Zionists in Interwar Czechoslovakia

Tatjana Lichtenstein

Description

This book presents an unconventional history of minority nationalism in interwar Eastern Europe. Focusing on an influential group of grassroots activists, Tatjana Lichtenstein uncovers Zionist projects intended to sustain the flourishing Jewish national life in Czechoslovakia. The book shows that Zionism was not an exit strategy for Jews, but as a ticket of admission to the societies they already called home. It explores how and why Zionists envisioned minority nationalism as a way to construct Jews' belonging and civic equality in Czechoslovakia. By giving voice to the diversity of aspirations within interwar Zionism, the book offers a fresh view of minority nationalism and state building in Eastern Europe.

Acknowledgements
List of Place Names
Introduction: Making Jews at Home
1. The Jews of Czechoslovakia—A Mosaic of Cultures
2. Jewish Power and Powerlessness: Zionists, Czechs and the Paris Peace Conference
3. Mapping Jews: Social Science and the Making of Czechoslovak Jewry
4. Conquering Communities: Zionists, Cultural Renewal, and the State
5. A Stateless Nation's Territory: Zionists and the Jewish Schools
6. Making New Jews: Maccabi in Czechoslovakia
7. Promised Lands: Zionism and Communism in Interwar Czechoslovakia
Epilogue: "A Storm of Barbarism"
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Europe
• History
• Eastern
• History of Europe
• Judaism
• Histoire
• Jewish Studies

Informations

• Publié par: Indiana University Press
• Date de parution: 18 avril 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780253018724
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

ZIONISTS IN INTERWAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA
THE MODERN JEWISH EXPERIENCE
Deborah Dash Moore and Marsha L. Rozenblit, editors Paula Hyman, founding coeditor
A Helen B. Schwartz Book
Published with the support of the Helen B. Schwartz Fund for New Scholarship in Jewish Studies of the Robert A. and Sandra B. Borns Jewish Studies Program, Indiana University
ZIONISTS IN INTERWAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Minority Nationalism and the Politics of Belonging

TATJANA LICHTENSTEIN
This book is a publication of
INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS Office of Scholarly Publishing Herman B Wells Library 350 1320 East 10th Street Bloomington, Indiana 47405 USA
iupress.indiana.edu
2016 by Tatjana Lichtenstein
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z 39.48-1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lichtenstein, Tatjana, author.
Zionists in interwar Czechoslovakia : minority nationalism and the politics of belonging / Tatjana Lichtenstein.
pages cm - (The modern Jewish experience)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-253-01867-0 (cloth : alk. paper) - ISBN 978-0-253-01872-4 (ebook) 1. Zionism - Czechoslovakia - History. 2. Jews - Czechoslovakia - History - 20th century. 3. Czechoslovakia - Ethnic relations. I. Title.
DS 149.5. C 94L53 2016
320.5409569409437 09041 - dc23
2015033435
1 2 3 4 5 21 20 19 18 17 16
FOR MY PARENTS
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LIST OF PLACE NAMES
Introduction: Minority Nationalism and Zionists Politics of Belonging
1 The Jews of Czechoslovakia: A Mosaic of Cultures
2 Jewish Power and Powerlessness: Zionists, Czechs, and the Paris Peace Conference
3 Mapping Jews: Social Science and the Making of Czechoslovak Jewry
4 Conquering Communities: Zionists, Cultural Renewal, and the State
5 A Stateless Nation s Territory: Zionists and the Jewish Schools
6 Making New Jews: Maccabi in Czechoslovakia
7 Promised Lands: Zionism and Communism in Interwar Czechoslovakia
Epilogue: The Storm of Barbarism
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
Acknowledgments
AT THE END OF THIS JOURNEY, IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO thank the many institutions and people that I am indebted to.
My research has been funded by several different organizations. At the University of Toronto, I had the honor of receiving a Connaught Scholarship, the Israel and Golda Koschitzky Fellowship in Jewish Studies, the Naim S. Mahlab Graduate Scholarship, the Liebe Sharon Wilensky Lesk Graduate Scholarship in Jewish Studies, the Arthur Vaile Memorial Graduate Prize in Jewish Studies, and a grant from the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University. In the early stages of my research, the Simon Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture hosted me in Leipzig. The Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture also supported my research. At the University of Texas at Austin, I am especially grateful for the financial support of the Department of History, the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, the Center for European Studies, and the College of Liberal Arts. In 2012-2013, I was fortunate to be a fellow at the University of Michigan s Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies. This book is published with the generous support of a University of Texas at Austin Subvention Grant awarded by the Office of the President.
I would also like to thank the archivists and librarians who helped me navigate their collections. In Prague, I am grateful to Alena Jel nkov and Vlastimila Ham kov of the Jewish Museum in Prague; Vlasta M t nkov , Vladim r Waage, and Ji K est an of the National Archives; Jind i ka Bau teinov of the National Library; and Vojtech Scheinost of the Tyr Museum for Physical Education and Sport. The staff at the periodical section at the University Library in Olomouc provided an excellent working environment. In Israel, Roni Dror of the Joseph Yekutieli Maccabi Sports Archive provided me with exceptional working conditions. I am also grateful to Rochelle Rubinstein at the Central Zionist Archives for her advice. Martin J. Wein shared generously his knowledge of the collections at the Central Zionist Archives. In New York, I would like to thank the staff at the Leo Baeck Institute.
I was fortunate to have wonderful mentors in the early stages of my career as a historian. Derek J. Penslar s patience, encouragement, and intellectual rigor provided solid ground for me from the outset of this project. Doris L. Bergen never failed to provide advice, support, and outstanding mentorship in all aspects of this profession. I am grateful for their continued generosity and friendship.
Colleagues and friends have offered invaluable advice and assistance along the way. I am grateful to Veronika Ambros, Kate Bell, Petr Brod, Karl Brown, Kate ina apkov , Anna Cichopek-Gajraj, Paula Daccarett, Barbara Di Lella, Lois Dobin, the Frankel fellows 2012-2013, Michal Frankl, Ben Frommer, Libu e Heczkov , Dana Jandov , Steve Jobbitt, Hillel J. Kieval, Petrine Kj r Wolfsberg, Rebekah Klein-Pej ov , Jan L n ek, Paul R. Magocsi, Pamela S. Nadell, Isabelle Sirois, Jind ich Toman, Veronika Tuckerov , Ruti Ungar, and Lynne Viola. Wendy and David Ernst provided vital intellectual and human support. I also want to thank the scholars who gave me the opportunity to present and publish my work: Pieter M. Judson, Morgane Labb , and Tara Zahra. In Austin, I have benefited from the friendship and support of my colleagues. I am grateful for the unwavering encouragement I have received from Robert H. Abzug, Ruramisai Charumbira, David Crew, Heather Hindman, Anne Martinez, Joan Neuberger, Mary Neuburger, James M. Vaughn, and Charters Wynn. Charters and David along with Judith G. Coffin and Michael B. Stoff have welcomed me into the community that is the Frank Denius Normandy Scholar Program on World War II. For that I am especially thankful.
Deborah Dash Moore and Marsha L. Rozenblit accepted this book as part of the Modern Jewish Experience series, and I appreciate their advice and support throughout this process. At Indiana University Press, I am grateful to Dee Mortensen and her team, especially Darja Malcolm-Clarke, Jennifer Witzke, Debra Hirsch Corman, and Sarah Jacobi.
I am grateful to the publishers of East European Jewish Affairs and the Austrian History Yearbook for allowing me to reproduce some material for this book and to Centropa for permission to use the cover image.
I could never have completed this book without the support of my parents, Olga and Ji Lichtenstein. As far back as I can remember, they have encouraged me to pursue my interest in history, even when it took me far away from them. While their immigrant experience might have equipped them to understand better the choices I have made, I know that, at times, that same experience makes our separation even more painful. Nevertheless, they have taken a great interest in my work. For over a decade, my father has worked tirelessly in libraries and archives in Prague retrieving and cataloguing materials, assisting with translations, and numerous other tasks. I am grateful to them for their support and to my brother, Jan D. Lichtenstein, for his friendship and encouragement.
Finally, I want to thank my partner, Chris Ernst. If it weren t for his intellectual curiosity, willingness to spend countless hours discussing ideas, and enthusiasm and love for our dogs, Huxley and River, I would not have been able to complete this book. Over the past years, our companionship has sustained me, and I am grateful to him for his love and patience.
Place Names
BOHEMIAN LANDS: CZECH/GERMAN
Boskovice/Boskowitz Brno/Br nn esk Budejovice/Budweis Hodon n/G ding Hole ov/Holleschau Hradec Kr lov /K niggr tz Jihlava/Iglau Karlovy vary/Karlsbad Liberec/Reichenberg Litom ice/Leitmeritz Mikulov/Nikolsburg Moravsk Ostrava/M hrisch Ostrau Moravsk T ebov /M hrisch-Tr bau Plze /Pilsen Pod brady/Podiebrad Praha/Prag Praskolesy/Praskoles Prost jov/Prossnitz Sedl any/Seltschan Semily/Semil Teplice- anov/Teplitz-Sch nau Terez n/Theresienstadt st nad labem/Aussig
SLOVAKIA: SLOVAK/GERMAN/HUNGARIAN
Banska Bystrica/Neusohl/Beszterceb nya Bardejov/Bartfeld/B rtfa Bratislava (Pre porok)/Pressburg/Pozsony Ko ice/Kaschau/Kassa Michalovce/Grossmichel/Nagymih ly Nitra/Neutra/Nyitra Pre ov/Eperies/Eperjes Tren in/Trentschin/Trencs n Trnava/Tyrnau/Nagyszombat ilina/Sillein/Zsolna
SUBCARPATHIAN RUS : CZECHOSLOVAK/ HUNGARIAN/YIDDISH/RUSYN
Muka evo/Munk cs/Munkatsch/Mukacheve U horod/Ungv r/Uzhhorod
ZIONISTS IN INTERWAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Map 1. Successor states

Map 2. Czechoslovakia
Introduction
MINORITY NATIONALISM AND ZIONISTS POLITICS OF BELONGING
IN TODAY S PRAGUE, TOURISTS AND LOCALS EAGER TO EXPLORE the city s Jewish past trek through the streets of the old Jewish quarter, Josefov, in the inner city. Here a handful of synagogues, a sixteenth-century town hall, and a mysterious old cemetery wedged in between towering fin-de-si cle apartment buildings and glossy luxury stores embody what most visitors experience as Jewish Prague. Some also vent