Did Jewish thought on suffering change after the pogroms in Russia?

by neopolatianskaya

Hopefully this is the best subreddit to ask, but I'm not sure.

For a term paper that I'm writing for my Jewish Life and Thought class, I am hoping to show the evolution of Jewish thought about suffering after periods of suffering. Having had family suffer in the pogroms and the Holocaust, I've decided to frame my paper through these events. So far, my search about Jewish thought on suffering specifically after the pogroms. If anyone could help (even through a redirect to another subreddit), it would be greatly appreciated!

seeasea

I am unaware of Jewish thought changes in regards to the pogroms (I'm assuming you're referring to the early 20th century ones, which were the most famous, as well as the Mendel beiles libel). That doesn't mean it didn't exist.

I'm on mobile so don't have sources on hand.

The most radical transformations in Jewish thought on suffering happened (excluding biblical era) during the second Temple destruction/Roman occupation, especially the barkochba revolts of 150~.

Further, you can find I'm the wake of the crusades, which were devastating for the Jewish people in Europe.

We do biblical ideas of suffering connected to "straying" as in book burning in France in the 1400s connected to rejection of maimonodean writings in Europe.

I don't recall if there was a specific catalyst, but the false Messiah "sabbatai tzvi" caused a major shift, and in response caused in some ways hassidic thought which was well received in areas affected by persecution (such as the Russian pale).

As far as late 19th-early 20th century, the single most significant change was caused by the infamous Dreyfus affair. This caused a number of Jewish observers to have a quite varied response. The most famous and significant, was from a Jewish journalist reporting on the proceedings, hertzl, who started from that incident Zionism.

Holocaust didn't specifically change Jewish ideas on suffering, as it is in a way come at the end of a long line of Jewish suffering, and so much thought had already taken suffering into account. In a way.

Another way to approach your question is from a Jewish "legal" approach, as halachik changes often come after a period of persecution.

Also, a third way, which is not Jewish thought on suffering, but suffering effect on Jewish identity.

The legalistic ideas of who is Jewish and acceptance of converts shifted often throughout the ages, especially when faced with suffering. Also, in enlightment Europe through today there are major questions about what it means to be Jewish, and by extension who is Jewish.

Some of those ideas are religious, some are cultural and some foisted by enemies. Such as the 1 grandparent definition by Hitler. The enlightenment shifted clear distinction of identity from religious to national. There is a paper about temple isreltico, first post ghetto synagogue in Italy, that discuss the way the Jewish people perceived themselves in a newly nationalist identity versus religious (ie are they fully Italian, or still 'foreignors" (hint the Jets people wanted to be Italian, the Italians didn't let them). And of course with the holocaust, state of Israel and the assimilation into weatern culture, the identity of Jewish people is quite fraught.

Both of these latter approaches need much more elaboration. But it's hard to type