Reaching from biblical times to the present day, Esther Benbassa’s
prize-winning exploration of Jewish identity is both epic and
comprehensive. She shows how in the Jewish world, the representation
and ritualization of suffering have shaped the history of both the
people and the religion.
Benbassa argues that
the nineteenth century gave rise to a Jewish ‘lachrymose’
historiography, and that Jewish history was increasingly seen to be a
‘vale of tears’—a development that has become even more
pronounced since the Holocaust. The treatment of the Holocaust in the
State of Israel now has the form of a civil religion. In principle
within reach of everyone, the ‘duty of memory’ and the uniqueness
of the genocide have mitigated for many Jews the loss of other
traditions. The Israeli government invokes the memory of the
Holocaust to neutralize threats to its interests—ensuring that
suffering continues to be a central part of Jewish identity and
positioning the State of Israeli as a redemptive force.
