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The Pious Ones: The World of Hasidim and Their Battles with America
As the population of ultra-Orthodox Jews in the United States increases to astonishing proportions, veteran New York Times journalist Joseph Berger takes us inside the notoriously insular world of the Hasidim to explore their origins, beliefs, and struggles—and the social and political implications of their expanding presence in America
Though the Hasidic way of life was nearly extinguished in the Holocaust, today the Hasidim—“the pious ones”—have become one of the most prominent religious subcultures in America. In The Pious Ones, New York Times journalist Joseph Berger traces their origins in eighteenth-century Eastern Europe, illuminating their dynamics and core beliefs that remain so enigmatic to outsiders. He analyzes the Hasidim’s codified lifestyle, revealing its fascinating secrets, complexities, and paradoxes, and provides a nuanced and insightful portrayal of how their all-encompassing faith dictates nearly every aspect of life—including work, education, food, sex, clothing and social relations—sustaining a sense of connection and purpose in a changing world.
From the intense sectarian politics to the conflicts that arise over housing, transportation, schooling, and gender roles, The Pious Ones also chronicles the ways in which the fabric of Hasidic daily life is threatened by exposure to the wider world and also by internal fissures within its growing population. What lies ahead for the Hasidim, and what lies ahead for American culture and politics as these Ultra-Orthodox Jews occupy a greater place in our society?
Though the Hasidic way of life was nearly extinguished in the Holocaust, today the Hasidim—“the pious ones”—have become one of the most prominent religious subcultures in America. In The Pious Ones, New York Times journalist Joseph Berger traces their origins in eighteenth-century Eastern Europe, illuminating their dynamics and core beliefs that remain so enigmatic to outsiders. He analyzes the Hasidim’s codified lifestyle, revealing its fascinating secrets, complexities, and paradoxes, and provides a nuanced and insightful portrayal of how their all-encompassing faith dictates nearly every aspect of life—including work, education, food, sex, clothing and social relations—sustaining a sense of connection and purpose in a changing world.
From the intense sectarian politics to the conflicts that arise over housing, transportation, schooling, and gender roles, The Pious Ones also chronicles the ways in which the fabric of Hasidic daily life is threatened by exposure to the wider world and also by internal fissures within its growing population. What lies ahead for the Hasidim, and what lies ahead for American culture and politics as these Ultra-Orthodox Jews occupy a greater place in our society?
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2014
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378 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Berger
62 books9 followersJoseph Berger was a reporter, editor and columnist with The New York Times from 1984 to 2015 and continues writing periodically for The Times as well as teaching urban affairs at the City University of New York. In 2011, he won the Peter Kihss Award given for a career’s work by the Silurians Press Club, New York City’s leading association of journalists. He was a religion correspondent from 1985 to 1987, covering the Pope’s trip to 10 American cities in nine days, and national education correspondent from 1987 to 1990, a period when American school curricula were under attack as too European-focused. From 1990 until 1993, he covered New York City’s schools and colleges, when there were bitter controversies over condom distribution and AIDS instruction. He was the recipient of the 1993 Education Writers Association award for exposing abuses in bilingual education. In September 1999, he was appointed deputy education editor where, among other stories, he directed coverage of the firing of one chancellor and the search for another, the dramatic changes in bilingual education and a series on the first-year of a new teacher.
He wrote a biweekly national column for the Times’ education page as well as columns for the regional editions. An immigrant himself, he spent three years as a kind of roving correspondent to New York neighborhoods, writing feature articles about the ethnic and cultural richness of the city that became the core of two books, “The World in a City” and “The Pious Ones.” Most recently, he chronicled the building of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, the first major bridge built in the New York area in half a century, in an occasional Times series.
Prior to joining the Times, Mr. Berger worked as Newsday’s religion writer, where he three times won the Supple Award given by the Religion Newswriters Association, its highest honor. Mr. Berger also worked at The New York Post, covering such assignments as the 1973 Middle East War and Watergate. From 1967 to 1971, he was an English teacher at a Bronx junior high school.
Berger is the author of “Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust,” which was published by Scribner in April 2001 and is a memoir about his family’s experience as refugees in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. The book was chosen as a notable book of the year by The New York Times, which called it ”an extraordinary memoir” and was praised by Elie Wiesel as a “powerful and sweetly melancholic memoir, brilliantly written.” There have been excellent reviews as well in the Boston Globe, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. Berger’s first book was “The Young Scientists,” a study of the country’s top science high schools and their students, published by Addison Wesley in 1993.
Berger was born in Russia in 1945, spent the postwar years in D.P. camps in Germany and, after immigrating here, grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, City College and the Bronx High School of Science. He lives in Westchester County with his wife, Brenda, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Their daughter, Annie, a graduate of Northwestern University, is a senior editor for young adult books at Sourcebooks.
He wrote a biweekly national column for the Times’ education page as well as columns for the regional editions. An immigrant himself, he spent three years as a kind of roving correspondent to New York neighborhoods, writing feature articles about the ethnic and cultural richness of the city that became the core of two books, “The World in a City” and “The Pious Ones.” Most recently, he chronicled the building of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, the first major bridge built in the New York area in half a century, in an occasional Times series.
Prior to joining the Times, Mr. Berger worked as Newsday’s religion writer, where he three times won the Supple Award given by the Religion Newswriters Association, its highest honor. Mr. Berger also worked at The New York Post, covering such assignments as the 1973 Middle East War and Watergate. From 1967 to 1971, he was an English teacher at a Bronx junior high school.
Berger is the author of “Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust,” which was published by Scribner in April 2001 and is a memoir about his family’s experience as refugees in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. The book was chosen as a notable book of the year by The New York Times, which called it ”an extraordinary memoir” and was praised by Elie Wiesel as a “powerful and sweetly melancholic memoir, brilliantly written.” There have been excellent reviews as well in the Boston Globe, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. Berger’s first book was “The Young Scientists,” a study of the country’s top science high schools and their students, published by Addison Wesley in 1993.
Berger was born in Russia in 1945, spent the postwar years in D.P. camps in Germany and, after immigrating here, grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, City College and the Bronx High School of Science. He lives in Westchester County with his wife, Brenda, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Their daughter, Annie, a graduate of Northwestern University, is a senior editor for young adult books at Sourcebooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 17, 2014
Having grown up in the "rural" town of Monroe, NY (home to Kiryas Joel) with a pretty strong baseline knowledge of Hasidim, I was perhaps not the intended audience for this book. Not particularly scholarly, "The Pious Ones" was a good introduction to the ultra-orthodox Jewish community and its relations to the rest of the US.
In general I found the book poorly organized, repetitive, and uneven; the author explained some terms and situations in exhausting details while leaving other assumptions completely unexplained. My criticisms for the book range from ridiculous (Why is Monroe continuously referred to as rural? It's suburban! suburban!) to pedantic (Is it necessary for the author to cite himself all the time? Why doesn't he use/cite any other first-hand sources other than newspaper articles?). And every once in a while Berger would write something super offensive: calling Obama supporters "worshipful, willfully ignorant, blindly lost in fantasy" or referring to muggers as wearing hoodies and doo-rags.
Note: I read an advanced readers copy that my sister received as a Goodreads giveaway.
In general I found the book poorly organized, repetitive, and uneven; the author explained some terms and situations in exhausting details while leaving other assumptions completely unexplained. My criticisms for the book range from ridiculous (Why is Monroe continuously referred to as rural? It's suburban! suburban!) to pedantic (Is it necessary for the author to cite himself all the time? Why doesn't he use/cite any other first-hand sources other than newspaper articles?). And every once in a while Berger would write something super offensive: calling Obama supporters "worshipful, willfully ignorant, blindly lost in fantasy" or referring to muggers as wearing hoodies and doo-rags.
Note: I read an advanced readers copy that my sister received as a Goodreads giveaway.
September 22, 2014
Bad, lazy, boring, apologetic, tedious, missionary style infomercial book, based on some very partisan Hasidic activists, mainly Alexander Rappaport, who runs 2 soup kitchens for the poor called Masbia which is financed mainly by secular Jewish orgs.
The book just tries to romanticize an archaic old fashioned Shtetl lifestyle. it gives no objective view and it even condemns & accuses western modern civilization.
As a Hasid i am horrified of a writer like Joe Berger, who acts simply out of Jewish guilt, as he doesn't hide his Hasidic parents, who left their traditional path of old eastern European Hasidic Judaism, and tries to right their wrong - by regurgitating Hasidic self sanctimonious BS.
I can bore you with thousands of detailed rebuttals, but it will suffice to say that Berger starts his book openly with this statement about his nostalgia for his parents hasidic roots and biases. And ends with it, simply by quoting some Satmar school principal, that Hasidim are alive and main stream Jews are dead dead dead dead!
The book just tries to romanticize an archaic old fashioned Shtetl lifestyle. it gives no objective view and it even condemns & accuses western modern civilization.
As a Hasid i am horrified of a writer like Joe Berger, who acts simply out of Jewish guilt, as he doesn't hide his Hasidic parents, who left their traditional path of old eastern European Hasidic Judaism, and tries to right their wrong - by regurgitating Hasidic self sanctimonious BS.
I can bore you with thousands of detailed rebuttals, but it will suffice to say that Berger starts his book openly with this statement about his nostalgia for his parents hasidic roots and biases. And ends with it, simply by quoting some Satmar school principal, that Hasidim are alive and main stream Jews are dead dead dead dead!
September 6, 2017
Although this look at "The Pious Ones" concentrated mostly on Satmar Chassids ( a Hungarian sect)- it was a very broad look at a group I knew little about. Now they are one of the largest and strictest Hasidic groups extant They are distinguished by many things but foremost is their non- belief in the State of Israel because the messianic requirements have not been realized. They are isolated and insulated by choice and their adherence to Torah and the law of Moses are followed to the letter. I found it an oppressive group personally.
The author is a fine New York Times writer and his interviews and admission into their ranks was amazing. There are disillusioned defectors - and these are from many of the stricter groups; many of whom flounder in secular life as stranger in a whole new world. And within these sects are the very good and just plain shifty - which lets us all know that religion does not redeem everyone and those unredeemed place Mammon alongside their Deity. By and large, however, they are good to their fellows and do bring a sense of community to the their neighborhoods.
My experience has been with Lubavitchers and not much on this group was examined - except that when the Lubavitcher Rebbe passed away - it was not a pretty sight. He was hoped and predicted to be the Messiach. From my own reading about the man himself; I doubt he would refer to himself this way - he was well educated and generous and not boastful. He still binds the entire group and the Chabad - are the easiest and most acclimatized Hasids I have known. Without relinquishing a moment of their piety or observance - they have wide open doors and live in a world well woven with
tradition and modernity.
The difficult aspects of Ultra Orthodoxy in this sphere is the lack of curiosity and inexperience. Sexual repression does not live side by side with humans very well and the rumors and facts of sexual abuse are discomfiting and sad. The large families and role of women in the communities are understandable from a strictly ancient biblical standpoint - but they are not well suited to real life in the modern world. Secrets are kept and not always to the benefit of a single soul.
Are they keeping Torah Judaism alive in this day and age? In their own way - they are and whether this is a positive thing cannot be judged by looking in from the outside.
This book - for its insight into a usually hidden world of our tribe is excellent and for those of other faiths - there are many things to be learned. And as much as I have read on the subject myself - I learned a great deal more and will file it for my own thoughts and feelings to sort out.
By the way - the center of this world is in Brooklyn (and has spread throughout America) but Brooklyn is where you will see men in fur hats on high summer days and women with wigs and stockings - even in July. I recommend this title very highly - not broadly - but for those who want to know more - this is the one that is most up to date and highly readable.
This review could have been much longer but this is book you must read and judge on your ow. I believe the experience is a good one.
The author is a fine New York Times writer and his interviews and admission into their ranks was amazing. There are disillusioned defectors - and these are from many of the stricter groups; many of whom flounder in secular life as stranger in a whole new world. And within these sects are the very good and just plain shifty - which lets us all know that religion does not redeem everyone and those unredeemed place Mammon alongside their Deity. By and large, however, they are good to their fellows and do bring a sense of community to the their neighborhoods.
My experience has been with Lubavitchers and not much on this group was examined - except that when the Lubavitcher Rebbe passed away - it was not a pretty sight. He was hoped and predicted to be the Messiach. From my own reading about the man himself; I doubt he would refer to himself this way - he was well educated and generous and not boastful. He still binds the entire group and the Chabad - are the easiest and most acclimatized Hasids I have known. Without relinquishing a moment of their piety or observance - they have wide open doors and live in a world well woven with
tradition and modernity.
The difficult aspects of Ultra Orthodoxy in this sphere is the lack of curiosity and inexperience. Sexual repression does not live side by side with humans very well and the rumors and facts of sexual abuse are discomfiting and sad. The large families and role of women in the communities are understandable from a strictly ancient biblical standpoint - but they are not well suited to real life in the modern world. Secrets are kept and not always to the benefit of a single soul.
Are they keeping Torah Judaism alive in this day and age? In their own way - they are and whether this is a positive thing cannot be judged by looking in from the outside.
This book - for its insight into a usually hidden world of our tribe is excellent and for those of other faiths - there are many things to be learned. And as much as I have read on the subject myself - I learned a great deal more and will file it for my own thoughts and feelings to sort out.
By the way - the center of this world is in Brooklyn (and has spread throughout America) but Brooklyn is where you will see men in fur hats on high summer days and women with wigs and stockings - even in July. I recommend this title very highly - not broadly - but for those who want to know more - this is the one that is most up to date and highly readable.
This review could have been much longer but this is book you must read and judge on your ow. I believe the experience is a good one.
November 8, 2015
Every time I read something about hasidim, I approach it with trepidation. Which cardinal sin will the author commit this time?
Unrealistic romanticism or needless vilification? Hyperbole is unnecessary. It's at best innocently inaccurate, at worst- outright lies.
I was disappointed to see that'The Pious Ones' falls into the former category. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't have been happier if hasidim were needlessly vilified. But why create a community that resembles a pink fluff of cotton candy? There is so much nuance (yes. Cliche) to be picked up and written about. There's the good. But it can be honest only if it's along with the bad and the ugly.
Unrealistic romanticism or needless vilification? Hyperbole is unnecessary. It's at best innocently inaccurate, at worst- outright lies.
I was disappointed to see that'The Pious Ones' falls into the former category. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't have been happier if hasidim were needlessly vilified. But why create a community that resembles a pink fluff of cotton candy? There is so much nuance (yes. Cliche) to be picked up and written about. There's the good. But it can be honest only if it's along with the bad and the ugly.
Read
August 3, 2020The Hasidim are fascinating. This book is not a great book, but it does provide some interesting information and stories about the Hasidim in the United States. The growth of this religious group is phenomenal. Sometime in this century, the Hasidim will constitute more than half of all the Jews in the United States. Right now, in 2020, they are approximately l/3 of all the Jews in New York City. The book is worth reading.
April 20, 2024
This book is poorly titled. It is Hasidim 101. It is not specifically about their "Battles with America." It says all the same things I have read in other books. It was also repetitive. Author mentions many of the uncomfortable truths about the Hasidim along with "their side of the story." The author doesn't take sides and, imo, is way too easy on them.
April 21, 2016
I received this book as part of Good Reads First Reads giveaway.
Prior to reading this book I had heard the term Hasidim but knew it only as a sect of Jews but I think this book was a good primer.
The Hasidim are an ultra orthodox and extremely insular sect of Judaism. They originated in Eastern Europe in the 18th century and following the Holocaust a large number emigrated to New York.
The book was fascinating to read as it delves into the traditions and customs of the Hasidim, the Hasidic internal politics (even directly compared to a medieval succession crisis) and their relations with the outside world (aka the rest of America).
On the one hand, I am impressed with the endurance of the Hasidim. Since moving to the United States, they have managed to maintain their traditions and grow their population. As a Catholic I'm impressed and envious considering declining religiousness of my own faith but their cohesiveness comes at the cost of being extremely insular. In fact their boys only study the Torah and the Talmud, any 'secular' education like math or science is incidental to the study of the Torah. Interestingly, the girls get a more cosmopolitan education because they are not obliged to study the Torah like the males are.
The book also talks about clashes between the Hasidim and the rest of the US. For example, on Hasidim operated buses seating is segregated by gender. Not officially, after a number of lawsuits, but culturally and enforced by group pressure. There's also stories of how Hasidim have invaded other communities and set up shop to the chagrin of the original residents. The book makes no declaration of who is in the right and I'm not sure either, though not being a Hasid I tend to side with the gentiles.
Overall a well written, fascinating read. And considering how the Hasidic population is growing in New York (they were a large bloc voting for Hilary Clinton in her Senate run) it's a timely one as well.
Prior to reading this book I had heard the term Hasidim but knew it only as a sect of Jews but I think this book was a good primer.
The Hasidim are an ultra orthodox and extremely insular sect of Judaism. They originated in Eastern Europe in the 18th century and following the Holocaust a large number emigrated to New York.
The book was fascinating to read as it delves into the traditions and customs of the Hasidim, the Hasidic internal politics (even directly compared to a medieval succession crisis) and their relations with the outside world (aka the rest of America).
On the one hand, I am impressed with the endurance of the Hasidim. Since moving to the United States, they have managed to maintain their traditions and grow their population. As a Catholic I'm impressed and envious considering declining religiousness of my own faith but their cohesiveness comes at the cost of being extremely insular. In fact their boys only study the Torah and the Talmud, any 'secular' education like math or science is incidental to the study of the Torah. Interestingly, the girls get a more cosmopolitan education because they are not obliged to study the Torah like the males are.
The book also talks about clashes between the Hasidim and the rest of the US. For example, on Hasidim operated buses seating is segregated by gender. Not officially, after a number of lawsuits, but culturally and enforced by group pressure. There's also stories of how Hasidim have invaded other communities and set up shop to the chagrin of the original residents. The book makes no declaration of who is in the right and I'm not sure either, though not being a Hasid I tend to side with the gentiles.
Overall a well written, fascinating read. And considering how the Hasidic population is growing in New York (they were a large bloc voting for Hilary Clinton in her Senate run) it's a timely one as well.
July 9, 2014
I was thrilled to win this book, and it is a fantastic read for anyone interested in Judaism and how the Hasidim live. Berger is a very straightforward writer and keeps you glued to the page in each chapter. His account is both warm and realistic, and he tells it like it is. If you're Jewish you should read this because you will learn a lot, and also--especially if you do not live in New York City--there is a lot here that is going to surprise you.
I want to go back and read his other books because I admire his writing style and how he is able to paint a picture. Highly recommended!
I want to go back and read his other books because I admire his writing style and how he is able to paint a picture. Highly recommended!
April 3, 2015
Fascinating entry into a world not often open to outsiders. Some very interesting stories and some thought-provoking questions. The author manages to depict the differences as well as the things and belives held in common by the various Hasidic communities.
October 8, 2014
At times repetitive, but an enjoyable read for those who like to go behind doors and see how things work.
November 24, 2024
---Intro---
As their numbers and thus visibility in certain environs in USA rises at rates that would cause an economist to do a double-take, now more than ever a look at a most unique community is warranted. Thus, ten years after the book was actually written, the time is ripe to shine light on a group that only has had in the last few years almost an uncountable number of books, articles, TV series, and gosh knows what else written about them. However, jokes aside, The Pious Ones takes a whole smorgasbord of hot issues and attempts to deliver a level-headed look at both the high high’s and low low’s of ‘blackhat’ Jews.
---Interesting Highlights---
“I have many friends who see the adulation I witnessed in the Skverer synagogue as distastefully cultlike, or at a minimum a manifestation of the need of sheep for a shepherd. And it is hard to deny some of the manifestations: the clinging to an almost superhuman figure, the belief in supernatural miracles.”
“The Vilna Gaon, the leading rabbinical scholar of the era, issued an order of excommunication against Hasidim, charging that the ballyhooed miracles were delusions and that the Hasidic veneration of rebbes amounted to idolatry.”
“Yet despite that fertility—and perhaps because of it—68 percent of the households had incomes below $50,000, with 44 percent qualifying as poor under federal definitions, allowing many to receive Medicaid and food stamps.”
“After all, they are being prepared not for professions, but for what will be a lifelong commitment to Torah lishmo, Torah study for its own sake, even if that pursuit arguably contradicts the Baal Shem Tov’s emphasis on the dignity of work.”
“They may save the municipal, state and federal governments tens of millions of dollars by not sending their children to public schools or they may cost those governments tens of millions of dollars by capitalizing on special education programs, food stamps, housing vouchers and other programs.”
---Review---
As noted in the intro, we’re living in an environment where there is a surprising amount of literature about the Ultra-Orthodox. Whether one is a Jew or not, it’s now almost daunting to decide where to start if one wants to learn more about them. Obviously, for the practical type not afraid of being the odd one out, simply going to one of their synagogues and talking to them (the ones that speak English well enough at least) makes the most sense. But for introverts nationwide, we’ve a fair share of books published in recent history though most with the exception of The Pious Ones and more academically-oriented studies appear to be sensationalist and written by former Ultra-Orthodox and thus containing a wee bit of a bias.
The Pious One thus strikes a unique cord: it’s easy to read given the author’s previous work writing for The New York Times and as a Jew, albeit not one on their ‘level’, already has a firm understanding of the culture. This book seems to take about as objective look as one can get, but of course it would be impossible to keep one’s views entirely in check and as the above quotes show, issues abound.
It will be difficult within this review as well to hold back my own views, but thanks to the Pious Ones, they have been softened and molded. Haredi are people with unique views, a unique lifestyle, and generally seem quite at peace. Nevertheless, as becomes only too clear as one nears its conclusion, it’s a great lifestyle for some, but it’s biggest issue is not how it brushes up awfully close to ‘cult’ status (though that’s way up there), but it’s simply not sustainable without extensive government support.
Concluding with another quote of a Haredi the author interviewed, but this one really nails home the entire point of the book:
“Sticking to themselves is not rude,” he said. “That’s how they differentiate. We don’t stick to ourselves because we are better than the whole world. We are different.”
They are pious and are unabashedly so. And they vote.
As their numbers and thus visibility in certain environs in USA rises at rates that would cause an economist to do a double-take, now more than ever a look at a most unique community is warranted. Thus, ten years after the book was actually written, the time is ripe to shine light on a group that only has had in the last few years almost an uncountable number of books, articles, TV series, and gosh knows what else written about them. However, jokes aside, The Pious Ones takes a whole smorgasbord of hot issues and attempts to deliver a level-headed look at both the high high’s and low low’s of ‘blackhat’ Jews.
---Interesting Highlights---
“I have many friends who see the adulation I witnessed in the Skverer synagogue as distastefully cultlike, or at a minimum a manifestation of the need of sheep for a shepherd. And it is hard to deny some of the manifestations: the clinging to an almost superhuman figure, the belief in supernatural miracles.”
“The Vilna Gaon, the leading rabbinical scholar of the era, issued an order of excommunication against Hasidim, charging that the ballyhooed miracles were delusions and that the Hasidic veneration of rebbes amounted to idolatry.”
“Yet despite that fertility—and perhaps because of it—68 percent of the households had incomes below $50,000, with 44 percent qualifying as poor under federal definitions, allowing many to receive Medicaid and food stamps.”
“After all, they are being prepared not for professions, but for what will be a lifelong commitment to Torah lishmo, Torah study for its own sake, even if that pursuit arguably contradicts the Baal Shem Tov’s emphasis on the dignity of work.”
“They may save the municipal, state and federal governments tens of millions of dollars by not sending their children to public schools or they may cost those governments tens of millions of dollars by capitalizing on special education programs, food stamps, housing vouchers and other programs.”
---Review---
As noted in the intro, we’re living in an environment where there is a surprising amount of literature about the Ultra-Orthodox. Whether one is a Jew or not, it’s now almost daunting to decide where to start if one wants to learn more about them. Obviously, for the practical type not afraid of being the odd one out, simply going to one of their synagogues and talking to them (the ones that speak English well enough at least) makes the most sense. But for introverts nationwide, we’ve a fair share of books published in recent history though most with the exception of The Pious Ones and more academically-oriented studies appear to be sensationalist and written by former Ultra-Orthodox and thus containing a wee bit of a bias.
The Pious One thus strikes a unique cord: it’s easy to read given the author’s previous work writing for The New York Times and as a Jew, albeit not one on their ‘level’, already has a firm understanding of the culture. This book seems to take about as objective look as one can get, but of course it would be impossible to keep one’s views entirely in check and as the above quotes show, issues abound.
It will be difficult within this review as well to hold back my own views, but thanks to the Pious Ones, they have been softened and molded. Haredi are people with unique views, a unique lifestyle, and generally seem quite at peace. Nevertheless, as becomes only too clear as one nears its conclusion, it’s a great lifestyle for some, but it’s biggest issue is not how it brushes up awfully close to ‘cult’ status (though that’s way up there), but it’s simply not sustainable without extensive government support.
Concluding with another quote of a Haredi the author interviewed, but this one really nails home the entire point of the book:
“Sticking to themselves is not rude,” he said. “That’s how they differentiate. We don’t stick to ourselves because we are better than the whole world. We are different.”
They are pious and are unabashedly so. And they vote.
July 18, 2021
This is a broad survey of Hasidic life in New York State. It seems to be drawn largely or entirely from a series of columns that the author wrote over a number of years for the NY Times. It covers individual interest stories (beginning with a Holocaust survivor with 2,000 descendants), as well as themes such as dress, Torah study and education, internal clashes, dissidents, shopping, the Catskills, and so on. Each essay covers one theme, although a couple are specifically linked together. The stories are enriched with a lot of personal interviews that the author did with Hasidim - his long experience as a journalist made the interviews particularly strong. On the flip side, he isn't a scholar or a historian, so the entire book lacks a certain amount of depth and organization. The columns themselves were freestanding, and so by necessity redundant in places. This becomes much more obvious in reading them in series - and perhaps more attention to editing would have helped.
As far as whether this is a fair look at Hasidim - neither hagiographic nor an expose - I had an oblique connection to the Hasidic world through my Hungarian great-grandmother (bubbe) and her much younger sister. My bubbe was ultra-orthodox, covering her hair with a tichel (scarf). It was her sister, though, who married a Hasid and who lived the Hasidic life in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. My grandmother was lapsed - did not keep kosher - though she did marry a Hungarian. And neither then was my mother, who married "out" - still to a Jew but to one of Russian descent. We were still welcomed by my great-aunt and her husband, and visited them many times in Williamsburg (they couldn't come see us - as no one kept kosher). Everything in this book reads true, to me, from those experiences, limited though they were. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's enjoyed Shtisel, Unorthodox, or similar series or books.
As far as whether this is a fair look at Hasidim - neither hagiographic nor an expose - I had an oblique connection to the Hasidic world through my Hungarian great-grandmother (bubbe) and her much younger sister. My bubbe was ultra-orthodox, covering her hair with a tichel (scarf). It was her sister, though, who married a Hasid and who lived the Hasidic life in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. My grandmother was lapsed - did not keep kosher - though she did marry a Hungarian. And neither then was my mother, who married "out" - still to a Jew but to one of Russian descent. We were still welcomed by my great-aunt and her husband, and visited them many times in Williamsburg (they couldn't come see us - as no one kept kosher). Everything in this book reads true, to me, from those experiences, limited though they were. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's enjoyed Shtisel, Unorthodox, or similar series or books.
January 20, 2018
If the Hasidic community continues to grow as rapidly as it has been, it will become the majority of Jews in the US later this century, according to this book. That is a scary thought, since they are fundamentalists whose religion is completely different than mainstream Judaism in many important and unexpected ways. For example, regular Jews prize learning and follow all sorts of professions like other American men and women. Hasidim generally can barely speak or write English and do not go to college because it’s only important for men to study Torah and Talmud. Women’s sole purpose is to have babies, so they spend their lives raising children and cleaning and cooking and they are not allowed to sing if men are in the same room and must shave themselves bald after marriage, etc. The way Hasidim cult-worship their leaders, treat people who disagree or have defected, or disrespect the communities around them, are appalling. Altogether, “Yikes” is an understatement.
They have a lot in common with the Amish—started in Europe 17 & 18th centuries, speak a distinctive language, do not allow their children the education otherwise legally required by US (and this also shows how religious groups get special treatment), wear somber old-fashioned clothing, eschew TV, etc.
This book should have been about 100 pages shorter. So much of it was uninteresting detail or repeat as many chapters were clearly expanded from articles the author had previously written. Given the stifling nature of life for a Hasidic woman from a feminist perspective, I was disappointed the author did not interview a woman who had left the Hasidic world.
They have a lot in common with the Amish—started in Europe 17 & 18th centuries, speak a distinctive language, do not allow their children the education otherwise legally required by US (and this also shows how religious groups get special treatment), wear somber old-fashioned clothing, eschew TV, etc.
This book should have been about 100 pages shorter. So much of it was uninteresting detail or repeat as many chapters were clearly expanded from articles the author had previously written. Given the stifling nature of life for a Hasidic woman from a feminist perspective, I was disappointed the author did not interview a woman who had left the Hasidic world.
May 9, 2019
Hasidim is somewhat comparable to the Amish (except they are ultra Orthodox Jews), but with a dynastic element (the Rebbe). Originally from Hungary, arriving in the US after the decimation of the Holocaust, these clusters sects settled in primarily in Brooklyn. They have a uniform clothing regime, special haircuts for men, and a focus on the study of their sacred texts: the Torah and the Talmud. They have many occupations (Electronic stores in Manhattan for one), but study is their real work.
Like many religions, they have a fertility cult mentality, and families are thus large. The men and women do not mix, except at home. The population of Hasidim grows faster than the general population, thus making them a burgeoning political force.
This book outlines their life in Brooklyn and their satellite communities including their summer bungalows in the Catskills. A discussion of their sometimes tense interaction with the borough and city is treated.
I enjoy reading about minor insular religious groups, so this book was both interesting and entertaining. There is a lesson here both in the power of community, and the foolishness of cultural obsolescence.
Like many religions, they have a fertility cult mentality, and families are thus large. The men and women do not mix, except at home. The population of Hasidim grows faster than the general population, thus making them a burgeoning political force.
This book outlines their life in Brooklyn and their satellite communities including their summer bungalows in the Catskills. A discussion of their sometimes tense interaction with the borough and city is treated.
I enjoy reading about minor insular religious groups, so this book was both interesting and entertaining. There is a lesson here both in the power of community, and the foolishness of cultural obsolescence.
January 3, 2021
A Whitewash Of Cults
This book is not the product of a career journalist. It is a whitewash of cultists by a sympathizer, a sympathizer who apparently can't distinguish traditional Judaism from worship of idiots by the willfully ignorant. One can speculate about the motives behind such a performance, but it appears that the principal one is abandonment of the faith of his family (which he apparently never mastered or understood) by the author - leading to a vague but pervasive feeling of guilt. Not recommended unless you are a committed Gentle who has a dedication to viewing Jews as exotic but superseded.
This book is not the product of a career journalist. It is a whitewash of cultists by a sympathizer, a sympathizer who apparently can't distinguish traditional Judaism from worship of idiots by the willfully ignorant. One can speculate about the motives behind such a performance, but it appears that the principal one is abandonment of the faith of his family (which he apparently never mastered or understood) by the author - leading to a vague but pervasive feeling of guilt. Not recommended unless you are a committed Gentle who has a dedication to viewing Jews as exotic but superseded.
August 3, 2022
I thought this was a really great book. It's not an academic text, more of an introductory book that is broad but not super deep. All the same, it covered certain parts of Hasidic culture that I didn't know about. I wish it looked a bit deeper at the economics of the community, and unfortunately he doesn't conduct as much analysis as I would've liked. He gives a lot of interesting information, but analysis is pretty think on the ground, particularly regarding what we might expect the future relations between Hasidim and other groups to look like.
May 9, 2019
A fascinating look into to the insular world of American Hasidim. Take journey into a wold unknown to most Americans. A world that is with power struggles and scandal but also a world that provides a sense of community. A world obsessed with procreation but also one that is supportive of its disabled members. The book covers the issues stated above, but it also reveals the everyday lives of a group most of us know little about.
December 11, 2021
Easy read and very informative regarding the Hasidic and their culture. It exposes all facets good and bad of this mysterious group.
Well done expose of Hasidic life. Very informative and pleasurable reading experience. The author does an excellent job maintaining reader interest.
Well done expose of Hasidic life. Very informative and pleasurable reading experience. The author does an excellent job maintaining reader interest.
September 11, 2022
A comprehensive and even-handed treatment covering many aspects of the history and life-methods ("life styles" rather trivializes it - halacha is not a style!). From my environmental, sustainable point of view, and socially toward racially oppressed people, Hasidim have a big negative impact. But as a way of fostering Judaism and keeping a people together, Berger shows them astonishing.
August 30, 2017
An interesting look into the mysterious world of the Hasidim. As someone who is very fascinated with this world, this isn't the first book about Hasidim that I've read. Some things I already knew, some I learned.
January 28, 2021
A fascinating look at the world of the Hasidic Jews, primarily those living in NYC and upper New York.
April 6, 2021
Absolutely fascinating account of how the Hasidim have become a major player in modern day Judaism in North America.
April 19, 2021
Excellent and informative read. History, origins, daily life, pros and cons.
July 15, 2021
Highly recommended
February 29, 2024
An easy and fun read, though I'm not sure how much I learned that I didn't already know
December 29, 2020
Very interesting and informative. An easy read.
August 24, 2014
(I received this book for free from the First Reads program.)
The book does a good job of giving information about the Hasidic origins, history, rituals, philosophies, and world-views, as well as day-to-day life in Hasidic neighborhoods. It gives both general information as well as a few in-depth views of individual (mostly male) Hasidim who demonstrate particularly valued Hasidic qualities. It also goes into, as the (rather overly sensationalistic, imo) title suggests, some of the clashes that the growing Hasidic populations have run into with their neighbors (over segregation of the sexes in public spaces, use of public funds, etc.) and scandals and major news events that have concerned them. The book is well-written, engaging, and very easy to read.
My only structural quibble is that as a whole, despite its very informative content and the title, the book seemed to lack a strong running theme. It seemed more a collection of self-contained, related essays than a cohesive book. The author's journalistic tendency to not directly state his opinion or make a judgment call led him to instead hint at those judgments through word choice and emphasis. It left me unsure of where the author stood in some places, and in other places sounded rather snide. I'd have preferred for the author to come right out and discuss the issues openly. Due to this ambiguity, the book fell into a slightly awkward gap between just giving information and making commentary. It ended with a whimper to the (paraphrased) tune of "I have friends who don't like the Hasidim, but the Hasidim are here to stay, and everyone will just have to learn to deal with them. So it's a good idea to try to understand them." Er...ok?
Also, chapters on things such as the Hasidic views on work, sex, prayer, study of the Torah and Talmud, community and synagogue life, etc. often focused (almost exclusively) on Hasidic men. Of course, interviewing Hasidic women presents problems for a male interviewer, due to concerns about propriety, but I got the sense that the author felt the men were more interesting and thus he'd focus on them. There is one chapter that gives the biography of a Hasidic woman who had a very large family, but even that chapter was very outside-looking-in and was written posthumously. Mention of women is an afterthought in most other chapters. I was left with the feeling that Hasidic women mostly concern themselves with keeping house, taking care of their children and families, talking with other women, and (very occasionally) helping run their husband's business. What they might talk to those other women about, what their inner intellectual and spiritual lives are like, etc. is not addressed. So, if you're looking for information on the female half of the Hasidic population, best to look elsewhere.
The book does a good job of giving information about the Hasidic origins, history, rituals, philosophies, and world-views, as well as day-to-day life in Hasidic neighborhoods. It gives both general information as well as a few in-depth views of individual (mostly male) Hasidim who demonstrate particularly valued Hasidic qualities. It also goes into, as the (rather overly sensationalistic, imo) title suggests, some of the clashes that the growing Hasidic populations have run into with their neighbors (over segregation of the sexes in public spaces, use of public funds, etc.) and scandals and major news events that have concerned them. The book is well-written, engaging, and very easy to read.
My only structural quibble is that as a whole, despite its very informative content and the title, the book seemed to lack a strong running theme. It seemed more a collection of self-contained, related essays than a cohesive book. The author's journalistic tendency to not directly state his opinion or make a judgment call led him to instead hint at those judgments through word choice and emphasis. It left me unsure of where the author stood in some places, and in other places sounded rather snide. I'd have preferred for the author to come right out and discuss the issues openly. Due to this ambiguity, the book fell into a slightly awkward gap between just giving information and making commentary. It ended with a whimper to the (paraphrased) tune of "I have friends who don't like the Hasidim, but the Hasidim are here to stay, and everyone will just have to learn to deal with them. So it's a good idea to try to understand them." Er...ok?
Also, chapters on things such as the Hasidic views on work, sex, prayer, study of the Torah and Talmud, community and synagogue life, etc. often focused (almost exclusively) on Hasidic men. Of course, interviewing Hasidic women presents problems for a male interviewer, due to concerns about propriety, but I got the sense that the author felt the men were more interesting and thus he'd focus on them. There is one chapter that gives the biography of a Hasidic woman who had a very large family, but even that chapter was very outside-looking-in and was written posthumously. Mention of women is an afterthought in most other chapters. I was left with the feeling that Hasidic women mostly concern themselves with keeping house, taking care of their children and families, talking with other women, and (very occasionally) helping run their husband's business. What they might talk to those other women about, what their inner intellectual and spiritual lives are like, etc. is not addressed. So, if you're looking for information on the female half of the Hasidic population, best to look elsewhere.
February 20, 2015
I live in a community that is very near a large Hasidic enclave so I thought it might be a good idea to learn a little more about these folks. well this author is clearly on the payroll. According to him just about everything the Hasidic do is because they are especially religious and super holy. Not buying it. He talks about how they feel their way of life is so superior that they need to wall off the secular world to preserve it. I think that if my way of life was so great then bring on the secular world, clearly no one would want to leave my superior lifestyle. I think the more these people are exposed to science and secular culture and marrying whom they choose and not having ten kids the more appealing the secular world would be. The author briefly touched on all the bloc voting and how these folks have a sketchy history obeying town zoning, planning and building codes He chalked this up to the Hasidic are an impatient people and sometimes these planning and zoning things drag on for a couple of years. Who can blame the Hasidic for wanting to get on with things? And the author briefly brought up some of the fraud issues in the community especially where it concerns social safety net benefits. He said that when there are the "occasional" issues, well it is understandable since this community pays so much in taxes yet receives so little back--you know since they dont go to public school, use public transportation, libraries and other things that their communities provide. I don't believe this. This community has its hand out an awful lot from my perspective. They have bought and paid for local politicians, judges, law enforcement and legislators and executives all the way to the governors office. Perhaps beyond. So Mr. Berger if you wanted to shine a light on this community to folks who have little or no knowledge of the Hasidim well I guess this is a decent primer, but for people who have a strong knowledge and many first hand experiences with the Hasidim, well I think the picture you paint is unrealistically rosy.
December 10, 2014
I’ve had no exposure to the Hasidim other than seeing them as I traversed Brooklyn. The little I know about them has come from short newspaper articles (many of the Berger’s) that tend to focus on a particular incident, so this book was a good introduction. Berger’s book is personal, engaging, and most definitely slanted towards a kindly view of the Hasidim. I think that in my case it was important to read a book that was favorable to this group as an introduction to their beliefs and lifestyle because I generally take a very dim view of religious extremists.
I would consider this a primer of sorts, full of anecdotes and general information about the Hasidim of New York. Berger doesn’t look at Hassidic groups in other areas of the country and he glosses over some of the problems of Hassidic communities. While he addresses some of the problems the Hasidim have with both their Gentile and secular Jewish neighbors, it is gone over lightly with a somewhat apologist attitude.
One area that particularly bothered me was that of public assistance. The implication seems to be that the Hasidim take care of their own and that if they do not receive the schooling necessary to work outside their community that is okay because the community is self-sufficient. While Berger, brings up the assistance they receive for special education, he almost completely ignores the other types of assistance they often receive such as food stamps and Medicaid. An article from the NYT, April 20, 2011 states that Kiryas Joel, N.Y has the highest proportion of its population, in the U.S., living in poverty. It also states that “About half of the residents receive food stamps, and one-third receive Medicaid benefits and rely on federal vouchers to help pay their housing costs.” Berger completely ignores this self-imposed poverty caused by extremely large families and lack of education.
I would consider this a primer of sorts, full of anecdotes and general information about the Hasidim of New York. Berger doesn’t look at Hassidic groups in other areas of the country and he glosses over some of the problems of Hassidic communities. While he addresses some of the problems the Hasidim have with both their Gentile and secular Jewish neighbors, it is gone over lightly with a somewhat apologist attitude.
One area that particularly bothered me was that of public assistance. The implication seems to be that the Hasidim take care of their own and that if they do not receive the schooling necessary to work outside their community that is okay because the community is self-sufficient. While Berger, brings up the assistance they receive for special education, he almost completely ignores the other types of assistance they often receive such as food stamps and Medicaid. An article from the NYT, April 20, 2011 states that Kiryas Joel, N.Y has the highest proportion of its population, in the U.S., living in poverty. It also states that “About half of the residents receive food stamps, and one-third receive Medicaid benefits and rely on federal vouchers to help pay their housing costs.” Berger completely ignores this self-imposed poverty caused by extremely large families and lack of education.
May 6, 2015
Generally thoughtful overview of the growth of Hasidic Jews in America. The author describes the subculture -- growth of yeshivoth & other religious institutions that intensely define the ultra-Orthodox Jew; the booming communities with their own shops, landmarks, music, celebrities, restaurants. Above all, the "hessed" groups -- charities & individuals strongly committed to helping the communities.
In an effort to be balanced, he does discuss the dark side -- the internecine fighting, the obsession with marrying off one's children, which involves desperately keeping up appearances & often denying or hiding illness, disabilities, problems with family or community. I was shocked, for example, to read about parents who denied their hearing-impaired son a hearing aid because a visible disability will affect his siblings' chances of marriage.
I know I am biased, being myself Orthodox (Lubavitch), but I am always wary reading anything by a secular writer, as so many approach the community like an anthropologist exploring "quaint" tribal rites. His chapters on people who left the fold might seem to further a secular agenda. The one about Shulem Deen, who left Skverer, & his sexual problems were highly inappropriate.
Nevertheless, this is a highly readable book. The focus was on Hasidim -- those who follow a Rebbe -- but a broader overview on all the Orthodox, including the Modern and the Lithuanian, might be interesting. As the lifeblood of Judaism, and the sole viable group within American Jewry today, they will soon dominate the landscape.
In an effort to be balanced, he does discuss the dark side -- the internecine fighting, the obsession with marrying off one's children, which involves desperately keeping up appearances & often denying or hiding illness, disabilities, problems with family or community. I was shocked, for example, to read about parents who denied their hearing-impaired son a hearing aid because a visible disability will affect his siblings' chances of marriage.
I know I am biased, being myself Orthodox (Lubavitch), but I am always wary reading anything by a secular writer, as so many approach the community like an anthropologist exploring "quaint" tribal rites. His chapters on people who left the fold might seem to further a secular agenda. The one about Shulem Deen, who left Skverer, & his sexual problems were highly inappropriate.
Nevertheless, this is a highly readable book. The focus was on Hasidim -- those who follow a Rebbe -- but a broader overview on all the Orthodox, including the Modern and the Lithuanian, might be interesting. As the lifeblood of Judaism, and the sole viable group within American Jewry today, they will soon dominate the landscape.
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