Sparks Amidst the Ashes: The Spiritual Legacy of Polish Jewry / Edition 1

by Byron L. Sherwin

Overview

For hundreds of years, Poland served as the epicenter of Jewish life. As a result of the Holocaust, though, Poland has become a "Jewish Atlantis." Yet, the majority of Jews in the world today have their genealogical roots in the historical lands of Poland. In this book, Sherwin demonstrates how the unprecedented works of intellect and spirit produced during the Jewish "Golden Age" in Poland can provide contemporary Jews with the spiritual and intellectual resources required to ensure Jewish continuity in the present and future. Sherwin introduces us to the vast range of mystical speculation, evocative stories, talmudic dialectics, theological ideas, and social realities that were muted by the destruction of Polish Jewry during the Holocaust. Sherwin critiques the tendency among contemporary Jews to disregard the precious legacy bequeathed by Polish Jewry, and presents a plan for re-creating Jewish life after the Holocaust that draws from the wisdom of the spiritual magnates and from the communal experience that characterized Jewish life in Poland. Sherwin concludes with a controversial proposal for the future of Polish-Jewish relations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195106855
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/24/1997
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	9.49(w) x 6.39(h) x 0.77(d)
Lexile:	1330L (what's this?)

About the Author

Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies

Table of Contents

1.	To Reclaim a Legacy	3
2.	Grandmother's Tales	10
3.	Sparks in Exile	15
4.	Life, Learning, and Luria in Lublin	23
5.	The Spiritual Magnates of Cracow	35
6.	Transmigrations of a Name	49
7.	King for a Night	68
8.	Auschwitz	79
9.	Jewish Continuity	89
10.	Sparks in Ashes	100
11.	Inward Journeys	107
12.	The Land We Shared	125
	Notes	139
	Bibliography	159
	Index	169

Editorial Reviews

"The work reminds me of the writing of Abraham Joshua Heschel, for whom each word was very precious. In a few sentences Sherwin is able to capture a critical idea of the Jewish tradition with great precision and force....Rabbi Sherwin combines excellent scholarship with an eloquent style."—Harold Kasimow, Grinnell College

From the Publisher