Misnagdim

Misnagdim ("Opponents" - also Mitnagdim) was a Jewish religious movements among the Jews of Eastern Europe, particularly in Lithuania/Poland which resisted the rise of Hasidism in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Mitnagdim are Haredi (or Charedi) Jews and a term which is often used to also include Hasidic sects, though sometime the Haredim and Hasidim are portrayed as separate.

The Misnagdim were particularly concentrated in Lithuania, where Vilnius served as the bastion of the movement, but anti-Hasidic activity was undertaken by the establishment in many locales. The most severe clashes between the factions took place in the latter third of the 18th century; the failure to contain Hasidism led the Misnagdim to develop distinct religious philosophies and communal institutions, which were not merely a perpetuation of the old status quo but often innovative. The most notable results of these efforts, pioneered by Chaim of Volozhin and continued by his disciples, were the modern, independent yeshiva and the Musar movement. Since the late 19th century, tensions with the Hasidim largely subsided, and the heirs of Misnagdim adopted the epithet Litvishe or Litvaks referring to their Lithuanian origins. Each faction is represented through a political party in the 'state of Israel': Degel HaTorah represents the Litvaks and Agudat Yisrael represents most Hasidim. Both parties co-operate in the United Torah Judaism coalition in elections.