The First "New Heroic Jew"?

For most Jews outside Israel, May 19 of this year will be just an ordinary day. In Israel, on the other hand, many, especially children, will celebrate the semi-holiday of Lag Ba’Omer. This holiday has neither special liturgy, nor religious rituals, yet tens of thousands of bonfires will be kindled all around the country in celebration of the heroic victory of Simon Bar Kochba over the Roman Empire. Besides the obvious environmental ramifications, and the stench of burned wood that lingers for days, there is another big problem with this holiday—Bar Kochba and his Jewish army not only didn’t win their rebellion, but their rebellion led to the end of the Jewish community in Judea.

Sixty years after the Great Rebellion against the Romans, which resulted in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 C.E.), the Jews faced a new devastating predicament that included a prohibition on circumcision and a plan to rebuild Jerusalem as a Pagan Roman city on the ruins of the holy Temple. A charismatic leader by the name of Simeon bar Kosevah (who later will be called Bar Kochba, the son of the star) led a revolt against the Romans. Initially, things worked out well. He took advantage of the topography with which he and his men were familiar and, using guerilla war tactics, caused great losses to the Romans. His success even caused some religious leaders like Rabbi Akiva to announce that he was the Messiah.

Hadrian, the Roman emperor, sent additional legions to crush the resistance, and after three and a half years, the Romans won. About 580,000 Jews were killed, 950 communities were destroyed, many were sold as slaves (there were so many Jewish slaves that their price was lower than that of a horse) and the Jewish community in Judea almost disappeared.

Bar Kochbah failed miserably, so why is he celebrated today as a hero?

In the 19th century, the Zionist movement was on the lookout for heroic Jews who didn’t look like the typical shtetl man. They rejected the Talmudic Jew, yeshiva bucher, style, for the image of the new Jew that toils the land of Israel and redeems it for his people. They tried to avoid the history of Jews as victims, forever moved and abused by pogroms, and instill a “stronger” more inspiring image. As Max Nordau put it, “Clear Heads, Solid Stomachs, and Hard Muscles.” If one conveniently ignores the end of the revolt, Bar Kochbah fitted the bill, and he (along with Judah Maccabee) became the symbols of the new heroic Jew, used as inspiration for the new Zionist Jews. A song that Levin Kipnis wrote in 1929, and is still familiar today to every child in Israel, demonstrates the successful rebranding of Bar Kochba.

There was a man in Israel,
Whose name was Bar Kohkba.
He was young and tall,
And his eyes shone.

He was a hero,
He called for liberty,
The whole nation loved him,
This was a hero!

In this case, as in many others, a good song and a revised story are more powerful than historical facts.