Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In Jerusalem’s alleys and Brooklyn’s streets, they’re seen as relics of the past — black hats, long coats, and a life that looks untouched by time. But the Hasidic world didn’t emerge from tradition. It rose from revolution.
In 18th-century Ukraine, amid violence and despair, a mystical rebellion upended the rabbinic elite with joy, dance, and devotion. Preaching spirit over scholarship, Hasidic Jews were mocked, exiled, even jailed. But they endured — and reshaped Judaism as it’s known today, from the margins.
And today, their descendants are still dancing.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:44 Origins of Hasidism
04:40 The Baal Shem Tov
06:59 Alternative avenues to God
09:16 Female leadership in Hasidism
10:40 The Misnagdim
12:51 The memory of Shabbatai Zevi
14:14 Excommunication, book burnings, & reporting to authorities
17:21 The Haskalah: The Jewish Enlightenment
19:48 Post-H0l0caust Hasidic & Litvish counterculture
Sources:
-Wodziński, Marcin. Historical Atlas of Hasidism. Princeton University Press, 2018.
-Abramson, Henry. Personal interview. 28 April 2025.
-Katz, Doniel. Personal interview. 24 April 2025.
-Petrovsky-Shtern, Yohanan. "Ba‘ale Shem." The Yivo Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe.
-Kohler, Kaufmann and Ginzberg, Louis. "Ba'al Shem." The Jewish Encyclopedia Online.
-"Hasidic Movement: A History." My Jewish Learning.
-"Thirty-Six Aphorisms of the Baal Shem Tov." Chabad.
-"Vilna Gaon." My Jewish Learning.
-Ratzabi, Hila. "What Is Herem?" My Jewish Learning.
-Nadler, Allan."Misnagdim." The Yivo Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe.
-Abramson, Henry. "Who Were the Cossacks?" My Jewish Learning.
Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads!
youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video—Meet the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Judaism’s Most Impactful Rabbi
youtube.com/watch?v=Ij0LR0ymqzA&list=PL-DNOnmKkUabBNl0Aee06VGSKbeJkrI6F&index=25
We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch
Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.Unpacked.media
Instagram — /unpackedmedia
Twitter — /unpackedmedia
TikTok — /unpackedmedia
Facebook — /unpackedmedia
-----------
Image and footage credits:
NETFLIX
A24
DREW BINSKY
GETTY IMAGES
BRITISH PATHE
The Music Theatre International (MTI)
United Artists
Foreign Cinema Arts Inc.
Barwood Films
Ladbroke Entertainment
MGM/UA Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures
Ghost House Pictures
North Box Productions
Embracer Group
Walt Disney Television
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
BBC
AP
EB FILMS
yes.
Maymon Films Inc.
-----------
Executive Producer:
— Barry Skolnick
Co-Executive Producer:
— Shmuel Katz
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#history #people #revolution
In Jerusalem’s alleys and Brooklyn’s streets, they’re seen as relics of the past — black hats, long coats, and a life that looks untouched by time. But the Hasidic world didn’t emerge from tradition. It rose from revolution.
In 18th-century Ukraine, amid violence and despair, a mystical rebellion upended the rabbinic elite with joy, dance, and devotion. Preaching spirit over scholarship, Hasidic Jews were mocked, exiled, even jailed. But they endured — and reshaped Judaism as it’s known today, from the margins.
And today, their descendants are still dancing.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:44 Origins of Hasidism
04:40 The Baal Shem Tov
06:59 Alternative avenues to God
09:16 Female leadership in Hasidism
10:40 The Misnagdim
12:51 The memory of Shabbatai Zevi
14:14 Excommunication, book burnings, & reporting to authorities
17:21 The Haskalah: The Jewish Enlightenment
19:48 Post-H0l0caust Hasidic & Litvish counterculture
Sources:
-Wodziński, Marcin. Historical Atlas of Hasidism. Princeton University Press, 2018.
-Abramson, Henry. Personal interview. 28 April 2025.
-Katz, Doniel. Personal interview. 24 April 2025.
-Petrovsky-Shtern, Yohanan. "Ba‘ale Shem." The Yivo Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe.
-Kohler, Kaufmann and Ginzberg, Louis. "Ba'al Shem." The Jewish Encyclopedia Online.
-"Hasidic Movement: A History." My Jewish Learning.
-"Thirty-Six Aphorisms of the Baal Shem Tov." Chabad.
-"Vilna Gaon." My Jewish Learning.
-Ratzabi, Hila. "What Is Herem?" My Jewish Learning.
-Nadler, Allan."Misnagdim." The Yivo Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe.
-Abramson, Henry. "Who Were the Cossacks?" My Jewish Learning.
Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads!
youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1
Recommended video—Meet the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Judaism’s Most Impactful Rabbi
youtube.com/watch?v=Ij0LR0ymqzA&list=PL-DNOnmKkUabBNl0Aee06VGSKbeJkrI6F&index=25
We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch
Let’s connect:
Website — https://www.Unpacked.media
Instagram — /unpackedmedia
Twitter — /unpackedmedia
TikTok — /unpackedmedia
Facebook — /unpackedmedia
-----------
Image and footage credits:
NETFLIX
A24
DREW BINSKY
GETTY IMAGES
BRITISH PATHE
The Music Theatre International (MTI)
United Artists
Foreign Cinema Arts Inc.
Barwood Films
Ladbroke Entertainment
MGM/UA Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures
Ghost House Pictures
North Box Productions
Embracer Group
Walt Disney Television
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
BBC
AP
EB FILMS
yes.
Maymon Films Inc.
-----------
Executive Producer:
— Barry Skolnick
Co-Executive Producer:
— Shmuel Katz
-----------
Translation credits:
Portuguese: Saymon Pires
About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion.
Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between.
About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking.
#history #people #revolution
