Book will be available to order in Israel after March 12th, 2025.

I Once Was Lost: One Woman’s Exodus from the Depths of the Church

Shannon Nuszen’s gripping memoir takes you deep inside the world of evangelical missionary work, revealing the hidden tactics used to convert Jews to Christianity. As the daughter of a minister and a former missionary herself, she was once a dedicated advocate of the faith—until she began questioning everything she had been taught.

In I Once Was Lost, Shannon shares her courageous journey from unwavering belief to profound transformation. With raw honesty and deep insight, she unveils the struggles, revelations, and ultimate truth that led her to embrace Judaism. This book is more than a personal story—it’s a wake-up call for those navigating their own spiritual paths and an eye-opening account of the missionary agenda.

🌟What People Are Saying:

In her powerful new book, I Once Was Lost, Shannon Nuszen masterfully shares her unique spiritual journey through exquisite narrative poetry. Raised in an evangelical Christian home, she spent her youth passionately working to convert Jews to Christianity. Yet, in a remarkable turn of fate, Shannon’s journey led her to embrace Orthodox Judaism—a transformation that not only reshaped her beliefs but also redefined her life’s mission.

The profound irony of Shannon’s story is striking: once committed to bringing Jews into the church, she now dedicates herself to protecting Jewish communities from the very missionaries she once stood alongside. In an astonishing twist, this pastor’s daughter has helped rescue more Jews from Christianity than most rabbis!

I Once Was Lost offers a rare and deeply personal insight into her transition—from a devout fundamentalist Christian determined to convert Jews to a committed Orthodox Jew who found true spiritual liberation. This book is a testament to her extraordinary path, her unwavering faith, and her ultimate return home.

Welcome home.

~Rabbi Tovia Singer, Director of Outreach Judaism and Author of Let’s Get Biblical

Shannon is a powerhouse of fire and compassion. Although the work is unique itself, so is her understanding on the Missionary vs Jew conflict. Anyone honest won’t feel the same in these matters after this work. 

~Nissim Black, American-Israeli rapper, songwriter, speaker, and convert to Judaism

Robert Frost wrote that, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”

Shannon Nuszen’s stirring spiritual odyssey is beautifully related in this poetic narrative. In these moving words we meet a woman fiercely committed to truth and following G-d with passion and integrity.

The poetic modality powerfully captures the deep and raw emotions experienced when the edifice of her religious life crumbled and she courageously forged ahead to build a new life.

Kudos on producing this moving and inspiring autobiography.

~Rabbi Michael Skobac, Director Jews for Judaism (Canada)

I Once Was Lost is more than a memoir—it is the voice of someone who has lived through one of the most difficult and isolating experiences a person can endure and emerged with a purpose greater than herself. Shannon Nuszen didn't just walk away from a faith that once defined her—she walked toward something deeper, despite the cost. She captures the silent battles of doubt, the heartbreak of losing relationships, and the resilience it takes to stand by the truth when everything around you urges you to stay the same.

But Nuszen's journey wasn't just about personal transformation. She took the pain, the knowledge, and the experience of her past and turned it into a mission—to protect, to educate, and to safeguard Jewish souls from the very efforts she once championed. She has done what few can—taken the hardest parts of her life and used them to make the world better. This book will not just resonate; it will validate, it will awaken, and for many, it will heal. I Once Was Lost is not just a story—it is a testament to the power of conviction, the weight of truth, and the unshakable spirit of those who refuse to live a lie.

~Rabbi Eli Cohen, Former Director Jews for Judaism (Sydney, Australia)

Shanon Nuszen's I Once Was Lost is a compelling work of narrative poetry that perfectly reflects her remarkable journey through an even more remarkable life. Her story is one of soul-searching, a quest for a genuine and consistent identity, and an inspiring path toward clarity, faith, and belonging. Trained to spread her church’s message with precision and skill, Nuszen uses those very tools in this book to lay bare her innermost thoughts. She openly shares her doubts and struggles with the church while shedding light on the certainty and peace she ultimately found in Judaism.

Every Jew's connection to faith and God is deeply personal, but Shanon’s journey is uniquely extraordinary—a powerful transformation shaped by her unwavering search for truth, even when it meant breaking away from convention.

~Jonathan Sacerdoti, Writer and Broadcaster