Aliza Hausman is a native New Yorker and first-generation American of Dominican descent. She was raised a skeptic Catholic on the "Dominican side" of Washington Heights. Leaving the neighborhood at 14 for the Bronx, she would return as an adult to join the "Jewish side" of the Washington Heights community to complete her conversion to Orthodox Judaism. During the conversion process, Aliza taught English at a NYC public high school (infamous for a school shooting) and completed a Master's degree in Adolescent Education.
Before pursuing her teaching career, Aliza worked as a Copy Editor at America Online and an assistant at a telecommunications company along with various other Administrative and Editorial Assistant positions in publishing. In the past, Aliza has interned, freelanced and worked part-time at publications like CosmoGIRL! magazine, Seventeen magazine and New York Family magazine.
At 17, while pursuing a Fashion Illustration major at the High School of Art & Design, Aliza ran away from home. Aliza would eventually return to help two of her younger sisters escape the same home. While an undergraduate at Fordham University, Aliza kidnapped her fourteen-year-old sister. Fighting her abusive mother for custody for three years, Aliza won and was named her sister's legal guardian. A short documentary about the story behind the custody case was filmed to help promote In Motion, the organization that helped Aliza obtain legal counsel.
Debilitating fibromyalgia at 25 ended Aliza's illustrious teaching career but led to incredible new opportunities. Aliza married a "nice Jewish boy," a rabbinical student who whisked her away from her life of Manhattan cockroaches to a posh mini-suburb farther north. With her husband's support, Aliza returned to her love of writing and began a burgeoning career as a freelance writer.
Today, Aliza writes about race, culture, religion, community, family, relationships, films and pop culture. She has been published in PresenTense magazine, the YU Commentator: Kol Hamevaser, New York Family magazine, New York Family Brooklyn magazine, Tail Slate magazine, TheJewishWoman.org magazine (Chabad.org), Tertulia Magazine, The Jewish Planet, Interfaithfamily.com and other publications. She also speaks on request with her husband on Jewish conversion, race, culture and all the other issues she loves to write (and talk) about.
Aliza is currently in the process of writing a memoir about her conversion to Orthodox Judaism.
