In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with writer, educator, and thinker Zalman Newfield for a conversation about faith, identity, belonging, and the transformative power of asking difficult questions. Drawing on themes from his memoir Brooklyn Odyssey: My Journey Out of Hasidism, Newfield reflects on his upbringing in the Chabad-Lubavitch community of Crown Heights and the deeply personal journey that led him beyond the religious world in which he was raised. Together, they explore what happens when inherited certainty begins to crack, and how intellectual curiosity, spiritual searching, and emotional honesty can reshape a life. Newfield discusses the tension between loyalty and individuality, the costs and freedoms of leaving tightly bound communities, and the possibility of remaining connected to tradition while questioning its foundations. Drawing on his experiences as a teacher, thinker, and bridge-builder across worlds of tradition and modern life, Zalman reflects on the detours that shaped his path—and the discoveries that emerged along the way.
In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with writer, educator, and thinker Zalman Newfield for a conversation about faith, identity, belonging, and the transformative power of asking difficult questions. Drawing on themes from his memoir Brooklyn Odyssey: My Journey Out of Hasidism, Newfield reflects on his upbringing in the Chabad-Lubavitch community of Crown Heights and the deeply personal journey that led him beyond the religious world in which he was raised.
Together, they explore what happens when inherited certainty begins to crack, and how intellectual curiosity, spiritual searching, and emotional honesty can reshape a life. Newfield discusses the tension between loyalty and individuality, the costs and freedoms of leaving tightly bound communities, and the possibility of remaining connected to tradition while questioning its foundations.
Drawing on his experiences as a teacher, thinker, and bridge-builder across worlds of tradition and modern life, Zalman reflects on the detours that shaped his path—and the discoveries that emerged along the way.
Our guest is Zalman Newfield: https://zalmannewfield.com/
Learn more about Footsteps organization: https://www.footstepsorg.org/
Read Zalman’s book Brooklyn Odyssey: My Journey Out of Hasidism:
Follow Zalman on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/professorzalman
Read Zalman’s thoughts on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/p/Zalman-Newfield-author-of-Brooklyn-Odyssey-61587552245531/
Rabbi David Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber
92NY Bronfman Center Events
Producer: Efrat Bigger
Content Editor: Maya Gayer
Video Editor: Sean Kennedy
Music By: Shimon Smith
Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.