Brooklyn Odyssey

My Journey Out of Hasidism

Growing up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn as a member of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic Orthodox Jewish community, Zalman Newfield was raised in an atmosphere of strict gender segregation, rigorous religious education, and nearly all-consuming ritual practices. Trained to be a Lubavitch emissary, he traveled around the world doing Jewish outreach to help usher in the messianic redemption. However, after exposure to the wider world, he abandoned the faith of his youth.

Brooklyn Odyssey is Newfield’s poignant and hopeful memoir about exiting Orthodoxy. He recounts asserting his individuality and taking the radical step of shaving his beard. Reflective about his upbringing, Newfield is open to and curious about a world beyond Brooklyn while also maintaining his profound bond with his family and Jewish tradition. He writes candidly about his emotional, intellectual, and social experiences in and out of the Lubavitch community.

From pivotal moments of devastation, including the illness and death of his younger brother and of his revered spiritual leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, to moments of joyful resolve, including the decision to pursue a doctorate and marry a non-Orthodox Jew, Newfield takes listeners on his moving and impactful journey.

The book is published by Temple University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2026 Zalman Newfield (P)2026 Redwood Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

“This book is both beautiful and important. Five stars. I’m proud to give it my highest recommendation.” (Dr. Sara Glass, author of Kissing Girls on Shabbat)

“Humble, innocent, refreshing, and informative...Bravo!” (Goldie Goldbloom, author of On Division)

4.5 stars rounded to 5 for an engaging story

This book provides for an interesting look into to the Lubuvitch world from the perspective of an intelligent and thoughtful writer.

The author's experiences in several American cities as well as Russia, China, South America, and Africa are described with sufficient detail. (Note that he does not mention his trip to Australia, so his count of continents is accurate.)

The narrator reads the text as typical non-fiction with very little change in his intonation which does not work very well in a memoir. However, I gave him one extra star for pronouncing the Yiddish and Hebrew word and phrases (which are all translated) correctly.