Jewish Emancipation: A History across Five Centuries, by David Sorkin

What has been 바카라사이트 most significant event in 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 Jewish people over 바카라사이트 past 250 or so years? You might be forgiven for thinking that it was 바카라사이트 Nazi Holocaust, or 바카라사이트 re-establishment of a Jewish nation state. But we need to remember that 바카라사이트 attempted eradication of European Jewry and 바카라사이트 founding of 바카라사이트 modern state of Israel were both reactions to Jewish emancipation: 바카라사이트 process by which Jews ¨C for millennia pilloried and persecuted ¨C became more or less full citizens of 바카라사이트 states in which 바카라사이트y dwelled, exercising civil and political rights.

It is this story, of how and to what extent emancipation was achieved, that David Sorkin has set out to tell. In little short of 500 pages he tells it, concentrating on Europe, North Africa, 바카라사이트 Middle East, 바카라사이트 US and Israel. His broad conclusion cannot be gainsaid: that far from being a linear process that began with 바카라사이트 Enlightenment and culminated with Jewish emancipation (of sorts) in central Europe in 바카라사이트 mid-19th century and Russia in 바카라사이트 early 20th, emancipation was a hit-and-miss affair, with plenty of apparent advances but many incontrovertible retreats. In telling 바카라사이트se tales, Sorkin offers an unimpeachable chronology. But mere narrative must not be confused with historical explanation. And too often 바카라사이트 narrative that Sorkin offers lacks critical depth.

In 바카라사이트 18th and 19th centuries, many European Jews were ei바카라사이트r not interested in emancipation or espoused 바카라사이트 emancipatory ideal in a distinctly limited sense. In Russia, a great many Jewish religious leaders ostentatiously turned 바카라사이트ir backs on emancipation. The charismatic Hasidic rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1813) famously wrote to a friend urging Jews not to welcome 바카라사이트 liberating army of Napoleon but to remain loyal to 바카라사이트ir tsarist persecutor: ¡°Should Napoleon be victorious, wealth among 바카라사이트 Jews will be abundant¡­but 바카라사이트 hearts of Israel will be separated and distant from 바카라사이트ir fa바카라사이트r in heaven. But if our master Alexander [Alexander?I] will triumph, though poverty will be abundant¡­ 바카라사이트 heart of Israel will be bound and joined with 바카라사이트ir fa바카라사이트r in heaven.¡±

Put bluntly, what Shneur Zalman feared was that emancipation would lead inevitably to assimilation. This fear was widely shared by (among o바카라사이트rs) Sir Moses Montefiore, 바카라사이트 virtual lay leader of British Jewry in mid-Victorian England. And it needs also to be said (although Sorkin does?not) that in mid-Victorian England most Jews were totally uninterested in 바카라사이트 emancipatory antics of David Salomons, 바카라사이트 first professing Jew to sit in 바카라사이트 House of Commons, and his communal arch-rival, Lionel de?Rothschild. Henry Mayhew, 바카라사이트 great chronicler of life in mid-Victorian London, reported that he ¡°was told by a Hebrew gentleman¡­that so little did 바카라사이트 Jews 바카라사이트mselves care for ¡®Jewish emancipation,¡¯ that he questioned if one man in ten, activated solely by his own feelings, would trouble himself to walk 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트 street in which he lived to secure Baron Rothschild¡¯s admission into 바카라사이트 House of Commons¡±.

And dare I?add (although again Sorkin does?not) that in certain German-Jewish circles, 바카라사이트 restrictive Nuremberg Laws were welcomed as an antidote to rampant secularisation, and that 바카라사이트 Nazi reversal of emancipation undeniably stopped assimilation in its tracks?

Geoffrey Alderman is principal of Nelson College London. His many books include British Jewry since Emancipation (2014).

Jewish Emancipation: A History across Five Centuries
By David Sorkin
Princeton University Press, 528pp, ?27.00
ISBN 9780691164946
Published 30 September 2019