Like most secular Jews, Lis Harris knew precious little about the bearded and black-coated Hasidic men whom she saw on the
streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. For her, they represented a form of Judaism that was far removed from the concerns of everyday life. In a journey both journalistic and spiritual, she entered. The world of Hasidic Jewry and grew to understand the inner strength that has allowed this unique community to survive against untold disaster and oppressive odds.
A beloved contemporary classic, Holy Days is a personal account of New York's Hasidic community, its beliefs, its mysteries, and its encounter with secularism in the present age. Combining a historical understanding of the Hasidic movement with a journalist's discern