By COLlive reporter
The known Hachnasas Orchim offered by caring Crown Heights residents for visitors from around the world is given as an example for hospitality.
TheFreeDictionary.com, an online dictionary and encyclopedia that gathers information from a variety of sources, quotes American journalist and author Lis Harris in defining kindness in welcoming strangers or guests.
“Hospitable as Welcome Wagoners,” is the quote from her 1985 book “Holy Days: The World Of The Hasidic Family.”
The dictionary pointed out that “the hospitality described in Harris’ book, The World of a Hasidic Family, is that of the Lubavitcher women in New York’s Crown Heights section.”
Harris, associate professor of writing at Columbia University who wrote for the New Yorker, was approached in the 80s by a Lubavitch family with the purpose of writing about the holidays, everyday observances, and place in the community.
In its review of the book, the Library Journal wrote:
“Harris joins the family in Crown Heights at Purim and returns for every major and minor holiday, and of course for many a weekly Shabbat. But we get much more than just Holy Days from her: there are also lucid descriptions and explanations of rituals for all family events (with death getting only a passing mention) and we learn a great deal about the history of the Lubavitch movement and its leaders, its relationship to other Hasidic sects and its stance toward Israel. The result of her year-long effort is a warm, informative, highly readable book.”
who said anything about food? i need some beds for the night.
Are you aware of the high cost of living in New York? Do you know that many families in Crown Heights can’t afford tuition, day camp, food on the table etc. Somehow our relatives don’t just come once a year anymore, Tishrei, Rosh Chodesh Kislev, Chof Bais Shvat, etc. Unfortunatley not all of us can afford to have guests the way the Gansbourgs did. We also can’t afford to fly, we don’t have frequent flyers miles as our relatives coming to Crown Heights do. Our grocery,fruit store, butcher, and fish stores expect to get paid when we feed all of… Read more »
One thing I can attest to is the unbelievable hospitality of the family described in Holy Days. Although the names in the book have been changed, those of us lucky enough to have been in CH during those years, know the characters are Rabbi Hirsh, A’H and Hensha YB”L Gansbourg and the Gansbourg Family children. I and literally hundreds of others have spent the most moving and inspiring moments of our lives within the walls of this family’s home. This is also the place Lis Harris hung out in for 5 years while researching, experiencing and writing her book. Thank… Read more »
May Hashem bless you with the fulfillment of your heart’s
desires for all good!
Mindy Feller
not sure exactly how this corresponds to all the ‘short term rentals’. I can only visit CH with my family if I pay for accommodations! Anyone with a basement or extra beds is now renting them out! What kind of hospitality is that??
I was so very thrilled to see this. It’s been many years since this appeared in 1985. I am humbled by the people who have become closer to Judaism through reading this book. I shall forward this on to Lis.