Arising in the wake of a number of dramatic historical events of the 17th century, the Chassidic movement emerged in the first half of the 18th century under the charismatic leadership of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov, with profound effect on European Jewry. In this lecture, David Solomon provides an introduction and overview of Chassidism, looking at its early leaders and their ideas. He also examines the impact of the movement, how it has evolved, and the form it has come to take in the current age.
