#Hasidism

We are pleased to invite you, in cooperation with our partners, the University of Wrocław and the New Lehrhaus, to the next edition of TJHTalks:

Hasidism: New Perspectives on an Old Movement

The Hasidic movement was born in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth during the 18th century. Now, more than two hundred and fifty years old, it continues to fascinate both scholars and the public at large. Our guests, academicians representing three generations of research, will present their perspectives on Hasidism, its evolution and shifts historically and globally.

With our guests:

Professor David Biale,
University of Southern California -Davis (Emeritus)


Dr. Chen Mandel-Edrei,
Open University of Israel

Professor Marcin Wodziński,
University of Wroclaw, Poland


David Biale, is Emanuel Ringelblum Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Jewish History at the University of California, Davis. He was educated at Harvard University, UC Berkeley, the Hebrew University and UCLA. He is the author co-author of seven books, the most recent of which are Hasidism: A New History and Gershom Scholem: Master of the #Kabbalah. He is also the editor four other books, including Cultures of the Jews: A New History. His books have won the National Jewish Book Award three times. Most recently, he won the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement.


Chen Mandel-Edrei, is a postdoctoral fellow at the Open University of Israel, where she is also a lecturer in the department of Literature, Language, and the Arts and in the Department of History, Philosophy, and Judaic Studies. Mandel-Edrei earned her B.A. and M.A. in Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and her Ph.D. in Jewish Studies and Comparative Literature at the University of Maryland. She is currently working on her monograph about Hasidic literature as modern popular culture, tentatively titled: Hagiography in the Age of Mass Media: Hasidic Writing and the Making of Jewish Modernity.


Marcin Wodziński, is the head of the Taube Department of Jewish Studies at the University of Wrocław, Poland and holds the position of professor of Jewish history and literature. His research focuses on the history and culture of East European Jews, especially the Haskalah and Hasidism. Among his publications are Haskalah and Hasidism in the Kingdom of Poland (2005); Hasidism and Politics (2013): Hasidism: Key Questions (2018) and, Historical Atlas of Hasidism (2018). Professor Wodzinski is also the editor-in-chief of the European Journal of Jewish Studies and a member of the Taube Center Board.


The webinar will include a 45-minute discussion followed by a 15-minute Q&A, in which you can ask questions submitted during the broadcast.