Synopses & Reviews
Philosemitism, as Alan T. Levenson explains, is and#8220;any pro-Jewish or pro-Judaic utterance or act.and#8221; The German term for this phenomenon appeared in the language at roughly the same time as its more famous counterpart,
antisemitism, and its emergence signifies an important, often neglected aspect of German-Jewish encounters.
Between Philosemitism and Antisemitism is the first assessment of the non-Jewish defense of Jews, Judaism, and Jewishness from the foundation of the German Reich in 1871 until the ascent of the Nazis in 1932, when befriending Jews became a crime.
Levenson takes an interdisciplinary look at fiction, private correspondence, and published works defending Jews and Judaism in early twentieth-century Germany. He reappraises the missionary Protestant defense of Judaism and advocacy of Jewry by members of the German peace movement. Literary analysis of popular novels with positive Jewish characters and exploration of the reception of Herzlian Zionism further illuminate this often overlooked aspect of German-Jewish history.
Between Philosemitism and Antisemitism reveals the dynamic process by which a generally despised minority attracts defenders and supporters. It demonstrates that there was sympathy for Jews and Judaism in Imperial and Weimar Germany, although its effectiveness was limited by the values of a bygone era and scattered across the political and social spectrum.
Levensonand#8217;s new afterword vividly surveys the past decade of philosemitism studies, and in a reading of Die Weltband#252;hne, Weimar Germanyand#8217;s most celebrated leftwing intellectual journal, he justifies the widely contested term of philosemitism.and#160;
Review
"The book's strength is its comprehensive approach...This book provides an excellent opportunity."--hurch History
Review
and#8220;Levenson presents a balanced picture that is neither apologetic of the German intellectual tradition nor indulges in the simplistic construction of an antisemitic German and#8216;national character.and#8217; . . . The book is very interesting throughout, carefully argued and documented, and well-written. It should be widely read.and#8221;and#8212;Marcel Stoetzler, German Studies Review
Review
and#8220;A vigorous defense of philosemitism as a moral and intellectual category in the history of German-Jewish relations from Bismarck to Hitler.and#8221;and#8212;Central European History
Review
and#8220;Levensonand#8217;s analysis is penetrating and his conclusions . . . are well worth considering.and#8221;and#8212;Daniel J. Rettberg, Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter
Review
and#8220;Whether addressing voices in the German peace movement, authors of works of fiction, missionaries, or supporters of Herzlian Zionism, Levenson detects a common thread of otherness preventing any mutually constructive German-Jewish symbiosis from emerging. In the shadow of the Holocaust, Levenson demonstrates that all shades of anti-semitism were present in the German culture . .and#160;. the complex matrix of social interaction that made the Holocaust possible.and#8221;and#8212;D. A. Meier, Choice
Synopsis
Antisemitism: A History offers a readable overview of a daunting topic, describing and analyzing the hatred that Jews have faced from ancient times to the present. The essays contained in this volume provide an ideal introduction to the history and nature of antisemitism, stressing readability, balance, and thematic coherence, while trying to gain some distance from the polemics and apologetics that so often cloud the subject. Chapters have been written by leading scholars in the field and take into account the most important new developments in their areas of expertise. Collectively, the chapters cover the whole history of antisemitism, from the ancient Mediterranean and the pre-Christian era, through the Medieval and Early Modern periods, to the Enlightenment and beyond. The later chapters focus on the history of antisemitism by region, looking at France, the English-speaking world, Russia and the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and Nazi Germany, with contributions too on the phenomenon in the Arab world, both before and after the foundation of Israel.
Contributors grapple with the use and abuse of the term 'antisemitism', which was first coined in the mid-nineteenth century but which has since gathered a range of obscure connotations and confusingly different definitions, often applied retrospectively to historically distant periods and vastly dissimilar phenomena. Of course, as this book shows, hostility to Jews dates to biblical periods, but the nature of that hostility and the many purposes to which it has been put have varied over time and often been mixed with admiration - a situation which continues in the twenty-first century.
About the Author
Albert S. Lindemann is Professor of History Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the author of a number of books on nineteenth and twentieth century European history and antisemitism, including
Esau's Tears: Modern Anti-Semitism and the Rise of the Jews (1997) and, most recently,
Anti-Semitism before the Holocaust (2000).
Richard S. Levy is Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago and specializes in the history of antisemitism. He is the author of A Lie and a Libel: The History of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and his most recent publication is Antisemitism: Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution (2005).
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction, Albert S. Lindemann and Richard S. Levy
1. The Jewish Question, Albert S. Lindemann
2. The Ancient Mediterranean and the Pre-Christian Era, Benjamin Isaac
3. Jews and Christians from the Time of Christ to Constantine's Reign, Philip A. Cunningham
4. The Middle Ages, Alex Novikoff
5. Antisemitism in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Periods, Ralph Keen
6. Antisemitism in the Age of Mercantilism, Jonathan Karp
7. The Enlightenment, French Revolution, Napoleon, Adam Sutcliffe
8. Political Antisemitism in Germany and Austria, 1848-1914, Richard S. Levy
9. Antisemitism in Modern France: Dreyfus, Vichy, and Beyond, Richard J. Golsan
10. Antisemitism in the English-Speaking World, William D. Rubinstein
11. Antisemitism in Russia and the Soviet Union, Heinz-Dietrich Lowe
12. Antisemitism in the Nazi Era, Doris L. Bergen
13. Anti-Judaism and Antisemitism in the Arab and Islamic World Prior to 1948, Norman A. Stillman
14. Antisemitism in Eastern Europe (excluding Russia and the Soviet Empire) since 1848, Istvan Deak
15. Israel and Antisemitism, Meir Litvak and Esther Webman
Conclusion: Not the Final Word, Albert S. Lindemann and Richard S. Levy