Chabad hipsters (or hipster Hasidim) are the cross-acculturated members of the

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...

Hasidic Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those aff ...

community and contemporary

hipster subculture The 21st-century hipster is a subculture (sometimes called hipsterism). Fashion is one of the major markers of hipster identity. Members of the subculture typically do not self-identify as hipsters, and the word ''hipster'' is often used as a pe ...

. Beginning from the late 2000s through the 2010s, a minor trend of cross acculturation of Chabad Hasidism and hipster subculture appeared within the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Jewish community Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

. The first printed reference to this trend was the 2007 New York Press cover story, "Hipster Hassids" by Alyssa Pinsker. Later, according to ''

The Jewish Daily Forward ''The Forward'' (), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ''The New York Times'' reported that Set ...

'', a small number of members of the

community, mostly residing in

Crown Heights, Brooklyn Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. Crown Heights is bounded by Washington Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue (New York City), Atlantic Avenue to the north, ...

, appear to now have adopted various cultural affinities of the local hipster subculture.Greenfield, Nicole
."Birth of Hipster Hasidism?"
''Religion Dispatches''. University of Southern Carolina. February 2, 2012Nussbaum-Cohen, Debra
"Of Hasids, Hipsters, and Hipster Hasids."
''

''. January 26, 2012.

Background

Cultural similarities between some of the Hasidic community's members and New York City hipsters were noted on blogs such as ''Hasid or Hipster'' (inspired in part by the art of

Elke Reva Sudin Elke Reva Sudin (born 1987) is an American painter, illustrator, fashion designer, and lecturer. In 2010, her ''Hipsters and Hassids'' painting series premiered in New York City, comparing and contrasting the Hasidic Jewish and hipster Brooklyn ...

). According to ''

'', a number of members of the Crown Heights Chabad community, all while adhering to the norms of Orthodox dress codes, have incorporated contemporary fashion as a part of their daily appearance. Similarly, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' noted that some New York hipsters appeared to be appropriating local Chabad Hasidic fashion by wearing black

fedora hat A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...

s. Some hipsters reported purchasing their headwear from Hasidic shops in Brooklyn."Culture-Hopping in a Fedora."
Fashion and Style. ''The New York Times''. April 29, 2011. Closely associated with the adoption of the "black hat", the preference for long skirts by female hipsters in New York are believed to be partly inspired by the fashion of Hasidic women. Chabad fashion designers Mimi Hecht and Mushky Notik who started their Mimu Maxi brand in the summer of 2013, originally with the Hasidic female community in mind, but soon the brand had gained a broader, loyal following. The pair has been referred to as "Hasidic Hipsters" on social media, and they have responded positively to that label. One Crown Heights resident established an eatery called "Hasid+Hipster". The eatery serves artisanal dishes while adhering to the laws of

Kashrut (also or , ) is a set of Food and drink prohibitions, dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to halakha, Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed ko ...

. The owner, Yuda Schlass, told ''

The New York Jewish Week ''New York Jewish Week'' (formerly ''The Jewish Week'') is a weekly independent community newspaper targeted towards the Jewish community of the metropolitan New York City area. History In March 2016, ''The Jewish Week'' announced its partners ...

'' "Me, myself, as much as I'm chasidic, I'm also hipster".Chernikoff, Helen
"Hipster And/Or Chasid? Grab lunch or dinner at Brooklyn's latest chic kosher food venture".
The Big Apple. ''The Jewish Week''. January 28, 2014. "Mason and Mug", a similarly styled "kosher-artisanal" restaurant was established in Crown Heights/Prospect Heights."Hassid+Hipster Brings Foodie Kosher Pop-Up To Crown Heights".
''JSpaceFood''. December 13, 2013. Chabad hipster musicians, such as

Moshe Hecht Moshe Hecht (born 1985 in Queens, New York) is an American Hasidic singer-songwriter and rabbi, best known as the eponymous lead singer of the folk rock group Moshe Hecht Band. Biography Early life Hecht was born in Queens, New York in 198 ...

and DeScribe, have fused Jewish themes and contemporary music styles and genres. Similarly, the band

Zusha The Zusha () is a river in Tula and Oryol Oblast in Russia, a right tributary of the Oka. The length of the river is 234 km. The area of its basin is 6,950 km².

, often described as Hasidic hipsters, mixes contemporary musical styles like

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, and

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

with the wordless vocals of traditional Hasidic songs (known as ''

niggunim A nigun (, 'tune' or 'melody'; pl. nigunim) or niggun (pl. niggunim) is a form of Ashkenazi Jewish vocal music sung in group settings. ''Nigunim'' are melodic tunes, often using repetitive non-lexical vocables such as "bim-bim-bam", "lai-lai-la ...

''). The group cites as a spiritual advisor Rabbi Dov Yonah Korn of New York City's East Village Chabad House. Chabad on Campus rabbi

Simcha Weinstein Simon Weinstein, known by his Hebrew name Simcha Weinstein (), is an English author and a rabbi. In 2006, his first book, '' Up Up and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero'', was published. In 2008, his s ...

, whose activities are based at Pratt Institute, has been termed one of "New York's Hippest Rabbis".

Outreach

Chabad emissaries In Jewish law, a shaliaḥ (, ; pl. , ''sheliḥim'' or ''sheliah'', literally "emissary" or "messenger") is a legal agent. In practice, "the shaliaḥ for a person is as this person himself." Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs an act of legal sig ...

operating in "hipster neighborhoods" have sought to reach out to Jewish hipsters and encourage them to perform traditional Jewish rituals and commandments (or ''

mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew language, Hebrew word (; , ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment Divine law, from God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of disc ...

s''). One event, titled "Unite the Beards", with the stated aim of "bridging the two communities", was organized by Chabad emissaries in Brooklyn. Chabad emissaries have established centers and organized services and events for young unaffiliated Jews in Dumbo, Williamsburg/Greenpoint, Fort Greene/Clinton Hill, Carroll Gardens and Prospect Heights.Bell, Kaitlin
"A Brooklyn Mitzvah: Converting the Hipsters."
''The New York Observer''. November 2, 2008.

"Hipster synagogues"

The

Soho Synagogue Soho Synagogue was an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 43 Crosby Street, in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. The congregation was founded in 2005 by Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Dovi Sch ...

, established by Chabad emissaries in

SoHo, Manhattan SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall (SoHo), and ha ...

, was often branded as a "hipster synagogue." The synagogue was housed in a former "chic clothing store." It closed down after failing to keep up financially. Chabad of Bucktown-Wicker Park has been noted as the synagogue of one of "America’s Best Hipster Neighborhoods." The Chabad house attracts a number of local Jews to services and events.Sugar, Yehuda
"Rabbi Finds Home in One of America’s Trendiest Neighborhoods".
''Chabad.org''. October 25, 2012.

References

{{Chabad footer, state=expanded Hasidic Judaism in New York City Chabad-Lubavitch (Hasidic dynasty) Hipster (contemporary subculture) Jews and Judaism in Brooklyn

Background

Outreach

"Hipster synagogues"

See also

References