Why do Hasidic men always wear a hat?
Religious male Jews (not just Hasidim) wear a hat to cover the head in respect for God. Covering the head reminds us that there is a Creator, a Higher Power, above our own limited minds. Any head covering will do, but some people like a certain style of hat to identify their group. Others simply have personal preferences about hats.

What is the significance of the untrimmed beards and sidecurls?
The payos (sidecurls) and beard are worn in obedience to this commandment in the Torah (Bible):

You shall not round the corners of your heads, nor mar the edges of your beards. (Leviticus 19:27)

The "corners of the head" are the area above the ears. Together, both the curls and the untrimmed beard are a symbol of obedience to the laws of God. Many Hasidic men also cut the rest of the hair very short. This is not really required, but is more comfortable under a hat. Also, some Hasidim see the entire haircut -- very short hair with beard and payos -- as part of the "uniform" of their group.

The minimum length for payos (pronounced PAY-us) is long enough that you can grab a hair and bend it towards its own root -- which comes out to be just about to the middle of the ear. But there are other opinions also, and many Hasidim wear them longer. Some men curl them carefully and let them hang conspicuously in front of the ears, while others tuck them behind the ears or up under their yarmulke (skullcap.) Again, this is a matter of style and, in some cases, personal preference.

Hasidic people seem to always be rocking back and forth. Why is this?
When Jews pray, we do not sit stone-still with hands folded like some groups of Christians do. Rather, we sway back andforth with the rhythm of the Hebrew prayers. A visit to a Hasidic or Orthodox synagogue (and some other denominations as well) will show you that everybody rocks and sways like this, each to his or her own inner rhythm. Some Jewish men also stroke their beards and rock forward and back in their chairs while thinking or studying. Stroking the beard is not a sign of nervousness -- it's our "body language" for deep concentration. "The rabbi stroked his beard..." is a very common line in our teaching stories and folklore.

Is Reb the same as a Rebbe?
No, athough some Rebbes are called Reb. The word Reb is a Yiddish title of respect for a Jewish teacher or other respected person in the Jewish community. It is always used with a person's name (Reb Saunders). It is never used as a stand-alone word as in "Hey, Reb!"

The word Rebbe (pronounced REBB-uh or REBB-ee) has two different meanings. Among non-Hasidim it simply refers to a Jewish teacher. For Hasidim, however, the Rebbe is regarded as a spiritual master and guide in the mystical sense. (Some Jewish writers capitalize Rebbe when using it in a Hasidic context but use lowercase -- rebbe -- in the non-Hasidic context, but this is not standardized.)