The 20th-Century Transformation of Chabad Ḥasidism

Today Chabad-Lubavitch Ḥasidim are best known for their robust efforts at proselytizing to other Jews, and their sometimes controversial messianism. But between the movement’s founding in the 1770s and the early 1900s, these features were nowhere in evidence. Ada Rapoport-Albert explains how Chabad’s radical self-reinvention took place, focusing on the period between the World Wars. In addition, she argues that the introduction of outreach and messianism were accompanied by a major change in attitudes toward women, who in the eyes of rabbinic leaders went from being considered “the wives of the Ḥasidim” to being active participants. (Video, about one hour.)