Hasidism, Chassidism, Hasidic, Chassidic -- What is it?

Hasidism, also spelled Chassidism, is a form of mystical Orthodox Judaism that originated in Eastern Europe.  The men are easily recognized by their traditional beards, haircuts, and clothing.  (The women dress modestly but do not have a "uniform.")

Hasidic/Chassidic is the adjective: Hasidic Jews.  The singular is Hasid, the plural is Hasidim.  More recently, some American writers have begun to use an Anglicized plural: Hasids, but technically that's not correct.   Still, because you will see it in reviews and articles, I mention it here. 

Why the spelling differences?

Why is the name of this group of very traditional Jews sometimes spelled with an "H" and sometimes with a "CH"?  The answer is simple:  The word "Chassid" is derived from the Hebrew word Chesed, which means "Lovingkindness."   Chesed begins with a gutteral sound that does not exist in English.  It's similar to the gutteral in German "Ach," so Jews of Central or Eastern European descent tend to render it with a "CH."  Israelis often use this spelling, too.  But Americans are not, by and large, familiar with German gutteral sounds.  They tend to see "CH" as the softer sound in "church."   So Americans tend to spell it with an "H."   This is also the preferred spelling on the English language version of Wikipedia, the free online Encyclopedia.

Which spelling should you use on Ebay? 

USE BOTH !!!  The item itself may say "Chassidic" or "Hasidic" on the package, and many people go with that.  But if you use only one spelling, and a customer is searching with the other spelling, then he or she could  miss your items.  Let's try it.  First, we will search for Hasidism / Hasidic-- note the items on the top half of the list.  Now we'll search for Chassidism / Chassidic-- I'll bet a lot of the items are different from the first search.  Those which are the same in both searches have BOTH spellings.  (You can see similar results in the sample items on the sidebar on this page, too.)  So, if you want to reach the maximum number of customers, include both spellings in your title lines!

More hints for selling:

Never refer to Chassidic Jews as "ultra-Orthodox" unless that word is actually in the title of a book you are selling.  The Hasidim themselves never use this term, and many find it offensive.  Just because they wear traditional garb does not make them any more "ultra" than other Orthodox Jews.  (Is a man in a cowboy hat "ultra-Western"?)

Do not refer to Chassidic Jews as "Lubavitch" or "Chabad" unless you KNOW the item comes from that group!  "Chabad" and "Lubavitch" are not generic terms for all Hasidim.  Yes, Chabad/Lubavitch  is the best-known group worldwide, but there are many others.   Calling them all "Chabad" would be like calling all Protestants "Lutherans"!   If you're not sure which group an item comes from, it's best to use the generic terms.  

Don't assume every Jew with a beard is Hasidic.  Or even a rabbi!   For items like figurines, "Fiddler on the Roof" items, etc. you are probably OK to label them "Hasidic rabbis."   But if you are selling books, artwork, ritual objects, memorabilia, etc., then try to find out the specific group.  I myself am a Breslov Hasid, and I regularly search for Breslov to find new items from my group.  Sellers with Breslov items who include this name in their titles are more likely to have me see their sales.   The same goes for any other group.  The more specific you can be, the more likely you will find that perfect customer!