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The Introduction to Divre binah by Dov Ber of Bolechów: An Unexamined Source for the History of Jews in the Lwów Region in the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century

2009; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 33; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0364009409990018

1475-4541

Gershon David Hundert,

Polish-Jewish Holocaust Memory Studies

Surprisingly, historians have not yet carefully examined the introductory pages of the unpublished manuscript Divre binah (Understanding Words) by Dov Ber Birkenthal. Although the evidence of a single witness seldom leads to the revision of historical narratives, the material provided in these introductory pages is quite rich and suggests much about a number of topics that will be of particular interest to students of the eighteenth century. Among these themes are Jewish attitudes to Christianity, to the new Austrian regime in Galicia, to the Enlightenment, and to early Hasidism. The author, an elderly successful businessman, wrote the work in question after retiring to his hometown, Bolechów. His book affords us a glimpse into his way of understanding his society and his time.