“The trouble that stalks in darkness” (Ps 91:6): Jewish resilience during the plague in early modern Prague

The aim of this chapter is to examine how Jews in early modern Prague, at the time one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe, responded to frequent outbreaks of the plague in ways that could be understood as manifestations of resilience. How did they live with the threat of a recurring epidemic, how were they shaped by “established practical knowledge, incorporated tradition or habitus, and the specific perception and interpretation” of the plague? How do specific types of resources frame strategies of resilience and the outcomes of these strategies? I will consider some communal aspects of plague prevention, health care, and management of illness and then focus on communal and individual experiences and responses to illness and bereavement to suggest that particular Jewish traditions, values and circumstances might encourage a resilient attitude.