Shulem Deen (born 1974) is an American author, essayist, former

Skver Skver (also Skvir, Skvere, or Skwere; yi, סקווירא) is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Yitzchok Twersky in the city of Skver (as known in Yiddish; or Skvyra, in present-day Ukraine) during the mid-19th century. Followers of ...

''Hasid'', and critic of

Hasidic Judaism Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...

. He is the author of the memoir ''All Who Go Do Not Return'' (2015), and is a regular columnist at ''

The Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ...

''. He is also the founding editor of ''Unpious'', a journal for voices critical of Hasidic lifestyle and beliefs.

Career

Deen first became known as the author of the

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

"Hasidic Rebel", which he wrote from 2003 until 2012, and which was the subject of a 2003 feature article in the ''Village Voice''. Deen's blog was the first widely read website by a born Hasid casting doubt on his religious faith. In 2010, Deen launched the ''Unpious'' website, along with "Shtreimel", another ex-Hasidic blogger, and has served as its editor throughout. The site was intended as a platform for voices critical of the

Hasidic Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...

lifestyle and beliefs. Deen's memoir, ''All Who Go Do Not Return'', was published in 2015, and chronicles his transition from devout member of the

sect to secular Jew. Deen's book is part of a subgenre of memoirs by formerly Haredi writers, and is considered to be one of the best. Deen is a regular columnist at ''

'', and writes widely on the intersection of Hasidic and secular life, including articles in the ''

New Republic New Republic may refer to: Places * New Republic, California, former name of Santa Rita, Monterey County, California * New Republic (Santarem), district in the city of Santarém, Pará Countries * New Republic (Brazil), the restored civilian gove ...

'', ''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ...

'', and '' Tablet''. Even though his work is perceived to be critical of the Hasidic lifestyle and worldview, he has appeared on Orthodox media, such as

David Bashevkin David Bashevkin (or Dovid Bashevkin, born February 15, 1985) is an American Orthodox rabbi, writer, adjunct professor, and podcast host. He serves as Director of Education at NCSY, an Orthodox Union youth group. Early life and education Bashevk ...

's ''18Forty'' podcast. Deen currently serves as a board member at Footsteps, a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

organization that assists formerly

Haredi Jews Haredi Judaism ( he, ', ; also spelled ''Charedi'' in English; plural ''Haredim'' or ''Charedim'') consists of groups within Orthodox Judaism that are characterized by their strict adherence to ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions, in oppos ...

with transitioning to life outside the Haredi world.

Awards

* 2015

National Jewish Book Awards The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature.Great Lakes Colleges Association The Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) is a consortium of 13 liberal arts colleges located in the states around the Great Lakes. The GLCA's offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and its 13 schools are located in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsyl ...

New Writers Award for Creative Non-Fiction * 2017 Prix Médicis essai for ''Celui qui va vers elle ne revient pas'' (''All Who Go Do Not Return'')

Personal life

Deen spent his early life among

Satmar Satmar ( Yiddish: סאַטמאַר, Hebrew: סאטמר) is a Hasidic group founded in 1905 by Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum, in the city of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary (now Satu Mare in Romania). The group is an offshoot of the Sighet Hasidic dynas ...

Hasidim Ḥasīd ( he, חסיד, "pious", "saintly", "godly man"; plural "Hasidim") is a Jewish honorific, frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. It denotes a person who is scrupulous in his observ ...

in the Borough Park section of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

, and joined the Skver Hasidic dynasty when he was a teenager, moving to the town of

New Square, New York New Square ( yi, שיכון סקווירא, Shikun Skvir) is an all-Hasidic village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Hillcrest, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of New City ...

, the movement's headquarters, to settle after marriage. He was married in 1993, and has five children. In 2005, Deen was expelled from New Square by its leaders for holding heretical views, and several years later, he divorced his wife and left the Hasidic lifestyle entirely. He is mostly estranged from his children, who have remained among the Skverer Hasidim in New Square, New York. He currently lives in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Select articles

"Too Cool"
''Tablet'', June 22, 2011
"The Sound of Sin"
''Salon'', April 19, 2012
"In Death of Ex-Hasid, a Mirror for Trauma of Many"
''Tablet'', October 2, 2013
"Op-Ed: Chasidic Schools Ensure Ignorance and Poverty"
''The Jewish Week'', September 17, 2015
"My Roommate, the Prostitute"
''Narratively'', January 7, 2015
"How I Kept My Faith in Faith"
''The Forward'', December 1, 2015

References

External links

Official Website

VIDEO: A Life Apart, An Ex-Hasid in Brooklyn: BK Stories, by BRIC TV

Interview with Brian Lehrer on WNYC radio

Story Feature on Reply All Podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deen, Shulem 21st-century American memoirists Jewish American memoirists Jewish American non-fiction writers 1974 births Living people Writers from Brooklyn Disengagement from religion American male non-fiction writers Yiddish-speaking people Skver (Hasidic dynasty) Prix Médicis essai winners Former Hasidim