Halakhic Responses to Medieval Persecutions
Rachel Furst
Rachel Furst is a post-doctoral fellow at the Freie Universitaet Berlin, having completed her PhD in Medieval Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She received a BA in Medieval Studies from Barnard College and an MA in Jewish History from Hebrew University and is a graduate of the Advanced Talmud Institute at Matan. Rachel teaches Jewish history, Jewish law, and rabbinic literature at institutions in Israel and abroad.
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The slaughter of strong Jewish communities throughout Europe during the Crusades catalyzed the development of the theology of Kiddush Hashem – the choice to martyr one’s self rather than undergo forced conversion or murder at the hands of religious persecutors. How did the Halakhic authorities of medieval Ashkenaz react? Recorded 12/24/12 as part of Drisha’s Winter Week of Learning.