I will examine Martin Buber’s Tales of the Hasidim, and the limits of his concepts of “ecstatic joy” and “spiritual wholeness.” To Buber, Hasidic legends present the possibility of overcoming tensions between the quotidian present and the messianic future, divisions of sacred and profane, divine and self. I argue that Buber does not present clear instructions on how to achieve this unity, so I turn to his other writings on Hasidism in order to trace his definition of “ecstatic joy” and “spiritual wholeness.” While Buber accurately depicts the Zaddik-Hasidim relationship, he downplays the importance of Jewish Law (Halacha) in facilitating the goal of ecstatic joy and spiritual wholeness which he posits as the essence of Hasidism. Ultimately, I conclude that while Buber ignores “authentic” aspects of Hasidic life, he indeed uses the Hasidic tale to effectively present a message of ecstatic joy and spiritual wholeness to a universal audience.

This study demonstrates the internal controversy of the white ethnic revival toward the affirmative action policy – white ethnic groups both wished to be included in the categories of this policy and vigorously opposed it. Subsequently, they failed to be proclaimed a designated minority. The study also shows that striving to gain social and economic stability, white ethnic groups used to conform to the Anglo-Saxon standards; however, beginning in the 1970s, ethnic association with whites was perceived hindward. Despite the overall failure of the white ethnic movement, two groups were able to succeed and gain recognition of a designated minority – namely, Italian Americans in CUNY and Hasidic Jews in the MBDA. Both of these cases present examples of religious bigotry excluding groups from enjoying the social benefits. These are unique cases, as traditionally religious discrimination was pushed off the civil rights agenda. For this reason, in their attempts to pursue the “minority” status, both Italian Americans and Hasidic Jews did not emphasize their religion as the main reason for their disadvantaged position. On the contrary, they stressed still-existing prejudice and stereotypes about their ethnicity (Italian Americans) and non-traditional way of life (Hasidic Jews) that served the main reason of their deprived and “socially disadvantaged” status. Moreover, these cases present the irony of the white ethnic revival: while the major current of Italian American and Jewish American civil rights activists argued against affirmative action, Italian American faculty at CUNY and Hasidic Jews did otherwise.

This dissertation is concerned with the sources for the teachings attributed to the Besht (Israel Ba’al Shem Tov, d.1760), the purported founder of the Hasidic movement. Works of Hasidic literature preserve many teachings attributed to the Besht but since he wrote none of these himself, the reliability of the oral transmission of his words and of their written record has repeatedly been called into question. After surveying previous critical scholarship on the sources for these teachings and arguing that very basic questions about the nature of these sources and their reliability as historical records remain unanswered, this dissertation presents the first systematic investigation of the earliest of these sources, assesses their various textual problems and historical connection to the Besht, and, finally, offers a number of methodological strategies for evaluating and interpreting them. The sources that are the focus of the investigation include the several letters and documents that have been attributed to the Besht directly, as well as the numerous teachings quoted in his name in the writings of his disciples. Employing historical and philological analyses, this study traces the textual history of all of these sources and their various, often conflicting, versions in manuscript and print, and offers a fresh assessment of their connection to the Besht. In the course of the investigation important aspects of the complex origins of Hasidic literature are reconstructed and it is shown, for example, that a vast corpus hitherto attributed to the Besht’s disciple Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritsh (d.1772), is, in fact, the product of a prolonged, and largely anonymous, collective effort. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the historical and methodological consequences of the analyses. It is argued that the scope of the oral transmission of the Besht’s teachings was relatively limited and that it was their dissemination in written form that had a decisive historical impact. Following a discussion of the applicability of criteria of authenticity to the case of the teachings quoted in the name of the Besht, a number of methodological strategies for interpreting them are described and a future program of research is proposed. / 2028-08-31T00:00:00Z

La communauté juive hassidique de Williamsburg a formé progressivement dans l’après-guerre uneenclave religieuse fondamentaliste dans le sud du quartier. Ce projet d’appropriation du territoire aété menacé par la gentrification et le redéveloppement du quartier depuis les années 80. Il s’agitd’abord de montrer les enjeux soulevés par ces transformations et les stratégies mises en place par lesrésidents et les autres acteurs intervenant dans le quartier. Les juifs hassidiques ont eu une positionambivalente puisque les mutations représentaient pour eux aussi bien une contrainte que desopportunités. Les entrepreneurs de la communauté ont investi massivement dans l’immobilier duquartier, capturant une partie de la rente foncière. Dans le même temps, les fidèles peu éduqués etmal intégrés au marché de l’emploi ont peiné à trouver des logements abordables pour héberger leursfamilles nombreuses. Nous verrons ensuite comment cette communauté qui a une attache trèsparticulière au territoire est parvenue à se préserver mieux que les autres enclaves d’immigrés duquartier grâce à des stratégies immobilières et politiques. L’entraide a permis de limiter la montée duprix des loyers et la communauté a construit des milliers de nouveaux logements pour les fidèles surd’anciens terrains industriels grâce aux capitaux de quelques entrepreneurs hassidiques fortunés etd’une petite classe de propriétaires. L’isolement des fidèles et la croissance résidentielle de l’enclaveont été facilités par la très bonne intégration de la communauté à la vie politique municipale. / The Hasidic Jewish community in Williamsburg forms a fundamentalist religious enclave in the southsince the Second World War. Gentrification and redevelopment have been threatening this spatialproject since the 80’s. We will discuss first the issues raised by the recent changes for the localcommunity and the strategies of all the stakeholders involved or affected by those changes. HasidicJews had an ambivalent position and change became an opportunity as much as a pressure for them.Hasidic entrepreneurs have been active in real estate all over the neighborhood and they were able tocollect a rent gap. In the meantime, most members are poor because they lack education and skills.Due to this, they have a very hard time finding affordable housing for their large families. We will thenshow how this community with strong ties to its territory has managed to preserve itself better thanthe other immigrant enclaves in the area, using real estate and political strategies. Solidarity hashelped to maintain fair rent for the neediest and the community has developed thousands of new unitson former industrial lots with the help of wealthy entrepreneurs and a small owner class. The deeppolitical integration of the Hasidic community in the local governance has facilitated their isolation andresidential growth.

This diploma thesis, titled "Niggunim in the Hasidic Tradition" deals with the musical tradition of the Hasidic Jews and its role in their daily lives and religious praxis. In this first part the reader is introduced to the topic, such as a general definition of a niggun. Included in the introductory chapters is a new typology of Hasidic niggunim, based on contemporary theories and arranged according to their usage in Hasidic practice. The basic modes in Jewish music are also explored (alongside known major and minor scales), and examples of each type are given. The next four chapters explore four dynasties whose musical activity is significant for the Hasidic tradition (HaBaD, Modzhits, Karlin, and Bratslav). This pivotal section includes a theoretical and musical analysis of the niggunim in each individual tradition according to dynasty. This thesis offers a definition of niggunim that encompasses the entire Hasidic tradition: a communicative medium and tool for expressing emotions in the context of the mystical practices of devekut and tikun olam. The unique perception of music by each of the four dynasties is also explored. The text of this thesis includes appendix A, which contains notational examples to accompany the text, and appendix B, which contains audio recordings in mp3 format.

One of the most innovative and original Hasidic leaders and thinkers, Rabbi Nachman of Braslav (1772 – 1810), related thirteen long, complex fables during the final four years of his life. This doctoral thesis presents an analysis of the quest for the Lost Princess in Rabbi Nachman of Braslav's "Book of Stories in Ancient Times." The image of the Lost Princess and the quest to find and rescue her, which appear in four of these stories (including the first and the last ones), are central symbols in Rabbi Nachman's thought. The most important key to an analysis of this image and theme lies in understanding the symbols and concepts of the Jewish mystical tradition (the Kabbalah), as Rabbi Nachman himself suggested. / Classsics, Near & Far East & Religious Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Judaica)

One of the most innovative and original Hasidic leaders and thinkers, Rabbi Nachman of Braslav (1772 – 1810), related thirteen long, complex fables during the final four years of his life. This doctoral thesis presents an analysis of the quest for the Lost Princess in Rabbi Nachman of Braslav's "Book of Stories in Ancient Times." The image of the Lost Princess and the quest to find and rescue her, which appear in four of these stories (including the first and the last ones), are central symbols in Rabbi Nachman's thought. The most important key to an analysis of this image and theme lies in understanding the symbols and concepts of the Jewish mystical tradition (the Kabbalah), as Rabbi Nachman himself suggested. / Classsics, Near and Far East and Religious Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Judaica)