Revival? Rebirth? Renaissance?

Konstanty Gebert

doi:10.30752/nj.85207

Abstract

Drawing on personal experience, the author discusses the vicissitudes of Jewish identity formation in the last two decades of Communist Poland and the first two decades which followed. He addresses the role of religion in the Jewish revival which occurred in that period, and sets it against other models of Jewish identity – Zionist, Yiddishist and assimilationist - on one hand, and the twin pressures of anti- and philosemitism in Polish society at large. This discussion is placed within the broader framework of the Polish political transformation. He finally suggests that the survival and revival of the Jewish community in Poland offers a more general lesson for the continuation of Jewish peoplehood.

Highlights

Drawing on personal experience, the author discusses the vicissitudes of Jewish identity formation in the last two decades of Communist Poland and the first two decades which followed
He addresses the role of religion in the Jewish revival which occurred in that period, and sets it against other models of Jewish identity – Zionist, Yiddishist and assimilationist – on the one hand, and the twin pressures of anti- and philosemitism in Polish society at large
This discussion is placed within the broader framework of the Polish political transformation. He suggests that the survival and revival of the Jewish community in Poland offers a more general lesson for the continuation of Jewish peoplehood

Summary

Introduction

Abstract Drawing on personal experience, the author discusses the vicissitudes of Jewish identity formation in the last two decades of Communist Poland and the first two decades which followed. I believe it is important to keep separate three different processes which occurred at that time: the rebirth of a general interest in things Jewish, the re-emergence of antisemitism, and the renaissance of Jewish identities among assimilated Jews.

Results

Conclusion