Fackenheim’s Reflections On Jewish Thought In The Post-Holocaust Era

Emil Fackenheim has been described as “one of the most important Jewish thinkers of the 20 th century” and as a witness to many of the major events of the 20 th century in the Jewish world.The background of Fackenheim’s thought was threefold:Firstly,Fackenheim’s initial understanding of the Jewish cultural system was influenced by the German Jewish family and socio-cultural trends,the German period was the initiation period for Fackenheim’s thought;Secondly,as a witness to the Holocaust,Fackenheim’s harrowing experience in Sachsenhausen led him to reject the idea of “localization of the Jews” and become a Reform Rabbi;Thirdly,after the SixDay War,Fackenheim’s research turned to the question of Jewish survival and he became a Zionist.Fackenheim’s ideological system spans the post-Kantian German classical philosophy,the Jewish belief system and Zionist,and its ideological connotations include three main aspects.Firstly,Fackenheim expounds on the philosophical system of Hegel’s religion thought,refuting the misconceptions of Western philosophical systems about Jewish religious philosophy,and arguing that the fundamental purpose of Jewish religious philosophy is to explore the ways of Jewish survival.Secondly,Fackenheim explores the Jewish belief system in three dimensions: He discusses the relationship between Judaism and Christianity,arguing that the two religions should engage in religious dialogue in a rational manner in order to seek a peaceful future;Meanwhile,Fackenheim rejects the argument that “God is dead” and uses the term“epoch-making events” and “root experience” to describe the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.At last,Fackenheim uses the religious dimension of “the614th commandment” and the practical dimension of the “mend the world” to evoke hope for Jewish survival and to address the practical confusions of Jewish life.Thirdly,Fackenheim describes the “four pillars” of Zionism and argues that a new Zionist ideology is emerging after the Oslo Accords.At the same time,in response to the antiSemitic siege of the State of Israel in the post-Holocaust era,Fackenheim explains the legitimacy and social contract of the establishment of the State of Israel as a guarantee of Jewish life.Fackenheim’s modern interpretation of traditional Jewish thought,based on the real needs of Jews in the post-Holocaust era,“the 614 th commandment” and “mend the world” have become important elements of the 20 th century Jewish thought system,which has had a profound impact on the Jewish world.However,Fackenheim’s Jewish thought were rooted in Jewish mysticism,which is tinged with the idealism of historical circularity,and is based on subjectivism and empiricism in interpreting the connection between the “Kingdom of God” and the State of Israel,exaggerating the spiritual role and symbolic significance of the State of Israel and ignoring the legitimate demands of other nations.