Download or read book Rescued from the Reich written by Bryan Mark Rigg and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2008-10-01 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Hitler invaded Warsaw in the fall of 1939, hundreds of thousands of civilians—many of them Jewish—were trapped in the besieged city. The Rebbe Joseph Schneersohn, the leader of the ultra-orthodox Lubavitcher Jews, was among them. Followers throughout the world were filled with anguish, unable to confirm whether he was alive or dead. Working with officials in the United States government, a group of American Jews initiated what would ultimately become one of the strangest—and most miraculous—rescues of World War II. The escape of Rebbe Schneersohn from Warsaw has been the subject of speculation for decades. Historian Bryan Mark Rigg has now uncovered the true story of the rescue, which was propelled by a secret collaboration between American officials and leaders of German military intelligence. Amid the fog of war, a small group of dedicated German soldiers located the Rebbe and protected him from suspicious Nazis as they fled the city together. During the course of the mission, the Rebbe learned the shocking truth about the leader of the rescue operation, the decorated Wehrmacht soldier Ernst Bloch: he was himself half-Jewish, and a victim of the rising tide of German antisemitism. A harrowing story about identity and moral responsibility, Rescued from the Reich is also a riveting narrative history of one of the most extraordinary rescue missions of World War II.
Download or read book Likkutei Dibburim written by Joseph Isaac Schneersohn and published by Kehot Publications Society. This book was released on 1987 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Likkutei Dibburim, a cherished treasure-chest of the Chabad Chasidic heritage, is a record of talks delivered by the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe in Latvia, Poland, and the United States during the years 1929 to 1950. It is a unique work - by turns expository, philosophical, narrative and nostalgic. The talks embrace an overwhelming range of subjects, from the Rebbe's memories of childhood and family to his eloquent and sometimes impassioned passages of exhortation. They include glimpses of faces and sounds that conjure up the mystique of a vanished shtetl world, delicately-drawn vignettes, fascinating chronicles of the early history of the Chasidic movement, and creative and instructive expositions of Chasidic concepts. One theme links all of these subjects like a thread of gold: the intense spiritual and personal bond with all his fellow Jews, that is of the essence of the very concept of Rebbe.
Download or read book Likkutei Dibburim written by Joseph Isaac Schneersohn and published by . This book was released on with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Likkutei Dibburim English written by Yosef Y. Schneersohn and published by Kehot Publication Society. This book was released on 2012-11-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Imagery Techniques in Modern Jewish Mysticism written by Daniel Reiser and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-07-09 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes and describes the development and aspects of imagery techniques, a primary mode of mystical experience, in twentieth century Jewish mysticism. These techniques, in contrast to linguistic techniques in medieval Kabbalah and in contrast to early Hasidism, have all the characteristics of a full screenplay, a long and complicated plot woven together from many scenes, a kind of a feature film. Research on this development and nature of the imagery experience is carried out through comparison to similar developments in philosophy and psychology and is fruitfully contextualized within broader trends of western and eastern mysticism.
Download or read book Communicating the Infinite written by Naftali Loewenthal and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1990-05-31 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the end of the eighteenth century the hasidic movement was facing an internal crisis: to what extent should the teachings of Baal Shem Tov and Maggid of Mezritch, with their implicit spiritual demands, be transmitted to the rank-and-file of the movement? Previously these teachings had been reserved for a small elite. It was at this point that the Habad school emerged with a communication ethos encouraging the transmission of esoteric to the broad reaches of the Jewish world. Communicating the Infinite explores the first two generations of the Habad school under R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi and his son R. Dov Ber and examines its early opponents. Beginning with the different levels of communication in the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid and his disciples, Naftali Loewenthal traces the unfolding of the dialectic between the urge to transmit esoteric ideas and a powerful inner restraint. Gradually R. Shneur Zalman came to the fore as the prime exponent of the communication ethos. Loewenthal follows the development of his discourses up to the time of his death, when R. Dov Ber and R. Aaron Halevi Horowitz formed their respective "Lubavitch" and "Staroselye" schools. The author continues with a detailed examination of the teachings of R. Dov Ber, an inspired mystic. Central in his thought was the esoteric concept of self-abnegation, bitul, yet this combined with the quest to communicate hasidic teachings to every level of society, including women. From the late eighteenth century onwards, the main problem for the Jewish world was posed by the fall of the walls of the social and political ghetto. Generally, the response was either to secularize, or abandon altogether, traditional Judaism or to retreat from the threatening modern world into enclave religiosity; by stressing communication, the Habad school opened the way for a middle range response that was neither a retreat into elitism nor an abandonment of tradition. Based on years of research from Hebrew and Yiddish primary source materials, Communicating the Infinite is a work of importance not only to specialists of Judaic studies but also to historians and sociologists.
Download or read book Storytelling and Spirituality in Judaism written by Yitzhak Buxbaum and published by Jason Aronson, Incorporated. This book was released on 1994-09-01 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'The purpose of this book is to elevate stories and storytelling in people's esteem, so they will understand their holiness and appreciate them at their full worth. There are those who enjoy stories and storytelling but in the back of their minds think, 'After all, they're only stories.'
Download or read book Likkutei Dibburim written by Joseph Isaac Schneersohn and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A record of talks delivered by the Frierdiker Rebbe in Latvia, Poland, and the U.S. during the years 1929-1950. The talks embrace an overwhelming range of subjects, from the Rebbe`s memories of childhood and family to his eloquent and sometimes impassioned passages of exhortation. They include glimpses of faces and sounds that conjure up the mystique of a vanished shtetl world, delicately-drawn vignettes, fascinating chronicles of the early history of the Chasidic movement, and creative instructive expositions of Chasidic concepts. One theme links all of these subjects like a thread of gold: the intense spiritual and personal bond with all his fellow Jews, that is of the essence of the very concept of a Rebbe.
Download or read book Turning Judaism Outward written by Chaim Miller and published by Kol Menachem. This book was released on 2014 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), the Lubavitcher Rebbe, took an insular Chasidic group that was almost decimated by the Holocaust and transformed it into one of the most influential and controversial forces in world Jewry. This superbly crafted biography draws on recently uncovered documents and archives of personal correspondence, painting an exceptionally human and charming portrait of a man who was well known but little understood. With a sharp attention to detail and an effortless style, Chaim Miller takes us on a soaring journey through the life, mind and struggles of one of the most interesting religious personalities of the Twentieth Century. --
Download or read book Who Will Lead Us written by Samuel C. Heilman and published by University of California Press. This book was released on 2019-07-02 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nearly decimated in the Holocaust and repressed in the Soviet Union, Hasidism has experienced an extraordinary revival. Hasidic communities, now settled primarily in North America and Israel, have reversed the losses they suffered and are growing exponentially. With powerful attachments to the past, mysticism, community, tradition, and charismatic leadership, Hasidism seems the opposite of contemporary Western culture, yet it has thrived in the democratic countries and culture of the West. How? Who Will Lead Us? reveals the answers in the fascinating story of five contemporary Hasidic dynasties and their handling of the delicate issue of leadership and succession. Revolving around the central figure of the rebbe, the book explores two dynasties with too few successors, two with too many successors, and one that believes their last rebbe continues to lead them even after his death. Samuel C. Heilman, recognized as a foremost expert on modern Jewish Orthodoxy, here provides outsiders with the essential guide to continuity in the Hasidic world.
Download or read book The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov written by Yitzhak Buxbaum and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2006-09-05 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a life, in stories, of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1700-1760), the founder of Hasidism. The Baal Shem Tov, or the Besht, as he is commonly called, led a revival in Judaism that put love and joy at the center of religious life and championed the piety of the common folk against the rabbinic establishment. He has been recognized as one of the greatest teachers in Jewish history, and much of what is alive and vibrant in Judaism today, in all denominations, derives from his inspiration. Abraham Joshua Heschel, who was descended from several illustrious Hasidic dynasties, wrote: "The Baal Shem Tov brought heaven to earth. He and his disciples, the Hasidim, banished melancholy from the soul and uncovered the ineffable delight of being a Jew.">
Download or read book Chassidic Ecstasy in Music written by Shmuel Barzilai and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2009 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Music is of paramount importance in Judaism. On the verse, «Hearken unto the song and the prayer which Your servant prays before You this day» (I Kings 8:28), the Gemarrah states that wherever there is song, there shall be prayer; and indeed, in the Temple, song was an inseparable element of the sacrificial services, thereafter finding its position in the prayers and the Torah reading, with its special melody, in the synagogue. Chassidism employed music as one of its main avenues for serving G-d. Music served to bring the individual to a state of awakening and joy, nullifying sadness which was seen as an element that could only lead to negativity. Joy allowed one to reach ever higher levels in the service of G-d, leaving one's sorrows behind, as explained by the founder of the Modzits Chassidic court, Rabbi Yehezkel of Kozmir, when interpreting the verse, «with joy you shall go forth» (Isaiah 55) to mean that through joy, we shall go forth from all our difficulties. In this book, Shmuel Barzilai takes the reader on a brief and concise tour of the Chassidic courts and their world of music. It explains the wordless melody (Niggun), which is perhaps even more important than songs having words; the importance of dance; the place of honor given to Shabbat songs; and the role of music in Kabbalah. The book provides an overview of the activities of Rabbis who composed and sang at every opportunity, whether in the synagogue or while conducting the traditional Tisch where Chassidic adherents gathered each Shabbat and Festival to hear their Rebbe explain sections of Torah, sing and interpret sayings on music. Barzilai also discusses melodies - niggunim - that became particularly famous, or derived from non-Jewish sources but underwent a process that allowed them to be adopted by the Admoric leaders and integrated into the Chassidic court's repertoire.
Download or read book The Path of the Baal Shem Tov written by Dovid Sears and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 1997 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The original teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of chasidism, on more than fifty subjects.
Download or read book Understanding the Tanya written by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2007-08-17 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the Tanya guides the reader through one of the most extraordinary books of moral teachings ever written. The Tanya is a seminal document in both the study of Hasidic thought and of Kabbalah—Jewish mysticism. With a keen understanding of the profound struggles within the human soul, the Tanya helps us understand how we can raise ourselves to higher and higher spiritual levels. Timeless in its approach, the Tanya addresses specific moral problems and dilemmas and delves into their root causes, distilling the universal predicaments of humankind and offering solutions that can change the way we view ourselves and conduct our lives. The Tanya explores the workings of the soul and examines the complexities, doubts, and drives within all of us as expressions of a single basic problem—the struggle between our Godly and animal souls.
Download or read book Compassion for Humanity in the Jewish Tradition written by Dovid Sears and published by Jason Aronson. This book was released on 1998 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For many Jews and non-Jews, the Torah, the Talmud and other rabbinic writings have long been interpreted as saying that the Jews alone are God's chosen people. According to Sears, The Path of the Baal Shem Tov, such readings have led to a struggle among Jews between assimilation--losing their particular Jewish identity--and withdrawal--preserving their particular Jewish identity and surviving as a people. Sears contends that this struggle between particularism and universalism is often misguided, for he argues that the particularism of Judaism engenders a "model of spirituality and moral refinement that will inspire the rest of the world to turn to God of its own accord." In order to demonstrate the depth from which Judaism speaks in a universalistic voice, Sears collects a wide range of sources from a number of periods in Jewish history. In the section on "Judaism and Non-Jews," the Talmudic teaching of Rabbi Yochanan, "Whoever speaks wisdom, although he is a non-Jew, is a sage," urges respect for the wisdom of other traditions. In the section on "The Chosen People," two Midrash passages demonstrate the idea of Israel as spiritual model: "God gave the Torah to the Jewish people so that all nations might benefit by it"; "Just as the sacrifice of the dove] atones for transgression, Israel atones for the nations of the world." Finally, in a section on "Messianic Vision," Sears argues that Jewish writings state that it is the Messiah's primary task to return the "entire world" to God and God's teachings. Sears's extensive sourcebook is a rich collection of primary writings on the role of compassion in the Jewish tradition. (Sept.) --Publisher's Weekly
Download or read book Chasidism written by Guraryeh Gurary. and published by Jason Aronson. This book was released on 1997 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the pillars of chasidic thought is the idea that people can comprehend God better through their actions - specifically, by performing mitzvos (sacred deeds) - than by meditation. This concept is the basis for the beliefs and observances of Chasidism, founded by the Ba'al Shem Tov in the eighteenth century. Rabbi Noson Gurary discusses Chasidism in a straightforward and authentic manner, without diluting the profound teachings of this unique tradition.
Download or read book I See Only Light written by Dr. Harry Hamburger/ Dr. Shoshannah Brombacher and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
