<P> Hasidism , sometimes Hasidic Judaism ( Hebrew : חסידות ‎ , hasidut , Ashkenazi pronunciation : ( χaˈsidus ) ; originally , `` piety '' ) , is a Jewish religious group . It arose as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine during the 18th century , and spread rapidly throughout Eastern Europe . Today , most affiliates reside in the United States , Israel , and the United Kingdom . Israel Ben Eliezer , the `` Baal Shem Tov '' , is regarded as its founding father , and his disciples developed and disseminated it . Present - day Hasidism is a sub-group within Ultra-Orthodox ( `` Haredi '' ) Judaism , and is noted for its religious conservatism and social seclusion . Its members adhere closely both to Orthodox Jewish practice -- with the movement 's own unique emphases -- and the traditions of Eastern European Jews , so much that many of the latter , including various garments or the use of the Yiddish language , are nowadays associated almost exclusively with Hasidism . </P>
<P> Hasidism , sometimes Hasidic Judaism ( Hebrew : חסידות ‎ , hasidut , Ashkenazi pronunciation : ( χaˈsidus ) ; originally , `` piety '' ) , is a Jewish religious group . It arose as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine during the 18th century , and spread rapidly throughout Eastern Europe . Today , most affiliates reside in the United States , Israel , and the United Kingdom . Israel Ben Eliezer , the `` Baal Shem Tov '' , is regarded as its founding father , and his disciples developed and disseminated it . Present - day Hasidism is a sub-group within Ultra-Orthodox ( `` Haredi '' ) Judaism , and is noted for its religious conservatism and social seclusion . Its members adhere closely both to Orthodox Jewish practice -- with the movement 's own unique emphases -- and the traditions of Eastern European Jews , so much that many of the latter , including various garments or the use of the Yiddish language , are nowadays associated almost exclusively with Hasidism . </P>
who is believed to be the founder of the jewish hasidic movement
who is believed to be the founder of the jewish hasidic movement
Israel Ben Eliezer , the `` Baal Shem Tov ''
Israel Ben Eliezer , the `` Baal Shem Tov ''