Founder of Hasidism: A Quest for the Historical Ba'al Shem Tov »

Moshe Rosman teaches Jewish History at Bar Ilan University and is the author of The Lords' Jews: Magnate-Jewish Relations in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1990), among other works.

"The only scholarly book, in any language, that deals with the figure of the Besht in a detailed, profound, and very documented manner. Dr. Rosman has mapped the background of the life and activity of the Besht, using unknown material, penetrating analysis, and a broader perspective regarding Jewish history in Poland. . . . A very remarkable achievement."—Moshe Idel, Hebrew University

"The subject is crucial; the approach is bold and brilliantly chosen. The result is a persuasive revision of a fundamental chapter in the Jewish experience."—Gershon Hundert, McGill University

Jewish Book World

For more than 150 years, historians have tried to assemble documentary evidence of the life and work of the 18th century mystic, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer -- the Ba'al Shem Tov. Based upon midern research and newly discovered documents, Professor Rosman suceeds in presenting a fascinating and comprehensive description of the Ba'al Shem Tov, his time, and his culture. Beginning with a history of other ba'al Shem, the Hasidic Movement, Poland of the 18th century and the city in which the Besht achieved his greatest fame, Rosman not only succeeds where many others have failed, but also dispels many commonly accepted beliefs of the life and times of this important historical figure.