Hasidic Judaism

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Beginnings of Hasidism  1700s in Eastern Europe  Founded by Rabbi Israel Ball Shem Tov  Means “pious ones” in Hebrew  Wanted to fill void felt by many average observant Jews  Call to a spiritual renewal and a protest against the prevailing religious establishment and culture  Focuses on the engagement of God through mystical experience

Hasidic Communities  Thriving in New York  Tightly-knit communities  Preserve the Yiddish language and many religious traditions of pre-Holocaust Eastern European Judaism  Led by Rebbe (believed to have direct, personal relationship with God), has political and religious authority  Strong traditions of music, dance, and story-telling

Hasidic Ideals  To live a life in which every moment reflects a consciousness of God  Many actions of the day are accompanied by a prayer  Derived from mystic Judaism (Kabbalah)  ‘“It means that, as Jews, we will not tweak anything of the religion; we will work our way through the modern world," blending our beliefs with the current age we live in.’ -Yosef Levertov, an observant Hasidic Jew

School for Hasids  Yeshivos are the private Jewish schools  Teach standard high school curriculum plus Yiddish, Hebrew, and religious studies  Hebrew - the traditional spoken and written language of Jewish people –Taught in classroom, studied in synagogue  Yiddish - spoken in classroom, home, and synagogue  Strong emphasis on Torah and Talmud

Bibliography  m/Hasidism.html m/Hasidism.html   Judaism.html Judaism.html  rabbi-works-to-reach-all-facets-of html rabbi-works-to-reach-all-facets-of html