When a Jew is Torn Between Freedom and Family

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "When a Jew is Torn Between Freedom and Family."

Shulem Deen’s All Who Go Do Not Return is a powerful memoir chronicling his escape from the insular Skverer Hasidic community. Deen’s world was shaped by strict prohibition of secular influences, arranged marriage, and demand for total conformity, enforced by harsh punishments and social control. After being cast out for his growing doubts, Deen lost his family, faith, and community, and struggled through loneliness and depression. His story is both a lament for what was lost and a testament to the steep, lasting price of freedom, raising profound questions about the cost of authenticity and the challenge of losing everything. 

(AI generated image via Meta)

When a Jew is Torn Between Freedom and Family