Dear readers and friends of Medaon,
A new issue of Medaon is now available. We hope you enjoy reading it.
This issue does not have a specific focus, but the contributions can be summarized under three corresponding keywords: Jewish identity(ies), effects of the Hamas attack onIsrael on October 7, 2023, and confronting anti-Semitism.In the article on Granularities of Dispersion and Materiality, the authors reflect on their research into the visualization of a photo archive on the Jewish diaspora, in particular the use of digital and analogue methods for visual collections of Jewish cultural heritage. The article about Diaspora Solidarity and Identity examines the changes in relations between representatives of the Jewish communities in Europe and Israel following the attack on Israel on October 7. Reactions from the political left to the Hamas attack on Israel led to an intensified political and theoretical discussion on the topic of antiSemitism from the left. Dennis Lay’s article traces historical continuities of anti-Zionist narratives in the political left using the example of the KPD in the Weimar Republic.
The edition is supplemented by two further articles: The text about autobiographies of ‘Jeckes’ analyzes these self-testimonies according to two essential aspects: firstly, the development of the relationship between Germany and Israel in general, and secondly,the reflection of the individual relationship of Jewish people who fled Germany to postNazi society. A new and interesting insight into the history of German-speaking Zionism is provided by the article Ein Sonnenmotor für Palästina, which analyzes the significance of the USA for its history in more detail.
In the Education section, two very different projects for dealing with anti-Semitism in Germany are highlighted. A third article describes the role of Jewish schools in postmigrant Germany in the development of Jewish identities and as a safe space from antiSemitic hostility.
The series Biographies of Jewish Women continues with a miscellany on the antifascist and musicologist Inge Lammel. The second miscellany honors the life and work of Hans Schäffer, a German-Jewish, later Swedish-Jewish, politician who, among other things, rendered outstanding services in charitable support for persecuted Jewish and non-Jewish people during the Nazi era.
The article in the Sources section presents a very exciting project of the National Library of Israel: the documentation of the materials on the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and its consequences in real time.
The reviews cover a broad thematic range of current publications on Jewish history.We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the authors, reviewers and staff in and around the editorial team whose voluntary work made the publication of the 36th issue of Medaon possible.
The editorial team of Medaon in June 2025.