The Hasidic Community of Williamsburg: A Study in the Sociology of Religion »

The Hasidim of the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn separate themselves not only from non-Jews and "unreligious" Jews but also from "religious" Orthodox Jews whose religious ideology, intensity, and frequency of traditional religious behavior do not meet Hasidic standards. These Hasidim create a sociological wall between themselves and other Jews whom they do not consider traditionally "religious." This being the case, how is it the Hasidim are able to survive, indeed thrive, well into the twenty-fi rst century while maintaining their social isolation and avoiding assimilation into the American culture, especially living amongst the cultural and ethnic diversity and temptations of New York City?