Scholem, Arendt, Klemperer: Intimate Chronicles in Turbulent Times

148 Pages·2001·0.84 MB·English

by  Steven E. Aschheim

Scholem,
Intimate Chronicles
Arendt,
in
Klemperer
Turbulent Times

4
Scholem,
Intimate Chronicles
3
Arendt,
in
Klemperer
Turbulent Times
5
Steven E. Aschheim
Published in association with Indiana University Press
Hebrew Union College–Jewish
bloomington & indianapolis
Institute of Religion, Cincinnati
This book is based on the Gustave A. and Mamie W. Efroymson Memorial
Lectures delivered at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion
in Cincinnati, Ohio, in October 1999.
This book is a publication of
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street
Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA
http://www.indiana.edu/~iupress
Telephone orders 800-842-6796
Fax orders 812-855-7931
Orders by e-mail [email protected]
© 2001 by Steven E. Aschheim
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 American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Aschheim, Steven E., date
Scholem, Arendt, Klemperer : intimate chronicles in turbulent times /
Steven E. Aschheim.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-253-33891-3 (cl : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-253-21446-7 (pa : alk.
paper)
1. Jews—Germany—History—20th century. 2. Jews—Germany—
Intellectual life—20th century. 3. Jews—Germany—Identity. 4. Scholem,
Gershom Gerhard, 1897– —Diaries. 5. Scholem, Gershom Gerhard, 1897–
—Correspondence. 6. Arendt, Hannah—Correspondence. 7. Klemperer,
Victor, 1881–1960—Diaries. 8. Germany—Ethnic relations. I. Title.
DS135.G33 A7655 2001
920′.0092924043′0904—dc21
00-061396
1 2 3 4 5 06 05 04 03 02 01
4
In memory of George L. Mosse—an extraordinary human being

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Gershom Scholem
and the Creation of Jewish Self-Certitude 9
2 Hannah Arendt
and the Complexities of Jewish Selfhood 41
3 Victor Klemperer
and the Shock of Multiple Identities 70
Notes 99
Index 131

Acknowledgments
This volume is based upon the Gustave A. and Mamie W. Efroym-
son Memorial Lectures delivered at the Hebrew Union College–
Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, between October
10 and October 14, 1999. It is a pleasure to record my gratitude to
Michael A. Meyer for inviting me to give these lectures and for be-
ing such a gracious host when I was in Cincinnati. I must also
thank Samuel Greengus and Stacia Deutsch of the Hebrew Union
College who, with other members of the Faculty, showered me
with kindness and hospitality. I would also like to place on rec-
ord my gratitude to Janet Rabinowitch of Indiana University Press.
From the beginning she expressed interest in this project, and she
has supported it throughout. Melanie Richter-Bernburg proved to
be an ideal editor—perceptive, considerably skilled, yet unobtru-
sive. I also want to express my appreciation of Batya Stein, who
alerted me to the Wilde epigraph used in the introduction.
This book is dedicated to the memory of George Mosse. His
caring wisdom, his delight in life and humanity, were an example
and inspiration to all who knew him. The world has been dimin-
ished by his departure.
As always my wife, Hannah, and children have provided the
loving foundations which alone make my work possible and worth-
while.