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The Jewish Vanguard
A Cultural Moment
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The Jewish Vanguard brings to light a spirited cultural moment when Jewish writers and artists were at the forefront of the avant-garde. Blending literary theory, cultural history, and Jewish studies, this book reveals how these figures reimagined identity, politics, and tradition through radical artistic and intellectual experimentation. From mystical thought to progressive utopias, their ideas resonated far beyond their immediate circles, even as their contributions have been marginalised in mainstream narratives. Featuring original archival research and fresh case studies, The Jewish Vanguard offers a compelling new perspective on Jewish participation on the early 20th-century cultural arena, challenging conventional views and opening new paths in avant-garde and cultural studies.
Sami Sjöberg is Associate Professor of Literature and Writing Studies at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. He holds a PhD in Comparative Literature (2012). He has published widely on the European avant-garde, and his most recent volume is The Experimental Book Object (2024).
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Framing the Vanguard
1 Jewish Identities in the Avant-Garde
â1 The Debate on Jewish Essence
â2 Jewish Essence in German-Jewish Avant-Garde
â3 Wolfensteinâs Poetics of Jewish Essence
2 Calls to Revolt
â1 Revolution as a Cultural and Literary Aim
â2 Revolutionising Thought
â3 Revolutionising Literary Means
3 Print as Protest in Avant-Garde Periodicals
â1 The Little Magazine and Its Audience
â2 Jewish Themes and Topics in Little Magazines
â3 Dadaâs Jewish Moment
4 Paul Hatvaniâs Language Criticism
â1 A Viennese Jewish Intellectual
â2 Hatvaniâs Eroticised Sprachkritik
â3 From Spracherlebnis to a Religious Experience
5 Future Tenses of Avant-Garde Messianism
â1 Messianism at the Turn of the Century
â2 From Kabbalism to Selbstpoetik
â3 The End of the World as a Beginning
6 Messianic Time in Post-war Avant-Garde
â1 Kabbalah in the Poetics of Goll and Isou
â2 Conceptions of Messianic Time
â3 Conceptions of the Present
â4 Pansemiotic Poetry
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Introduction: Framing the Vanguard
1 Jewish Identities in the Avant-Garde
â1 The Debate on Jewish Essence
â2 Jewish Essence in German-Jewish Avant-Garde
â3 Wolfensteinâs Poetics of Jewish Essence
2 Calls to Revolt
â1 Revolution as a Cultural and Literary Aim
â2 Revolutionising Thought
â3 Revolutionising Literary Means
3 Print as Protest in Avant-Garde Periodicals
â1 The Little Magazine and Its Audience
â2 Jewish Themes and Topics in Little Magazines
â3 Dadaâs Jewish Moment
4 Paul Hatvaniâs Language Criticism
â1 A Viennese Jewish Intellectual
â2 Hatvaniâs Eroticised Sprachkritik
â3 From Spracherlebnis to a Religious Experience
5 Future Tenses of Avant-Garde Messianism
â1 Messianism at the Turn of the Century
â2 From Kabbalism to Selbstpoetik
â3 The End of the World as a Beginning
6 Messianic Time in Post-war Avant-Garde
â1 Kabbalah in the Poetics of Goll and Isou
â2 Conceptions of Messianic Time
â3 Conceptions of the Present
â4 Pansemiotic Poetry
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
This is a key work for universities, especially undergraduates exploring 20th-century literature and Jewish culture, postgraduates researching in literary and cultural studies, and serves as a valuable reference for established scholars in related fields.