TY - BOOK ID - 30789901 TI - Men of silk PY - 2006 SN - 9786611868451 019970001X 1429438347 1281868450 0195175220 0198039034 1280844914 9786610844913 0199884102 019538265X 0199785147 9780198039037 9780195175226 9780195382655 9780199700011 PB - New York, N.Y. Oxford University Press DB - UniCat KW - Hasidism KW - Jewish sects KW - History. KW - Jews KW - Chasidism KW - Hassidism KW - Sects KW - Judaism KW - Jewish heresies KW - Poland KW - Polish history KW - Jewish history KW - secularism KW - Polish Hasidism KW - 1754-1830 KW - religious tolerance UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:30789901 AB - Hasidism, a kabbalah-inspired movement founded by Israel Ba'al Shem Tov (c1700-1760), transformed Jewish communities across Eastern and East Central Europe. In Men of Silk, Glenn Dynner draws upon newly discovered Polish archival material and neglected Hebrew testimonies to illuminate Hasidism's dramatic ascendancy in the region of Central Poland during the early nineteenth century. Dynner presents Hasidism as a socioreligious phenomenon that was shaped in crucial ways by its Polish context. His social historical analysis dispels prevailing romantic notions about Hasidism. Despite their folksy image, the movement's charismatic leaders are revealed as astute populists who proved remarkably adept at securing elite patronage, neutralizing powerful opponents, and methodically co-opting Jewish institutions. The book also reveals the full spectrum of Hasidic devotees, from humble shtetl dwellers to influential Warsaw entrepreneurs. ER -