Do Jews Have Martyrs?

The idea of martyrdom—even the word martyr—is an uncomfortable one for today’s Jews. Christianity built itself on stories of martyrs. The liturgical, calendric, and political emphasis on martyrdom came at the expense of Jews, who were from the outset implicated in the persecution of its martyr par excellence. Likewise, Islam’s guarantees of sublime and carnal rewards for its martyrs have over the centuries been used to encourage all kinds of bloodshed, including the strategies of human sacrifice endorsed by Hamas and Iran today.  Read Full Article »