Being Jewish in 21st Century Central Europe

Jewish life in Europe has undergone dramatic changes and transformations within the 20th century and also the last two decades. The phenomenon of the dual position of the Jewish minority in relation to the majority, not entirely unusual for Jewish Diaspora communities, manifested itself most distinctly on the European continent. This unique Jewish experience of the ambiguous position of insider and outsider may provide valuable views on contemporary European reality and identity crisis. The book focuses inter alia on the main common denominators of contemporary Jewish life in Central Europe, such as an intense confrontation with the heritage of the Holocaust and unrelenting antisemitism on the one hand and on the other hand, huge appreciation of traditional Jewish learning and culture by a considerable part of non-Jewish Europeans. The volume includes contributions on Jewish life in central European countries like Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, and Germany.

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The book deals with the representation of Jews, Judaism and Jewish communities in current Central European culture, literature and media; the subject of Jewish identities/identity; remembrance and commemoration of the Holocaust; current anti-Semitism; the interaction of minorities and religious groups; Jewish migration from and to Europe and transnational lifestyles.