Untranslating Rabbinic Blood: Franz Rosenzweig’s “Blood Community,” the Ethical Monotheism of the Jewish Philosopher, and the State

This article explores the concept of blood and the Jewish “Blood Community” (Blutgemeinschaft) in Franz Rosenzweig’s Star of Redemption. It looks at how this notion is deeply ensconced with literary and philosophic practices connected to “Rabbinic Thought.” The article draws parallels between Rosenzweig’s own interpretive practices and those of contemporary Rosenzweig scholars seeking to use his “Blood Community” to buttress the position of the (Jewish) philosopher in the Anglo-American public sphere. It highlights the “Blood Community’s” role in allowing Rosenzweig to offer a universalist critique of the State and a particularist conception of Jewish identity.