News
Major Weapons Bust in Northern Israel
Israeli police seized a massive cache of weapons in northern Israel during an operation targeting the Abu Latif organized crime organization, as part of efforts to crack down on illegal arms.
Articles
Articles
Researched stories from the Hasidic world, with sources.
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Witkoff in Norway for Peace Talks
US envoy Steve Witkoff is visiting Norway for talks on ending the war in Ukraine with President Zelensky and European leaders.…
News
Smotrich Warns Opposition Turnout Could Threaten Government
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned that high voter turnout among opposition supporters could impact the outcome of the…
News
Gedolim Issue Urgent Call to American Voters
A group of prominent Gedolei Yisroel issued an urgent English-language letter urging American Chareidi voters to vote Gimmel in…
News
Antisemitism surge amid France riots
A wave of antisemitic conspiracy theories has spread across social media amid violent unrest in France, with thousands of online…
Event
The shmira vigil for the victims of 9/11
After the attack on the World Trade Center, Orthodox Jews kept a shmira beside the victims' remains at the city's medical…
Customs & life
Dance in Hasidic Life
For Chassidim, dance is a way of serving Hashem with joy. This article explains its foundation in Chassidus, the dancing at the…
Customs & life
Rebbe Stories: The Tradition of Tales of the Tzaddikim
For many years, Hasidic stories of the tzaddikim were passed down by word of mouth, at tishen and melaveh malkahs. The first…
History
Hasidic Life in New York, 2000–2007
The years 2000 to 2007 were a time of strong growth for New York's Hasidic communities: Borough Park had the most births in the…
Institution
Hatzolah: How a Small Williamsburg Group Built America's Largest Volunteer Ambulance Network
The story of Hatzolah, founded in Williamsburg by R' Hershel Weber (1965 or late 1960s, sources differ), and how its volunteer…
Institution
Chaveirim: The Volunteers Who Come When the Car Is Stuck and the Keys Are Locked Inside
How Chaverim began in Monsey in July 1999 under Rabbi Shaya Zev Erps and grew into a worldwide network of free roadside and…
History
"Der Yid": The Newspaper That Grew Up With Hasidic Williamsburg
How Aaron Rosmarin founded Der Yid in 1953 after losing his job at the Morgn-Zhurnal, how Satmar community leaders acquired it,…
Customs & life
The History of the Shtreimel: From a Polish Fur Hat to the Crown of Shabbos
What is actually known about the shtreimel: theories of origin, the Sigismund legend (no documentary basis), 17th–18th century…
Customs & life
The Mitzvah Tantz: A Wedding Custom a Thousand Years Old
The roots of the mitzvah tantz in the Gemara (Kesubos) and Machzor Vitry, the gartel, who dances, the special niggunim of each…
Community
Kiryas Joel: The Satmar Rebbe's Dream in the Hills of Monroe
From 14 Satmar families in summer 1974 to a village of 32,954 (2020 census): the founding by the Satmar Rebbe, incorporation in…
Hasidic dynasty
From 300 Survivors to a Worldwide Court: How Bobov Rose Again After the Holocaust
The story of the Bobover Rebbe R' Shlomo Halberstam (1908–2000), who started with a 16-boy yeshiva in Manhattan and rebuilt Bobov…
Personality
21 Adar in Lizhensk: When a Small Polish Town Fills With Chassidim
Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717–1787), his disciples and the Noam Elimelech, and the yahrzeit pilgrimage to his ohel (about…
Hasidic dynasty
The Satmar Rebbe in Williamsburg: How Satmar Became America's Largest Hasidic Group
From the Rebbe's arrival on the MS Vulcania (26 Sept 1946) to Congregation Yetev Lev (1948), rapid growth (4,500 in 1961; largest…
Hasidic dynasty
Pupa: From a Hungarian Yeshiva to a Williamsburg Community
The Pupa dynasty from the Arugas Habosem to the Vayechi Yosef, R' Yosef Greenwald (1903–1984), who lost his family in the…
Hasidic dynasty
Vizhnitz in America: The Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey and His Court
The Vizhnitz dynasty from the Tzemach Tzaddik to R' Mordechai Hager (1922–2018), who came to America in 1948 and led…
History
"The Jews' Highway": How a Bridge Created Jewish Williamsburg
The Williamsburg Bridge (opened 19 Dec 1903) and the Lower East Side Jews who crossed it, then the postwar Hasidic refugees under…
History
Eighteen Minutes: The History and Halachos of Baking Shmura Matzah
What makes matzah "shmura", the 18-minute rule, the ten stations of a hand bakery and the chaburah custom, and the 19th-century…
History
Lag BaOmer in Meron: The Hillula That Draws Hundreds of Thousands
The history and customs of the Hillula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: first mention in 1322, an 1848 eyewitness account, the Boyaner…
History
From Chazzanus to "Mostly Horas": How the Jewish Music Industry Was Born
Mordechai Ben David's path from cantor's son to "King of Jewish Music": the 1972 Brooklyn College debut, the Ribnitzer Rebbe's…
Food & recipes
How to Make a Real Heimishe Cholent
Cholent is a Shabbos dish known since the era of the Rishonim, and the Rema writes that it is a mitzvah to eat hot food on…
Food & recipes
Yerushalmi Kugel: History and Recipe
Yerushalmi kugel comes from the old Jewish community of Jerusalem in the 18th century, made with caramelized sugar, black pepper…
Places & trips
Where to Go on Chol Hamoed: A Family Trip Guide for the New York Area
A list of well-known Chol Hamoed destinations in New York and New Jersey, grouped by type. With practical tips on tickets, Mincha…
Story
"Why Weren't You Zusha?" — The Story of the Rebbe Reb Zusha
The Rebbe Reb Zusha of Anipoli said that in Heaven they would not ask him why he was not Moshe Rabbeinu, but why he was not…
Story
The Berditchever Rav and the Tailor's Yom Kippur
A simple tailor who could not pray from the machzor spoke to Hashem in his own words, and the holy Berditchever Rav told him he…
Humor
A Summer in the Bungalows: A Little Guide to "the Country"
A light, warm look at a summer in a Catskills bungalow colony: the Friday traffic, the day-camp bus, the pool schedule and the…
Humor
The Shul Kiddush: A Field Study in Herring and Kugel
A warm, light tour of the Shabbos kiddush in shul, from the herring to the last spoon of cholent. With a bit of real halacha and…
How-to
How to Write and Give a Kvitel
A kvitel is a note with a request that a Chassid gives the Rebbe for a blessing, a custom first mentioned in the days of the Baal…
How-to
How to Build a Kosher Sukkah
A kosher sukkah must stand under the open sky, have at least three sturdy walls and schach made of something that grew from the…
Places & trips
Visiting Monsey and Kiryas Joel: A Guide for Visitors
The history of Monsey and Kiryas Joel, from their first institutions until today. With practical information on shopping, buses…
History
Simchas Beis Hashoeva: From the Beis Hamikdash to the Chassidish Courts
The Mishna says that whoever has not seen the Simchas Beis Hashoeva has never seen joy. A look at the celebration in the Beis…
History
"We're Going to the Mountains!" – The History of the Catskills
How the Catskills became the summer home of New York's Jews, from the boarding houses and hotels of the Borscht Belt. And how…
The Chasid and the Litvak at the Kiddush: Two Worlds at One Table
Humor
The Chasid and the Litvak at the Kiddush: Two Worlds at One Table
A Chasid and a Litvak stand at the same kiddush table, each with his own system. A warm side-by-side look at two worlds over…
Are You in a Litvish or a Chasidish Shul? A Checklist
Humor
Are You in a Litvish or a Chasidish Shul? A Checklist
Walked into an unfamiliar shul and not sure where you are? Grab a pencil and check the boxes — this list will tell you.
The Bochur's Guide to Bein Hazmanim
Humor
The Bochur's Guide to Bein Hazmanim
Bein hazmanim is when a bochur tackles the hardest sugya of all: what do you do with so much free time?
The Shtreimel Box vs. the Hat Box
Humor
The Shtreimel Box vs. the Hat Box
Two boxes, one spot in the overhead bin, and two Yidden too polite to say who goes first. A tale from a flight to Eretz Yisroel.
The Great Kugel Debate: Lokshen vs. Potato
Humor
The Great Kugel Debate: Lokshen vs. Potato
Lokshen kugel or potato kugel? At every kiddush and Shabbos table the same question comes up. We heard both sides.
The Lakewood Traffic Report
Humor
The Lakewood Traffic Report
A special report from the streets of Lakewood — from Route 9 to Clifton Avenue, and from County Line to "the light by Forest."
The Chol Hamoed Minivan
Humor
The Chol Hamoed Minivan
Every father knows: Chol Hamoed doesn't start at the zoo — it starts with packing the minivan. A report from the front lines.
The Shabbos Nap: Sleep on Shabbos Is a Delight
Humor
The Shabbos Nap: Sleep on Shabbos Is a Delight
The letters of Shabbos, they say, stand for "Sleep on Shabbos is a delight." A scientific study of the most important custom of…
The Simcha Dancing Circle: A Field Guide
Humor
The Simcha Dancing Circle: A Field Guide
When the music starts, a circle forms on the men's side with its own rules and characters. A guide for anyone who wants to know…
The Yeshiva Cholent Ranking: Thursday-Night Mishmar, Graded
Humor
The Yeshiva Cholent Ranking: Thursday-Night Mishmar, Graded
Every bochur knows: Thursday night you learn late, and the reward is a pot of cholent. We handed out grades.
The Litvish Shmuess vs. the Chasidish Tish: A Visitor's Comparison
Humor
The Litvish Shmuess vs. the Chasidish Tish: A Visitor's Comparison
He went to a Litvish shmuess on Tuesday and a Chasidish tish on Shabbos. Here is his honest comparison — from the seating to what…
"Nu, Vos Hert Zich?" — The Art of Heimish Small Talk
Humor
"Nu, Vos Hert Zich?" — The Art of Heimish Small Talk
Two Yidden meet. One says "Nu?" The other says "Nu!" They have now talked for half an hour. A guide to a language no dictionary…
Siyum or L'chaim? Every Excuse for a Kiddush — A Field Guide
Humor
Siyum or L'chaim? Every Excuse for a Kiddush — A Field Guide
Yidden don't need a reason to make a l'chaim — but it doesn't hurt to have one. A catalog of the finest "excuses" for a kiddush,…
History
Belz: The Small Shtetl Behind a Great Chassidus
Belz is a small town in western Ukraine near the Polish border, where the Sar Shalom founded Belzer Chassidus. A look at the…
History
Sanz (Nowy Sącz): The Town of the Divrei Chaim
Nowy Sącz in southern Poland is the Sanz of the Chassidic seforim. Here the Divrei Chaim led his flock, and here is his ohel.…
Personality
The Divrei Chaim of Sanz: A Life Portrait
Rabbi Chaim Halberstam, the Sanzer Rav, was one of the greatest gaonim and poskim of his generation and the root of a whole…
Personality
The Chiddushei HaRim: The First Gerrer Rebbe
Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, the "Chiddushei HaRim," founded Ger Chassidus in the town of Ger near Warsaw. A portrait of a gaon and…
History
10 Chassidic Courts and Where Their Towns Are Today
Almost every Chassidus carries the name of a European town. A list of ten well-known courts and where their towns are found today.
The Baal Shem Tov and the Little Whistle of Yom Kippur
Story
The Baal Shem Tov and the Little Whistle of Yom Kippur
A village boy who could not read stands at Neilah in the Baal Shem Tov's beis medrash, and with one blast on his whistle opens…
Think Good and It Will Be Good: Chizuk on Bitachon
Customs & life
Think Good and It Will Be Good: Chizuk on Bitachon
When parnassah is tight and the head is full of worries, Jews have had a sefer for a thousand years that teaches how to rely on…
Motzei Shabbos: The Big Moment the Phone Turns On
Humor
Motzei Shabbos: The Big Moment the Phone Turns On
Shabbos is calm, beautiful and quiet. Then comes Motzei Shabbos, and the phone wakes up like a bear after winter. A warm humor…
Chanukah 5787: What to Know for the Eight Days
Event
Chanukah 5787: What to Know for the Eight Days
Chanukah 5787 begins Friday night, December 4, 2026, and ends after Shabbos on the 12th. The dates, the minhagim, and what…
Misaskim: The Chesed Organization That Stands by a Family in the Hardest Hour
Community
Misaskim: The Chesed Organization That Stands by a Family in the Hardest Hour
When a family suffers a loss, Misaskim arrives with shiva chairs, siddurim and a Sefer Torah, and helps with the levaya. A look…
Music
Reb Avraham Fried: A Voice That Accompanied a Generation
Reb Avraham Fried released his first album in 1981, and his songs have been sung at every chasunah since. A look at his career,…
Music
Reb Yaakov Shwekey: From "Shomati" to "Vehi She'amda"
Yaakov Shwekey began his career in 2001 with the album "Shomati". Today "Racheim", "Im Eshkacheich" and "Vehi She'amda" are sung…
Tzfas: A Trip to the City of the Arizal and the Beis Yosef
Places & trips
Tzfas: A Trip to the City of the Arizal and the Beis Yosef
Tzfas is the city where the holy Arizal, the Beis Yosef and Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz lived. A practical guide to what to see in the…
Teveria: A Trip to the Kivrei Tzaddikim by the Kinneret
Places & trips
Teveria: A Trip to the Kivrei Tzaddikim by the Kinneret
Teveria sits on the shore of the Kinneret and is one of the four holy cities. Here rest the Rambam, Rabbi Meir Baal Haness and…
Uman for Rosh Hashana: A Guide to the Journey to the Rebbe
Places & trips
Uman for Rosh Hashana: A Guide to the Journey to the Rebbe
Every Rosh Hashana, tens of thousands of Jews travel to Uman to the tziyun of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Where does the tradition…
Tomchei Shabbos: The Quiet Messengers Who Bring Shabbos Home
Community
Tomchei Shabbos: The Quiet Messengers Who Bring Shabbos Home
Tomche Shabbos of Boro Park and Flatbush delivers Shabbos food every week to families in need — quietly, with dignity, and…
Niagara Falls: A Trip for a Father and His Boys
Places & trips
Niagara Falls: A Trip for a Father and His Boys
Bein hazmanim or Chol Hamoed, Niagara Falls is a classic trip for a father and his boys. What to see, where to eat, where to…
Potato Latkes for Chanukah: A Simple Heimish Recipe
Food & recipes
Potato Latkes for Chanukah: A Simple Heimish Recipe
An easy recipe for crispy potato latkes, and why we eat foods fried in oil on Chanukah at all.
Egg and Onions and Chopped Liver: The Shabbos Morning Table
Food & recipes
Egg and Onions and Chopped Liver: The Shabbos Morning Table
Egg and onions on Shabbos morning and chopped liver at the kiddush — a recipe from "Shabbos with Yussi" and the halachos of…
Parnassah with Seichel: Tips for a Yungerman Opening a Small Business
Customs & life
Parnassah with Seichel: Tips for a Yungerman Opening a Small Business
Practical steps from the U.S. Small Business Administration, together with the foundation of bitachon and hishtadlus.
Kosher Phones and Filters: A Guide for the Heimish User
Customs & life
Kosher Phones and Filters: A Guide for the Heimish User
What a kosher phone is, how to get a filter, and what TAG does — for free — for every Yid.
Health for the Yungerman: Walking, Sleep, and a Checkup on Time
Customs & life
Health for the Yungerman: Walking, Sleep, and a Checkup on Time
Between seder and work, little time is left for the body. Simple advice from U.S. health agencies, and the Rambam's Hilchos Deos.
Money in Order: Basics for a Young Baal Habayis
How-to
Money in Order: Basics for a Young Baal Habayis
Four simple steps to keep the household's money in order, from the U.S. consumer agency (CFPB) and the Shulchan Aruch.
How to Make a Mezuzah-Checking Schedule
How-to
How to Make a Mezuzah-Checking Schedule
The halacha, the Elul custom, and a simple system to keep every mezuzah in the house kosher — with a list.
How Does an Eruv Work? Explained
Customs & life
How Does an Eruv Work? Explained
What an eruv is, what it is made of, why it is checked every week, and why some do not carry even with an eruv.