Introduction: Faith After the Darkness

Welcome to one of the most profound and challenging chapters in your Jewish Studies course. After the horrific events of the Holocaust (also known as the Shoah), Jewish thinkers had to face a devastating question: How can one believe in G-d after Auschwitz?

In these notes, we will explore Post-Holocaust theology—the attempts by religious thinkers to make sense of G-d’s role in history—and the work of the artist Marc Chagall, who used his paintbrush as a form of "resistance" against the attempt to destroy Jewish culture. Don't worry if these ideas feel heavy; we will break them down step-by-step.

Section 1: Post-Holocaust Theology

For centuries, Jewish thought was built on the Covenant: the idea that G-d protects His people if they follow His laws. The Holocaust, where 6 million Jews were murdered, seemed to shatter this idea. Four key thinkers offered different ways to understand G-d in the wake of this tragedy.

1. Richard Rubenstein: The "Death of G-d"

Rubenstein is the most radical of the four. He argued that after the Holocaust, it is impossible to believe in the traditional "G-d of history" who intervenes to save His people.

  • The Core Idea: Rubenstein suggested that the Covenant is effectively dead. If G-d exists and allowed the Holocaust, He would be a monster; therefore, it is better to believe G-d is not active in history.
  • The Result: For Rubenstein, Judaism should focus on community and culture rather than expecting divine protection. We are alone in a silent universe, so we must support each other.

2. Emile Fackenheim: The \(614^{th}\) Commandment

Fackenheim is famous for arguing that the Holocaust created a new religious obligation for all Jews.

  • The Core Idea: Traditionally, there are \(613\) Mitzvoth (commandments) in the Torah. Fackenheim proposed a \(614^{th}\) Commandment: "Jews are forbidden to hand Hitler posthumous (after-death) victories."
  • What this means: To give up on G-d or to stop being Jewish would be letting Hitler win. Therefore, surviving as a Jew and maintaining Jewish traditions is a holy act of defiance.

3. Ignaz Maybaum: The Churban

Maybaum used the term churban (a Hebrew word meaning "catastrophe" or "destruction") to describe the Holocaust. This term was traditionally used for the destruction of the First and Second Temples.

  • The Core Idea: Maybaum suggested a very controversial view: that the Holocaust was a "divine surgery." He argued that G-d used the suffering of the Jewish people to "cut away" the old ways of the world and bring humanity into a new era.
  • Analogy: Just as a doctor must sometimes perform a painful surgery to save a patient, Maybaum saw the Holocaust as a vicarious (representative) suffering that would ultimately help progress the world. Note: Many find this view difficult because it suggests G-d "wanted" or "needed" the Holocaust to happen.

4. Eliezer Berkovitz: Hester Panim (The Hiding Face)

Berkovitz tried to balance G-d’s existence with human freedom.

  • The Core Idea: He used the biblical concept of Hester Panim, which means G-d "hiding His face."
  • The Reason: Berkovitz argued that for humans to have true free will, G-d must remain silent. If G-d stepped in and stopped every evil act, we would be like puppets, not free moral agents. G-d’s "absence" during the Holocaust was a necessary (though painful) part of allowing humans to be responsible for their own actions.

Quick Review:
- Rubenstein: The Covenant is over; focus on community.
- Fackenheim: The \(614^{th}\) Commandment—stay Jewish so Hitler doesn't win.
- Maybaum: Churban—the Holocaust as a transformative (but painful) event.
- Berkovitz: Hester Panim—G-d hides His face to protect human free will.

Section 2: Marc Chagall - Art as Resistance

While theologians used words, the artist Marc Chagall used images. As a Jewish artist living through the rise of Nazism, his work became a way to keep Jewish identity alive when the Nazis were trying to erase it.

The "Entartete Kunst" (Degenerate Art) Exhibit (1937)

The Nazis hated modern art, especially by Jewish artists. In \(1937\), they organized an exhibit called Entartete Kunst to mock this art and claim it was "un-German." Chagall’s work was included in this exhibit. By continuing to paint, Chagall was performing an act of resistance.

Four Key Artworks to Know

You may be asked to discuss how these specific paintings reflect Jewish life and resistance:

  1. The Fiddler (1913):
    What it shows: A man playing a violin on a rooftop in a small village (shtetl).
    The meaning: It represents the survival and joy of Jewish tradition in an unstable world. Like a fiddler on a roof, Jewish life is beautiful but precarious (risky).

  2. The Praying Jew (The Rabbi of Vitebsk) (1914):
    What it shows: A rabbi in a prayer shawl (Tallit) with a serious, dignified expression.
    The meaning: This work preserves the spirituality and dignity of the Eastern European Jewish world, which was later targeted for destruction.

  3. Solitude (1933):
    What it shows: A Jew sitting gloomily with a Torah scroll, next to a cow.
    The meaning: Painted in the year Hitler came to power, it captures the foreboding and loneliness of the Jewish people as they realized the world was turning against them.

  4. White Crucifixion (1938):
    What it shows: Jesus on the cross, but surrounded by scenes of Jewish suffering (burning synagogues, people fleeing on boats). Crucially, Jesus is wearing a Jewish prayer shawl (Tallit) instead of a loincloth.
    The meaning: This is Chagall’s most famous "resistance" piece. By painting Jesus as a Jewish martyr, he was telling the Christian world: "The people you are persecuting are the same people your Savior came from." It links the Holocaust to the history of Jewish suffering.

Section 3: Key Comparisons and Evaluation (AO2)

To get top marks, you need to be able to compare these ideas. Think about these questions:

  • Is art a better response than theology? Some argue that Chagall’s art is more powerful because it shows the beauty of Jewish life, while theologians like Rubenstein might seem too pessimistic.
  • Is Fackenheim’s \(614^{th}\) Commandment enough? Does simply "staying Jewish" answer the question of where G-d was? Or is Berkovitz’s "Hiding Face" more satisfying?
  • The problem of Maybaum: Most Jewish thinkers reject Maybaum’s view because it seems to justify the Holocaust as "necessary." Many find this offensive to the memory of the victims.

Key Takeaway: Post-Holocaust thought is not about finding one "correct" answer. It is about the struggle to maintain Jewish identity and faith (or a sense of community) in a world that felt like it had been abandoned by G-d. Whether through Fackenheim’s commandments or Chagall’s White Crucifixion, the goal was survival.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't confuse the thinkers! Remember that Fackenheim is the one about "not letting Hitler win" (\(614^{th}\)), while Berkovitz is the one about "free will" (Hester Panim). Use their specific terms to show the examiner you know your stuff!