Author : Helen Ferstenberg
Publisher : Peter Lang Publishing
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)
Book Synopsis Meditations on Jewish Creative Identity by : Helen Ferstenberg
Download or read book Meditations on Jewish Creative Identity written by Helen Ferstenberg and published by Peter Lang Publishing. This book was released on 2004 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The analysis of fictional portrayals of Jewish creative figures in the works of German-Jewish writers from the early 19th century until the Holocaust suggests that the issue of Jewish creative identity was one of the most difficult and contentious aspects of a dual German-Jewish identity. In the context of frequent antisemitic attacks on the very notion of Jewish creativity, and increasingly vociferous debates on the issue within Jewish circles, the fictional portrayal of Jewish artists meant that German-Jewish writers were forced to grapple with issues such as the relative importance of German and Jewish allegiance, the question of Jewish distinctiveness or its opposite, and the viability of a "Jewish" participation in German culture. This study distances itself from discourses positing Jewish self-hatred or blind attachment to German culture and Enlightenment ideals. Instead it draws attention to the ways in which many German-Jewish writers showed themselves to be deeply aware of the diverse pressures on Jews and in many cases sought bold and creative ways to establish a positive Jewish identity. Regarding antisemitism, see especially ch. 3 (pp. 123-155) on Arthur Schnitzler, and ch. 4 (pp. 157-202) on Zionist approaches to Jewish creativity and their reflection or refutation in the works of Jakob Wassermann, Max Brod, Franz Kafka, and Lion Feuchtwanger.
