A Brave Book

Freitag, den 19. Oktober 2012

»The Canvas« is a brave book. Instead of guarding the memory of victimhood that Jewish art so often presents to the world — that sentimental link between the Holocaust and Israel and Jewish identity — it asks, who are we now that we have power in the world? Do we even know ourselves? Are the stories we’ve told ourselves any truer than those others have thrust upon us? And isn’t it time for us to begin building a less divisive, less defensive, more nuanced and expansive identity for ourselves? Isn’t it time for Jews to admit that our lives and culture belong as much to the post-Holocaust Diaspora as to Israel? These are grave, essential questions and Benjamin Stein has written an important book, not just because it asks them but because it strives to find honest answers. (Joshua Furst)

»Holocaust Memoir Fraud Inspires Novel«
»Forward«, 19.10.2012