Blurb:

This chapter explains the historical and sociological characteristics of Hasidic Jews and their relationship to other “Ultra-Orthodox” Jews. It briefly explores Hasidism’s emergence as a pietistic movement in eighteenth-century Eastern Europe and the ways that scholars have traditionally written this history. The chapter then addresses contemporary trends—how Jews are both entering and exiting Hasidic life. These shifts are forcing us to reexamine our basic assumptions about who Hasidic Jews are and how their communities operate.