Browsing my bookshelf

In my busy life, books are playing always one of the most important role. Reading all the time is my dreamlife and sometimes I have the feeling that I am living my dreams. Mostly in the last weeks, I had the time and the energy to read a lot of good - or not so good - books.

Following, is the latest selection - from the last Thursday on:

For a long time I wanted to find out more about the Bulgarian Jews and to go into details regarding the attitude of the Bulgarian majority during World War II. Years ago, I visited Rusciuk, Elias Canetti's hometown, but there were no traces of Jewish life and I didn't find Jewish memories in the city of Sofia. Thus, I was curious to read Michal Bar-Zohar's (himself a Bulgarian Jew) book. Beyond a deep sense of pride of and loyalty to the Bulgarian origin, I discovered an interesting story. The sentimental bias is diminishing considerably the academic value of the book. The Bulgarian Jews were saved in 1943 by being send to death, but 12,000 Jews from Thracia and Macedonia, territories added to Bulgaria as a consequence for the good behavior towards Germany were not spared. As in many other places, anti-semitism pervaded the Bulgarian establishment, but in comparison with other countries from the region, there were more individuals keen to help the Jews. There were humiliations and racial laws and discrimination and rightist political parties, but the population - and some institution as it was the case of the Bulgarian church - didn't acquiesce with the general policies. As a first contact, the book was interesting and I should continue probably further researches and lectures on this issue.

My latest lectures put also a new subject on the research list: the Jewish life in Albania, after reading an Albanian-English book dedicated to this subject. The English version is unbearable and confusing and the critical balance is completely lacking. But at least it opened some windows into my mind as I never thought about Jewish life in Albania and I don't have an answer why. The book could be interesting for researchers in Holocaust studies, as is providing an extensive list of people who helped Jews during the fascist occupation. As in the Bulgarian case, we are told that Albania "was the only country in Europe where Jewish population increased during the war", a statement I should check. Some of the many things I didn't know about Albania is that it is supposed that Sabbatai Zvi's tomb is located on the territory of nowadays Albania. Or that at the beginning of the 20th century, in Kosova/Kosovo there were more than 3,000 Jews. This is an advantage though in reading bad written books, isn't it?

The other book I had on my desk addressed an issue I am familiar with and had the occasion to discuss several times, including "on the ground": Jewish life in China. The book is covering the communities created in Harbin, Shanghai and Tientsin, many created by Russian Jews refugees from the pogrom-torned Russia, but also by Jews who moved from Iraq (as the Sassoon family) or India in the 19th century. Before and during the WWII, they created strong communities, with cultural and religious centers, including a branch of the Betar Youth Movement, counting among founders Mordechai Olmert, the father of Ehud Olmert. Connected with Europe only through the immigrants escaping the terror, the Jews from China and Asia in general, weren't affected directly by the war, but continued to keep their hearts for Israel where many of them moved before and after the creation of the state. And the traces of this presence continue to be seen nowadays in a big city as Shanghai.

I don't know how many studies were made regarding the adaptation of the Asian Jews to the daily Israeli life, but the topic of Russian/Soviet immigration continue to represent a matter of concern and curiosity. Through extensive interviews and ground research, Allan S. Galper is trying to understand and describe the challenges undertook by the immigrants from the Russian-speaking space. Deciding to move mostly for economic reason than for identity needs, many faced cultural dislocation and identity crisis. Many returned to Europe or moved to the United States, but there were also a couple of them who continued to live there and succeeded. The end of the Cold War changed significantly the motivational structure of the aliya waves and I am sure that more and more people are taking the decision of moving to Israel following the wise conclusion that Israel is the only country of the Jewish people.

A bon entendeur, salut!