14524

WiSe 20/21: (S) (S) Introduction to Hasidic History

Giulio Busi

Kommentar

This course will survey the history and culture of Hasidism, the influential and controversial Jewish revival movement which began in 18th century Eastern Europe. The chronological arc of the course will cover the origins of Hasidism, the consolidation of Hasidism in the 19th century, the effects of the First and Second World Wars, and the rebirth of post-war Hasidism. We will integrate the religious, literary, and cultural expressions of Hasidism into this chronology, and pay particular attention to music, ritual, and issues of gender/women’s roles in the movement. Students will encounter charismatic leaders like Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, vibrant communities like Chabad-Lubavitch, and come to appreciate the continued fascination – and devotion – which Hasidism continues to attract in the contemporary world. Students will encounter Hasidic history and culture through a combination of primary and secondary sources. Suggested Secondary Literature: Hasidism: A New History (Princeton University Press, 2018). Marcin Wodzinski and Waldemar Spallek, The Historical Atlas of Hasidism (Princeton University Press, 2018). Studying Hasidism: Sources, Methods, Perspectives, ed. Marcin Wodzinski (Rutgers University Press, 2019). Hasidism: Writings on Devotion, Community, and Life in the Modern World, ed. Ariel Evan Mayse and Sam Berrin Shonkoff (Waltham: Brandeis University Press, 2020). Schließen