A Hasidic dynasty or Chassidic dynasty is a dynasty led by Hasidic Jewish spiritual leaders known as rebbes, and usually has some or all of the following characteristics: Each leader of the dynasty is referred to as an ADMOR (abbreviation for Adoneinu Moreinu Verabeinu – "our master, our teacher, and our rabbi"), or simply as Rebbe (or "the Rebbe"), and at times called the "Rav" ("rabbi"), and sometimes referred to in English as a "Grand Rabbi"; The dynasty continues beyond the initial leader's lifetime by succession (usually by a family descendant); The dynasty is usually named after a key town in Eastern Europe where the founder may have been born or lived, and sometimes, such as in the case of the Bostoner Chassidim, where the group began to grow and flourish or where a significantly influential Jewish teacher founds a court or yeshiva where students go to learn from, or consult with, that Rebbe; The dynasty has (or once had) followers who, through time, continue following successive leaders (rebbes), or may even continue as a group without a leader by following the precepts of a deceased leader.
Distinguished from a dynasty, a Hasidic group or Chassidic group has the following characteristics: It was founded by a leader who did not appoint or leave a successor; It may be named after a key town in Eastern Europe where the founder may have been born or lived, or where the group began to grow and flourish, or it may be named after the founder himself; It has followers who continue as a group under the direction of rabbis who expound and interpret the precepts of the deceased founder.
Dynasties with larger following Hasidic dynasties (arranged alphabetically) with a large following include:
NameCurrent (or last) RebbeFounderPresently headquartered InCity / Town of originBelz (Machnovka-Belz)Yissachar Dov Rokeach Yehoshua RokeachSholom Rokeach (1781–1855)Jerusalem, IsraelBelz, Galicia, Austria-Hungary / Poland (now in Ukraine)Bobov (Bobov-45)Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam Mordechai Dovid Unger (b. 1954)Shlomo Halberstam of Bobov (1847–1905)Borough Park, BrooklynBobowa and Sanz, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now in Poland)Chabad LubavitchMenachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994)Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1745–1812)Crown Heights, BrooklynLyubavichi, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, later Russia GerYaakov Aryeh Alter (b. 1939); Shaul Alter (Kehilas Pnei Menachem)Yitzchak Meir Alter (1799–1866)Jerusalem, IsraelGóra Kalwaria, Russian Empire (now in Poland)Karlin-StolinBaruch Meir Yaakov ShochetAaron ben Jacob of Karlin (1736–1772)Givat Zeev, Jerusalem, IsraelKarlin, [Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, later Belarus]Sanz-KlausenburgTzvi Elimelech Halberstam; Shmuel Dovid HalberstamChaim Halberstam of Sanz (1796–1876)Kiryat Sanz, Netanya, Israel; Borough Park, BrooklynKolozsvár, Klausenburg, Kingdom of Hungary (now Cluj Napoca, Romania), and Sanz, Galicia, Habsburg Empire (now in Poland)SatmarAaron Teitelbaum (b. 1947); Zalman Leib Teitelbaum (b. 1952)Joel Teitelbaum (1887–1979)Kiryas Joel, New York;Williamsburg, BrooklynSzatmárnémeti, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Satu Mare, Romania) SkverDavid Twersky (b. 1940)Yitzchak TwerskyNew Square, New YorkSkvira, Russian Empire (now in Ukraine)VizhnitzYisroel Hager;Menachem Mendel Hager;Yisroel Hager;Menachem Mendel Hager;Yitzchak Yohanan Hager;Eliezer Ze'ev Hager;David Hager;Aharon Hager;Baruch Shimshon HagerMenachem Mendel Hager Bnei Brak, Israel;Kaser, New York;Kiamesha Lake, New York;Williamsburg, Brooklyn;Jerusalem;London;Montreal;Beit ShemeshVyzhnytsia, Bukovina, Austrian Empire (now in Ukraine)
Dynasties with smaller following Hasidic dynasties (arranged alphabetically) with a small following include:
NameCurrent (or last) RebbeFounderPresently headquartered InTown of originAleksanderYisroel Tzvi Yair Danziger Yosef Yitzchak Meir SingerYechiel Dancyger (1828–1894)Bnei Brak, Israel Borough Park, BrooklynAleksandrów Łódzki, PolandAmshinovMenachem Kalish; Osher Chaim Kalish;Yaakov Aryeh MilikowskyYaakov Dovid Kalish of Amshinov (1814–1878)Borough Park, Brooklyn; Beit Shemesh, Israel; Jerusalem, IsraelMszczonów, PolandAshlagAvraham Mordechai Gottlieb; Simcha Avraham Ashlag;
Moshe Hayyim BrandweinYehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag (1885–1954)Bnei Brak, IsraelWarsaw, PolandBialaAvraham Yerachmiel Rabinowicz;Yaakov Menachem Rabinowicz;Aaron RabinowiczYitzchok Yaakov Rabinowicz (died 1905)Jerusalem, Israel;Bnei Brak, Israel;Borough Park, BrooklynBiała Podlaska, PolandBostonMoshe Shimon Horowitz; Mayer Alter Horowitz;Naftali Yehuda Horowitz;Chaim Avrohom HorowitzPinchas David Horowitz (1876–1941)Brookline, Massachusetts;Jerusalem, IsraelBostonBoyanNachum Dov BrayerYitzchok Friedman (1850–1917)Jerusalem, IsraelBoiany, Bukovina (now in Ukraine)ChernobylMenachem Nachum Twerski Avraham Yehoshua Heshel Twersky Yeshaya TwerskiMenachem Nachum Twerski of Chernobyl (1730–1797)Bnei Brak, Israel;Ashdod, Israel;Borough Park, Brooklyn; Lawrence, NYChernobyl, UkraineDushinskyYosef Tzvi DushinskyYosef Tzvi Dushinsky (1867–1948)Jerusalem, IsraelJerusalem, IsraelMachnovkaYehoshua RokeachYosef Meir Twersky of MachnovkaBnei Brak, IsraelMachnovka, UkraineMelitz Naftali Asher Yeshayahu MoscowitzYaakov Horowitz of Melitz(son of Naftali Zvi of Ropshitz)Ashdod, IsraelMielec, Galicia (now in Poland)ModzitzChaim Shaul TaubYechezkel Taub of Kuzmir (1755–1856)Bnei Brak, IsraelDęblin, PolandMunkacz Moshe Leib RabinovichShlomo Spira ("Shem Shlomo") of MunkaczBorough Park, BrooklynMunkács, Hungary (now in Ukraine)NadvornaseveralMordechai Leifer (1835–1894)Bnei Brak, Israel LondonNadvirna, Galicia (now in Ukraine)Nikolsburg-Monsey Yosef Yechiel Mechel Lebovits Shmuel Shmelke HaLevi Horowitz of Nikolsburg (1726–1778)Monsey, New YorkNikolsburg, MoraviaNovominskYoshua Perlow (Borough Park, Brooklyn) Yisroel Perlow (Lakewood)Yaakov Perlow I (1843–1902)Borough Park, BrooklynMińsk Mazowiecki, PolandPinsk-KarlinAryeh RosenfeldAharon the Great of Karlin (1736–1772)Jerusalem, IsraelKarlin, BelarusPupaYaakov Yechezkia Greenwald II (b. 1948)Moshe GreenwaldWilliamsburg, BrooklynPápa, HungaryRachmastrivkaYitzchak Twerski;David TwerskiYochanan Twerski of RachmastrivkaBorough Park, Brooklyn;Jerusalem, IsraelRachmastrivka, UkraineRadzin or Izhbitza – RadzinShlomo Yosef EnglardMordechai Yosef Leiner of IzhbitzaBnei Brak, IsraelIzbica, Poland; Radzyń Podlaski, PolandRebarSeveralJerusalem, IsraelJerusalem IsraelSadigura Yisrael Moshe Friedman Ztl August 2020 Mordechai Shulem Yosef Friedman Yitzchak yehoushoua Heschel FriedmanAvrohom Yaakov Friedman of Sadigura (1820–1883)Bnei Brak, IsraelSadagóra, Bukovina (now in Ukraine)Slonim Shmuel Brozovosky;Avrohom WeinbergAvraham of SlonimJerusalem, Israel;Bnei Brak, IsraelSlonim, BelarusShomer EmunimToldos AharonToldos Avrohom YitzchokAvrohom Chaim Roth; Dovid Kohn; Shmuel Yaakov KohnAharon Roth ("Reb Ahrele") (1894–1947)Kiryat Shomrei Emunim, JerusalemMea Shearim, JerusalemJerusalem, IsraelSkolye Refoel Goldstein Avrohom Moshe RabinowitzBorough Park, BrooklynSkole, Galicia, UkraineSkulen Yeshaya Yakov Portugal;Efraim Yehuda Portugal;Meir Portugal;Zvi Noach Portugal;Shmiel Mordche PortugalEliezer Zusia Portugal (1898–1982)Borough Park, Brooklyn; Williamsburg; Monsey; Lakewood; JerusalemSculeni, Bessarabia, Russian Empire, later Romania (now in Moldova)SpinkaYisrael Chaim Weiss; Meir Eleazer Weiss; Avraham Yitchak Kahana; Abraham Abish Horowitz; Yitzchak Isaac Horowitz; Nuta HorowitzJoseph Meir Weiss (1838–1909)Williamsburg, Brooklyn;Jerusalem, Israel;Bnei Brak, IsraelSzaplonca, Hungary (now Săpânţa, Romania)ToshElimelech Segal-LowyMeshulam Feish Segal-Lowy IKiryas ToshBoisbriand, QuebecNyírtass, HungaryVienAsher Anshel Katz Klonumos RichterWilliamsburg, Brooklyn, New YorkVienna, AustriaZvhilAvraham Goldman;Shlomo Goldman;Yitzhak Aharon Korff (of Zvhil – Mezhbizh)Moshe of Zvhil (died 1831)Jerusalem, Israel;Union City, New Jersey;Boston, MassachusettsZvyahel, Volhynia (now Zviahel, Ukraine)
Hasidic groups (non-dynastic) NameFounderHeadquartered inPlace of origin BreslovNachman of Breslov (1772–1810)Jerusalem, IsraelBratslav, Ukraine MalachimChaim Avraham Dov Ber Levine haCohen (1860–1938)Williamsburg, BrooklynBrooklyn, New York PeshischaYaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz "The Yid Hakudosh" (1766–1813)Przysucha, Poland RybnitzaChaim Zanvl Abramowitz (d. 1995)Rîbnița, Moldova / Transnistria
Other dynasties Many of these dynasties have presently few or no devotees, due to most of the Hasidic groups being destroyed during the Holocaust, 1939–1945. Other communities are flourishing, and have growing Hasidic sects. There are many dynasties whose followers number around five to fifteen people, and are not listed here.
A Alesk (from Olesko, Ukraine) Amdur (from Indura, Belarus) Anipoli (from Annopol, Ukraine) Apta / Zinkov / Mezhbizh (from Opatów, Poland) Akerman (from Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ukraine)
B Beitsh (from Biecz, Poland) Bender (from Bender, Moldova) Berditchev (Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740–1810) from Berdychiv, Ukraine) Bergsass Current Rebbe: Aaron Pollak, Founder: Abraham Alter Pollak (died 2007), Headquartered in: El'ad, Israel (from Beregszász, Hungary (now Ukraine)) Bertch (from Bircza, Poland) Białystok (from Białystok) Bialobrzeg (from Białobrzegi, Poland) Bluzhev (from Błażowa, Poland) Bikovsk (from Bikofsk) Bohush (from Buhuși, Romania) Bonia Botoshan (from Botoşani, Romania) Brod (from Brody, Ukraine) (several) Brezahn (from Berezhany, Ukraine) Brizdovitz (from Berezdivtsi, Ukraine) Bucharest (from București, Romania) (several) Burshtin (from Burshtyn, Ukraine) Bergener (Hasidic community) From Teaneck New Jersey
C Chabad-Avrutsh (from Ovruch, Ukraine) Chabad-Bobroisk (from Bobrujsk, Belarus) Chabad-Kapust Chabad-Liadi Chabad-Nezhin Chabad-Strashelye Chernovitz (from Chernivtsi) (several) Campevas, (from São Paulo, Brazil) Czortkow (from Chortkiv) Chust (from Khust) (several) Cleveland Cracow (from Kraków)
D
Deish (hasidic dynasty) (from Dés, Hungary) (today Romania) Deyzh (from Dés, Hungary) (today Romania) Dinov (from Dynów, Poland) Dombrova (from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland) Drubitsh (from Drohobych, Poland) (several) Dzirka (from Györke, Hungary) (today Ďurkov, Slovakia) Dzikov (from Tarnobrzeg, Poland)
E Erlau (from Eger/Erlau, Hungary) Etched (from Nagyecsed, Hungary)
F Faltishan (from Fălticeni, Romania)
G Galovitch (from Tulchyn, Ukraine) Gorlitz (from Gorlice, Poland) Gostynin (from Gostynin, Poland) Gvodzitz (from Hvizdets) Gribov (from Grybów, Poland)
H Hornsteipel (from Hornostaypil', Ukraine) Huvniv (from Hivniv, Ukraine) Husiatyn ( from Husiatyn, Ukraine)
K Kaliv (from Nagykálló, Hungary) Kaminke (the unrelated Ukrainian Kaminke dynasty from Kamianka, Ukraine and Galician Kaminke dynasty from Kamianka-Buzka, Ukraine) Kaminetz Kunskvola (from Końskowola, Poland) Karlin-Stolin (Hasidic dynasty) Kashau (from Kassa, Hungary) Kerestir (from Bodrogkeresztúr, Hungary) Khentshin (from Chęciny, Poland) Kretshnif (from Crăciunești, Romania) Kielce (from Kielce, Poland) Koidanov (from Koidanava, Belarus) Kolbasov (from Kolbuszowa, Poland) Komarno (from Komarno, Ukraine) Kopyczynitz (from Kopychyntsi, Ukraine) Korets (from Korets, Ukraine) Koson (from Mezőkaszony, Hungary) Kosov (from Kosiv, Ukraine) Kotsk (from Kock, Poland) Kozlov Kozhnitz (from Kozienice, Poland) Krasna Krula (from Nagykároly, Hungary) Kshanov (from Chrzanów, Poland) Kuzmir (from Kazimierz Dolny, near Warsaw) (several)
L Łańcut (from Łańcut, Poland) Lashkovitz (from Ulashkivtsi, Ukraine) Lelov (from Lelów, Poland) Lechovitch (from Lyakhavichy, Belarus) Linitz (from Linitz) Liske (from Olaszliszka, Hungary) Lizhensk (from Leżajsk, Poland) Leva (from Leova, Moldova) Liozna (from Liozna, Belarus) Lublin (from Lublin, Poland) (several) Lutsk (from Lutsk, Ukraine) (several)
M Margareten (from Margitta, Hungary) (today Marghita, Romania)