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This volume investigates the underexplored Modern-Orthodox Jewish community that felt part of the Hungarian nation, was rooted in the land, contributed greatly to its well-being but was ultimately rejected. The narrative traces the journey of these "patriots without a homeland" from Emancipation to the Holocaust.
List of contents
Preface
Prologue: An Appeal to the Christian Public in Hungary
Introduction
Part One: From the Well-Being of the Kingdom to the Well-being of the Nation: Orthodoxy and Hungarian Nationhood
Introduction: Jews and Nationhood
The Turning Point of Emancipation
The Good Years of the Monarchy
Shaping and Expressing National Consciousness
Zionism in Red, White, and Green
Orthodox Judaism and Christianity: Attraction and Repulsion
The Trianon Era
Part Two: Orthodoxy and Antisemitism
Introduction
The Monarchic Era
The Interwar Period
“What Should We Do about These Attacks against Us?”—Reactions and Strategies
Internal and External Communication Strategies
Afterword
Bibliography
About the author
Jehuda Hartman specializes in the study of the Jewish community in Hungary in modern times. He holds a Ph.D. in Jewish history from Bar Ilan University and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the UCLA. Hartman has been involved in international mathematics projects and has taught in universities in the US, Canada, and Israel. He is a recipient of a National Prize for scientific achievement.
Summary
Patriots without a Homeland dissects an important underexplored theme in Hungarian Jewry: Modern Orthodoxy.
This study clearly demonstrates that beginning from the late nineteenth century, a strong modernizing trend developed within Orthodoxy based on the adoption of Hungarian national identity alongside the preservation of tradition. Modern Orthodoxy was receptive to the Hungarian language, culture, and religion. However, the attempt to integrate failed.
The book traces the journey of Hungarian Jews from Emancipation to the Holocaust and seeks to understand the reasons for the Jews’ complete trust in Hungarian integrity. For instance, why did they believe until the very last moment that the Holocaust would not affect them? How could they fail to notice the impending disaster?
This is the story of a community that felt rooted in the land and contributed greatly to its well-being, but was eventually rejected: the story of patriots without a homeland.
