Hasidic Jews once thrived in Poland | Historian Glenn Dynner
About this episode
Frieda Vizel interviews historian Glenn Dynner about the history and cultural life of Hasidic Jews in Poland.
Link to video version of this episode: In this episode, I’m joined by historian Glenn Dynner, who was my professor years ago and played a pivotal role in getting me started as a tour guide. Our conversation focuses on Polish Jewish history, Hasidism, and how Jewish life in Poland developed under pressure, change, and violence. Before we begin, here are Glenn’s books, which come up throughout the interview: The Light of Learning: Hasidism in Poland on the Eve of the Holocaust / https://amzn.to/3LNJYdu Yankel's Tavern: Jews, Liquor, and Life in the Kingdom of Poland /https://amzn.to/4qogrpM Men of Silk: The Hasidic Conquest of Polish Jewish Society / https://amzn.to/3ZdZJ0j We talk about Polish Jewish society as a lived world rather than a static prelude to the Holocaust. Topics include the development of Hasidism, the social and economic role of tavernkeeping, responses to antisemitism, and how violence shaped religious and cultural life. We also discuss women in Hasidic communities, underground Torah study during the Holocaust, and the networks that helped preserve religious leadership and scholarship. The conversation also touches on Glenn’s research trajectory, how historians…
Topics covered
- Polish Jewish history
- Hasidism
- antisemitism
- religious and cultural life
- women in Hasidic communities
- Holocaust
- historical research
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