Hassidim

Israeli-Ukrainian visiting Uman for Rosh Hashanah detained, conscripted into Ukrainian military

According to the report, the man, who was born in Ukraine but is an Israeli citizen who has lived in Israel for many years, was detained during a document check.

Jewish men at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman, ahead of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, September 22, 2025.
Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) people in Tel Aviv in June.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community feels misunderstood. Here’s why - opinion

Gur Grand Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter seen after a meeting of the Council of Torah Sages regarding the Haredi draft exemption bill in Jerusalem, January 7, 2026.

Gerrer Rebbe, anti-Zionist Satmar billionaire discussed ICJ action against Israel over haredi draft

 Thousands of Shluchim pose for a “class picture” outside Chabad World Headquarters

Will Chabad lead American Jewry? - opinion


Alesker hassidic dynasty grand rabbi dies age 79 in Brooklyn

Rabbi Yizchok Ashkenazi had suffered deteriorating health for years and reportedly lived in "pain and suffering."

Gazing out at the altered skyline from a perch in Brooklyn, August 14

The Lubavitcher Rebbe: A reluctant leader answering the call - opinion

Great leaders don’t set out to change history, but respond to history’s call for change when it comes knocking on their door.

 A MAN PRAYS at the graveside of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, at the Old Montefiore Cemetery in New York.

In the wake of an earthquake: Meet Rabbi Avraham Dov

Avraham Dov survived the 1834 looting of Safed and the 1837 Galilee earthquake, but he died in late 1840 when a plague struck Safed. 

 Ibrahim Pasha, target of the Syrian Peasant Revolt

Israel and the world’s best photojournalism on display

“The photographers work with respect for their subjects, and the subject matter,” said curator Galia Gur Zeev. “They reflect the events that are taking place."

 PHOTO OF The Year was awarded to Natan Dvir’s compelling chromatic shot of octogenarian residents of Ashkelon whose home took a direct hit from a Hamas rocket during Operation Guardian of the Walls.

Understanding haredi society: The hassidim

This is the second in a series on the different groups that compose the haredi sector.

 Gur Hassidim attend the wedding of their Grand Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter's grandson, Jerusalem 2019

Breakaway hassidic leader greeted joyfully in US

Rabbi Shaul Alter broke away from the mainstream Gur community in 2019 and is now establishing institutions for his new hassidic community.

Rabbi Shaul Alter, head of a breakaway faction in the Gerrer hassidic community, at a celebration last week

Disgraced hassidic leader Berland, already in jail, held for murder

Rabbi Eliezer Berland is currently serving his second custodial sentence for fraud, attempted tax evasion and other financial crimes. 

Rabbi Berland Arrest

Remembering Joe Manasseh: A wandering Jew who came home

My grandfather, Joseph Manasseh, was a special man.

 Joseph Manasseh

The Besht and Torah: Reconstructing the legacy of the Baal Shem Tov

Providing a baseline for considering how hassidism has evolved over the ages.

 THE BESHT’S tomb at the old Jewish cemetery in Medzhybizh, Ukraine.

Why do good things happen to bad people? New book tracks answers

Thinking about Good and Evil - Jewish Views from Antiquity to Modernity by Rabbi Wayne Allen summarizes all the Jewish views on theodicy.

 THE DESTRUCTION of Sodom and Gomorrah by François de Nomé (called Monsù Desiderio), c. 1593-1650