The Isaiah of the 20th century – Korczak’s utopia of all men solidarity

Abstract

Korczak scholars deal mainly with his pedagogy, extensive writings, the legacy of his two children’s homes, and the tragic end of Korczak and his Jewish children in the Holocaust. Less attention is given to his humanistic worldview. Korczak, who claimed that the child is a human being here and now, not a man in the making, developed a philosophy that places the child, as any other human being, in his broad understanding of Humanity. This study aims to explore Korczak’s utopian idea of one united Humanity. As a Jew, Korczak knew the price people pay for these historical divisions. This study shows that, like other Jewish intellectuals of modernity, Korczak envisioned a reality of all men’s unity and solidarity. Korczak was not blind to the political, cultural, and social realities of the 20th century. Antisemitic ideas were present in interwar Poland, as in other European countries, yet, he hoped that the world of men is mendable. One day, all people of the world will unite around the cause of the child. A renewed reading of Korczak’s texts, including his exchange of letters with his friends in Palestine, the Land of Israel, the Holy Land of the Christians, and his impressions from his two visits to Palestine showed his broad universal view. A renewed reading of his classic novel, King Matt the First, would reveal, besides the idea of a children’s kingdom, the idea that Europeans, Africans and Asians, boys and girls, rich and street people, can live together in peace. It is possible if they would go beyond political rivalries, greediness for power and money, admiration of military might, and social prejudices. The Kingdom of Matt failed. Society is not ready for such a worldview. Korczak’s words like the Biblical prophecies of Isaiah, remained unfulfilled, but we, living in a troubling era, must hope that one day, “at the end of days,” they will become a reality.