For my second cultural post I will explore Hasidic Judaism because even though I am reform, my Dad’s side of his family was Hasidic before my Grandfather. I think it is very interesting to explore a different strict interpretation of the religion that a lot of Jewish people follow. The idea behind Hasidic beliefs is to not change your lifestyle and keep practicing life like the ancestors of Hasidics in Eastern Europe. This means that the language that Hasidic Jews use is actually Yiddish most of the time not Hebrew. Yiddish is based off German then has aspects of polish, Hebrew, Russian, and English. Growing up I would say some short phrases in Yiddish so it is interesting to see how this language connects to Hasidism. Gender roles are also kept how they were in Eastern Europe which is not the same as how the Reform community tends to operate. Marriage happens much earlier than in the general population. The clothing style is also very strict in the Hasidic community. Hasidic Jews tend to wear black coats and hats year-round. This is something that stuck out to me because it shows the dedication that Hasidic Jews have to their religion. To dress like this year-round is true dedication. That means even when it is very warm in the Summer months Hasidic Jews are dressed the same. Hasidic women also dress very conservatively. There are also many cultural differences between the Hasidic community and the regular population. Hasidic Jews tend to have many more kids than on average because they view it as god’s order for them to do so. Holidays are also taken much more seriously in the Hasidic community. Every Saturday is Sabbath where Hasidic Jews are supposed to relax and there are strict rules to make sure this happens. Activities that are prohibited are cooking, shopping, and operating any electric device. This is why so many Hasidic Jewish people can be seen walking around and not operating vehicles. I am very impressed by this amount of dedication even more so than the clothing rules. I think most reform Jewish people and Americans in general would not be able to live this type of lifestyle. There are also even more holidays that Hasidics celebrate than the average reform Jewish person. This includes Sukkos, a 7 day holiday meant to celebrate the redemption of ancient Israelite Jews. During this holiday a Sukkah is built which is basically a small hut. Then meals are eaten in the hut. It is very interesting how new of a sect of Judaism Hasidism is. I think most people think of Judaism originating a very long time ago in its entirety. This is not the case with Hasidism and is really what makes it a unique part of Judaism. For the artifact I chose related to Hasidism I picked a man playing an art piece which shows a man in traditional Hasidic clothing playing a flute of some sort. I think this piece depicts Hasidism well because it shows commitment and tradition.
Citations: Hasidic Jewish Rules - Ultra Orthodox Beliefs & Practices | Brooklyn Unplugged Tours
hasidic art artifcat - Bing images
Comments