Step into streets where centuries-old shtetl traditions meet the bustle of modern life in Brooklyn. See modest row houses, Yiddish storefronts and newspapers, as well as scores of strimels (distinctive fur hats), sheitels (wigs), and shtiblekh (prayer rooms) in one of the world’s largest Hassidic communities. Join educator and urban historian Bradley Shaw for an immersive experience in this fascinating neighborhood, including significant synagogues like Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom, the oldest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Brooklyn, and Beth Elohim, an 1875 Gothic Synagogue built by Reform Jews and now housing a Hasidic yeshiva. You will also visit Lee Avenue, the main shopping area, Bais Rachel, a NYC High School turned girl’s yeshiva, and hear other stories of the fabric of Hasidic Williamsburg, with a little bit of Hipster Williamsburg mixed in.

Bradley Shaw was born on the Lower East Side, has a BA in History and Education from Brooklyn College, and is a licensed NYC tour guide.