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In Brooklyn’s hipster Williamsburg neighborhood, Hasidic Jews are the real counterculture

JL;DR SUMMARY Nathaniel Deutsch and Michael Casper's book, "A Fortress in Brooklyn: Race, Real Estate, and the Making of Hasidic Williamsburg," examines the unique dynamics of Williamsburg's Hasidic community within the broader context of New York City's gentrification. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

IdentityZionismNew York CityReal EstateSatmarHasidic JewsGentrificationWilliamsburgGovernment AidSocio Economic

Places mentioned

Brooklyn, New York, United States
"Brooklyns Williamsburg neighborhood is known as a center of gentrification and a gathering place for the cool young hipsters of New York City."
Williamsburg, New York, United States
"Brooklyns Williamsburg neighborhood is known as a center of gentrification and a gathering place for the cool young hipsters of New York City."
Bed-Stuy, New York, United States
"And how the Hasidim themselves were expanding into other neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy really interested us."
New York City, New York, United States
"Brooklyns Williamsburg neighborhood is known as a center of gentrification and a gathering place for the cool young hipsters of New York City."
Lower East Side, New York, United States
"A short walk from the Lower East Side over the Williamsburg Bridge, its also home to one of the most concentrated Hasidic Jewish communities in New York."
Santa Cruz, California, United States
"We spoke to Deutsch, professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Caspar, a writer with a doctorate in history from UCLA, about their book in an event at the American Jewish Historical Society on May 23."

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Retrieved 2025-08-15 05:31:23 UTC
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