Emil Fackenheim facts for kids

Emil Ludwig Fackenheim (born June 22, 1916 – died September 18, 2003) was an important Jewish philosopher and a rabbi in the Reform movement. He was known for his ideas about how Jewish people should live after the terrible events of the Holocaust.

Emil Fackenheim was born in Halle, Germany. When he was 22, he was arrested by the Nazis during a violent night called Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. He was held for a short time in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. After his release, he managed to escape to Great Britain with his younger brother. His parents later joined them. Sadly, his older brother, Ernst-Alexander, who stayed in Germany, was killed during the Holocaust.

When World War II started, the British government considered Fackenheim an "enemy alien" because he was German. In 1940, he was sent to Canada and held in a camp near Sherbrooke, Quebec. After he was freed, he worked as a rabbi in Hamilton, Ontario, from 1943 to 1948. He then studied philosophy at the University of Toronto, earning his PhD in 1945. He became a Professor of Philosophy there, teaching from 1948 to 1984. In 1984, he moved to Jerusalem, Israel.

Fackenheim spent his life thinking about the relationship between Jewish people and God. He believed that the Holocaust taught Jewish people a very important lesson: they must continue to live as Jews and support the country of Israel. He often said that by doing this, they would prevent Hitler from winning a "victory after his death." This idea is often called the "614th law," referring to the 613 mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah.

Understanding the 614th Commandment

Emil Fackenheim came up with the idea of the "614th commandment" or "614th mitzvah." This idea is a moral rule for Jewish people. It means they should not let the Holocaust make them give up on God, Judaism, or being Jewish. If they did, it would be like giving Hitler a victory even after he died. This idea has led to many important discussions within and outside the Jewish community.

A New Moral Rule

Traditional Jewish law has 613 mitzvot (commandments). These laws cover many parts of life. Fackenheim believed that these old laws could not have predicted the Holocaust. So, he felt a new law was needed. He called it the 614th Commandment: "You shall not give Hitler victories after his death. To lose hope in the God of Israel is to continue Hitler's work for him." This means that Jewish people have a duty to keep their faith alive. By doing so, they stop Hitler's goal of getting rid of Judaism from the world.

Fackenheim thought about this idea for a long time before sharing it.

Words We Use

When people talk about this idea, the words they use are important. Some people in the Jewish community do not agree that this can be called a "commandment." This is because the Torah already says not to add new commandments. Using the word "commandment" might upset some people.

Also, the term "614th commandment" has been used by others before Fackenheim. Another issue is that if it's called a "commandment," it might seem to apply only to Jewish people. However, the idea of opposing Hitler's goals is for everyone. People who are not Jewish can also respect this idea by learning about the Holocaust and fighting against antisemitism.

Sometimes, in Christian discussions, this idea is called the "11th commandment." Christians usually recognize 10 commandments from the Old Testament. This can cause confusion because Jewish people have different ideas for an "11th commandment."

Even though there isn't one perfect way to say this idea without causing debate, the phrases "victories after his death" and "Hitler" are often used when describing it.

What This Idea Means

Zionism and Israel

Fackenheim believed his idea applied to the country of Israel. He thought that if a Jewish state had existed in the 1930s, it could have saved many Jewish people from the Holocaust. This idea is very important to most Jewish people. However, how to apply it to today's politics is still debated.

Remembering the Holocaust

The idea of the "614th commandment" is widely accepted when it comes to remembering the Holocaust. In recent times, people have worked hard to record the stories of those who survived the Holocaust. This effort helps to make sure that Hitler's ideas stay in the past. It is seen as a way to prevent him from winning any "victories after his death." Teachers in the UK use this idea to help children learn about the Holocaust.

Fighting Antisemitism

This idea also helps Christian communities speak out against antisemitism. A Methodist minister, Rev. Robert A., used this phrase to warn against hatred towards Jewish people.

Keeping Jewish Identity

The concept also touches on how Jewish people keep their identity. This includes discussions about joining other religions or marrying someone from a different background. Fackenheim's strong belief in his Jewish heritage was shared by many Holocaust survivors. However, not everyone agreed. For example, the physicist Lise Meitner, who was born Jewish, became a Lutheran before Hitler came to power. Even though the Nazis ruined her career, she refused to let Hitler define who she was.

Intermarriages between Jewish people and non-Jewish people are common in the United States and Canada. This topic can be complicated within the Jewish community.

Criticisms of the Idea

Some people, like Rabbi Toba Spitzer, find Fackenheim's idea interesting but not complete. She feels that the Passover story and its Seder ritual offer a more meaningful way to understand Jewish history.

The Jewish philosopher Michael Wyschogrod also criticized the idea in 1971. He wondered if defining Judaism by simply being against antisemitism was a good thing. He also questioned if the Holocaust was truly unique compared to other terrible events in human history. Wyschogrod believed that the destruction of European Jews was one sad chapter in the long story of human cruelty. He offered a more traditional explanation for why Jewish people are unique and chosen.

Rabbi Michael Goldberg also discussed these criticisms in his book Why Should the Jews Survive?: Looking Past the Holocaust Toward a Jewish Future.

Awards

• 1969: National Jewish Book Award in the Jewish Thought category for Quest for Past and Future

See also

• Conversion to Judaism
• Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
• Who is a Jew?