Portraits in Literature: The Jews of Poland: An Anthology

Three million Polish Jews were victims of the Holocaust. Their literary heritage is a treasure to be preserved, and this lavish anthology - now available in paperback - gathers together the rich and varied forms of magnificent Jewish life and culture from a Poland that is no more. The book includes memoirs, short stories, poetry, eyewitness reports, fragments of novels, essays, letters, folktales, and humor on Jewish life in Poland. The work of writers - both Jewish and Polish, prominent and new - presents a true, valid, rich, and compelling panorama of life as it was. Historically informative, heartbreaking, poignant, and amusing, the book speaks in many voices - those of women, children, and survivors. It is an exceptionally broad range of literature that paints a rich panorama of life before, during, and following the Holocaust, ending with tales of hope and renewal in new centers of Jewish life. With every emotion sensitively and skillfully explored, this anthology will fascinate Jewish and non-Jewish readers, shedding light on the origins and roots of contemporary Jewry in the English-speaking world. A meticulous listing of sources and a bibliography will prove fertile ground for students and scholars alike. [Portraits in Literature was selected as a Finalist for the Jewish Book Council’s National Jewish Book Awards.]