Religion as a Supreme Entity

Ba’al Makhshoves –They regard themselves as chosen people and yet they live worse than dogs”

Religion dictated all of the aspects of social life in the Shtetl such as expressiveness, spirituality, and status. In the world of the Shtetl, individuals were often regarded in accordance to the character of their religious observance rather than by their financial status or sophisticated tastes. The austerity and piety of the inhabitants fostered a sense of security as well as a psychological barrier from foreign intruders. Membership in the Shtetl enclave was exclusive and deserters from Jewish settlements, who most often sought a secular education, we ostracized and entirely excommunicated. In such a heavely ritualized society where the 613 mitzvot reigned supreme, there was little room for individuality

As Irving Howe puts it, “Jews lived in an almost timeless proximity with the mythical past and the redeeming future” (Howe 1996, p.11). This religious Orthodoxy hence established an orientation towards other worldly values that spurned any aspirations for wealth; instead stressing that society must function as the representation of God’s covenant with Israel. Jews embraced their mythical past and sought a redeeming future. They felt that by projecting their ascetic virtues and keen sense of history, they could achieve salvation through the arrival of the Messiah and resoundingly declare the invincibility of Hebrew culture. In the milieu of the Shtetl, inhabitants were able to flout this “Chosen People” mentality, a mentality that was propagated by a fervent dedication to their religious doctrine. This outlook also often unified the Shtetl and bolstered its identity, making quite the undertaking for Poland and Russia to stamp their authority on Jewish settlements in Galicia.

A Jew Praying at Night by W. Leszczynski

Most religious centers were wooden and dull, absent of any lavish overtures such as this Synagogue in Pojdhajce, Ukraine / Photograph courtesy of The Jewish Virtual Library

Education

Eva Hoffman writes that “every part of life, from food to sex to marriage was governed by a highly elaborate and precise body of religious rules and principles” (Hoffman 2007, p. 97) and education was no exception. At 4 boys would attend cheder to learn basics of Torah and Jewish law where Melameds exercised extreme authority. Upon reaching the higher yeshiva level young men began to study the Talmud, the primary source of Jewish religious law, consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara. Students would often dissect the Tanakh (Hebrew bible) for contradictions between Bible and its commentaries for multiple significances. This type of education, while strengthening religious core knowledge, also facilitated an interest in law by many Jewish students as Talmudic education often cultivated logical reasoning skill and stimulated memory. Individual status and even authority heavily relied on the level of religious erudition. These educational underpinnings endured until the 1900’s where they began to yield to the pressures secularization and the growing socialist/communist movements.

Young schoolboys studying in a Heder at bodzentyn / Photograph courtesy of http://www.bodzentyn.net/history.asp

Political Structure

Religion also exerted an enormous amount of influence on politics as well. Primarily male elders and rabbis, who were appointed according to their religious knowledge, controlled Kahals (communally elected bodies). Rank was delegated on the basis of Talmudic education. The Vaad was a governing body that was in charge of overseeing the whole Jewish population. Just like Kahals, the Vaad consisted of a rabbinic body that was ordained to ensure that Jewish communities abide by the statutes prescribed by the Torah. The Vaad also in theory was meant to function as an intermediary between Jewish communities and the Polish government.

Jewish Rabbis meeting with Polish Statesman Josef Pilsudski / Photo courtesy of The Jewish Virtual Library