Hasidic Attitudes Toward the Non-Jewish World

This article surveys the spectrum of Hasidic-gentile relations, from Hasidic perceptions of non-Jews to aspects of their everyday interactions as expressed in various Hasidic and non-Hasidic sources. We explore perspectives on non-Jews presented in Hasidic speculative teachings and consider the impact of these theories on the nature of Hasidic-gentile daily relations. We put particular emphasis on the level of egalitarian contacts among rank-and-file Hasidim and their neighbors. Additionally, we examine the cultral exchange between Hasidim and non-Jews as the least ideologized form of interaction between the two groups. By turning attention to Hasidic attitudes toward gentiles and their day-to-day relations, we aim to shed light on the understudied aspect of the Hasidic experience in Eastern Europe-an experience that took place among, and in complex interaction with, the Hasidim's non-Jewish neighbors.