Exile from Exile: Israeli Writers from Iraq

by Nancy E. Berg

Overview

The standard histories of Israeli literature limit the canon, virtually ignoring those who came to Israel from Jewish communities in the Middle East. By focusing on the work of Iraqi-born authors, this book offers a fundamental rethinking of the canon and of Israeli literary history.

The story of these writers challenges common conceptions of exile and Zionist redemption. At the heart of this book lies the paradox that the dream of ingathering the exiles has made exiles of the ingathered. Upon arriving in Israel, these writers had to decide whether to continue writing in their native language, Arabic, or begin in a new language, Hebrew. The author reveals how Israeli works written in Arabic depict different memories of Iraq from those written in Hebrew. In addition, her analysis of the early novels of Hebrew writers set against the experience of "transit camps" (ma'abarot) argues for a re-evaluation of the significance of this neglected literary subgenre.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780791496428
Publisher:	State University of New York Press
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Series:	SUNY series in Israeli Studies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	212
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Nancy E. Berg is Assistant Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at Washington University in St. Louis.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Part One. The Literature of Exile and Iraqi Jewish Writing

1. Exile, Literature, and Jewish Writers

2. The Jewish Community in Iraq

3. Jewish Writers of Modern Iraqi Fiction

Part Two. Narrative Writings of the Iraqi Jews in Israel

4. The Choice of Language

5. The Experience of Transition: First Novels in Hebrew

6. Childhood in Iraq: Narratives in Arabic

7. Different Perspectives on Life in Iraq: Narratives in Hebrew

8. Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

The topic of this book is significant as both a study of the psychological and literary problems faced by the 'exiled' of émigré writers and their roles within the context of Israeli literature. It is by far the most comprehensive and profound treatment of this subject.— Ezra Spicehandler, Hebrew Union College

"Berg's study is well documented, and she writes with an in-depth understanding of the literary texts she deals with."— Hebrew Studies

"A solid and illuminating presentation of a socioliterary phenomenon in Israeli literature and culture which has been known so far only in part. Beyond its subject matter, the book provides insight as to the nature of émigré literature at large."— Dan Laor, Tel Aviv University

"This work is extremely useful in cogently presenting the narrative of a particular culture along with some taste of the literary works produced in it. I believe that there should be interest in it amongst a general readership and that it will be adopted for classroom use. I think it is of utmost importance that scholarly works about this neglected aspect of Jewish and Israeli culture find their way into the changing discourse of these subjects."— Ammiel Alcalay, City University of New York, Queens College"

From the Publisher

Focuses on writers of both fiction and nonfiction narrative who were among the Jews that migrated from Iraq to Israel in the early years of the country, 1948-51. After setting both the literary and Jewish contexts, examines issues of language within the narrative and external to it, the portrayal of the past in Iraq and the present in Israel, and the response to the writing. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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