Organizing Rescue: Jewish National Solidarity in the Modern Period

The traditional pattern of the rescue of Jews by Jews has been dramatically changed by the modern period, with secular international Jewish organizations and the State of Israel emerging as the primary instruments of expressing Jewish national solidarity. This volume includes 18 interpretive essays and case studies by leading European, American, and Israeli scholars that assess the dynamics and achievements of organized rescue in the modern period. The book is divided into four sections: the roots of Jewish solidarity in Jewish law, the transformation of rescue activity from a religious to a secular undertaking, selected case studies chronologically, and the contemporary period.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 434 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The modern era has seen a significant shift in the traditional approach to rescuing Jews, with secular international Jewish organizations and the State of Israel taking center stage. Until the mid-nineteenth century, community leaders carried out rescue efforts in accordance with religious mandates, seeking to redeem captives. However, in the contemporary period, these organizations and the State of Israel have emerged as the primary expressions of Jewish national solidarity.

One notable example of this shift is the campaigns to restore the exodus from the Soviet Union and to rescue Ethiopian Jews through Operation Moses. These efforts reflect the urgent need to save threatened Jewish communities and reconstitute them elsewhere.

This volume, titled Organizing Rescue, critically assesses the dynamics and achievements of organized rescue in the modern period. It includes 18 interpretive essays and case studies by leading European, American, and Israeli scholars. The book is divided into four sections:

Introduction: The introductory essays examine the roots of Jewish solidarity in Jewish law and trace the transformation of rescue activity from a religious to a largely secular undertaking.

Case Studies: The three sections that follow group selected case studies chronologically. Part I, from the Damascus Affair to the First World War (1840-1914), deals with new patterns of response to the persecution of Jews in Europe, Asia, and Africa under the impact of emancipation, nationalism, and antisemitism. Part II, World Wars and the Shadow of the Holocaust (1914-1948), deals with the transitional period that brought hope and bitter disillusionment to Jews in Europe and the Middle East. Part III, The Contemporary Period (1948 to the present), examines the different manifestations of Jewish national solidarity that developed in response to the Holocaust and the crisis of Jewish displacement.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the modern era has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the approach to rescuing Jews. Secular international Jewish organizations and the State of Israel have emerged as the primary instruments of expressing Jewish national solidarity. The campaigns to restore the exodus from the Soviet Union and to rescue Ethiopian Jews through Operation Moses are the most recent expressions of this imperative. Organizing Rescue provides a valuable insight into the dynamics and achievements of organized rescue in the modern period, offering a comprehensive analysis of this critical issue.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367461430