Full Description
The Veil of Moses describes the creation of Russian romantic literary stereotypes which shaped the opinion of the Russian public on the Jews. These stereotypes in turn generated long-lasting habits of dealing with Jews and Jewish themes in Russian culture and politics. This volume introduces a formidable corpus of previously neglected evidence into the scholarship, namely, journalism and second- and third-rank prose. Journalism, influenced by more humane Western attitudes, reflected changes and presented a more objective picture of the Jews. It was the romantic prose, full of mythology and appealing to dark instincts that created the most odious anti-semitic clichés.
Contents
Preface to the English Edition
Acknowledgements
Translator's Preface
Author's Preface
Introduction to the English Edition
Chapter One: The Religious-Historical Context
Chapter Two: A Look at Foreign Jewry: The Adoption of Western Models
Chapter Three: The Magic of Kabbalah and the Aesthetics of the Old Testament
Chapter Four: Russia as the New Israel
Chapter Five: The Ideological and Social Background of the Jewish Image
Chapter Six: Encounters with Judaism and the Jews: Amendments to Real Impressions
Chapter Seven: Literary Templates
Chapter Eight: The Journalistic Campaign of 1838 and its Repercussions
Chapter Nine: Baptism or Repatriation?
Chapter Ten: A People without a Homeland: The Jews in Russia in the 1840s
Epilogue: The Further Evolution of the Jewish Theme
