Natalia Aleksiun | Akateeminen Kirjakauppa

Thoroughly researched, this study highlights the
historical scholarship that is one of the lasting legacies of interwar Polish
Jewry and analyses its political and social context. As Jewish citizens
struggled to assert their place in a newly independent Poland, a dedicated group
of Jewish scholars fascinated by history devoted themselves to creating a sense
of Polish Jewish belonging while also fighting for their rights as an ethnic
minority. The political climate made it hard for these men and women to pursue
an academic career; instead they had to continue their efforts to create and
disseminate Polish Jewish history by teaching outside the university and publishing
in scholarly and popular journals. By introducing the Jewish public to a
pantheon of historical heroes to celebrate and anniversaries to commemorate,
they sought to forge a community aware of its past, its cultural heritage, and
its achievements---though no less important were their efforts to counter the
increased hostility towards Jews in the public discourse of the day. In
highlighting the role of public intellectuals and the social role of scholars
and historical scholarship, this study adds a new dimension to the
understanding of the Polish Jewish world in the interwar period.