A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. So reads Noah's curse on his son Ham; and all his descendants; in Genesis 9:25. Over centuries of interpretation; Ham came to be identified as the ancestor of black Africans; and Noah's curse to be seen as biblical justification for American slavery and segregation. Examining the history of the American interpretation of Noah's curse; this book begins with an overview of the prior history of the reception of this scripture and then turns to the distinctive and creative ways in which the curse was appropriated by American pro-slavery and pro-segregation interpreters.
#223251 in Books Oxford University Press; USA 1999-06-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.30 x .60 x 8.00l; .54 #File Name: 0195130928304 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Wish I could have given it 5 stars.By CREThis is an enlightening portrayal of the day-to-day; slow; then rapid; terrible and terrorizing changes inflicted on Jews in Germany before the killing of them. As a Jew always troubled by the fact that my People didn't just up-and-leave Germany as soon as Hitler came to power; if not before; I now Get It.Ms. Kaplan details the pernicious; mercurial changes Jews endured at the hands of the Reich that deliberately kept them unsteady on their feet; and about whom the Jews would never have attributed such pending evil. Jewish disbelief in the possibility was so entrenched that by the time The Pogrom ("Kristallnacht") came down and the lens cleared; escape routes had been shut and locked. Ms. Kaplan's attention to the lives of women is one that has needed explication; my one comment would be that the examples used throughout the book were most often those of the same women. They are articulate and their moving experiences varied - nevertheless a good cross-section of examples is wanting because of the few voices.I would have given “Between Dignity and Despair†five stars; but for the paucity of mention of the Orthodox religious community in Germany and its women. If there was no such community I feel that fact should have been brought directly upfront. As it is; I want to know much more of how those who lived unflinchingly by Torah dealt with this new Germany - the struggles and fears of thosr women and children; as well as their men. “Dignity and Despair†contains myriad material on secular Jewish life; mixed marriages; the children of those marriages; Jews who converted; Zionist Jews; cells of young Jewish communists fighting Nazism - all absolutely valuable - but what of those whose Judaism was their life? A whole slice of the picture is therefore neglected; I'm sorry to say.I live near a community of very religious Jews including children of survivors; grandchildren and great-grandchildren of survivors; and a number of survivors themselves. These Jews regularly turn out en masse to hear stories of victims still living; to watch filmed interviews with victims who have since died; and to hear the stories of murdered victims and witnesses – regardless of their places on the spectrum of Jewish observancy. The religious community who lost so many and who honor their dead also deserves to be heard. Thus the lack thereof in “Between Dignity and Despair†makes the book even more painful a read. My hope is that later editions of this detailed glimpse into Jews living in Germany before and during WWII will include as well the stories of Torah-observant women; children; and men.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Between Dignity and Despair ReviewBy Jake ZirkleThe Sonderweg theory (special path) attempts to explain how Germany progressed toward democracy on a unique path. Jurgen Kocka contests that “for the peculiarities of German history summarized under the label ‘Sonderweg’ contribute much more to explaining the weakness and the early collapse of the first German republic than to explaining National Socialism. The Sonderweg thesis may help to explain why there were so few barriers against the fascists or totalitarian challenge in Germany. But the Sonderweg thesis is much weaker in explaining fascism as such and what happened after 1933.†(Kocka; 13) Interestingly; Kocka also states that each country has its own Sonderweg; which seems eludes his support to this idea. Between Dignity and Despair: Jewish Life in Nazi Germany; Marion A. Kaplan discusses the Jewish communities within Nazi Germany; rather than focusing upon the Nazis themselves. In an attempt to fill a void in Holocaust historiography; Kaplan focuses upon the daily lives of German Jews prior to the implementation of the Final Solution. While she does touch upon forced labor and deportation toward the end of the book; the majority of the work is focused on the ramifications of the political atmosphere and policies of the 1930s. The daily lives of German Jews were disrupted almost immediately when the Nazi Party gained control in 1933. Through propaganda and state policy; Jews were slowly sentenced to a “social†death. The closing or acquiring of Jewish business; excluding Jews from marketplaces; and other state implemented policies were designed to separate the Jewish population. In German; unlike Poland where the Jewish population stayed generally separate; the Jewish population had assimilated into the larger German society. German Jews viewed themselves as Germans who were also Jewish. This strong nationalist identity made the events of the 1930s that much harder to understand. Kaplan addresses a frequently asked question; why did the Jews not flee Germany? This is an understandable question; but one that is not as simple as it seems. Kaplan explains that the government/people sent the Jewish population mixed signals through recognition or military service or by some small gesture from a neighbor that provided them with hope that it would all blow over. Many German Jewish males had fought in the First World War and were decorated for their service; which made them very patriotic and unwilling to abandon their country. They believed if they kept pushing through they would reach the light at the end of the tunnel and everything would work itself out. The November Pogrom of 1938; or Kristallnacht; brought about an “escalation of persecution by both the government and German society†which “left German Jews scrambling to flee.†(Kaplan; 6) Even with the escalation of persecution and the mass desire to flee; Kaplan argues that this did not mean that genocide would follow. Kaplan states that while historians looking back on the Pogrom are able to link the genocide and the events of 1938; it did not provide clear evidence of what was to follow. Kaplan focuses on Jewish women and their experiences throughout the Nazi era. Kaplan argues that gender difference do matter when studying the Holocaust because males and females had different reactions to various events. Males were more likely to stay in Germany; while females were more likely to advocate fleeing. She attributes this to male participation in the First World War and a sense of patriotism. Males were also more likely to be subjected to physical violence and imprisonment. As the men lost their jobs or were removed from the household; women had to assume the role of provider. This was increasingly difficult when Jews were barred from entering grocery stores. Kaplan argues that the gender roles for Jewish families were reversed during this period. The complicity of “ordinary†Germans is of particular interests. This is something that is difficult for people to understand when they are first experiencing Holocaust studies. It is true that not every German actively participated in the anti-Semitic policies; and eventually the Final Solution; most did nothing to stop them. Kaplan discusses the role of the “on lookers†and those who watched as their neighbors were persecuted. Christopher Browning’s book Ordinary Men is an excellent examination of Kaplan’s “ordinary†Germans who participated in Jewish persecution. Kaplan has done an excellent job filling a gap in Holocaust historiography by focusing on the Jewish population prior to the Final Solution. This is a group that is generally studied in passing or as part of the large context of the period; but never fully engaged. She addresses numerous important questions and answers them with specific evidence that supports her claims. Between Dignity and Despair is a tremendous work that examines Nazi Germany and its Jewish population.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Bought this via professor recommendation; due to my being ...By Nico VelaBought this via professor recommendation; due to my being unable to take a course on the Holocaust. This book offers distinct insight into Jewish life in Nazi Germany. Sections on Private life as well as Children are included. The book is a must have for anyone studying the Holocaust.
