Jewish Poland Revisited Heritage Tourism in Unquiet Places [Paperback]

Since the end of Communism, Jews from around the world have visited Poland to tour Holocaust-related sites. A few venture further, seeking to learn about their own Polish roots and connect with contemporary Poles. For their part, a growing number of Poles are fascinated by all things Jewish. Erica T. Lehrer explores the intersection of Polish and Jewish memory projects in the historically Jewish neighborhood of Kazimierz in Krakow. Her own journey becomes part of the story as she demonstrates that Jews and Poles use spaces, institutions, interpersonal exchanges, and cultural representations to make sense of their historical inheritances.

Often the history of the Jews in Poland and Polish history are written as two distinct narratives. On the one hand, this separation is necessary to accommodate the different experiences and trajectories of the historical actors. On the other, the split often provides a disjointed view of Polish-Jewish relations and lived experiences in Poland. Lehrer's book is an important point of intersection between these narratives and it highlights the problem of a Polish history lacking Jews, and the important role of Jews in Polish culture and vice versa.Erica Lehrer gives a detailed, extensive, and fascinating account of the making, unmaking, and remaking of Poland's Jewish heritage.[O]ne of the most nuanced and enthralling studies on Jewish space, heritage tourism, and the role that memory and identity play in the complex post-Holocaust and post-Communist Polish society. . . Jewish Poland Revisited is unequivocally an obligatory reading . . .April 2015

Prologue: Scene of Arrival
Introduction: Poles and Jews: Significant Others
1. Making Sense of Place: History, Mythology, Authenticity
2. The Mission: Mass Jewish Holocaust Pilgrimage
3. The Quest: Scratching the Heart
4. Shabbos Goyim: Polish Stewards of Jewish Spaces
5. Traveling Tschotschkes and Post-Jewish Culture
6. Jewish like an Adjective: Expanding the ClC%