A Jew in the Street: New Perspectives on European Jewish History brings together original scholarship by 17 historians, drawing on the pioneering research of their teacher and colleague, Michael Stanislawski. These essays explore a mosaic of topics in the history of modern European Jewry from early modern times to the present, including the role of Jewish participants in the European revolutions of 1848, the dynamics of Zionist and non-Zionist views in the early 20th century, the origins of a magical charm against the evil eye, and more. Collectively, these works reject ideological and doctrinal clichés, demythologize the European Jewish past, and demonstrate that early modern and modern Jews responded creatively to modern forms of culture, religion, and the state from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Contributors to this volume pose new questions about the relationship between the particular and universal, antisemitism and modernization, religious and secular life, and the bonds and competition between cultures and languages, especially Yiddish, Hebrew, and modern European languages. These investigations illuminate the entangled experiences of Jews who sought to balance the pull of communal, religious, and linguistic traditions with the demands and allure of full participation in European life.

Join YIVO for a panel discussion about this new volume with editors Nancy Sinkoff, Jonathan Karp, James Loeffler, and Howard Lupovitch.

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.