Men of Silk

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 shtetldwellers to influential Warsaw entrepreneurs. Dynner locates the Hasidic concept of "worship through corporeality" (avodah be-gashmiyut) as the nexus between the movement's theology and social realization. This notion that holiness may be derived from even mundane endeavors enabled Hasidic leaders to immerse themselves in politics, business, and popular culture, and yet effectively remain mystics. Dynner also mines the Hasidic texts for valuable historical and biographical data. Men of Silkintegrates a rich variety of external and internal perspectives on Hasidism's transformation into a mass movement and exhibits its revolutionary impact on Polish Jewish culture during the transition to modernity.