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Hi all,
I’m a BT who’s been frum for almost three years now. Currently I daven at a “centrist” orthodox shul with a Litvak rabbi, and I learn twice a week with other Litvak rabbis. Recently, however, I started to learn some chassidus on my own, and have become very interested and inspired by it. My question for the forum is, as a BT, how does one go about finding a rebbe to learn with, and which dynasty/sect should I target? Does it matter that my family is originally from Bobowa, so is there any reason to look to Bobover Hasidim?
Any help is much appreciated.
Bobov is great. They have a number of BTs in their ranks.
Are you in the NY Metropolitan Area?
You’re probably better off talking to a rabbi that knows you (even a litvak rabbi). It’s hard for someone to give advice like that to a person they don’t know, and it’s not a great idea for you to take advice like that from someone you don’t know.
Go to a group that the main learning is gemoro and shulchan aruch and a little chasidus.
How about Rabbi Moshe Weinberger from Aish in the Five Towns? He’s a “Neo Chassidic” Rabbi. That way you don’t have to go with the rest of the culture if you don’t want.
do research about each chassidus’ rituals & values & see which one you value most. rather based on holiness or a different value
Hatzlacha
I belive there are people in Borough park who are CHassidic, but do not follow a specific Rebbe. I remember hearing that the family of Leiby Kletzy HYD were like that
How about the one most respectful about Yom Yerusholayim this Sunday.
BTW:- Stay away from sects who have 2 or zero Rebbes, and spare yourself all unnecessary grief. Only consider sects who have 1 sole Rebbe.
No reason to stay away from sects that have no living Rebbe. Breslev has done wonders for BT’s in Israel. It still has leadership that follows the same trend as Litvish leadership as opposed to being decided by family dynasty. When I say Breslev, I’m not talking about the Na Nachs. There are plenty of Breslevers just as legitimate as any Chassidim, they just happen to not have a living dynasty. I would recommend Breslev if you were in Israel, in the US I think that would be a bit tougher. I suspect 147’s comment about 0 Rebbes was a thinly veiled dig at a different, well-known Chassidus that will remain unnamed by those of us who actually have some respect.
I think this decision should always be based on which Chassidus you like learning best. And if you don’t know Yiddish, that probably eliminates more than half of them.
Why must you choose a particular chasdidus when what you really want is a Rebbe. Try Emunas Yisroel, or has been mentioned Aish Kodesh in Woodmere. If you want to stick to Brooklyn the Kletzkys Rav, Rav Eisenberger is another.
If the Rebbe you choose happens to lead a Chasdidus ok , but why limit yourself.
Since you’re in Boston, why not check out the Bostoner Rebbe? He’s a warm down-to-earth man with a great sense of humor. Despite 147’s warning about multiple rebbes, this doesn’t apply to the multiple Bostoner Rebbes, all of whom get along (and simply cater to different geographies).
Some unrequested advice: Don’t try to make any sudden, drastic changes in your life; they tend to come apart just as quickly as they came about. Slow, steady improvement is what stays with you.
If you’re looking into Chassidus(es?), I’d suggest looking for one that you like. Simple as that. Different types of Chassidus tend to focus on various parts of avodas Hashem ; some are focused more on learning, some on davening, some on kedusha, some on doing mitzvos bi’simcha. You have to find one that speaks to you.
I second the notion of either serve a single living Rebbe, or go home to your parents.
my family is originally from Bobowa
Is that regular Bobowa, or Bobowa-45?
Lol DY. But I don’t think our fairlyintrigued, fairly recent BT will get it…
Does anyone know anything about Nikolsburg Chassidus of Boro Park, led by Rebbe Mordechai Jungreis.
Am interested to know how many chassidim there are, minhagim, history, if the rebbe has written any seforim.
Thanks!
Does anyone know anything about Nikolsburg Chassidus of Boro Park, led by Rebbe Mordechai Jungreis.
He’s a rebbe in Chaim Berlin.
fairlyintrigued, some advice from across the pond.
Look for a Rebbe who can have a personal connection with, like a weekly private study session. That is, I believe, the original idea of the ‘Tzaddik’ in chassidus. Unfortunately, I can’t direct you from here in NW England, but I know that the NY area will have plenty of choice for you.
Geordie
Most chassidic groups in the NYC area are quite large, Some have 50,000 or more followers. It is not logistically possible for the rebbe to have a private study sessions often with all his followers. There arent enough hours in the week for such a thing
ill go with Neville ChaimBerlin.
for more research on this wonderfull chassidic sect, all you need is one website “breslov . org” (breslov research institute)
they will answrere any question you have, research books, classes, and loads more. you know rabbi aryeh kaplan zt”l? he very involved in the BRI before he passed on. he authored/traslated – and you may google these books – the following for the BRI: rabbi nachmans wisdom, outpouring of the soul,
untill the mashiach, rabbi nachmans storries…
he also mentions rabbi nachman of breslev (everyone spells it diffarent) in numerous works of his.
(dont hate them, but stay away from the philosophy of the “na nachs”.. you may research them too if you would like to see the diffarence)
all the best!
Yes, to expand of what Dvash said, some people will spell it Bratzlav or Breslov. I first got into it via Rebbe Nachman’s Stories, which have really good commentary by R. Aryeh Kaplan. If you want community, though, and you plan on staying in America, it’s a bit tricky. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but good things to say about Breslev, but there aren’t many significant, organized communities in The States. There are some in Boro Park and maybe Monsey, but it would be all Yiddish speaking I think.
In theory, the Na Nachs are just a group that hold by the “petek.” A note found by R. Odesser which says to sing the “Na Nach” chant. While there’s no inherent harm in singing a random chant, the group has grown into a kind of anarchist, Neo-Chassidic group. In other words, some of them might do some things (particularly in the naggia and tznius categories) that are outside of the limits of Chassidism and that Rebbe Nachman never would have condoned.
Neville was that naggia or narghila?!
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