Five Hasidic Dynasties in America and the Search for Leadership

In non-elective structures where the criteria for leadership rely on non-rational qualities, the quest for a leader requests very complex choices. Typical for the European Askenazi Jews, lineage and ancestral merit are important in the choice of Hasidic leaders. What you do when there are conflicting personalities and the criteria of the 'zar hodesh' (literally, 'holy seed') does not stand some minimal chances of spiritual survival? When unhappy brothers rebel against each other for getting the power they assume they equally deserve? 

Who Will Lead Us? by Samiel C. Heilman covers the story of five Hasidic dynasties - some famous as Satmar, Bobov and Chabad, some less like Kopyczynitz - from the perspective of the approach to leadership. Leadership means charisma - according to the classical description of Max Weber - but also the capacity to manage properties, succeed to increase the number of followers, fundraise, even maintain a certain relatioship with the non-Jewish authorities. Following the 'theology of genealogical sanctity' metioned by Heilman: 'One succeeded not only to the position of rebbe but also to family leadership, and often inherited family property and control over precious objects like manuscripts or Judaica freighted with the iconic power of leadership'.

Who Will Lead Us? was built on an impressive amount of information. Inside information, historical information, any kind of information. You are took witness of the highs and lows of one of the most powerful Hasidic courts, with their conflicts, alliances for power and deceits. Some information are unique even for people familiar with some of these dynasties. 

However, I had more than once the feeling of getting mostly sherayim (the morsels of food distributed to Hasidim from the rebbe's tisch/table). Academic research often involves gathering tons of information out of which you use only a small percentage for your main work. The rest you maybe will use on another occasion, maybe not. I had more than once the feeling while reading this book that there is way too much anectodic, that even the selection of the dynasties is not necessarily relevant but all those data was just there and had to be used. 

What I was expecting from such a book was maybe a serious academic analysis of this typical case of leadership, which is the religious leadership, specifically the Haredi one. Overwhelmed by too much information, this is what the book missed to provide.

The Rebbe: The life and afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson

I dare to say that I had a lot of expectations about this book that I decided to buy not because of the controversy around it, but because I appreciated some of the books written by both authors. The main accusation against the book was that either they used selectively the sources or they did not have access to some of them that would have create a different perspective on their subject.

My impression about the book was that the authors had access to many sources, including people from the close circle of Rebbe, but they were at a certain extent overwhelmed by the information. Many information are interesting, presented as new but maybe it is too much information and not too much analysis and evaluation - even strict selection - of the sources used. 

Maybe the Rebbe was not too religious and there were internal conflicts following his choice as the next Lubavitcher Rebbe, but it does not explain the overwhelming success of the movement and the dedication of so many young people that leave their comfort for fulfilling their mission in sometimes very far away corners of the world. It does not explain either Rebbe's influence of many non-Lubavitcher religious Jews from all over the world and the success of his educational model, as well as the particularity of Chabad within the other Hassidic groups in Europe, Israel and North America. 

For me, the book is unfinished and is too much focus on events when more analysis was needed.