Hasidism

This thesis examines the philosophy of language of Rabbi Dov Baer of Mezritch (d. 1772), one of the most influential and creative early Hasidic masters, and the teacher whose students effectively created the Hasidic movement. I argue that Dov Baer offers an innovative approach t…

Rabbi David Twersky was a leading figure in Ukrainian Hasidism in the second half of the nineteenth century. Under R. David's father, Hasidism grew from a small sect to a mass movement. R. David began his career after the death of his father in 1837 by settling in Vasil'kov, whe…

Against the background of the young Martin Buber's discovery of a communal orientation in the Zionist movement, his retellings of Hasidic stories in his two early books reveal a struggle for a new Jewish self-understanding driven by an experience of alienation. The books offer b…