Beyond Violence: Jewish Survivors in Poland and Slovakia, 1944-48

This book tells a story of Polish and Slovak Holocaust survivors returning to homes that no longer existed in the aftermath of the Second World War. It focuses on their daily efforts to rebuild their lives in the radically changed political and social landscape of post-war Eastern Europe. Such an analysis shifts the perspective from post-war violence and emigration to post-war reconstruction. Using a comparative approach, Anna Cichopek-Gajraj discusses survivors' journeys home, their struggles to retain citizenship and repossess property, their coping with antisemitism, and their efforts to return to 'normality'. She emphasizes the everyday communal and personal experiences of survivors in the context of their relationships with non-Jews. In essence, by focusing on the daily efforts of Polish and Slovak Jews to rebuild their lives, the author investigates the limits of belonging in Eastern Europe after the Holocaust. 'This well-researched and innovative volume provides a vivid account of the attempts to revive Jewish life in Poland and Slovakia. It shows clearly that, in spite of the increasingly repressive nature of the communist governments of these countries and the persistence of anti-Jewish violence, these efforts, although ultimately frustrated by the political situation, initially had a significant degree of support. It is essential reading for all those interested in Jewish life in Eastern Europe after the Second World War.' Antony Polonsky, Albert Abramson Professor of Holocaust Studies, Brandeis University, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 'Beyond Violence is an important, and very well researched addition to existing literature on the consequences of the Second World War and the Holocaust.' Jan Gross, Norman B. Tomlinson '16 and '48 Professor of War and Society, and Professor of History, Princeton University 'Beyond Violence is a refreshingly original book that analyzes and compares the experience of Jews in postwar Poland and Slovakia. The author argues against the grain for a focus on Jews' attempts to reconstruct their past existence and build new lives in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Pushing us beyond pogroms to questions of property, employment, marriage and religious life, the author paints a far more textured canvas of Jewish life than has been generally portrayed in the literature. The manuscript does not minimize the violence, but contextualizes it as one of many aspects in postwar life and not always the most important. Cichopek-Gajraj deserves high praise for her insightful comparative history of such a complex, sensitive and traumatic time.' Benjamin Frommer, Director, Holocaust Educational Foundation, and Charles Deering McCormick Associate Professor of Teaching Excellence, Northwestern UniversityIntroduction; 1. Return to 'no home'; 2. Property: Poland; 3. Property: Slovakia; 4. Violence; 5. Citizenship; 6. Return to 'normality': Poland; 7. Return to 'normality': Slovakia; Conclusion; Appendices; Bibliography.