Course information
The course is a survey of Hasidism from its inception in the 18th century to the present, covering its main figures and concepts. In the course, we will examine the origins of Hasidism and the literary construction of Israel Baal Shem Tov as its founder; then we will explore concepts of mystical and magical worship in Hasidism, the bond between the tsadik and his followers, and its impact on the social organisation of a Hasidic court. Special attention will be given to Hasidic responses to the challenges of the interwar period, and to modes of Hasidic revival post-Holocaust. The course will conclude with a brief look at contemporary Hasidic culture.
About the Teacher
Wojciech (Wojtek) Tworek is the Acting Head of the Taube Department of Jewish Studies at the University of Wrocław. He is the author of The Polish Exile: Chabad Hasidism in the Interwar Years (McGill-Queen’s University Press 2026), and Eternity Now: Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady and Temporality (SUNY 2019). He also co-authored Hasidism: The Basics (Routledge 2027) with Marcin Wodziński and co-edited a monumental anthology of Hasidic stories in Polish, Opowieści chasydzkie. Antologia (Ossolineum 2025). He was a Paideia Emmanuel Levinas Fellow (2006/07).