![[Hasid divider line]](hasid.gif)
This FAQ is based on questions that I am often asked about my way of life by people in multi-cultural newsgroups, classes, and conferences. This FAQ is not intended to be an in-depth explanation of Hasidic philosophy. Rather, it is a set of basic Judaism 101-level questions written in a way that is understandable to the average non-Hasidic reader. In some cases, there is overlap between Hasidism and general Judaism here, since Hasidism is a form of Judaism. Many of these customs and practices are common to all Jews and are not necessarily limited to Hasidim only. Hopefully that will be clear in the Q and A.
(If you have already read this intro material in one of the other FAQ sections, you can skip to the list of Questions for Part 1. If are new to this FAQ, please read on...)
If you are not familiar with Judaism in general, you might want to check out The Judaism 101 website. That site explains basic Jewish beliefs, customs, practices etc., in plain English.
If you'd rather read a really basic physical book, I highly recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Judaism, which, of course, is not really for idiots! Written by Rabbi Blech of Yeshiva University (Orthodox), it uses the familiar "Idiot's" series format to explain the basics in very accessible language.
Or, if you prefer the Dummies series, try Judaism for Dummies.
What this FAQ contains:PART 1-A of the Hasidism FAQ (which you are reading now) covers some basic background about the origins of Hasidism, some of the different Hasidic groups today, Rebbe Nachman's Breslov movement (and why Breslov is not Bratzlav), etc.
Part 1-B discusses how Hasidim are portrayed in the media, Potok's The Chosen, recommendations & criticisms of books and movies, explanations of some bloopers and misrepresentations, etc.
PART 2 covers some common questions (and misunderstandings) about Hasidic garb, customs, mannerisms, roles of men and women, etc.
PART 3 of the Hasidism FAQ has questions about Hasidic beliefs, how one becomes a Hasid, observing the Sabbath, some medical issues, Hasidic music, occupations, belief in angels, dietary laws, etc.
For your
convenience, many of the books, films, CDs, and other reference
materials mentioned in this FAQ are directly linked to pages on
Amazon.com, where you can read
the customer reviews (including
mine) and purchase copies. Purchases made through these links pay a
commission to Gershom's
Book Shop and help
underwrite this FAQ to keep it on the Net. So please, if you decide to
purchase any of these materials, use our links.
You
can also check out my
book reviews on Amazon.com, too,
and find out what I've been
reading lately. (not all of it Hasidic!) I'm currently in Amazon's list
of Top Reviewers -- voted there by readers you! So, visit if you visit
a listing and like my review, please click "Yes, it was helpful" to
keep me among the Top Reviewers.
And please -- be sure to read all three sections of the FAQ. The answer to your question might be on another page. At the end of each FAQ menu and at the bottom of each page there are links to the next page(s). And do not, repeat, do not waste my time with missionary questions about Jesus. Questions suspected of being "bait" to lure me into debates about Christianity will be deleted. This includes questions about blood sacrifices, the messiah, Isaiah 53, etc. Been there, done that, not interested. If you sincerely want to know what Jews believe about these things, try the Jews for Judaism site.
Q-1: What is a Hasidic (Chassidic) Jew?
Q-1-a:
Why is Hasidism spelled so many different ways?
Q-2: The only Hasidic group I've ever heard of is Lubovitch. Are there other Hasidic groups also?
Q-3: What are some of their differences?
Q-3-A: What is the Hasidic population in [city/state/country/world]?
Q-4: Is Reb the same as Rebbe?
Q-5: What is a Breslover Hasid?
Q-7: But I always thought you guys were ultra-Orthodox fundamentalist fanatics...
Q-7-a: Can you recommend one good, easy-to-read book that gives a feel for Hasidic spirituality?
![[Baal Shem Tov]](hasidfaq/besht.jpg)
Read a short biography of the Baal Shem Tov...)
Before the Holocaust, the Hasidic communities were primarily in Eastern Europe. The largest Hasidic communities today are in the United States, Israel, and Canada, but there are also Hasidim in many other countries, too. Some major cities where Hasidim can be found are New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Paris, Sydney, London, Montreal. But there are also Hasidim in out-of-the-way places like Uman, Ukraine and Postville, Iowa. I myself live in Minnesota -- you can read more about my life there on my personal page.
Read more on the history of Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Jews can often be recognized by their distinctive style of dress. The men often wear full beards, hats, and dark clothes. The women wear scarves or other head coverings and modest dresses. However, not all Jews who dress that way are Hasidim, as you will learn in Part 2 of this FAQ. But first, let's learn about the different types of Hasidim.
Secondly, the word begins with a gutteral KH sound that doesn't exist in modern English. (some linguists say that the ough in a lot of English words was once a gutteral, but if so, it was lost long ago.) In German, the gutteral is spelled CH, so a lot of Europeans spell the word as "Chassidism." (In German is it "Chassidismus.") However, Readers in the USA tend to pronounce CH as in "church," which is a sound that doesn't even exist in Hebrew. (Believe it or not, I actually met a guy who was pronouncing Chanukah (Hanukkah) as cha-NOO-kah -- with a CH as in choo-choo train!)
The closest an English speaker can come to the gutteral is the H sound, which is why I prefer the spelling "Hasidism." (But, if you know HTML programming, look at the source code for this page and you will see that, in the meta tag section, I listed every spelling I could think of for the search engines to scan.)
And now for pronunciation: If you can make the gutteral sound, then the correct pronunciation of the movement is called "KHAH-see-DIZZ-um" and the people are "kha-SEE-dim." (noun, plural) and "'khah-SEE-dik" (adjective). If there is only one person, he or she is a "KHAH-sid." (Yes, I know that in Hebrew a woman is a chasidah, but in English this is almost never used.)
If you can't make the gutteral, then the movement is "HAH-see-DIZZ-um" and the people are called "hah-SEE-dim" (noun, plural) and "hah-SEE-dik" (adjective.) One persom is a "HAH-sid."
Before the Holocaust, there were a lot more Hasidic sects (I don't really like that word, but it will do here) than there are today. Some of the better known ones which survived Hitler's persecutions are (in alphabetical order): Amshinov, Alecsander, Belzer, Bobover, Bostoner, Boyaner, Breslov, Ger (Gur), Karlin-Stoliner, Kloisenberger, Lubovitcher (Chabad), Modzitzer, Muncatz, Radziner, Satmar, Skvirer, Slonimer, Tauscher, Vizhnitzer, etc., etc., etc. (Note to geneaologists: Please don't write me looking for your ancestors in this or that Hasidic group. I live in Minnesota, not New York or Israel. I do not have daily contact with most of these groups, nor do I have resources to research your family. I'm just a freelance writer doing this FAQ as a public service.)
How many Hasidic groups are there? Hard to tell. As far as I know, there has never been a census of Hasidim. (See question 3-a below for more on populations). I suppose if you count all the smaller groups, there are a couple hundred or so.
By the way, it is not proper to call Hasidim "ultra-Orthodox," because we are no more "ultra" than any other Orthodox Jews. This misunderstanding seems to come from the fact that some Hasidim wear distinctive clothing which impresses the outside world as being fanatical. However, some of the non-Hasidic Jews who dress like everybody else can be more fanatical than many Hasidim! (And the Hasidim get blamed for it, unfortunately....) For a good analysis of the media-image problem, read the New York Times essay, The Observant Reader, by Wendy Schalt, published on January 1, 2005. In this excellent essay, she explores the problem of writers (especially novelists) who put themselves forth as experts in Hasidism when in fact, they are not. The general public assumes that, just because these writers are Jews, they must know what they are talking about. In many cases, these self-appointed "experts" have an anti-Hasidic bias -- so much so, that the "harsh, rigid Hasidic rabbi" is rapidly becoming a literary stereotype. (GRRRRR!!!!) Keep this in mind when you come across a Hasidic character in a novel.
Now back to our discussion of the different types of Orthodox and Hasidic Jews. In smaller Jewish communities, where there might only be one Orthodox synagogue in the whole town, the Hasidim and non-Hasidim will worship together. In one case I know of, a Breslover Hasid is the president of a non-Hasidic synagogue. So the differences between them are really not that great in terms of liturgy or religious observances. The main difference between Hasidim and the non-Hasidic Orthodox is that the Hasidim tend more toward mysticism and follow the teachings of a specific Rebbe, or saintly leader. The Orthodox, on the other hand, are more rationalist. But even there you will find exceptions. Some of the Orthodox scholars are revered as much as Rebbes.
Each Hasidic group is centered on the teachings of a particular Rebbe, or spiritual master. This is not exactly the same thing as a rabbi, although a Rebbe may also be an ordained rabbi. But he doesn't have to be. A rabbi is a scholar of Jewish law who acquires his knowledge and authority through "left-brain" book learning. A Rebbe is a saintly mystic who also understands the various levels of the soul, can read people's reincarnations, advise them about their spiritual life, etc. Some of the greatest Rebbes in the Hasidic movement were not ordained rabbis. And conversely, some of the greatest rabbinical scholars were not Rebbes. Yes, it is possible to be both. And of course, it is also possible to be a Rebbe without a cause (bad pun!)
As explained above in Q-1 above, the Hasidic movement was founded by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (bahl-SHEM-tove), whose name means Master of the Good Name. He lived in Poland and Ukraine (Eastern Europe) in the first half of the 1700s and taught by traveling from village to village. His disciples later spread out through Eastern Europe, founded schools, and had disciples who had disciples who had disciples. These these groups became the different Hasidic groups of today.
Hasidic groups are usually named after the town where the Rebbe was from, even if the Hasidim no longer live there. As for example, the Chernobyler Hasidim -- who lives in Chernobyl anymore? But in the 1800s, it was a great center of Jewish learning, and there are still Hasidic groups which trace their lineage to the Chernobyler Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Nahum of Chernobyl. The Twersky family, for example, are descended from the Chernobyler line.
The differences among Hasidim can be in styles of service, certain customs, styles of dress, philosophical focus, even politics. For example, on one end of the spectrum, the Lubovitcher Hasidim (also known as Chabad) are strongly supportive of the state of Israel and totally against giving any land back to the Palestinians for any reason whatsoever. Lubovitcher Hasidim serve in the Israeli army and their own organization has a somewhat military structure. In fact, they sometimes refer to themselves as "The Rebbe's Army." (The book of that title is a good intro to their community and culture -- use link on the right for in-depth reviews.) Lubovitchers also "support the troops" by doing various religious programs for Jewish soldiers in the field.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Satmar Hasidim do not recognize the validity of the State of Israel as a Jewish state, because it was founded through the use of violence by secular people, rather than through the coming of the Messiah, and it is not run as they feel a Jewish state should be run. (I.e., according to Jewish religious law. Israeli society is, by and large, very secular and frequently deviates from real Jewish values.) Satmar Hasidim revere the land of Israel as sacred, but they do not recognize the modern state of Israel, and do not serve in her armed forces or run for political offices, etc. (Note: there are other Hasidic groups that do recognize the State of Israel, but do not serve in the army because they are pacifists.)
The Satmars do not (to my knowledge) have a site on the internet, but I can recommend the book Hasidic Williamsburg: A Contemporary American Hasidic Community by Kranzler, which I have reviewed on amazon.com. This book is reasonably accurate study done among the Satmar Hasidim that will dispels a lot of the stereotypes about them.
Satmar and Lubovitch are the two political extremes -- among Hasidim, you will also find everything else in between. (For links to various Hasidic websites or sites about Hasidim, go to the Hasidism section of my Jewish link launcher. Unfortunately, most of the Hasidic groups are not represented on the Internet, by their own choice. More on that in section 1-A, which deals with questions about the media.
![[Lubovitcher Rebbe]](hasidfaq/lub-reb.gif)
Some Lubovitchers believe their late
Rebbe (Menachem M.
Schneerson) to have been a candidate for the Messiah. Other Hasidic
groups do not agree with this. In fact, not all Lubovitchers themselves
agree on this -- it is a big controversy within their community. The
Lubovitch definition of a Rebbe tends to place him on a higher pedestal
that most other Hasidic groups place their Rebbes. Lubovitchers believe
a Rebbe is another category of person from you or I -- for them, a
Rebbe is born a Rebbe, with an innately higher soul than ordinary
people.
Breslover Hasidim, on the other hand, believe -- as Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught -- that a Rebbe is not born any different from ordinary people, and that anybody can achieve the highest spiritual level. For Breslovers, a Rebbe becomes a Rebbe through his own efforts. Between these two extremes, there are many other variations of opinions about the nature of a Hasidic Rebbe.
A-3-a: I have no idea. The reason being that few, if any, censuses identify people as "Hasidic" specifically. Many don't even identify Jews as a separate group, let alone sub-groups such as Hasidim or sub-sub-groups like specific Hasidic sects. It has long been a complaint with me that government forms in the USA lump Jews in with "whites," thereby obscuring our status as a bonafide minority group. Many Jews do, in fact, have Caucasian-colored skin, but many others do not, and, given the hatred directed at us by White Supremicist groups, it is the greatest of ironies to call us "white" on census forms intended to identify ethnic diversities within a given population. I regularly enter "Hasidic Jew" under the "other" category, but I doubt that ever counts for anything. Some bureaucrat probably just changes it to "white" at data entry.
Another place where you might expect to find population records is from the Jewish community itself. Unfortunately, that isn't reliable either. The Federation of Jewish Services, for example, regularly misses Hasidic families in their surveys, because Hasidim usually don't belong to the Federation (which they see as assimilationist and therefore hostile to Hasidism. Most Hasidic groups have their own self-help charities instead.) Many Hasidim are not even on the Federation mailing lists. I, for one, have yet to ever receive a Federation-sponsored survey from my own state of Minnesota.
Synagogue membership lists are not that reliable, either, except perhaps in very large cities where Hasidim have their own separate synagogues. But, as explained in question 3 above, in smaller communities, the Hasidim belong to the regular Orthodox synagogue, where membership is not usually listed as Hasidic versus non-Hasidic. On the other hand, there are many non-Hasidim who will attend Hasidic synagogues because they live within walking distance, or they like the music or whatever, but who do not consider themselves Hasidim. The lines between different Orthodox/Hasidic groups are not as rigid as among some other religions, so people may go to more than one place. Membership lists might say who gives money where, but they don't always indicate levels of committment or religious practices of the people on those lists. For example, ex-Senator Rudy Boschwitz (R-MN) has given large personal donations to the Lubovitch community, but he is not a Hasid himself, and belongs to a Reform synagogue.
Hasidic groups themselves are reluctant to release population figures, or even take a census, for many reasons, one of which is, that it is considered bad luck to count people. This is based on the fact that every time a census is taken in the Bible, a plague or other disaster breaks out soon afterward. Even in situations where counting is necessary, such as determining if there is a minyan (quorum of 10) for prayer, the counting is done indirectly, either by saying "not-one, not-two," etc., or by reciting a 10-word phrase, using a word for each person. (And one never, ever points a finger while counting.)
Another reason that Hasidim are reluctant to list themselves as such is because of the Nazi Holocaust, where making lists of Jews was the prelude to rounding them up. (An excellent example of a major disaster following a census!) Most older Hasidic families are descended from Holocaust survivors, so this history is fresh in the communal memory. Many Hasidim distrust all lists and simply ignore the census forms.
So, how many Hasidim are there? Nobody knows. I've heard figures of 250,000 or more for New York City, and anywhere from 10 to 20% in Israel, but these are only very rough estimates. Sizeable communities also live in Baltimore, Chicago, London, Montreal and Sydney, but I have no numbers for you to crunch. As for smaller cities where there are no separate Hasidic synagogues? It's anyone's guess.
But are the hard numbers really all that important? It's not how many names you have on a list that counts, but how big an effect you have on the world. Hasidim may be small in actual numbers, but we have had a big impact on the Jewish community (and the whole world) in terms of Jewish education, music, stories, philosophy, prayer dynamics, rituals, etc. Even Reform synagogues regularly sing Hasidic tunes and tell Hasidic parables. Isn't that positive impact what really counts -- not mere numbers?
The word Rebbe (pronounced REBB-uh or REBB-ee) has two different meanings. Among non-Hasidim it simply refers to a Jewish teacher. For Hasidim, however, the Rebbe is regarded as a spiritual master and guide in the mystical sense. (Some Jewish writers capitalize Rebbe when using it in a Hasidic context but use lowercase -- rebbe -- in the non-Hasidic context, but this is not standardized.)
In many ways, a Hasidic Rebbe is loosely analagous to a Hindu guru or the abbot of a monastery, in that he is the guide for a group of disciples. The Rebbe is not regarded as a god (heaven forbid!) but he is more than just an ordinary rabbi. He is more like a saint or holy man, a living example of how to live as a Jew. (Note: Rebbe sometimes gets translated as "Grand Rabbi" but this is not a term which Hasidim themselves use.)
The Breslov movement was founded by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810), who was the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism. Breslover Hasidim usually refer to him as "Rebbe Nachman" or "Rabbenu" (rah-BAY-noo, meaning "our teacher." or simply "the Rebbe" (different from the Lubovitcher Rebbe mentioned above.)
Rebbe Nachman is buried in the town of Uman (OO-mahn) in the Ukraine, which is not far from Breslov. Each year there is a major pilgrimage of Breslover Hasidim who travel to Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah (ROSH ha-SHAH-nah, Jewish New Year) near the gravesite. You can read about my own pilgrimage in my article, Journey to Uman.
The name Breslov itself comes from the town of Breslov, where Rebbe Nachman spent most of the last eight years of his life. Breslov is not Breslau or Bratzlav or Bratislava, although all of these mistakes appear in various books about Rebbe Nachman. So just where is the Breslov of Hasidic fame? Well, folks, I can tell you EXACTLY where it is:
Breslov is located in the Ukrainian Republic. It is a small town along on the Bug River, latitude 48.50 N longitude 28.55 E, midway between Tulchin to the south and Nemirov to the north; 9 miles (or 15 kilometers) from each. Program that into your GPS equipment and you won't get lost on your way to Breslov! (On some maps the town is spelled Braclav, presumably a transliteration from Ukranian.)
Some people also see the name Breslov as a play on words in Askenazic Hebrew: Bris lev means "covenant (or circumcision) of the heart." The Breslov approach places greater stress on serving God through the heart, with much joy and living life as intensely as possible. It's a great mitzvah always to be happy, Rebbe Nachman taught.
One distinctively Breslov practice is hisboddidus (hiss-BO-de-duss) (also called hitbadedut in Israeli Hebrew), which literally means " to make oneself be in solitude. " The Breslover form of hisboddidus is a personalized form of free-flowing prayer which is practiced by the individual Hasid, in addition to the regular daily services in the synagogue. Breslover Hasidim try to spend an hour alone with God each day, pouring out their thoughts and concerns in whatever language they speak, as if talking to a close personal friend. (One does not have to be a Breslover Hasid to practice this technique.) Rebbe Nachman said that the best place to do this is alone in a field or a forest, but if this is not possible, one can do it in a private room.
Rebbe Nachman stressed the importance of personal soul-searching. He always maintained that his high spiritual level was due to his own efforts, and not to his famous lineage or any circumstances of his birth. He repeatedly insisted that all Jews could reach the same level as he, and spoke out very strongly against those who thought that the main reason for a Tzaddik's (Jewish saint's) greatness was the superior level of his soul.
Rebbe Nachman said: Everyone can attain the highest level. It depends of nothing but your own free choice... for everything depends on a multitude of deeds. (See the book, Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, p.29)
Although Rebbe Nachman died almost 200 years ago, he is still considered to be the leader of the movement through the guidance of his books and stories. Breslover Hasidim today do not have a"Rebbe in the flesh," and each individual Hasid is free to go to any Jewish guide or teacher that he (or she) feels comfortable with. There is no single person or council of elders in charge of the Breslov movement, and there is no official membership list. There are, however, a number of groups which maintain mailing lists for those who are interested in receiving news about current Breslov projects and events.
Further information about
Breslov beliefs, activities, and
publications can be found at The
Breslov Research Institute,
which is in the process of doing
excellent translations of Breslov writings into English. They have a
lot of other good books and tapes as well. Then there's the Breslov on the Internet
which is a
link launcher to other Breslov-related websites in both English and
Hebrew.
For Breslov books in English, go to the Breslov
section of Gershom's Book Shop.
![[smiling hasid]](hasidfaq/payos.jpg)
Also,
it is not our custom to socialize or "hang out" on the streets.
Most Hasidic socializing is done in the synagogues, schools, in each
other's homes, etc. The streets are often seen as just a way to get
from one place to another with a minimum of hassles. At home, we are
much more relaxed among ourselves. On the Sabbath and holy days we
spend hours around the festive table, singing our traditional songs,
telling stories, and visiting with family and friends. But the world at
large does not see this joyful celebrating, because it takes place in
the privacy of our homes.
I suppose here is also the place to address the frequent question about why Hasidim are "rude" and don't say "please" and "thank you." First of all, I don't think Hasidim as a group are any ruder than any other group. I've met some pretty rude gentiles and some totally obnoxious Christians banging on my door. So if a Hasid is rude to you, ask yourself: Would I interpret this scene differently if this person was wearing secular street clothes?
Another issue is one of language translation. For many Hasidim, English is a second language, with Yiddish being their mother tongue. The word "please" is not often used in Yiddish. In fact, if you look at page 54 of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning Yiddish, you will see that the list of "Words You Can't Do Without" doesn't even include the word "please." Because in Yiddish, you can do without it. As the book also explains, changing the tone or accent pattern of a sentence also changes the meaning. To indicate a request in Yiddish, one changes the tone and inflection of a declarative sentence to an asking sentence. (For example: "Give me a ride to work?" instead of "Give me a ride to work!") and the speaker also uses appropriate "asking" body language. If you are not used to picking up on these non-verbal signals, then I suppose the lack of a "please" might sound rude. If so, blame it on language barriers and not on religion, please. (See? I'm learning -- I actually used the word "please"!)
A lot of the problem seems to be one of mis-labeling and miscommunications. There is a tendency for the media to equate Hasidism with fundamentalism and then equate that with Bible-Belt Christianity -- which does not believe in reincarnation. So what's wrong with this picture? Answer: Jews and Christians are not theologically alike. Real Jews are quite different from the "Old Testament Hebrews" you might have learned about in church. (To explore some common misconceptions about Jews, download a free copy of my interactive Speaking of Jews tutorial.)
Saying that Hasidim = fundamentalists = Bible-bangers because they are all "religious" is a lot like saying that apples = oranges = bananas becasuse they are all fruits -- that's dead wrong!
While it may be true that the fundamentalist Christians are the most non-mystical and literalist groups in the Christian world, the opposite is true of Jews. The modernized Reform and secular Jews are the ones who reject mysticism for literalist rationalism, while the Hasidim and the Orthodox are more open to things like mystical dreams and reincarnation.
Even in the New Age and Jewish Renewal movements, Jews are getting their mystical references from Hasidic and Orthodox source texts and teachers. For example, Rabbi Zalman Schachter, a major founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, (not Hasidic!) was originally trained in the Lubovitch movement. Although he has now left Orthodoxy, his teachings still retain a certain Hasidic flavor.
Update 2/28/05: Another problem is that there are a lot of people out there who put themselves forward as insider experts on Hasidism, but who are nothing of the sort. In the past decade or so, there have been quite a few novels that use Hasidic themes but also make major bloopers. An example of this is a murder thriller called Zaddik by David Rosenblum, which I reviewed on Amazon.com. As a thriller it was a pretty good book. But if you read my Amazon review, you will also learn that there are some bloopers --- most of which could have been avoided by the author if he had read this FAQ!
The bottom line is, there's a lot of misinformation out there, folks. To read my somewhat humorous (but also serious) satirical review of a book on Israel by a UPI correspondent who doesn't know a Hasid from a herring, go to my essay on Hasidism and the media. Also, if you did not read it earlier in this FAQ, I highly also recommend the New York Times essay, The Observant Reader, by Wendy Schalt, published on January 1, 2005. In this essay, she discusses the problem of stereotypes in novels, and gives several more good examples.
![[book]](book/leaves.gif)
However,
in recent years the Breslover Hasidism have recognized the
need for some pocket-sized inspirational books in English, and have put
out a number of compilations. One that I like is
Healing Leaves: Prescriptions for inner Strength, Meaning, and Hope,
From the teachings of Reb Nosson of Nemirov (chief disciple of Nachman
of Breslov), compiled by Yitzchok Leib. These short quotes give a nice
feel for the Hasidic approach to life. They would also be suitable to
put up in a classroom if you are doing a unit on Hasidism, The
Chosen, etc., to help students
see that Jews are not just "letter
of the law." (Assuming, of course, that your school would allow
religious quotes in the first place. Theoretically you should be able
to do it as part of multicultural studies.)
For something a bit more in depth, but still accessible to the average non-Jew, I would choose The Earth is the Lord's: The Inner World of the Jew in Eastern Europe by Abraham Joshua Heschel. Although it is not a "Hasidic" book per se, Heschel did come from a Hasidic background. He gives a very good feel for the way that spirituality is expressed by Hasidim, and contrasts that with the more intellectualized form(s) of non-Hasidic European Judaism. The book is relatively short (only 112 pages) and Heschel writes in a beautiful, poetic prose that inspires as well as informs.
The only drawback is that, because The Earth is the Lord's was written in 1949, right after the Holocaust, there are places where it sounds like a memorial to a long lost culture. But Heschel also had hope that the world would one day come to appreciate what he called "the golden age of Jewish spirituality" (his words) in pre-Holocaust Eastern Europe. Had Heschel lived longer, he would now be celebrating its revival in Israel, the USA, and elsewhere.
The book is back in print now, but might be difficult to find locally, especially in small towns where there are no Jews. Use this link to order a copy for yourself from Amazon.com and help support this FAQ at the same time!
Another good book is Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust (1988) by Yaffa Eliach. This book was among the first to break out of the "Jewish literary ghetto" and into the mainstream of literature, and it's still in print. Here you will read about Jews who did not lose thier faith during the Holocaust (like so many secular people did). You will also gain some insights into Hasidic beliefs and spirituality -- even a miracle or two.
For exploring personal spirituality, I recommend The Breslov Haggadah -- a Haggadah is the service used for the Passover Seder, which usually happens around the family table. The Breslov version has the traditional text in Hebrew and English, with very nice Hasidic commentary (in English) on how the Exodus story applies to one's personal spiritual life. The book does have quite a few Hebrew terms and assumes you know something about Judaism, but you can usually get the basic meaning from the context. Because the Exodus story is well-known to the world in general, this book can be a very good intro to Hasidic spirituality any time of the year.
For more Hasidism books, see also the Hasidism section of Gershom's Book Shop.
![Hasidic smiley face]](hasidfaq/smiley.gif)
Part 1-B discusses how Hasidim are portrayed in the media, Potok's The Chosen, recommendations & criticisms of books and movies, explanations of some bloopers and misrepresentations, etc.
PART 2 covers some common questions (and misunderstandings) about Hasidic garb, customs, mannerisms, roles of men and women, etc.
PART 3 of the Hasidism FAQ has questions about Hasidic beliefs, how one becomes a Hasid, observing the Sabbath, some medical issues, Hasidic music, occupations, belief in angels, etc.
PART 1-A covers some basic background about the origins of Hasidism, some of the different Hasidic groups today, Rebbe Nachman's Breslov movement (and why Breslov is not Bratzlav), etc.
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copyright 1997-2020 (I'm living in the future!) by Yonassan Gershom.
May be reproduced for educational purposes only.