American Hasidim (literally “pious ones”) represent highly orthodox, socially conservative followers of mystical leaders who revolutionized Central European Judaism in the late eighteenth century. Hasidim arrived in the US in the 1940s, fleeing Nazi destruction and shattered communities after the war. Many chose the US over Israel because of the latter’s secularism: the US seemed to offer a better context for their highly structured religious community.

Hasidim have settled by the thousands in the Williamsburg area of New York City and a few other urban centers. Hasidic men, highly visible with their black hats, beards, hair, dark coats and hats, have created specialized economic niches in photography and diamonds. They are set apart by their commitment to community and religious practice under the guidance of a rebbe, a charismatic spiritual leader. Differences in beliefs nonetheless divide Hasidim into sometimes conflicting courts. New York may have 25 to 30 such courts, with between 100 and 500 families; the Lubavitcher court includes 12,000–15,000 people. Nonetheless, many Hasidim share a commitment to traditional patriarchy religious education (and avoidance of secular colleges) and communal support.

As exclusive Hasidim enclaves have grown, conflicts have emerged with neighbors.

Tensions between Hasidim and African Americans in Crown Heights flared in 1981 after a traffic accident in which a young Hasid killed a Guyanese boy. The suburban Kiryas Joel district also sued its school district to prevent women bus drivers from transporting male students, pitting religious belief against gender equality (and losing).

Hasidim have also posed dilemmas for other Jews, whom they sometimes approach as missionaries. Others, however, have sought to incorporate American marital and psychological counseling into their traditional frameworks. In all these ways, Hasidim grapple with the tensions of religious community and American identities.