Boychiks in the Hood: Travels in the Hasidic Underground – An Unforgettable Exploration of Global Jewish Culture and Flourishing Tradition

by Robert Eisenberg

Boychiks in the Hood is your passport to the Hasidic "underworld" -- a destination far different from popular expectations. Join Robert Eisenberg as he hangs out with an ex-Deadhead in Antwerp, makes a pilgrimage to the grave of the revered Rebbie Nachman in the Ukraine, munches mini-bagels with Rollerblading kosher butchers in Minnesota, discovers the last remaining religious Jews in Poland, talks sex with a karate-champion-turned-rabbi in Israel, and more.Simultaneously respectful and hilarious, Boychiks in the Hood is a surprising and unforgettable journey through the world's flourishing Hasidic communities that reveals this vibrant tradition as never before.

Genres: Nonfiction, Jewish, Judaism, Religion, Travel, Judaica, Memoir

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Chrisula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall it was a good read and a very interesting look at the different Hasidic subcultures. I learned quite a bit from this book! The author takes a mostly non-judgmental look at Hasidim across the U.S. and in Europe and Israel. By the end you understand the commitment and dedication of Hasidim worldwide, but I also came away with feeling as though Hasidim is too rigid and understand why Conservatism and Reform Jewry emerged. What was also very blatant to me was the focus on men even though the author provided some female points of view. Perhaps this is a parallel to what it's like for Hasidic women? Either way, a look into a world mostly off the radar for most Americans and I enjoyed reading it.

[holly scalzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is for the uninitiated, those unfamiliar with Hasidic Jewish practices, customs, and beliefs. This would be a good introductory book for someone, particularly as it doesn't spend much time in any one sect or in any one geographic location for very long. The author jetsets all over the Jewish world, and yet spends very little time in Boro Park or Crown Heights, seeking out Hasidim, and spending perfunctory afternoons with them and having superficial interactions with a wacky cast of eccentric Hasidic characters. Eisenberg admits in the beginning that his book is a cross between "ethnography" and travelogue, and it seems to be more the latter with some peppering of Hasidic and Orthodox explanations.

This book is 16 years old and it shows. It's terribly dated with its pop culture references and American colloquialisms and gnarly surfer slang. I actually found it interesting (and irritating) that I understood most of the Hebrew and Yiddish words and phrases, as well as all the rituals and what they referred to, but had trouble understanding what Eisenberg was trying to compare them to in American culture to further explain them. Some of them, aside from being a mystery to me, sounded just plain irritating and disrespectful in his adolescent attempts to shed light on the complexity of the Hasidic world.

Much of what he described of himself and how he chose to describe the people he met sounded a lot like, "Look at me! Look at me! See how quirky I am and yet I totally can run in these circles because my bubbe taught me Yiddish!" It's kind of weird that seemingly all the Hasidim he met were like, ex-Deadheads, hippies, and vehement anti-Zionists. Where exactly did he find these people? They almost didn't feel real... I wouldn't be surprised if he heavily exaggerated and made up some of the ragtag bunch. While I don't doubt quirky hippie folk exist in the Hasidic world, particularly maybe in the 1980s and 90s, it seems that Eisenberg set out to find ONLY those types of people, or at least only wrote about them. The truly pious and reserved individuals were either not interviewed or not included (or, quite unlikely, they were unwilling to talk to him).

Eisenberg does mention the various sects (Bobover, Vishnitzer, Belzer, Karlin, Stolin), and very briefly describes how they differ from one another, but he also does seem to spend more of his energy on discussing Satmar, and to a lesser extent Lubavitch, than any other. The various things he feels the need to explain in sometimes-lengthy brackets after the term (but which are like DUH for anyone whose spent ten minutes reading Wikipedia or who have read any other book about Hasidism) include: siddur, sefer, ba'alei teshuvah, peyotes, Moschiach, t'fillin, tzaddik, tallis, schochet, goyim, shul, mikveh, tehillim. Like, really? GOYIM. You need to explain goyim? And shul. All of these are no-brainers, but those two especially... even the most goyish goy knows what goy and shul are. Oy vey.

So when all is said and done (and to borrow a quotation from page 186): "It is an organizational Arnold Schwarzenegger but a spiritual Don Knotts." Whatever that means.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for about $5 bucks at Bookman's to satisfy my inner jew. I just finished it about an hour ago, and I must say, it's quite good. I'd never seen or heard of it before so it was a lovely revelation.

Eisenberg, is what one might call a Reform Jew. His book, a sort of sociological travelog, looks into a branch of his family that may have been Satmars - one of the many types of Hasidim. He visits all kinds of Hasidim from Williamsburg and Boro Park in Brooklyn NY, St Paul Minnesota, L.A., the Ukraine, Poland, Belgium, Pottsville Iowa! Lakewood NJ, the NY Catskills, and finally, Israel.

It's a loving homage to the many different forms one's love for G-d can take, and how people who are devout, or frum, circumnavigate the modern world.

My favorite story concerns a very old man and his sister-in-law, who appear to be the only frum Jews in Dombroya Poland. They survived the Holocaust despite the loss of many of their family, to live into their old age, sweet, mild-tempered, and loved in their community. Partway through the chapter, this wise, darling old man says to Eisenberg, "You tell the people in America that the Roths ae doing just fine, that it's possible to be frum anywhere."

My copy indicates this was published in 1995 - 13 years ago -
so the Roths are probably gone by now, but by virtue of his vigor, I wouldn't be suprised if they're still kicking.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Eisenberg, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, explored the different sects of Hasidim (conservative Jews who follow the teachings of Israel Ba’al Shem Tov) in different parts of the US and the World after learning that his distant forebears were Satmars. Eisenberg, who describes himself and his immediate family as secular, is intrigued by this fact and sets out to learn more about the Hasidim’s beliefs, values, and ways of life. Although Eisenberg is careful to avoid being judgmental, one wonders what he thinks of some of the traditions that seem to be based on old wives tales (such as cunnilingus causing blindness). In the end, while Eisenberg clearly respects Hasidic Jews and recognizes that they will likely one day outnumber the Reform and Orthodox Jews, he has not become a “believer”. Well-written and interesting, and worth reading.

[Arthur Goldgaber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have known about this book for many years. It is already 22 years old, which shows how fast time flies. My sister and brother in law lived in Omaha for several years and knew Bob Eisenberg. The book is relatively short and provides a breezy look at each community Hassidic enclave that Eisenberg visited. Sometimes the chapter focuses on one person and one issue or laws, such as Hassidic legal codes about sex (only marital sex because premarital sex is forbidden), during a long conversation with a person he meets by chance. It is interesting that he was able to travel to Hassidic enclaves all over the world and strike up intense dialogues with people he meets on the street. His ability to speak Yiddish enabled him to travel to places like Williamsburg, NY, Boro Park and Antwerp and be received with warmth and generosity. He was a stranger, but they invited him to sleep in their houses and fed him.

When the book came out in 1995, there were few books about Hassidic life and this book provided a first-hand look at many communities. Since it was published there have been many books written by Hassids who have left the fold. I have read a few of them like Shulem Deen's "All Who Go Do Not Return" and "Unorthodox."

Eisenberg spends very little time in each place and his observations are a bit superficial. He also uses quite a few references to pop culture to describe scenes, which other people on this site have pointed out. These type of references don't age well. For example, he writes "Inside the ramshackle shmitta building is an office that looks straight out of Glengarry Glen Ross." He also wrote: "It is an organizational Arnold Schwarzenegger but a spiritual Don Knotts." I have no idea what he meant.

He also mentions in his bio on the Internet that the book is in its 14th edition. If that is correct, I would encourage him to update several chapters because there have been dramatic developments at places he has visited since he wrote the book such as in Postville, Iowa, where the Kosher meat plant closed due to a scandal.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, which introduces readers to various Hasidic cultures around the world. True to the blurb on the back cover, the book is definately respectful, even though the Yiddish-speaking, non-observant Jewish author does not join the fold by the end of his travels among the Hasadim. He does, however, conclude--a bit sadly--that in the not-too-distant future, the Orthodox will probably be the only Jews left in America, an opinion I happen to agree with. The book is well written, even if it does not live up to the other claim in the blurb to be "hilarious". And Robert Eisenberg does manage to describe Jewish rituals and customs well to the uninitiated.
I do have a few quibbles with this book, however. The first is that he tends to lump Hasidic and non-Hasidic ultra-Orthodox Jews together a bit, explaining the differences but then saying they don't matter much. And here and there were some bits of Jewish law that sounded off to me, such as saying that it is forbidden to milk a cow on Shabbat. Actually, it is manditory to milk a cow on Shabbat, as not milking would cause her to suffer. What is forbidden is monetary gain from the milk milked on Shabbat. But overall, I think he did a good job presenting a view into a world very different from that familar to most of his readers.

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. Every time I started thinking about what it would be like to become ba'al teshuvah, though, I had to remind myself that the only reason they were willing to talk to Robert Eisenberg was because he's a man. They wouldn't give me the time of day even if I spoke Yiddish.

It was encouraging to read about all these kids growing up speaking Yiddish, when I was always taught that it was a dying language.

It gives one a sense of what it's like to be a liberal Christian who has to deal with being linked to conservative evangelicals. 'They're crazies, I couldn't disagree with them more, but... they're our crazies.'

I would like to say something more coherent about this book, but my thoughts about it all are still in a state of disarray and likely to remain so for a while.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book looked incredibly intriguing when I saw it on the shelf of the South American Explorers Cusco Clubhouse book exchange. It is Robert Eisenberg´s attempt to expose Jewish Hasidic life to the rest of the world. Aparantly, at that time in 1994, there wasn´t too much written about Hasidism. I don´t think there is too much more but I have definitely seen something on the Discovery channel about Hasidic Jews. I also grew up near many in a Chicago Suburb close to Roger´s Park.

Anyway, this book was detailed and Eisenberg traveled to different places around the world where Hasidic Jews are known to live. It was cool getting the different perspectives and made me even more sure that I could never be an orthodox Jew or Orthodox anything for that matter. Too many rules that seem to be quite pointless. I totally respect everyone and their religions and it was interesting to learn a bit more about a lifestyle that before I only saw as men with black hats and jackets with curls on each side of their head and a string belt and women incredibly covered up.

The down side to this book is that it got really dry at times and I had to push to make it to the end. It is informative though and I liked that Eisenberg was not judgemental in his explanations of how Hasidic Jews live. One quick crazy thought is that he belives that by 2075 there will be between 8 and 10 million Hasidic Jews in the United States. I wonder what the population is today in 2012.

[Ilana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe at the moment it was written (1996) it has a certain interest as it revealed information - some of them slightly erroneous as when it comes to the Hungarian Shoah ('A large proportion of the Satmar Hasidim perished during World War II, but not to the same extent as did Polish Jewry. Adolph Eichmann's liquidation machine didn't get around to the destruction of Hungary's Jews until the final months of the war and then they found little official enthusiasm for the project among their Hungarian allies) some simply ignoring or misreading facts (such as the connection between Kasztner and the Satmer Rebbe ) - considered at least exotical and not too much debated. The best would be to consider it a travelogue, with plenty of misplaced comparisons between the people he meets and actors or movie characters or singers. There are no critical or in-depth aproaches and although it simply present some situations, the lack of serious background and research pays the quality price.

[David Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend offered me a copy of this book which I read to see how people living in these societies have fun (and why people would in some cases choose to be part of these societies). I'm not sure I got the answer to that, and it doesn't sound like a fun or worldly existence.

While I enjoy reading about other cultures, including Hasidic/Haredi customs; the author has a habit of writing with too many analogies, and that became somewhat of a nuisance as it seemed an attempt to demonstrate his proof that he had worldly knowledge.

However, the use of all the analogies if Hasidim can be likened to any other culture is also helpful to a reader who doesn't have much context and is not already living in one of these societies.

[Debra Askanase · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had read this book before moving to Israel, I think I would have found it utterly fascinating. However, since living in Israel (and actually knowing Litvak, Chabad, and Bretslav Hasids), the fascination with "the unknown" is less.

The author grew up in America, speaking Yiddish at home, but not very religious. This language gives him a "pass" into the Hasidic world, which he takes to uncover their lives in Iowa, Israel, New York, New Jersey, St. Paul, and other towns. What was interesting to me to read was the statistics about the explosion of Hasidic Jewry, and its implications for the rest of the Jews worldwide.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say that I was not sure about this author at first. I wasn't sure he was telling the truth about himself. He said, in about chapter 2, that he was from Nebraska. With my typical Eastern bias, I had to sit there and remind myself that there could be Jews in Nebraska. That was my prejudice not his veracity.

This was a fascinating book. When I was in Israel, the Hasidims were the most noticeable. And their presence in Israel causes some issues for less observant Jews. I am very glad I read this book.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 and a 1/2 stars. Interesting and informative read. Published in 1996 it is a bit dated and there were some cultural references that I missed. I think this was an excellent idea for a book. I'm not sure if I would be a bit lost though if I didn't have some knowledge of the background of the various Hasidim. The history was very interesting though and I think this book was written at a very interesting time for the movements. I do think that this book needs an update though. There's probably so much more to say now. I think the conclusion of the book is on target.

[Ginger Poulsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like learning about other cultures, so I thought I'd really like this book. However, I found it incredibly boring and occasionally gross (I now know more than I need to about what makes a cow kosher). This is basically what I got out of this book: Saying someone is Jewish is almost as vague as saying someone is Christian. And saying someone is a Hasidic Jew is as vague as saying someone is Baptist--there are lots of different Baptist congregations with differing beliefs and cultures and there are lots of different Hasidic groups with differing beliefs and cultures.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating read, but the book is sadly marred by the author's obnoxious penchant for metaphors and pop culture references. He has a difficult time describing anybody or anything without a metaphor; it's incessant. Aside from that, I really enjoyed the information provided about Hasidim all over the world. The author has clearly done his research and has a way of getting his subjects to open up to him. Well done in that regard.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at the giftshop in the famous Touro Synagogue in Rhode Island. One point the author makes is becoming truer with every day - the fact that given the current rate of assimilation and intermarriage versus the large birthrate among the Hassidim, in a generation or so the latter will be the majority of the Jewish people.

However, I don't really remember much else, except that it was fun. Can be read in a day.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cultural anthropologist in me loves reading books about subcultures in modern society. I first learned about the Hasidim when I lived in Iowa and the Postville meatpacking plant was in the news. This book touches on that, and takes you to many places in the Western world to visit the burgeoning communities of Hasidim around the world. I wish there was a more recent version of this book. I'd love to revisit these places and see how things have changed since 1995!

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was disappointed to find that the book was not actually about Jewish hoodlums, it was still very enjoyable to read.It was also very informative and introduced communities around the world, many of which tend to be insular. In this way, the author gave a view of their lives that we would otherwise not be privy to.

[Stephy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the heck outta this book twice, and will read it again, once I have lost the feel of it. There are some noble truths here about losing one's heritage and seeking it out again.
There is a lot more out there to learn about Hassidim than I ever imagined, and many ways and time to come of age. the more I learn about other cultures, the more we all seem the same.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great non-fiction read about Hasidic Jewish communities around the world. It is seldom dry and the prose is quirkier than most non-fiction books, making it all that much more engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in what I now know is the diverse world of Hasidim.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. A book that is actually informative about Hassidim without being either insulting or apologetic. Sweet! My only complaint is that the system he used for transliterating Yiddish could be a little bit clearer.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging and often amusing look at Hasidic communities around the world. A lot of his metaphors and cultural references are so dated that I have no idea what they mean. But it offers insight into the many different branches of Hasidism, and it's full of peculiar facts and entertaining anecdotes.

[Marshaferz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at various Hassidic communities. It's rare to find an author that doesn't just lump them all together as a single-minded group of crazies. This was both enjoyable to read and informative.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stumbled upon this book at the library while looking for another one. It was interesting, but I felt like everything was a little glimpse with no real meat. I guess it's just not really what I was looking for or expecting - so 2 stars.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little disappointing. The book was very confusing, particularly for someone who's not familiar with Hadisim. It took me a long time to get through because of all the terminology...definately not for a person just looking to learn a little about a foreign culture.

[Kalli Taub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly suggest reading this book- to get a grasp on the shifts in Jewish (global) culture and observance. This may be a little outdated (it's from the 90's, so some of the worldwide pop culture and news references weren't easily understood).

[Alli Inouye · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book that first fueled my obsession with chasidim.

thanks, ariana.

[Stephy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot more out there to learn about Hassidim than I ever imagined, and many ways and time to come of age.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise had so much promise, but the poor writing was not worth the story.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found the information interesting but didn't feel that the book flowed well. Seemed a bit hard to follow.