All upcoming Open Courses

The Hasidic Path: Theory and Society

Date: Monday, March 15, 2010

March 15-25
Avriel Bar-Levav

Dr. Avriel Bar-Levav, Ph.D. Jewish Thought, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is senior lecturer at the department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies at the Open University of Israel, and was head of the department between 2005 and 2008. Since 2001 he is the editor of the scholarly quarterly Pe'amim: Studies in Oriental Jewry, published by the Ben-Zvi institute in Jerusalem. His publications are on Jewish attitudes towards death, Jewish magic and history of the Jewish book.

Course Description
The Hasidic movement is a Jewish religious movement that began in Eastern Europe in the second quarter of the 18th century, and is still existent and popular until today. The founder of Hasidism is the polish Rabbi Israel Baal-Shem Tov, and the movement was developed by his disciples. There are many Hasidic groups, and each is centered around the charismatic figure of a rabbi, "Zaddik". The course will present central Hassidic ideas by reading excerpts from the vast Hasidic library, and will focus on the relationship between theory and social order in Hasidism.

Every year Paideia offers a series of OPEN COURSES to the public. To participate in one or all of the OPEN COURSES there is an annual fee of 1300 Swedish crowns. Contact Paideia for more information.