"Fellow Travellers Along the Path"
Charismatic Fallibility in Neo-Hasidic Leadership
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26443/arc.v50i.228Keywords:
Hasidism, neo-Hasidism, leadership, charisma, rebbe, religious leadership, JudaismAbstract
In neo-Hasidism—which draws on traditional Hasidism while maintaining its position outside its sociological communities—the centrality of the idealised holy leader is nuanced, or outright rejected. In fact, by exploring its updated leadership models, it becomes clear that reformulating leadership was in fact one of the primary ways in which neo-Hasidism distinguished itself from traditional Hasidism. Whereas Hasidic leaders are traditionally charismatic by virtue of their exceptionalness, neo-Hasidic leaders are understood to be imperfect “fellow travelers along the path” who are charismatic by virtue of their relatability. And yet, despite this divergence, neo-Hasidism attempts to maintain its position within the Hasidic lineage.
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