Among Righteous Men : A Tale of Vigilantes and Vindication in Hasidic Crown Heights

Inside the hidden world of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn's Crown Heights--a close-knit but divided community. On a cold night in December, the members of a Hasidic anti-crime patrol called the Shomrim are summoned to a yeshiva dormitory in Crown Heights. There to break up a brawl, the Shomrim instead find themselves embroiled in a religious schism which has split the community and turned roommate against roommate, neighbor against neighbor. At the center of the storm is Aron Hershkop, the owner of an auto-repair business and the leader of the Shomrim. Hershkop watches as the NYPD builds a criminal case against his brothers and friends, apparently with the help of several local residents, who have taken the rare step of forgoing a ruling from the local rabbinical council. Soon, both sides are squaring off in a Brooklyn criminal court, with the Shomrim facing gang assault charges and decades in prison. What conflict could run so deep it left both sides airing their dirty laundry so publicly? This compelling story takes you to the deepest corners of a normally hidden world. Features fast-paced writing and a true story with surprising twists, personal conflicts, and a tense trial Offers a glimpse in a normally sheltered and private community many see, but few know much about. Centers on an unusual man facing a universal conflict: do you do what’s simple and expedient, or do you do follow our heart, your tradition, and your faith? "Inside the mysterious world of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn's Crown Heights--a close-knit, but divided, communityAron Hershkop runs an auto-repair business in Crown Heights, but also heads a volunteer community patrol called the Shomrim. When his brothers and colleagues try to stop a brawl at a rabbinical dormitory, they end up in court not as witnesses for the prosecution, but on trial for assault. The Shomrim Six are, in fact, caught up in a religious schism that has divided the community (and started the brawl), and the two sides take it to a secular court instead of letting the local rabbinical council settle it. This compelling story takes you to the deepest corners of a normally hidden world. Features fast-paced writing and a true story with surprising twists, personal conflicts, and a tense trial Illuminates important Lubavitch community issues and questions related to the value of tradition, independence, belief, and family Explains background and history of the Lubavitcher movement and of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and the schism in the community following his death Among Righteous Men is important reading for anyone interested in the ultra-Orthodox, and especially the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and the issues and conflicts it faces today"-- "Inside the mysterious world of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn's Crown Heights--a close-knit, but divided, community. Features fast-paced writing and a true story with surprising twists, personal conflicts, and a tense trial - Illuminates important Lubavitch community issues and questions related to the value of tradition, independence, belief, and family - Explains background and history of the Lubavitcher movement and of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and the schism in the community following his death"-- Inside the hidden world of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn's Crown Heights—a close-knit but divided community. On a cold night in December, the members of a Hasidic anti-crime patrol called the Shomrim are summoned to a yeshiva dormitory in Crown Heights. There to break up a brawl, the Shomrim instead find themselves embroiled in a religious schism which has split the community and turned roommate against roommate, neighbor against neighbor. At the center of the storm is Aron Hershkop, the owner of an auto-repair business and the leader of the Shomrim. Hershkop watches as the NYPD builds a criminal case against his brothers and friends, apparently with the help of several local residents, who have taken the rare step of forgoing a ruling from the local rabbinical council. Soon, both sides are squaring off in a Brooklyn criminal court, with the Shomrim facing gang assault charges and decades in prison. What conflict could run so deep it left both sides airing their dirty laundry so publicly? This compelling story takes you to the deepest corners of a normally hidden world. Features fast-paced writing and a true story with surprising twists, personal conflicts, and a tense trial Offers a glimpse in a normally sheltered and private community many see, but few know much about. Centers on an unusual man facing a universal conflict: do you do what's simple and expedient, or do you do follow our heart, your tradition, and your faith? "Inside the mysterious world of Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn's Crown Heights--a close-knit, but divided, communityAron Hershkop runs an auto-repair business in Crown Heights, but also heads a volunteer community patrol called the Shomrim. When his brothers and colleagues try to stop a brawl at a rabbinical dormitory, they end up in court not as witnesses for the prosecution, but on trial for assault. The Shomrim Six are, in fact, caught up in a religious schism that has divided the community (and started the brawl), and the two sides take it to a secular court instead of letting the local rabbinical council settle it. This compelling story takes you to the deepest corners of a normally hidden world. Features fast-paced writing and a true story with surprising twists, personal conflicts, and a tense trial Illuminates important Lubavitch community issues and questions related to the value of tradition, independence, belief, and family Explains background and history of the Lubavitcher movement and of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and the schism in the community following his death Among Righteous Men is important reading for anyone interested in the ultra-Orthodox, and especially the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and the issues and conflicts it faces today"-- Provided by publisher

Praise for Among Righteous Men

An engrossing read, from the first page to the last. How many of us have looked at Orthodox Hasidic enclaves and wondered about the life and people within? With a keen eye and empathetic ear, Shaer takes us into this world. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for a courtroom drama that pits the insular world of the Hasidim against the secular world outside. The book feels novelistic, but it is all too true, and Shaer brings to life the great characters: gangs, lawyers, religious leaders, victims, and perpetrators. All come alive in this wonderful, riveting book.
-Sudhir Venkatesh, author of Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets

A thrilling read that propels the reader into a most enjoyable fracas. Shaer delves deep into one of America's most fascinating and closed religious sub-cultures, the Crown Heights Lubavitcher Jews of New York City. Even if you don't know the difference between a bagel and bialy, you'll learn how and why our most devout beliefs can bring us together and drive us apart.
-Peter Moskos, author of Cop in the Hood