Peshischa

Peshischa (Yiddish: פשיסחה, romanized: Peshiskhe) was an important school of Hasidic Judaism based out of Przysucha, Poland founded by Yaakov Yitzchak that flourished during the late 18th to early 19th century.

Its teachings are the foundation for the Kotzk, Ger, Amshinov, Zychlin, Aleksander, Vurka, Sochatchov, Porisov, Biala and Izhbitza-Radzin strands of Hasidism.

Under Simcha Bunim's leadership, centers were created across Poland that held ideologically alliance to Peshischa.

These centers preached Simcha Bunim's ideals of rationalism, radical personhood, independence and the constant quest for authenticity.

After his death in 1827, Peshischa split into two factions, those of his more radical followers who supported Menachem Mendel of Kotzk as Simcha Bunim's successor and those of his less radical followers who supported the succession of Simcha Bunim's son Avraham Moshe Bonhardt.