of the month Mayer posted this picture of her bacon, egg and cheese sandwich to Instagram

British pub: In June, Mayer posted this picture of her Bangers and mash meal that she enjoyed at The Shakespeare in Manhattan

Onlookers said she ran through a group of people toward pushes lining the edge of the roof before she jumped. She then fell 20 stories to her death (file photos)

It is unknown if Mayer was part of the corporate party.

After she leaped, some customers continued to drink at the swanky bar, where bottles can reach $300.

Police believe that Mayer jumped deliberately, but customers said that the 4ft-wide ledge around the roof should raise concern from any partygoer.

Carlos Rodriguez, 51, said 'they really need to be more careful up there', where inebriated people can stand so close to the high ledge. 'There's nothing to keep you from jumping,' he added.

'I sat at the ledge of the roof once and was drunk out of my mind,' Rodriguez told the Post. 'I was about to sit there and nobody gave a s***.'

For confidential support in the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org.