Jewish anarchism provides a framework for activism against capitalism, borders, and militarization while celebrating autonomy and diversity.
Yiddish publications played a crucial role in building community and disseminating Jewish anarchist ideas.
The Jewish anarchist movement embraced diverse languages, encouraging collaborations and solidarities across different linguistic communities.
Deep dives
Rediscovering Jewish Anarchism
Jewish anarchism has seen a resurgence of interest, with a focus on rediscovering its radical history. This interest stems from a desire to explore alternative genealogies of Jewish radicalism outside of communism or Zionism. Jewish anarchism offers a capacious and multilingual framework that resonates with contemporary movements such as abolitionism and decolonization. It provides a space for unrelenting activism against capitalism, borders, and militarization, while also celebrating autonomy and diversity. This resurgence allows individuals to reconnect with their cultural specificity, reclaim their history, and integrate diverse traditions into their lives.
The Role of Yiddish in Building Community
Yiddish publications played a crucial role in building community among Jewish anarchists. These publications, such as newspapers and literary works, served as a means of communication, a platform for cultural dissemination, and a way to fundraise and coordinate activities. Yiddish also provided a binding quality to identity, as it allowed for the expression and community building among individuals who were walking away from strict religious traditions. Furthermore, Yiddish allowed for a negotiation between different forms of the language and facilitated connections with non-Jewish communities, amplifying the impact of Jewish anarchist ideas.
The Evolution of Yiddish and its Resurgence
Yiddish, as a language, has evolved over time due to various factors such as immigration and language reforms. It has undergone transformations in different regions and contexts, often negotiating between different linguistic forms and orthographies. While there have been challenges in preserving and transmitting Yiddish, there has also been a resurgence of interest among later generations who are reconnecting with their Yiddish-speaking heritage. This renewed interest in Yiddish literature, theater, and language learning reflects a desire to rediscover and integrate Yiddish culture and traditions.
Multilingualism in the Jewish anarchist movement
The Jewish anarchist movement was characterized by a wide range of languages used in their publications, reflecting the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the movement's members. While Yiddish was a prominent language in many publications, figures like Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman published in English for a broader audience. Additionally, Russian-speaking Jews also played a significant role in the movement, often participating in activities and publishing in Russian. The issue of language and translation was both a community-building tool and a political element, allowing for collaborations and solidarities across different linguistic communities.
Debates and key themes in the Jewish anarchist movement
The Jewish anarchist movement engaged in debates on various topics, revolving around the concept of Jewish identity and internationalism, tactical approaches to revolution and violence, and the role of personal and intersectional politics. Key debates included responding to Zionism and other territorialist movements, the primacy of language in organizing and fostering solidarity, and the ethics of expropriation and revolutionary violence. The movement's publications served as platforms for these discussions, reflecting the range of opinions and perspectives within the movement. Overall, the Jewish anarchist movement demonstrated that there is no single right way to be a Jewish anarchist, encouraging a diversity of ideas and commitments in radical political engagement.
This month on Strangers, we have a guest interviewer. Shane Burley interviews Anna Elena Torres and Kenyon Zimmer about their book "With Freedom in our Ears: Histories of Jewish Anarchism."
Guest Info
Shane Burley (he/him) is an author and filmmaker. He is the editor of No Pasarán! Antifascist Dispatches from a World in Crisis. Twitter: @shane_burley1 IG: @ShaneBurley
Kenyon Zimmer (he/him) is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Arlington. He is the author of Immigrants Against the State: Yiddish and Italian Anarchism in America. You can find him at https://kenyonzimmer.com/
Anna Elena Torres is a professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago and author of Horizons Blossom, Borders Vanish: Anarchism and Yiddish Literature. You can find Anna at https://complit.uchicago.edu/faculty/torres
