essay

Home in exile: Hasidim in the new world

New world Hasidim : ethnographic studies of Hasidic Jews in AmericaAlbany, N.y.Published In 1995 • Pages: 205-236

By: Belcove-Shalin, Janet S..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This article explores the Jewish quest for home, illustrated here by the transplantation of a Hasidic community from the Old World to the New. The focus of Belcove-Shalin's discussion is the Hasidic community of Boro Park, Brooklyn, N.Y., '…with special attention to Bobov, a Hasidic dynasty that originated in the western Galician town of Bobov but eventually sunk roots in Boro Park and became the third-largest Hasidic group in the United States' (p. 206). As an introduction to this paper Belcove-Shalin discusses the general overview of the meaning of the terms 'home' and 'exile' in Jewish tradition. The author then shows how the Hasidim have molded their neighborhood into a community that allows its members to maintain their distinct lifestyle. Following this Belcove- Shalin demonstrates how Hasidic leaders have reasserted their charismatic authority in exile with particular emphasis on the role of the Bobover Rebbe. The paper concludes with some of Belcove-Shalin's thoughts on the meaning of 'home' and 'exile' in the late twentieth century (p. 207).
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Ethos
Tribe and nation
Priesthood
Congregations
Religious denominations
Education system
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.
Anthropologist
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
variable
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Bobover; Boro Park, Brooklyn, N.Y., United States
NotesAdditional notes
Janet S. Belcove-Shalin
Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-236)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
94000300
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Jews