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Reviews
Revolutionary Yiddishland: A History of Jewish Radicalism by Sylvie Klingberg, Alain Brossat
0hn0myt0rah's review against another edition
4.0
A very useful overview of the revolutionary currents of Yiddishland from 1910s-1940s and a reflection of Zionism and the reality of the modern Israeli state
theciz's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Written in the 80s by two avowed Communist historians, this is a book that wears its biases on its sleeve. As well as utilising that particularly annoying, impenetrable phrasing that all Communist authored texts tend to descend into, there’s an overly strong, hectoring narrative voice. These are authors with a very definitive view of history.
However, as long as you keep all these caveats in mind, there’s a lot of interesting information, much from first hand accounts (despite the heavy-handed editorialising). I find a lot of histories of Europe I’ve read before kind of gloss over this period and this section of society - namely the radical Jewish working class in the interwar years in Central and Eastern Europe. It filled a gap in my knowledge of the period and is a worthwhile read - if your patience can outlast the overbearing partiality of the authors. I suggest reading the intro after you finish for this reason.
However, as long as you keep all these caveats in mind, there’s a lot of interesting information, much from first hand accounts (despite the heavy-handed editorialising). I find a lot of histories of Europe I’ve read before kind of gloss over this period and this section of society - namely the radical Jewish working class in the interwar years in Central and Eastern Europe. It filled a gap in my knowledge of the period and is a worthwhile read - if your patience can outlast the overbearing partiality of the authors. I suggest reading the intro after you finish for this reason.
gitty's review against another edition
5.0
There aren’t words to express the loss contained in this account of pre-Holocaust Red Yiddishland. It is beyond heartbreaking, but it also recovers a history nearly erased by genocide and Zionist revisionism. Jews rock!!!!
sitzriese's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation, Death, Genocide, Antisemitism, War, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Child death, Torture, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, Hate crime, Grief, and Kidnapping
gabikirk's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing Foucaultian genealogical history of leftist Jewish organizing. Honest about the authors politics and investments in telling this history for current organizing lessons. Yet didn’t practice a purity politics of history. Only quibble was that chapters’ internal organization was rambling and I think lost in translation from the French. Powerful and depressing and will be resonating for a long time.
rcholst's review against another edition
4.0
Assumes some background knowledge, so keep Google handy!