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Nationalism’s global resurgence has upended societies. With the rise of the Polish nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, and American Jewry’s swift reaction to its law punishing people who allege Polish complicity in Holocaust crimes, both sides have revived old stereotypes. Stark-Blumenthal argues that American Jews’ disgust with Polish nationalism ought to be checked by America’s centuries-old embrace of white supremacy. Poles and Jews: A Call for Myth Reconstruction confronts both the anti-Polonism deeply embedded in the American Jewish community and Poland’s enduring relationship with antisemitism. Armed with two decades of research and in-depth interviews with scholars, community leaders, and laity in Poland and the U.S., Stark-Blumenthal dispels myths and considers new approaches to this relationship.
“This book is an outline of the history of changing Polish-Jewish relations as much as it is a record of the author’s personal journey, of grasping with the concept of the Other, of one’s Self, and of one’s homeland. The book looks at the history of Jewish experiences in Poland through Polish and Jewish understanding of the collective past, deconstructing components of both groups’ national myths.”
— Katarzyna Person, Jewish Historical Institute
“This is a bold tour-de-force through Jewish-Polish history. The book is personally engaged and passionate, but also well-informed and rich in its treatment of the historical fabric of life. The questions the author asks will not leave the reader indifferent.”
— Marcin Wodzinski, University of Wrocław
Jennifer Stark-Blumenthal is an independent researcher of Polish-Jewish relations with an extensive background in Judaic studies from Brandeis University, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and YIVO. Having conducted interviews with scholars, community leaders, and laity in Poland and the U.S., Stark-Blumenthal elevates context, respectfully challenging current taboos dividing the two groups.
Introduction
- Myth and Reconstruction
- Polish Feudalism and Its Middleman Minority
- Tolerance and Resentment
- Reform and Tradition
- The 1830 Uprising and Its Consequences
- Fraternity and Skepticism
- Modernity and Fear
- Migration and Nationalism
- Destruction and Rebirth
- Offense and Defense
- Instability and Identity
- Instability and Violence
- Genocide and the Poles
- Genocide and the Jews
- Communism and the Jews
- Party Strife and Anti-Zionism
- Solidarity and the Church
- Jewish Self-Discovery and Community Building
- Myth and Its Reconstruction
- Myth Reconstruction and the Backlash in Poland
- Shifting Perspectives
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index