essay

Shifting patterns of ethnic identification among the Hasidim

New ethnicity : perspectives from ethnology • St. Paul, Minn. • Published In 1975 • Pages: 25-50

By: Levy, Sydelle Brooks.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document

This paper discusses the shifting pattern of ethnic identification among members of the Lubavitch Hasidim of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y. The author attempts to demonstrate how an individual's strong ethnic ties to Lubavitch are not necessarily manifested in cultural forms along, but often are expressed in manipulation of symbols and approved social behavior that provides opportunities for a moving or floating identity (p. 26). Levy divides the Lubavitcher Hasidim into four distinct subgroups or categories and describes the various ways in which these subgroups interact within the society, as for example in regard to dress codes, ritual practices, marriage patterns, education, and places of residence. Levy concludes that 'more significant than the clothing one wears, the way the ritual is practiced or where one lives, is the successful manipulation of kinship, marriage, educational institutions, and other types of social relations to promote individual goals while simultaneously preserving the image of Lubavitch to the larger society' (p. 47).

SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF

Cultural identity and pride

Regulation of marriage

Congregations

Religious denominations

Education

cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)

North American Hasidic Jews

HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document

1996

RegionThe area the document pertains to

North America

Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region

Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures

Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs

essay

Evaluation

Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.

Ethnologist

Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.

5: Excellent Primary Data

AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection

John Beierle ; 1995

Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document

no date

Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to

not specified

Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)

Lubavitch; Crown Heights, Brooklyn, N.Y., United States

NotesAdditional notes

Sydelle Brooks Levy

Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-50)

LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings

Jews