His father was exiled to Siberia for possible revolutionary activities in 1902, at which point Shahn, his mother, and two younger siblings moved to Vilkomir (Ukmergė).
Ayahnya diasingkan ke Siberia untuk kemungkinan kegiatan revolusioner pada tahun 1902, di mana Shahn, ibunya, dan dua adik-adiknya pindah ke Vilkomir ( Ukmerge ).