Language:
English
Year of publication:
1994
Titel der Quelle:
Modern Judaism
Angaben zur Quelle:
14,1 (1994) 21-61
Keywords:
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Influence
;
Holocaust (Jewish theology)
;
Orthodox Jews
Abstract:
Examines responses to the Holocaust of four Jewish religious thinkers in Eretz-Israel in the 1940s, who based their views on the premise that the universe was split ontically between Israel and Amalek. Two of them, Yitzhak Meir Levin and Moshe Avigdor Amiel, believed that Jewry precipitated the Holocaust by crossing the boundary into Amalek's realm through assimilation. The other two, Reuven Katz and Zalman Sorotzkin, thought that Israel's failure to adhere to Torah led to the catastrophic assault by Hitler. The Holocaust did not shatter the worldview of these leaders (three of whom were rabbis), but confirmed it. Tracing the origin of their ideas, shows that as early as the 18th century similar motifs are found in the writings of Jacob Emden, and in the 20th century in those of Elhanan Wasserman and Haim Ozer Grodzensky. Contrary to American and European Jewish thinkers, the four Israelis also accused the Yishuv leadership of alienating the Jews from the Torah.
Note:
Examines responses to the Holocaust of four Orthodox Jewish rabbis and thinkers in Eretz-Israel in the 1940s - Yitzhak Meir Levin, Moshe Avigdor Amiel, Reuven Katz and Zalman Sorotzkin.
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