When Jews Made Fellow Jews ‘Other’: Hasidism and its Opponents
Date: Mar 15, 2021 - Mar 15, 2021
Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sponsor: Online Learning
Location: Online
Category: Online Learning
When Jews Made Fellow Jews ‘Other’: Hasidism and its Opponents with Dr. David Fishman
Part of Our Series “The ‘Other’ in Jewish Text and Tradition”
March 15, 2021, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET
The Hasidim, followers of the Ba’al Shem Tov and his spiritual heirs, emerged in the 18th century with controversial ideas related to Jewish practice and belief. While Hasidim coexisted peacefully with non-Hasidim in many communities, the Mitnagdim (“opponents”) in many larger Jewish centers in Eastern Europe reacted to the Hasidim not only with condemnation, but with writs of excommunication and measures to persecute the members of the new movement. This internal Jewish religious strife led to the division of the community into rival “denominations” for the first time in nearly a thousand years. We will study the conflict between the Hasidim and Mitnagdim and reflect on how the core principles of the dispute continue to shape our Jewish lives and guide our homes and institutions.
Dr. David Fishman is the professor of Jewish history.
If you have previously registered for another session in this series, your registration admits you to all sessions in the series, and you may attend as many as you’d like.
Note: The Zoom link for this session will be in the confirmation email that you will receive after you register.
