The eleven core essays in this volume consider aspects of hasidism and the mitnagdic tradition; the impact of Haskalah and Reform; liturgical and social characteristics of the more modern synagogues in Warsaw, Lódz, and Lwów; Hillel Zeitlin's response to Zionism and modern philosophy; and present-day contacts of Bobower hasidim with Bobowa in Poland. The New Views section covers eleven other areas of Polish-Jewish studies, and there is an extensive Book Review section.

Joseph Weiss (1918–69) showed a single-minded commitment to identifying and describing the mystical element in Hasidism and to unraveling the spiritual and historical meaning of the Hasidic movement. The studies collected here most of them written more than forty years ago are still quoted in every serious study of Hasidism. Joseph Dan’s Introduction written especially for this paperback edition examines Weiss’s scholarship both in the context of subsequent scholarly research and in the light of the resurgence of Hasidism since the Second World War. He concludes that many of Weiss’s detailed perceptive and empathetic studies are as relevant to understanding developments in the contemporary Hasidic world as they are for understanding the emergence and growth of Hasidism in the eighteenth century.

Turn Aside from Evil and Do Good was written by Zevi Hirsch Eichenstein (1763-1831), a hasidic master and renowned adept in Lurianic kabbalah. He wrote it with the intention of providing a guide to would-be hasidic kabbalists on how to live a holy life. Eichenstein was unusual in the hasidic world in that as well as being a kabbalist he was a competent talmudist and was also acquainted both with the science of his day and with medieval Jewish philosophy. His views differ from those of other hasidic masters, principally in the importance he attributes to studying the kabbalah, which he considers an important antidote to unbelief, and in his more positive attitude to the enjoyment of sexual activity and to business activity; he is concerned to show how both can be integrated in a holy life. This lively translation by Louis Jacobs of the second edition (1850), which includes the notes of R. Zevi Elimelekh of Dynow, gives the reader an insight into a highly unconventional hasidic master and the basic ideas of Lurianic kabbalah as he perceived them. Through hundreds of scholarly annotations, printed at the foot of each page for ease of reference, Louis Jacobs helps the reader to understand the kabbalistic ideas and imagery and other opaque terms, and clarifies the sources to which the author alludes. Turn Aside from Evil and Do Good conveys the full flavour of an original hasidic approach to kabbalism. Immensely readable, it will be of interest to anyone interested in hasidism and Jewish mysticism or the religious way and its social history. Louis Jacobs has added a very accessible introduction to explain the Lurianic system of kabbalah; he also provides biographical details of Eichenstein and his school, and a full bibliography.

The book studied here was chosen because of its importance in Hasidism and because it is one of the first books published about this movement. This publication helps to understand the text in MAGGID DEVARAV LE-YA’AKOV and answer questions about Hasidism in the 18th century- Its roots, its objectors and followers, its relationship with the Haskalah and Zionism movements and more.

The ANTHOLOGY OF HASSIDIC MUSIC is a special collection of a wide variety of music whose origin is Hassidic. The ANTHOLOGY contains a complete musical transcription of the Sabbath eve service in Hassidic nusach (melodic style), table songs for Sabbath and festivals, Hassidic Niggunim (melodies) on Hebrew and Yiddish texts, textless Niggunim, traditional chanting formulas and cantorial pieces of Hassidic origin. The ANTHOLOGY also contains choral arrangements of Hassidic songs and compositions which are based on Hassidic musical motives. Many of these Niggunim and compositions see here the light of print for the first time. The ANTHOLOGY is a continuation of Chemjo Vinaver's famous Anthology of Jewish Music . It is the fruit of many years of labour in collecting and notating Hassidic music; the result of the tireless efforts of Chemjo Vonaver who was on the one hand a great connoisseur of this music which he knew from early childhood and on the other hand a meticulous selector and critic, who would not compromise good taste and originality for the sake of popularity. In spite of his wide activities as choral conductor (he won great acclaim for his outstanding choirs in Berlin and New York) he devoted much time and effort to this collection, but he died before he could edit the material for print. Dr. Eliyahu Schleifer, lecturer of Musicology in Tel Aviv University and researcher at the Jewish Music Research Centre at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, re-edited Vinaver's musical transcriptions. Dr. Schleifer also wrote explanatory notes to each of the 104 compositions of the ANTHOLOGY and an extensive introduction to each section of the book. In these notes and introductions he explained the liturgical or social significance of the texts and commented on the music basing his observations on the most recent research in Hassidic Music. The introductions and annotations are in English and Hebrew. Special effort was made to explain Hassidic matters to the non-initiated. Many hints are given for the sake of performers who would wish to sing this music in a manner which would suit the special musical aesthetics of the Hassidim.

We have before us a study of the spiritual aspect of Hasidism in the second generation, from the end of the eighteenth century to the first half of the nineteenth century, from a historical point of view of the teachings and their development and from the point of view of Hasidic sources. It allows the reader to recognize an important aspect of Hassidic thought.