Between Mumbai and Manila: Judaism in Asia since the Founding of the State of Israel (Proceedings of the International Conference, held at the Department of Comparative Religion of the University of Bonn. May 30, to June 1, 2012) PDF
Preview Between Mumbai and Manila: Judaism in Asia since the Founding of the State of Israel (Proceedings of the International Conference, held at the Department of Comparative Religion of the University of Bonn. May 30, to June 1, 2012)
Manfred Hutter (ed.) Between Mumbai and Manila Judaism in Asia since the Founding of the State of Israel (Proceedings of the International Conference, held at the Department of Comparative Religion of the University of Bonn. May 30, to June 1, 2012) V&R unipress Bonn University Press BibliographicinformationpublishedbytheDeutscheNationalbibliothek TheDeutscheNationalbibliothekliststhispublicationintheDeutscheNationalbibliografie; detailedbibliographicdataareavailableontheInternetathttp://dnb.d-nb.de. 296’.095’0904–dc23 ISBN978-3-8471-0158-1 ISBN978-3-8470-0158-4(E-Book) PublicationsofBonnUniversityPress arepublishedbyV&RunipressGmbH. vCopyright2013byV&RunipressGmbH,D-37079Goettingen Allrightsreserved,includingthoseoftranslationintoforeignlanguages.Nopartofthisworkmay bereproducedorutilizedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,including photocopying,microfilmandrecording,orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem, withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher. Printingandbinding:CPIBuchBu¨cher.deGmbH,Birkach PrintedinGermany Contents ManfredHutter/UlrichVollmer IntroductoryNotes:TheContextoftheConferenceintheHistoryof JewishStudiesinBonn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Part1:JewishCommunitiesinAsia GabrieleShenar BeneIsraelTransnationalSpacesandtheAestheticsofCommunity Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 EdithFranke SearchingforTracesofJudaisminIndonesia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 VeraLeininger JewsinSingapore:TraditionandTransformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 ManfredHutter TheTinyJewishCommunitiesinMyanmar,ThailandandCambodia . . 65 AlinaPa˘tru JudaisminthePRChinaandinHongKongToday:ItsPresenceand Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 SuzanneD.Rutland TheAsia-PacificRegionandAustralianJewry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Part2:ReligionandPolitics MeronMedzini ZionistFederationsandZionistDiplomacyinAsiatoEnsureUnited NationsSupportforthe1947PartitionPlan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 6 Contents JonathanGoldstein/DeanKotlowski TheJewsofManila:ManuelQuezon,PaulMcNutt,andthePoliticsand ConsequencesofHolocaustRescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 MalteGaier JewsinPakistanintheContextofEstrangedPakistani-IsraeliRelations . 139 PinganLiang/ZhengLiang TheBilateralRelationsbetweenIsraelandModernChina(1948–2010) . 151 TheoKamsma TheArtfulDeletionofIsraeli/JewishPresenceintheStraits . . . . . . . 163 Part3:JudaisminEverydayLifeandSociety HeinzWernerWessler “MyBackwardPlaceisWhereIam”:JewishIdentityandJewish AuthorshipinIndia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 YuditKornbergGreenberg Hindu-JewishDialogue:ANewTraditionintheMaking . . . . . . . . . . 211 AnnetteWilke TheHindu-JewishLeadershipSummits:New“Ground-breakingStrides” ofGlobalInterfaithCooperation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 PingZhang WhenChokhmahmetZhi:PerceptionandMisperceptionofJewish WisdominChinasincethe1990s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 GilyaGerdaSchmidt WhytheChinesePeopleareInterestedinJudaism,theHolocaust,and Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 Manfred Hutter / Ulrich Vollmer1 Introductory Notes: The Context of the Conference in the History of Jewish Studies in Bonn TwodaysofdiscussionsandexchangeabouttheknowledgeofmodernJewish history and communities in Asia, starting from the Indian sub-continent and reaching to theFarEast in Japan,markedthe internationalconference “From MumbaitoManila”,organizedfromMay30,toJune1,2012bytheDepartment of Comparative Religion at the Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies of the University of Bonn. The idea for the conference was inspired by a research scholarshipfromtheAlexander-von-HumboldtFoundation(Germany)forDr. AlinaPatru(fromSibiu,Romania)whoworkedonJewsincontemporaryChina at the department. Therefore the conference was intended toprovide a possi- bilitytopresentherresearchresultstointernationalcolleagues.Theotheraspect which fostered the idea for this conference was the “Working Group of Con- temporary Asian Religions” (officially in German: “Arbeitskreis Religionen Asiens der Gegenwart”) withinthe German Association for the Studyof Reli- gions(DVRW),whichsometimesconvenesworkshopsorconferencesontopics ofcontemporaryreligions.Onbehalfofthisworkinggroup,theDepartmentof ComparativeReligionorganizedtheconferenceevenifstudiesonJewryinAsia have not been very prominent in Germany. Meeting for this conference with colleaguesfromcountriesinEurope,Asia,AustraliaandAmericainBonncan leadtoanexchangeofexperiencestofurtherthefuturestudiesonJewishhistory in Asia and also raise the interest in Jewish Studies at the Department of ComparativeReligion. 1 ManfredHutter,Dr.phil.Dr.theol,isfullprofessorforComparativeReligionatBonnUni- versity.Besideshisresearchinterestsinthehistoryofreligionsofthepre-IslamicMiddleEast, heisinterestedinminorityreligionsduetomigration.–UlrichVollmerwascuratorofthe InstituteofOrientalandAsianStudiesatBonnUniversity(retiredsinceJanuary2013).Heis interestedintheEuropeanencounterwithorientalreligions,especiallyinclassicalantiquity. 8 ManfredHutter/UlrichVollmer 1. Jewish Studies at the University of Bonn Since2005,theDepartmentofComparativeReligionispartofthenewlycreated Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies. All so far independent departments relatedto Asia or the Orient form this new Institute. Comparative Religion is nowaffiliatedwithAsianandIslamicHistoryofArt,Indology,IslamicStudies, Japanology,Sinology,SoutheastAsianStudies,andTibetanStudies.IntheIn- stitutethereisnodepartmentforJewishStudies(“Judaistik”inGerman)–that istosaythescientificandhistoricalstudyofJudaismasreligionandasaculture based onreligion.Despite the lackofsuch a specialized department, the Uni- versityofBonninitsalmostbicentennialhistoryhadsomeprominentscholars whowereengagedinJewishStudies.Soitmightbesuitabletomentioninshort, howscholarshereinBonncontributedtoJewishStudies. Let us start with the two theological faculties, one Faculty of Protestant TheologyandoneFacultyofCatholicTheology.Inbothfacultiesyoucanfind basicinstructioninBiblicalHebrewandanexegeticalapproachtotheHebrew Bible,butbasedontheChristianfaith.ThisisChristiantheologyandnotwhat wemaycallJewishStudies.Butwehaveoneexceptionalcase:intheFacultyof ProtestantTheologytherewasaJewishscholar,Charles(Chaim)Horowitz,who from1956untilhisdeathin1969taught“Rabbinistik”,ashisscholarlysubject was named in the official documents (Faulenbach 2009: 436–438). Charles Horowitzwasbornin1892inSilesia;hewaseducatedinsomejeschiwoth(Torah schools)andafterWorldWarIheworkedasamerchant.From1928onhewasin close contact with Adolf Schlatter and Gerhard Kittel at the University of Tu¨- bingen, regarding both teaching and researching. His lectureship and his co- operationwithSchlatterandKittelendedin1933.Horowitzemigratedfirstto theNetherlands,thentoFrance.AfterWorldWarII,hereturnedtoGermanyin 1951 and worked again as a merchant. Nevertheless, he tried to continue his academiccareer.TheUniversityofBonnofferedhimtheopportunity.Byhisown request,hestartedtoteachattheFacultyofProtestantTheology,ashedidin Tu¨bingen. From the winter term 1956–57 on he gave courses covering four hoursperweek.Ineachtermusuallyonecoursewasdevotedtothelectureofa Talmudictreatise,intheothercoursehedealtwithgeneraltopicsoftheJewish religion, like the history of the Kabbala, the Jewish divine service both inthe synagogueandinthetemple,orwiththerabbinicexegesisoftheBible.Inthese yearshepublishedthetranslationofsometreatisesofthePalestinianTalmud. Onaccountofhismerits,thetitleHonoraryProfessorwasbestowedonhimin 1965.Thelastannouncementinthecoursecataloguecanbefoundinthewinter term1968–69.CharlesHorowitzdiedinSeptember1969.Afterhisdeath,the Faculty of Protestant Theology tried to continue the lectureship, but due to lackingmeansalltheeffortsfailed.Indefianceofthislackofmeans,theFaculty IntroductoryNotes 9 of Catholic Theology has offered – next to the elementary training in Biblical Hebrew–fromwintersemester1994–95onward,coursesinModernHebrew. The courses are given by native speakers; currently there are not only in- troductorycourses,butcoursesonanadvancedlevel,too. Nexttoboththeologicalfaculties,thefieldofOrientalStudiesmayprovidethe scopefordealingwiththeHebrewlanguageandtheJewishculture.Sotosay:the orientalistsas“thesuccessorsoftheexegetes”–asitissaidinthetitleofabook byLudmillaHanisch(2003)abouttheGermanresearchontheNearEast.Just oneyearafter theuniversitywasfoundedin1818,GeorgWilhelmFreitagwas appointedtothechairofOrientallanguages.But itwasnotuntil1914thatan official department was established. This happened at Carl Heinrich Becker’s urging,whowasappointedin1913,butsoonleftBonntobecomeastateminister inthePrussiangovernment.HissuccessorEnnoLittmannalsostayedinBonn onlyforashorttime.In1923,PaulKahlecametoBonnfromGießen,andunder hisguidancetheOrientalSeminarbecameacentre,notonlyforOrientalStudies in general, but also for Jewish Studies in particular. Unlike his just named antecessors,andunlikehissuccessorsRudiParetandOttoSpieß,whofocussed their interests onIslamicstudies and Islam-relatedlanguages, Paul Kahle was alsoengagedintheresearchoftheoldesttextoftheHebrewBiblebyusingthe marginsofthemasoretes.Soitwasnotbychance,thatafterthehabilitationof WilliHeffeningin1926andOttoSpiesin1927–bothfor“SemitisticandIslamic Studies”–in1928Alexander Sperber(cf.Ho¨pfner1999:49)obtainedthelec- turerqualificationfor“SemitisticwithspecialconsiderationoftheJudaica”,asit issaidintheofficialdocuments.AlexanderSperberwasbornin1897inCzer- nowitz,whichwasthenpartofAustria(Ginsberg1970–71).Hewenttoschoolin Vienna. Then he studied in Vienna and in Berlin; in each case both at the universityandattherabbinicseminary.1924hegainedhisPhDinBonn.After thehabilitationuntil1933hisacademicteachinginmostcasescoveredcourses withthe broad title “Selected texts of the Mishna”. Whichtexts he dealt with cannot be found out. In addition to these courses, there were courses with differenttitles,especiallycoursesontheSeptuagint.AtthecentreofSperber’s scholarly interestsstood–likeinhisteacher’scase–thereconstructionofthe Bibletextasclosetotheoriginalaspossible,byanalyzingtheoldtranslations like the Septuagint or the Targumim. In1933, Sperber wasforcedto leavethe university. First he went to Palestine. From 1935 on he was connected to the JewishTheologicalSeminary indifferentacademicpositions.Yetanotherstu- dentofPaulKahle,whowasinvolvedinhisresearchofthebiblicaltext,wasthe famousIsraelipoetandliteraryscholarLeahGoldberg(Weiss2010).Shecame from Lithuania, but was born in Ko¨nigsberg in 1911. She studied first in her hometownKaunas,theninBerlinandfrom1931until1933inBonn.In1933she gainedherPhD.HerdissertationabouttheSamaritanTargumofthePentateuch 10 ManfredHutter/UlrichVollmer was published twoyears later. In 1935, Leah Goldberg emigratedto Palestine. LatershetaughtcomparativeliteratureattheHebrewUniversity inJerusalem. Leah Goldberg died in 1970. Paul Kahle had to emigrate to England in 1939 (Ho¨pfner1999:418f.;cf.alsoKahle2003).AfterWorldWarIIKahlereturnedto Germany,butlivedwithoneofhissonsinDu¨sseldorf.HediedinBonnin1964. ForthehistoryofJewishstudiesintheDepartmentofComparativeReligion onecanatfirstrefertoKarlHoheisel’sshortpaper“TheTreatmentofJudaismin theHistoryoftheDepartmentofComparativeReligionunderCarlClemenand Gustav Mensching” (Hoheisel 2009). Though the department was not estab- lisheduntil1920,thesubjecthasbeentaughtintheFacultyofArtsfrom1910on. In 1910, Carl Clemen left the Faculty of Protestant Theology and joined the FacultyofArts.Becauseofhisacademictraining,Clemenwasatheologianwith specialemphasisontheexegesisoftheNewTestament.Hispositioncanmoreor lessbedescribedasclosetotheHistoryofReligionsSchool.Whiledealingwith the religions and the religio-philosophical movements in the time of early Christianityhefocussedhisinterestsmoreandmoreoncomparativereligion. Judaismwas not the centre of his interests, but he wrote about it considering differentaspects.In1931,Clemenpublishedthesecondvolumeofhis“History of Religions in Europe” which, according to the subtitle, dealt with the “still livingreligions”.Onnearly100pagesClemengivesanoverviewofthehistoryof Judaismin Europe, beginning withthe first mentioningofJews intheRoman literatureoftherepublic,uptotherecentdiscussionsonthedifferentcurrentsin contemporaryJudaism (Clemen 1931: 1–96). It mayberelevantfor Clemen’s fundamentalappraisal,thathecalledLeoBaecktowritethechapteronJudaism inhisbook“TheReligionsoftheWorld”(seeBaeck1927).TheGermanedition ofthisbookwaseditedthreetimes,anditwastranslatedintoseverallanguages. CarlClemenretiredonApril1,1933,notbecauseofpoliticalreasons,butdue toreachingtheretirementage.Nevertheless,hecontinuedtoteachuntil1936(cf. Vollmer2001).Inthatyear,GustavMenschingsucceededhim.Hewasatheo- logian by academic training, too. Despite his openness to other religions, his viewofJudaismwaslimitedinaveryunaccountablemanner.Inhisbook“The World Religions” there is no chapter on Judaism, but only onthe Religion of Israel; this chapter consists of just three parts “The Religionin pre-prophetic times”, “The Prophets”, “The Religion in post-exile times” (Mensching 1972: 157–180). TwoofMensching’sstudentsgainedhabilitation:first,Hans-JoachimKlim- keitin1968andsecond,KarlHoheiselin1975.KlimkeitsucceededMenschingin 1970 as director of the “Religionswissenschaftliche Seminar”. Hoheiselwas in thepositionofaprivatelecturerforlongtime,anditwasnotuntil1995thathe wasappointedtothenewlycreatedsecondchairofhistoryofreligions.Klimkeit wasthesonofaChristianmissionary,andwasbornandgrewupinIndia.He
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