Google has a beta version running of something called 'Google video'. This is, roughly speaking, a blog service for videos - meaning that (within certain limits - the obvious restrictions apply) anyone can post videos on the web. A young man called Joseph Kolakowski has posted* dozens of short videos of Hasidic life in NY city - mainly celebrations and events. They are of varying lengths, and very varying quality, but some are compelling. He has his personal website, on Geocities, from which it appears as though he is a young Hassidisher, probably about 20, and seems to live in Woodmere. (The website is difficult to access, as he has so much posted that it exceeds the Geocities capacity, and it cuts out after a few moments' viewing.)
Fascinating material.
Kol hakavod.
* go to www.google.video.com and then try searching under 'Kolakowski' or under 'Rebbe' etc.
UPDATE: I finally managed to get into the personal website. Some story here ... and the videos accessible from the website are equally amazing.
To Steve Brizel (see comments): It is true that the Hassidic community are photogenic. But they have the ruach which totally escapes the rest of us! Is there any other group within the Jewish world that could generate these videos of such music and such joy? The Litvishe???? I don't think so. We urgently need a new chassidus. [And someone will say - what's wrong with the old Chassidus?]
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