Jewish Diaspora Research Articles

(Jewish) Rock Stars in a Jewish Museum: Testing the Grounds for a More Inclusive Exhibition at Beit Hatfusot, Tel Aviv

AbstractThis article discusses three exhibitions that took place between 2016 and the present at Beit Hatfusot – The Museum of the Jewish Diaspora (renamed Anu – Museum of the Jewish People in 2021) in Tel Aviv, Israel, and that portrayed three internationally acclaimed (Jewish) rock stars: Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. What motivated the museum to curate these exhibitions that clearly deviate from the museum’s traditional narrative of Jewish history, diasporic communities and the establishment of the State of Israel? The article will claim that this can be answered in light of the museum’s recent renovation and new conceptual approach to the portrayal of Jewish culture and identity. The story told in the original exhibition was that Jewish diaspora emerged as a result of destruction and was redeemed with the re-gathering of the dispersed communities in Israel and the formation of the Jewish State; however, the new permanent exhibition, seeks to represent a more contemporary portrayal of Jewish identity. By showcasing internationally renowned and popular Jewish rock stars, the museum moves away from its former traditional, old-fashioned and stagnated mould to suggest a more inclusive and diverse portrayal of Judaism.

God’s Migrant Caravan: Migration Rhetoric as Missionary Strategy in Acts 7:1-60

Abstract This article explores Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 as a migration narrative that legitimates the Jesus movement’s mission to the Gentiles. In response to the opponents’ charge that Stephen has spoken against the Law and the Temple, Luke uses Exodus rhetoric—its topoi of Liberation, Wilderness Wanderings, and Promised Land—to redefine the Exodus as an ongoing migration journey. Consequently, Luke transforms the nascent Jesus movement into a migrant caravan and portrays God as a migrant deity who is comfortable accompanying believers in a tent. Reading against the grain, Stephen’s speech contrasts the naivete of the Jesus movement with the zeal of manumitted Diaspora Jews. Thus, as a migration narrative, Stephen’s speech reveals the tensions, hopes, and disenchaments that leaving or returning to one’s home entails.

Decolonizing Diets: Idol Food, Jewish Diaspora, and the Crisis of John’s Apocalypse

Decolonizing Diets: Idol Food, Jewish Diaspora, and the Crisis of John’s Apocalypse

Selkea! Memories of Eating Non-Kosher Food among the Spanish–Moroccan Jewish Diaspora in Israel

Drawing on life-story interviews and ethnography conducted in Israel from 2009 to 2023, this article examines how members of the Spanish-speaking Moroccan–Jewish diaspora in Israel recalled their habits of eating non-kosher food in Morocco. We explore how these memories emerged in response to commonplace discourses that depict Moroccan Jews as a distinctly religious-traditional ethnic group, untouched by European secular influences, and dichotomous to modern secular cultures in Israel. Contrary to this image, members of the community whom we interviewed highlighted a Jewish Moroccan life that was deeply connected to Spanish colonialism and the broader Hispanic and Sephardi worlds. We focus specifically on the concept of selkear, a Haketia (Judeo-Spanish) term meaning to let something go, make an exception, or turn a blind eye. Our analysis of our participants’ memories provides a nuanced understanding of Jewish religiosity in the context of colonialism and of how Mizrahi–Sephardi immigrants in Israel reclaimed their Judaism. Highlighting the practice of eating non-kosher food is thus a strategy used to challenge dominant notions of rigid religious commitment within the Sephardi diaspora and their interpretation in Israel.

Israel’s Tech Turn and Its Impact on Latin American Jewish Diaspora Relations

Israel’s Tech Turn and Its Impact on Latin American Jewish Diaspora Relations

Jewish Self-identification and Political Compromise: Evidence from the IsraeliPalestinian Conflict

This paper explores the relationship between Jewish self-identification and their attitudes to political compromise in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, grounded in social identity theory. The multifaceted dimensions of Jewish identity, such as religious, cultural, and national ones, and their impacts on political stances and peace negotiations. Through semi-structured interviews, the study reveals that Jewish collective identity significantly influences their political positions and behavior. Most respondents held that their Jewish identity shapes their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, mainly due to experiences of being persecuted and the establishment of Israel after the Holocaust, which lead them to a cautious attitude to political compromise, especially regarding security or sovereignty. Additionally, internal divisions within Jewish community (e.g., conservative to progressive) significantly influenced their attitudes to the conflict and a two-state solution. It emphasizes the important impact of recognizing and respecting Jewish identity on fostering inclusive dialogue, bridging ideological gaps, and promoting peace. It is necessary to pay attention to the crucial role of historical memory and cultural heritage in shaping political positions for effective conflict resolution strategies. This study offers insights but also exists limitations, suggesting future research, such as quantitative analysis and widening data collection to capture evolving political attitudes within the global Jewish diaspora.

Genocide in Esther: A response to a recent attempt to defend Haman

A 2021 article in HTS Teologiese Studies advances the thesis that in the book of Esther ‘lawlessness by the Jewish diaspora community triggered genocide in the Persian Empire’ and that ‘Jews provoked the Persian authorities by disobeying the laws of the land’. Much of that article is devoted to a defense of Haman in responding to what the author portrays as the ‘lawlessness’ of the Jewish diaspora community. This article offers a three-fold response: (1) a critical analysis of both Haman and his accusation of ‘lawlessness’ against the Jewish diaspora minority, along with that article’s affirmation of that lawlessness; (2) a critique of that article’s accusation of ‘genocide’ against the Jewish diaspora community along with a discussion of the alleged violent vengeance of that same community vis-à-vis Esther 8–9; (3) a warning that the attempted vindication of Haman is nothing new, but possesses a disturbing Wirkungsgeschichte.

Regionalism, regions, and regionalists of the Jewish Diaspora in Poland. A historical and ethnological sketch

The paper attempts to answer the question about the conditions for the implementation of regionalist ideas within the Jewish community across Polish territories, especially in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The author identifies internal variations within this community, delineating diverse stances towards local character and varied circumstances surrounding the practice of regionalist endeavours. The text presents statements (declarations) made by Diaspora representatives, testifying to their attachment to the land (place) of their birth, as well as activities that can be regarded as an emanation of such a relationship. Furthermore, the profiles of several enthusiasts with Jewish roots, pursuing their regional interests in various places in the Republic of Poland and at different moments in its history, are presented. The categories of nostalgia, sentiment, establishing roots, and the concept of a “little homeland” are also highlighted.

“I Go Where They Go”: Emigration and Jewish Connections with Lithuania from 1918–1940

From the second half of the 19th century, emigration was part of the daily life of almost all Eastern Europeans. According to Lithuanian census data from 1923, the Jewish community accounted for 150,000 (7%) of Lithuania’s total population of 2 million people (excluding the Vilnius region). During the period 1928–1938, Jews made up about 34% of all Lithuanian emigrants. The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between Jewish emigrants and the Lithuanian government from 1918 to 1940. The article will attempt to show how those who have already emigrated are connected to Lithuania, both at a governmental and personal level. Correspondence between the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lithuanian Jewish communities shows connections related to economic, cultural, and political networks. In addition, the Lithuanian government sought to strengthen ties with the Lithuanian Jewish diaspora, but personal perspective of emigrants does not reflect this tendency. By combining the personal and governmental perspectives, it becomes clear whether these different viewpoints provide similar or different answers to the research questions, and allows us to see the Jewish emigration process in its entirety.

Uncovering Names and Connections: The “Polish Jew” Periodical as a Second-Tier Record for Holocaust Remembrance and Network Analysis in Jewish Genealogy

This paper explores the Polish Jew journal as a pivotal second-tier record for advancing Holocaust studies and Jewish genealogy. Traditionally underutilized in academic research, this periodical provides a unique repository of names and narratives of Holocaust victims, filling crucial gaps in primary record collections. The investigation centers on the journal’s potential not only to contribute names to existing databases of Holocaust victims—many of whom are still unrecorded—but also to enhance genealogical methods through the integration of network analysis. By examining Polish Jew, this study illustrates how second-tier records can extend beyond mere supplements to primary data, acting instead as vital tools for reconstructing complex social and familial networks disrupted by the Holocaust. The paper proposes a methodological framework combining traditional genealogical research with modern network analysis techniques to deepen our understanding of Jewish community dynamics during and after World War II. This approach not only aids in identifying individual victims and survivors but also in visualizing the broader interactions within Jewish diaspora communities. This research underscores the significance of Polish Jew in the broader context of Holocaust remembrance. It offers a novel pathway for the future of Jewish genealogical research, advocating for the strategic use of second-tier records in scholarly investigations.

Twisted Trajectories and Jewish-Muslim Interfaces: Bukharan Jews of Central Asia in Vienna

This article discusses migration of Bukharan Jews – an ethnic-religious minority in (post-)Soviet Central Asia – and the establishment of multi-confessional, multi-ethnic Central Asian diaspora in the city of Vienna, Austria. During the Cold War period, Vienna was transformed from being a major transit hub for Soviet Jews moving from the USSR to Israel, USA and other destinations to a site of the most numerous and prominent Bukharan Jewish diaspora in Europe. Using the concept of ‘migration infrastructure’, the article investigates the ways in which this transformation took place. Furthermore, it focuses on Jewish-Muslim interfaces, both in Soviet Uzbekistan and present-day diaspora, to document the ongoing, albeit changing, coexistence and collaboration across ethnic-religious boundaries that facilitate transnational migration. I argue that the Jewish infrastructure, which emerged in Vienna’s historically Jewish district of Leopoldstadt in the last decades, has also become a migrant infrastructure for the post-Soviet Tadjik-speaking Muslim migrants from Central Asia.

Dositheos and Theodosios, and Other Greek theos-Names in a Jewish Context in Greco-Roman Egypt

Abstract It has long been noted that theos-names have a strong connection with the Jewish diaspora in Egypt. In this article, we look at two of the most common names of this type, Dositheos and Theodosios, and the practice of garbling the orthography of these names, as -θης for Dositheos, and Θη-, Θευ-, and Τευ- for names starting with Θεο-. We propose a link with a growing avoidance in the Roman period of the use of the name of Jahweh.

The evolution of home‐state positions towards diaspora formation: Israel and its two diasporas

AbstractHow do home‐state elites react to emigrants who form diaspora communities abroad, and how do these attitudes change over time? The article explores these questions through an analysis of the discourse and policies of Israeli elites towards emigrants who created distinct diaspora communities and established ties with local Jewish diaspora communities between 1977 and 2023. The article highlights the important role that ethnic and national identities and the prospects of emigrants’ eventual return play in such attitudinal shifts. The home state may initially see diaspora formation as harmful for precipitating emigration and obstructing repatriation and ethnic immigration. However, when it becomes clear that the return of many emigrants is unlikely, home‐state elites may come to support and even promote the formation of new diaspora communities and their ties with older diaspora communities to offset emigrants’ assimilation into their host society and increase their attachment to the home state.

‘It’s not just money; you are investing in your identity’: Israel, the Jewish diaspora and the Israel Bonds programme

‘It’s not just money; you are investing in your identity’: Israel, the Jewish diaspora and the Israel Bonds programme

Jewish anthropology: the jewish people as an ancestral and native people of the Land of Israel, the jewish people as an indigenous people

This scientific research presents conceptions and intersections about cultural identity, religious or ethnic-religious identity, indigenous identity and Jewish identity. It aimed to identify and describe theoretical currents and international organizations such as the UN (United Nations) on the breadth that the term indigenous brings. The methodology used was the review of anthropological literature with a qualitative-descriptive character, and also exploratory and descriptive through the search for Jewish and indigenous information sources available in international Jewish newspapers and international organizations. The results we reached are that the conception of indigenous terminology encompasses people of various origins and territories, present in practically all continents on planet Earth, and that its core characteristic is the fact that they are people originating from the territories they inhabit, a historical, religious, cultural, linguistic, ethnic-racial connection, among other elements, with the territory from which they originate. The conclusion is that Jews are indigenous peoples, as they have a connection to the Land of Israel from which they were expelled and wandered through different countries throughout the millennia of the Jewish diaspora, they have their own culture that is different from the local hegemonic culture of the diaspora, the scriptures Jewish sacred rites (Tanach and Torah), prayer books (siddur), religious rituals, eating habits, Hebrew language for prayers and other cultural aspects that define the Jew as a native people of the Land of Israel, therefore the Jews are an indigenous people and originating in the Land of Israel.

African Jewish Communities in the Diaspora and the Homeland: The Case of South Africa

As part of this Special Issue devoted to research on the Jewish communities in Africa and their diaspora, we focus on the case of South African Jews who emigrated to Israel. First, we analyze the socio-religious and cultural context in which a Jewish diaspora developed and marked the ethno-religious identity of South African Jews both as individuals and as a collective. Second, we examine the role of ethno-religious identification as the main motive for migrating to Israel, and third, we show the role of ethno-religious identity in the integration of South African Jews into Israeli life. This study relies on data from a survey of South Africans and their descendants living in Israel in 2008, and in-depth interviews. The findings provide evidence for a strong Jewish community in South Africa that created a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people and a strong attachment to Israel. As expected, two of the key reasons for the decision to move to Israel were ideology and religion. The immigrants wanted to live in a place where they could feel part of the majority that was culturally and religiously Jewish. Finally, ethno-religious identities (Jewish and Zionist) influenced not only the decision making of potential immigrants but also their process of integration into Israeli life.

Данилов В. ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ВИСВІТЛЕННЯ ПАЛЕСТИНО-ІЗРАЇЛЬСЬКОГО КОНФЛІКТУ У СВІТОВИХ ЗМІ

The article attempts to identify the peculiarities of the coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the world media. The research was based on publications from the websites of three media outlets - «The Washington Post», «The Guardian» and «Al Jazeera». The author talks about the difficulties that journalists may face when covering armed conflicts. Firstly, it is the threats to the physical and mental health of the journalist. Secondly, it is the difficulty of abstracting from one's own preferences in the conflict. Thirdly, it is difficulty in determining the status of the parties to the conflict. The author notes that in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict there are difficulties in determining the status of Hamas, since not all countries in the world consider the group to be terrorists. The article examines the views on the conflict of two high-quality private newspapers - «The Washington Post» and «The Guardian». The intrigue of the position of quality publications is that they are located in the United States and Europe, i.e., they should hypothetically support Israel against the collective Arab world. In fact, both media outlets have maintained a high level of quality and have covered the conflict in a balanced manner. Moreover, the newspapers' coverage is somewhat critical of the Jewish state. While «The Washington Post's» criticism is more of a guess, the Guardian's journalists express it quite frankly and emotionally. When expressing its attitude, an American newspaper must take into account the views of the powerful Jewish diaspora in the United States. As for the Guardian, the newspaper criticizes Israel from the liberal anti-war position of the British and European elite. The state-owned Qatari television company Al Jazeera has long been criticized for its bias and rather open communication with individuals whose activities are considered terrorist by some parts of the world. The intrigue with the Qatari media's coverage of the conflict is whether they will at least try to pretend to be objective to a global audience. In practice, the Arab media's website is falling into outright anti-Israeli and anti-American propaganda. It uses a selection of «correct» sources of information, mockery and manipulation of facts. The author of the article assumes that media workers are well aware of their target audience, which is quite effectively influenced by such publications.

Literary Mapping of Migration and Multilingualism in São Paulo’s Bom Retiro Neighborhood

Abstract This article examines literary representations of migrant experiences in São Paulo, with a focus on the neighborhood of Bom Retiro. To study how Bom Retiro’s migrant communities of Jews, Koreans, and Bolivians demand new forms of multilingualism, I focus on the 2019 Bolivian novel Seúl, São Paulo by Gabriel Mamani Magne in comparison to Eliezer Levin’s 1972 novel Bom Retiro: o bairro da infância. Whereas Levin employs restricted multilingualism to depict a Jewish diaspora rooted in Brazil, Mamani Magne focuses on migratory flows between Bolivia and more prosperous Latin American countries. By occasionally incorporating unmarked Portuguese and Aymara words into his Spanish prose, Mamani Magne illustrates how movement between languages and places unsettles fixed forms of identity. Taken together, Bom Retiro and Seúl, São Paulo depict how multilingual gestures as part of a minor transnationalism reveal the hierarchies and misunderstandings that constitute life in the global city of São Paulo.

Mythological Images and Their Interpretations in Jewish Art of Eastern Galicia, 18th – 19th Century

This study analyzes the mythological representations of sea creatures, the hippocampus, and the Leviathan in the Jewish art of Eastern Galicia. It identifies the formation of a distinctive symbolic and sign system within Jewish art, serving as a means to convey fundamental religious and philosophical principles. The prohibition of anthropomorphic depictions contributed to the development of an entire cycle of animalistic and botanical images, illustrating the diaspora Jews' conceptualizations of the Land of Israel, the Jerusalem Temple, the Gardens of Eden, the commandments of the Torah, and the Talmud. Based on the study of artworks, including preserved illustrations from the destroyed synagogues in Khodoriv and Hvizdets during the Holocaust, as well as ritual objects such as Torah shields, Torah reading pointers, Hanukkah lamps, and the decoration of tombstones-matzevot, it has been established that Jewish art developed its own program of ornamentation and the use of symbols and signs. The features of the iconography of mythical sea creatures have been identified. It is emphasized that the traditional representation of the hippocampus as a creature with the body of half horse and half fish in Jewish art monuments was replaced by depictions of a creature with the body of half goat and half fish, or half lion and half fish. Such transformations can be explained by the influence of folklore and the reinterpretation of folk art. The symbolism of the hippocampus is associated with perceptions of the sea that surrounds the Land of Israel and serves as a metaphor for the transition to another, beautiful, paradisiacal world. The iconography of the depiction of the Leviathan is also connected to its symbolism. The Leviathan coiled in a ring is a traditional symbol of anticipation of messianic times, and the Leviathan coiled around a city or specific structures embodies the concept of the temple, alluding to a sacred space, as the skin of the mythical creature will be used for the tent of the righteous. Representations of the hippocampus and Leviathan on tombstones-matzevot embody the idea of anticipating messianic times and resurrection. The exploration of symbolism in Jewish representational and decorative art provides insight into the traditional Jewish culture of Eastern Galicia.

“Mr Hitler,” Greta Garbo and the Jew Hidden in the Grass. The Literary Representation of the Holocaust in Ruth Tannenbaum by Miljenko Jergović

This article is an attempt to provide an insight into the fate of the Jewish diaspora in Zagreb, a city marked by the spectre of the Second World War. The events in the diegetic world are based on the fictionalised, tragic life of a young Jewish actress Lea Deutsch (1927-1943), who was acclaimed a prodigy of the Zagreb theatre scene and was killed in Auschwitz. Miljenko Jergović undertook the difficult task of addressing Croatian antisemitism, the circumstances surrounding the creation of the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945), of which the darkest outcome was the Jasenovac concentration camp. The analysis of the work is part of a wide-ranging discussion on the acceptable ways to depict the Holocaust (language and form). The Croatian writer's novel highlights the topos of the eternally wandering Jew; he also dispels the myth about small promised lands in the history of Jews, who were scattered across Europe and had to face local exclusion, antisemitism and ghettoisation.