Resurrecting the Jew

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An in-depth exploration of the revival of Jewish culture in Poland, driven by non-Jewish Poles since the early 2000s. This resurgence includes a growing interest in Klezmer music, Jewish-style restaurants, kosher vodka, and cultural festivals, alongside the establishment of museums, memorials, and Holocaust research centers. Geneviève Zubrzycki investigates the implications of this revival in a nation where 3 million Jews were murdered and only about 10,000 remain. Through a decade of participant-observation in Jewish organizations, a Birthright trip to Israel with young Polish Jews, and over a hundred interviews with those involved in the revival, the work offers a comprehensive view of contemporary Jewish life in Poland. It highlights how progressive Poles seek to redefine Polish identity beyond Catholicism, promote multiculturalism, and resist the influence of the Far Right government. The book also poses critical questions about the boundaries of performative solidarity and the complexities of cultural appropriation, making its themes relevant well beyond Poland’s borders.