In 1759, a clandestine faction of Shabetai Tzvi’s followers in Poland committed a startling act: they collectively converted to Christianity while simultaneously accusing Jews of the age-old fabrication of using blood in matzah production. Despite the longstanding existence of the blood libel, this marked the first instance where the accusation was made by citing and distorting Talmudic and halachic sources. In this class, we examine the specific passages they employed and learn the response of the Jewish leadership during that era. As Ber of Bolochov, the chronicler of this event, emphasized, recording this narrative was essential to ensure that future generations would understand the suffering and trials of their ancestors and how it was notably worse when it emanated from within the Jewish community.

The Frankist Blood Libel