Conscious History: Polish Jewish Historians before the Holocaust and Today

Join scholars Natalia Aleksiun, Touro College and Anna Cichopek-Gajraj, ASU as they discuss Natalie’s book Conscious History: Polish Jewish Historians before the Holocaust and Today

As Jews struggled to assert their place in a newly independent Poland, a dedicated group of Jewish men and women devoted themselves to creating a sense of Polish Jewish belonging while fi ghting for their rights as an ethnic minority. The story of their struggle lies at the core of Natalia Aleksiun’s new book, Conscious History: Polish Jewish Historians before the Holocaust. When the political climate challenged the careers of university-trained scholars, they continued their efforts to create and disseminate Polish Jewish history by teaching and publishing beyond the university. Their articles — published in scholarly and popular journals — enhanced community awareness of its heroes, history, cultural heritage and achievements, and countered hostility toward Jews in the public discourse of the day. Join us to learn more about the role of public intellectuals in the Polish Jewish world before the Holocaust and the continuing social role of scholars and scholarship.