Hasidic Attitudes Toward the Non-Jewish World

Abstract:This article surveys the spectrum of Hasidic-gentile relations, from Hasidic perceptions of non-Jews to aspects of their everyday interactions as expressed in various Hasidic and non-Hasidic sources. We explore perspectives on non-Jews presented in Hasidic speculative teachings and consider the impact of these theories on the nature of Hasidic-gentile daily relations. We put particular emphasis on the level of egalitarian contacts among rank-and-file Hasidim and their neighbors. Additionally, we examine the cultural exchange between Hasidim and non-Jews as the least ideologized form of interaction between the two groups. By turning attention to Hasidic attitudes toward gentiles and their day-to-day relations, we aim to shed light on the understudied aspect of the Hasidic experience in Eastern Europe—an experience that took place among, and in complex interaction with, the Hasidim's non-Jewish neighbors.