From Judaic studies today! Fun looking at the odd or peculiar mystical groups in the long religious stories! People who were trying to tap into the Reality behind the traditions. I love studying religious history and especially odd anomalies in them! And movements which had some style and didn’t lose their humor! Looking at those long locked, dancing ecstatic taking over NYC and comedy Jewish Hasidim today! The mystical Hasidic movement, were the “charismatics” of modern Judaism, and birthed folks like, Abraham, Heschel, Martin Buber and many artists such as Marc Chagall…

First major Hassidic (jewish mystical renewal movement of Central Europe) “church plant” in the Eretz—Rabbi Mendel from Vitebsk. Brought 300 students with him in 1777 and came to what was already the birthplace of Jewish mysticism—Tzfat, in northern Israel. So many mystics in one town, not sure how anything got done! But it led to a renewal movement within Judaism, that is still the fastest growing branch of Judaism in the world. How a mystic mows the lawn? Ecstatically, while floating!

Of course, Jewish mysticism itself was brought from the Sephardic (Spain and Portugal and a bit Northern Africa) Jews who were expelled from Spain and Northern Africa, round when old Columbus was sailing the ocean blue…and the Jews got kicked out of Spain and elsewhere in those parts! They settled in Tzfat in northern Israel and got down to mystical business-taking out the trash and mowing the lawn with God!

Been to this “Smurf town” Tzfat, as my hippie friends called it, many times. It has mostly blue doors now, hence the name. But the many movements which started in this small northern town renovated the face of what would become modern judaism! Regardless, of whether anyone’s lawn got mowed!

Wonder if the much later movement of Hasidism (popularized in NYC and America in general) which eventually took the streets and airwaves of NYC (and much of the comedy of SNL), who also moved to the same town 300 years later, gleaned a bit from these early mystics. Seems so. As The Hasid integrated the Kabbalah etc into mainstream orthodoxy. Very controversial then and now! Similar story with the mystics in the daughter religion Christianity of course! But they had more style! Religious renewal movements always have new styles! They kept dancing, still are! Dance on friends! And please, keep making bagels!

They tried to integrate Jewish mysticism into more orthodox tradition (floating but on the earth! A down to earth aerial dance team!), and came up with a blend which is still the fastest growing branch of modern Judaism! If it were a coffee blend, would be intense low and high tasting notes! And they seemed to have retained much of their humor in the the midst! And there long hair locks and cool hats not to mention cool dancing change whatever room they enter! Best Jews on the dance floor, by far!

These dancing floating Rabbis who the great painter Chagall made famous, as did Fiddler on the Roof etc. came early and adopted some things from those mystical friends from the west. Of course the Hasidic Jews were originally from Central Europe, so interesting that they got along with the sephardic immigrants. I’m sure the early house parties were awkward, but somehow it worked. Perhaps the God imminent part was shared! For, Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews still have trouble dialoguing-even in modern Israel!

Anyway, having fun sitting with the tall hatted, long locked and great dancing Rabbis today! They got style, and certainly longevity! They can dance all night! Hope you are enjoying whatever you are studying and being inspired by these days friends! Keep dancing and being who you are!