Hasidism, << HAS ih dihz uhm, >> is a movement in modern Judaism. Followers believe that God is everywhere and that divine light and power touch everything. Therefore, there is no cause for despair or unhappiness. They believe they can best serve God through joyous prayer. In their religious services, followers sing and dance a great deal. They also express their beliefs through storytelling. Hasidism is organized around spiritual leaders called rebbes. Each leader heads a local center. Each has his own way of teaching and living and his own interpretation of the Hasidic tradition.
Ba’al Shem Tov, a Jewish teacher, and his followers founded Hasidism in Poland and Lithuania about 1760. The movement spread throughout eastern Europe. By the late 1700’s, Hasidic settlements had been established in Palestine. Today, the most important Hasidic centers are located in Jerusalem, Israel, and in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City.
