Epidemic and the Marginalized of Society: A View from the Jewish Past

During times of pandemic, societies often seek a scapegoat—sometimes in a foreign enemy, sometimes among their own marginalized groups. In 19th century Eastern Europe, a peculiar magical ritual emerged in which Jewish communities married their most vulnerable and marginalized members—orphans, beggars, and people with physical and cognitive disabilities—to each other in a wedding held in the town cemetery. What was the meaning of this ritual? Why was a wedding in a cemetery considered an efficacious remedy for cholera and other diseases? This talk considers whether Jewish society’s outcasts served as a scapegoat during times of catastrophe such as epidemics.

Natan M. Meir is the Lorry I. Lokey Professor of Judaic Studies in the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University. A scholar of the social and cultural history of East European Jewry, he is the author of Kiev, Jewish Metropolis: A History, 1859-1914 (2010) and Stepchildren of the Shtetl: The Destitute, Disabled, and Mad of Jewish Eastern Europe, 1800-1939 (forthcoming in August 2020). He also serves as a museum consultant and leads study tours of Eastern Europe with Ayelet Tours.

All Fordham events in Jewish Studies are free. This event will be a webinar via Zoom. Link will be sent 1-2 days prior.

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