First Hebrew lesson. Identity transgression of Polish Jews from the end of the 19th century to the mid-20th century Cover Image

Pierwsza lekcja hebrajskiego. Transgresja tożsamościowa Żydów polskich od końca XIX do połowy XX wieku
First Hebrew lesson. Identity transgression of Polish Jews from the end of the 19th century to the mid-20th century

Author(s): Łukasz Tomasz Sroka
Subject(s): Cultural history, Political history, Social history, 19th Century, Pre-WW I & WW I (1900 -1919), Interwar Period (1920 - 1939), WW II and following years (1940 - 1949)
Published by: Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Hebrew; Yiddish; Jews; Poland; Israel; transgression; identity;

Summary/Abstract: The Zionist movement, born at the end of the nineteenth century, called for the establishment of an independent state for the Jews. The development of the Zionist idea and the restoration of Jewish statehood was accompanied by restoring Hebrew into a language of daily use. Hebrew became the gateway to Israel. The fi rst Hebrew lesson triggered the process of initiation into the new culture. The adoption of Hebrew was accompanied by an identity transgression that crossed many boundaries set by cultural norms associated with Diaspora languages. This process was not always quick and unambiguous. It was not infrequently accompanied by a state of limbo between old and new lifestyles, habits and requirements accompanying acclimatization to new living conditions in Israel.

  • Issue Year: 54/2022
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 85-108
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish