The Light of Learning

Reviews / Votes

Glenn Dynner's book is an eye-opening account of Hasidic life in Poland
immediately before World War II. It expertly challenges regnant theories of Hasidic isolationism and exhibits the extent to which Hasidic circles and leaders were deeply engaged in educational reform, including women's education, as well as politics and the collapsing world around them. Drawing from published works, archival materials, and memoirs in numerous languages, Dynner changes the way we will look at Hasidic life in interwar Poland. A must-read for those interested in Eastern European Jewry's engagement with modernity. * Shaul Magid, Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College
* The great eighteenth-century pietist movement of Hasidism infused Jews with a passion for God, prayer, and the integrity of the individual. Historian Glenn Dynner demonstrates Hasidism's ability to cope with modernity's radical changes, political and cultural, without losing its religious integrity. In his new book, he shows us the vitality of Hasidism in interwar Poland, despite physical and spiritual pogroms, and how Hasidic teachings brought spiritual strength to Jews during the horrors of the Holocaust." * Susannah Heschel, Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor, Dartmouth College
* A paradigm shift in the study of Hasidism, Polish Jewry, and gender. Dynner offers a gracious and nuanced reading of modern Hasidic revival and resistance, one that humanizes the movement and deepens our understanding of Jewish modernity. This is a masterpiece of historical writing." * Ora Wiskind, Professor of Jewish Thought, Michlalah College
* Dynner's book shows that there is ample reason to appreciate the distinctively vibrant forms of Hasidic Judaism that flourished in interwar Poland. * Brian Hillman, Jewish Book Council * Dynner's volume, which I wholeheartedly recommend, serves as an important model for the type of balanced, scholarly corrective we require in order to properly study and understand Hasidism, and will hopefully serve as a model for future historians to create their own synthesis between the two methodological approaches that we have discussed. * Zvi Leshem, TRADITION * Dynner's excellent, insightful, enjoyable book is a most positive contribution to collections on Hasidism, drawing on primary archival sources such as diaries, letters, Hasidic discourses, business documents, photos, and secondary sources. * David B Levy, Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews * The book's meticulous research makes it a valuable resource for scholars and students across various fields, including Jewish studies, Hasidic studies,eastern European history, and gender studies. Beyond Jewish studies, the book's interdisciplinary approach and exploration of broader themes, such as the interplay between religion, education, and politics, make it relevant to scholars in fields such as religious studies, education, and social history. Its accessible writing style and comprehensive coverage, alongside eye-catching photos, also make it appealingto a broader readership interested in learning about the complexities of Jewish life in interwar Poland. * Daniel Reiser, The Journal of the Association for Jewish Studies * In addition to presenting a careful study of a significant portion of Polish Jewish society, this work should be of interest to historians of East Central Europe and scholars of Hasidism. Dynner's work importantly presents an argument for the central role of religion in this drama otherwise staged as one of political nationalism and modern, secular culture. For scholars of Hasidism, this work provides an example of how to integrate sources by and about women. This book also offers something of interest to that elusive general, educated reader: a case study of how a society values education. * Elena Hoffenberg, Pardes * The Light of Learning deserves to be read not only as a contribution to Hasidic studies but as a model of how to combine archival depth, theoretical insight, andnarrative clarity. It is, quite fittingly, a work that lives up to its title, sheddingenduring light on modern Jewish history. * Daniel Mahla, Jewish History *