Hi! I'm Lauren Hakimi, a journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. I've written and reported for Hell Gate, the Forward, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, CNN, WNYC/Gothamist, Bon Appétit, Salon and more. Most recently, I was a reporter at Shtetl, a news outlet covering New York's ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities. At Shtetl, my stories were cited in the Atlantic, Politico, the New York Daily News, Gothamist and more. I graduated from CUNY Hunter College in 2022.
In Brooklyn, you can find me running with the Prospect Park Track Club, maintaining my Duolingo streak and humblebragging that I read The Power Broker. Please check out some of my favorite stories below.
"At this pro-Palestinian cafe, you can practice your Hebrew and imagine you’re in Mauritania" The Forward, May 30, 2025
"A new Hasidic community grows in Brownsville, Brooklyn" New York Jewish Week, March 6, 2025
"Mr. Marathon Is a 26-Mile Tribute to Cheap Produce" Hell Gate, Feb. 10, 2025
"Monsey Fire Department’s concessions to religious hardliners spark concerns of sexism" Shtetl, Sept. 12, 2024
"Kalman Yeger withheld get, demanded ex-wife sign ‘draconian’ nondisclosure agreement" Shtetl, June 29, 2024
"How Haredim learned about the attacks in Israel during the holidays without access to technology" Shtetl, Oct. 10, 2023
"10 Informative Books That Will Help You Understand What’s Happening In Iran" BuzzFeed News, Nov. 30, 2022
"He captured rare images of Jewish life in Iran. Then he fled, fearing for his safety." JTA, Aug. 31, 2022
"Her Bronx Jewish characters ‘hate history’ — and are finally back on bookshelves" The Forward, Feb. 11, 2022
“How ACT UP Took On The AIDS Crisis And Transformed Political Activism” WNYC Radio, May 17, 2021 (I pitched, arranged, and scripted this segment)
"We Asked Mayoral Candidates About CUNY. Here’s What They Said" The Envoy, April 16, 2021
"NY Budget Will Freeze CUNY & SUNY Tuition For Three Years" WNYC Radio, April 7, 2021
"Hunter Students Took Advantage of Flexible Spring Grading Policy, Documents Show" The Envoy, Sept. 9, 2020
"‘A Sour Life Lesson’: Pell Recipients Disqualified From Receiving Summer Scholarships" The Envoy, July 25, 2020
