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List of Hasidic dynasties and groups

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A Hasidic dynasty is a dynasty of Hasidic spiritual leaders known as rebbes, and usually has some or all of the following characteristics:

  1. Each member of the dynasty is a spiritual leader, often known as an ADMOR (abbreviation for ADireinu MOreinu Rabeinu ("our master, our teacher and our rabbi") or simply as Rebbe (or "the Rebbe") and at times called the "Ruv" ("the rabbi") and sometimes referred to in English as a "Grand Rabbi";
  2. It continues beyond the initial leader's lifetime by succession (usually by a family descendant);
  3. It is usually named after a key town in Eastern Europe where the founder may have been born or lived, or where the group began to grow and flourish;
  4. It has (or once had) followers who, through time, continue following successive leaders (rebbes) or may even continue as a group without one leader by following the precepts of a deceased leader.

Larger dynasties

Hasidic dynasties (arranged alphabetically) with a large following include:

Name Current (or last) Rebbe Founder Headquartered In City/Town of Origin
Belz Yissachar Dov Rokeach Sholom Rokeach (1781-1855) Jerusalem Belz, Galicia/Poland (now in Ukraine)
Bobov Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam;
Mordechai Dovid Unger
Shlomo Halberstam of Bobov (1847-1905) Borough Park, Brooklyn Bobowa and Sanz, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now in Poland)
Breslov None Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) Jerusalem, Brooklyn, Uman Bratslav, Ukraine
Chabad Lubavitch Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812) Crown Heights, Brooklyn Lyubavichi, Russia
Ger Yaakov Aryeh Alter Yitzchak Meir Alter (1799-1866) Jerusalem, Israel Góra Kalwaria, Poland
Klausenberg Tzvi Elimelech Halberstam;
Shmuel Dovid Halberstam
Chaim Halberstam of Sanz (1796-1876) Boro Park, Brooklyn;
Netanya, Israel
Cluj-Napoca in Romania, and Sanz, Austria (now in Poland)
Satmar Aaron Teitelbaum;
Zalman Leib Teitelbaum
Moshe Teitelbaum of Ujhel (1759-1841) Kiryas Joel, New York;
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Satu Mare, Hungary (now in Romania)
Skver David Twersky Yitzchak Twersky New Square, New York Skvira, Ukraine
Vizhnitz Moshe Yehoshua Hager;
Mordechai Hager
Menachem Mendel Hager of Kosov Bnei Brak, Israel;
Kaser, New York
Vyzhnytsia, Ukraine

Breslov is a large chasidic movement which does not fit neatly into this list. Its first and only rebbe was Rabbi Nachman of Breslov[1] (1772-1810). It originated in Bratslav, Russia (now in Ukraine); its present-day headquarters are in Tzefat and Jerusalem.

Smaller dynasties

Hasidic dynasties (arranged alphabetically) with a small following include:

Name Current (or last) Rebbe Founder Headquartered In City/Town of Origin
Aleksander Yoseph Yitschok Myer Singer;
Yisroel Danziger
Yechiel Dancyger (1828-1894) Borough Park, Brooklyn;
Bnei Brak, Israel
Aleksandrów Łódzki, Poland
Amshinov Yosef Kalish;
Yaakov Aryeh Milikowsky
Yaakov Dovid Kalish of Amshinov (18141878), Borough Park, Brooklyn;
Jerusalem, Israel
Mszczonów, Poland
Ashlag Simcha Avraham Ashlag Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (1885-1954) Bnei Brak, Israel Warsaw, Poland
Berditchev Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740-1810) Berdychiv
Bergsass Elad, Israel Beregház
Biala Yitzchok Yaakov Rabinowicz (died 1905) Biała Podlaska, Poland
Boston Levi Yitzchak Horowitz;
Chaim Avrohom Horowitz
Pinchas Dovid Horowitz (1876-1941) Brookline, Massachusetts; Jerusalem Boston
Boyan Nachum Dov Brayer Yitzchok Friedman (1850-1917) Jerusalem Boiany
Chernobyl several Menachem Nachum Twerski of Chernobyl (1730-1797) Bnei Brak, Boro Park, Ashdod Chernobyl, Ukraine
Dorog Yisroel Moshe Rosenfeld Shmuel Frenkel-Komarda of Dorog () Bnei Brak Hajdudorog, Hungary
Dushinsky Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1st) (1865-1948) Jerusalem Jerusalem
Horadonk Yitzchok Arieh Weisz Nachman M'Horadonker () Manchester [[]]
Karlin, or Karlin-Stolin Baruch Yakov Meir Shochet;
Rav Arye Rosenfeld of Pinsk-Karlin
Aharon the Great of Karlin (1736-1772) Givat Zeev, Israel
Jerusalem, Israel;
Karlin, Belarus
Machnovka Yehoshua Rokeach Yosef Meir Twersky of Machnovka Bnei Brak, Israel Machnovka, Ukraine
Melitz Ashdod, Israel Mielec, Galicia
Modzitz Chaim Shaul Taub Yechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (1755-1856) Bnei Brak, Israel Dęblin, Poland
Munkacz Moshe Leib Rabinovich Chaim Elazar Spira (1871-1937) Borough Park, Brooklyn Munkács
Nadvorna several Mordechai Leifer (1835-1894) Bnei Brak,Israel Nadvirna, Galicia
Novominsk Yaakov Perlow Borough Park, Brooklyn Mińsk Mazowiecki
Pupa Yaakov Yechezkia Greenwald Moshe Greenwald Williamsburg, Brooklyn Pápa, Hungary
Rachmastrivka Yitzchak Twerski;
David Twerski
Yochanan Twerski of Rachmastrivka Boro Park, Brooklyn;
Jerusalem, Israel
Rachmastrivka, Ukraine
Sadigura Avraham Yakov Friedman Avraham Yakov Friedman of Sadigura (1820-1883) Bnei Brak, Israel Sadagóra, Bukovina
Shomer Emunim
Toldos Aharon
Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok
Avrohom Chaim Roth;
Dovid Kohn;
Shmuel Yaakov Kohn
Aharon Roth ("Reb Ahrele") (died 1946) Jerusalem Jerusalem
Slonim Shmuel Brozovosky;
Avrohom Weinberg
Avraham of Slonim Jerusalem, Israel;
Bnei Brak, Israel
Slonim, Belarus
Skolye Borough Park,Brooklyn Skole, Ukraine
Skulen Yisroel Avrohom Portugal Eliezer Zusia Portugal (1898-1982) Borough Park, Brooklyn ??, Bessarabia
Spinka several Joseph Meir Weiss (1838-1909) Williamsburg, Brooklyn;
Jerusalem
Bnei Brak
Săpânţa and Maramureş, Austria-Hungary (now in Romania)
Stropkov Avrohom Shalom Halberstam II Avrohom Shalom Halberstam (1856-1940) Jerusalem;
Bnei Brak
Ramle
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Stropkov, Slovakia
Zvhil (See also Zvhil-Mezbuz) Avraham Goldman;
Shlomo Goldman;
Yitzhak Aharon Korff
Moshe of Zvhil (died 1831) Jerusalem, Israel;
Union City, New Jersey;
Boston, Massachusetts
Zvyahel, Volhynia

Other dynasties

Many of these dynasties have presently few or no devotees due to most of the Hasidic groups being destroyed during the Holocaust, 1939-1945. Other communities are flourishing and have growing Hasidic sects. There are many dynasties whose followers number around five to fifteen people, and are not listed here.

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I

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References

  • Rabinowicz, Tzvi M. The Encyclopedia of Hasidism: ISBN 1-56821-123-6 Jason Aronson, Inc., 1996.
  • Alfasi, Yitschak. החסידות מדור לדור Hachasidut miDor leDor (2 vols)