Secular Jewish Responses: Holocaust Literature

Jesse’s Lecture: The Origins of Secular Jewish Culture and the Timeline of Holocaust Literature

In this lecture, Ph.D. candidate Jesse Toufexis explains the origins of secular Jewish culture, and the history of Holocaust literature from the war years to the present.

Oral History: Goldie Morgentaler

In these videos, Dr. Goldie Morgentaler discusses the secular upbringing of her mother, Chava Rosenfarb. She also discusses Rosenfarb’s notion that fiction was sometimes needed to tell the truth and the way Rosenfarb memorized her first book of poems after the Nazis destroyed her manuscript upon arrival at Auschwitz. As you watch, think about how Rosenfarb maintained a Jewish identity outside of religion.

Henia Reinhartz

Bits and Pieces

Holocaust Literature: Representation of a chronologized bookshelf

This image of a bookshelf serves as a timeline. It was created by digital artist Jessika Thiffault. Click on the spines of the books to learn more about them. Navigate from left to right to discover the earliest type of Holocaust literature and move towards more recent publications, including the work of children of survivors and authors with more degrees of separation from the Holocaust.