The "Chmielnicki Massacres"

B"H

The "Chmielnicki Massacres" started in 1648 and basically ended in 1649. I am saying "basically" because there were some further pogroms following.

When we look at Jewish history, it is nothing unusual at all that from time to time, someone claimed to me the Meshiach or that the redemption (Ge'ulah) wouldn't be too far away anymore. Some rabbis even gave specific dates, hence years, when the Meshiach would be due to arrive.

Especially after the expulsion from Spain in 1492, Jewish mysticism changed. The Middle Ages hardly included any good times for Jews and if so, they didn't last for too long. Although Spain had been the new almost perfect homeland of the Jews for many centuries, everything came to an end in the 15th century. Some years later, the same happened to the Jews in Portugal.
Due to all the traumatic experiences, Kabbalah became more and more apocalyptic and the Jews started to long for Meshiach. And as I already mentioned, specific dates for the arrival of the Meshiach were stipulated and one of those dates was the year 1648. But instead of the redemption, the year 1648 only brought disastrous events for the Jews in Eastern Europe.

The "Chmielnicki Massacres" actually took place in a vast area. Today the names of most of the places are unknown to us unless someone is dealing with chassidic history.
More than 300 years ago there were areas called Podolia, Volhynia, Cherginov and Poltava. Today those are parts of the Ukraine and Poland. And in those days, these areas were ruled by Poland and the economy was in the hands of the noblemen whereas the Jews suffered from the conflict between the nobility and the serfs as well as the conflict between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. And, as in most centuries before, also the Jews had high positions in the country's economy system which made the Polish Gentiles look at them as supporters of the rich (of Capitalism).

Already in 1637, militant Cossacks called for killing the Jews but were stopped by the Polish army. Unfortunately, the Jews missed getting the hint. The hint that if a pogrom was about to start and be stopped, there may be another one just around the corner. The Jews didn't understand any warning and instead proclaimed that they were saved due to kabbalistic influences. And the year 1648 should be the year of Meshiach anyway.

Until 1648, the Cossacks, however, had improved a lot and became much more organized. Their leader was Hetman Bogdan Chmielnicki whose goal was to get the Cossacks officially recognized and, at the same time, getting rid of the Jews. First, the Jewish communities in the Dnejper region were wiped out. Survivors either converted to Christianity or were sold into slavery.
Afterwards the Cossacks continued their massacres in Nemirov where 6000 Jews were slaughtered. I am using the word "slaughtered", as it was more than only a brutal murder. The Cossacks cut throats, drowned Jewish children and used any kind of torture one can imagine. Synagogues and Torah scrolls were destroyed and the parchment of the Torah scrolls was used for making sandals. Later, the following communities were wiped out: Tulchin, Polonnoye and Narol.

Eventually Chmielnicki made an agreement with the Polish King John Casimir about the recognition of the Cossacks. Jews, on the other hand, weren't allowed living in places where Cossacks lived.
But not only in Poland, the massacres took place. The Jews in Lithuania and White Russia also had to suffer. There, the Cossacks stormed the communities Moghilev, Vitebsk and Vilna. When Sweden conquered Poland in 1665, there was a short period of time when the Jews could return to their normal lives, as they were friendly with the Swedes. The Polish, on the other hand, saw this kind of friendliness as a betrayal and it came to further massacres. There is an official opinion that during the years 1648 – 1658, 300 Jewish communities were wiped out.

And what does all of this has to do with us ? Isn't that history and today we are facing other problems ?
It could be but today, at least for another two hours or so, we are fasting. Today is "Asarah be' Tevet – the 10th of Tevet". And secondly, those massacres had an important impact on later history.
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Sources:

"The Encyclopedia of Hasidism" by Tzvi M. Rabinowicz

Furthermore, some writings of the Jewish philosopher Gershom Sholem.