Jewish Wit – In the Original, and in Translation
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Jakob Hessing
Abstract
This essay, based on Prof. Hessing’s keynote lecture delivered at the opening of the Gronemann-conference in 2022, explores notions of “Jewish wit” in Sammy Gronemann’s German novel Tohuwabohu (translated as Utter Chaos). It focuses on the incongruities and comic potential of the tensions between German and Yiddish in the novel, questioning notions of “original” and “translation” as applied to the interrelationships between Eastern European and German Jewish cultures. By highlighting the linguistic and cultural shifts experienced by these Jewish communities, Gronemann’s novel serves as a focal point for dissecting the nuances of multilingual Jewish humor and the underlying tragedies of Jewish life, especially amidst historical upheavals like World War I and the Holocaust. The essay concludes with insights into Gronemann’s ironic perspective on Zionism and the thematic significance of “Tohuwabohu” as a metaphor for the modern Jewish experience.
© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Introduction
- Essays
- Jewish Wit – In the Original, and in Translation
- Sammy Gronemann’s “Little Mirror”: Translating Tohuwabohu into Utter Chaos
- Questions of Belief: Sammy Gronemann’s Short Story “Der himmlische Lohn”
- From Zurishaddai to Menachem Mendel: The Shlemiel’s Journey from Ancient to Modern Israel
- When Sammy Gronemann Met Nathan Alterman: The Story of Israel’s Most Successful Comedy
- Lawyer, Littérateur, and Legislator: On Gronemann’s Profession, Self-Perception and Place in Scholarship
- Research Articles
- Dreaming of a Jewish Democracy: Sammy Gronemann as High Judge and Chief Architect of the Pre-State Zionist Judiciary (1911–1946)
- Illustrating a Jewish Life: Portrait Photography, Biography and the Creation of a Jewish Public Sphere
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Introduction
- Essays
- Jewish Wit – In the Original, and in Translation
- Sammy Gronemann’s “Little Mirror”: Translating Tohuwabohu into Utter Chaos
- Questions of Belief: Sammy Gronemann’s Short Story “Der himmlische Lohn”
- From Zurishaddai to Menachem Mendel: The Shlemiel’s Journey from Ancient to Modern Israel
- When Sammy Gronemann Met Nathan Alterman: The Story of Israel’s Most Successful Comedy
- Lawyer, Littérateur, and Legislator: On Gronemann’s Profession, Self-Perception and Place in Scholarship
- Research Articles
- Dreaming of a Jewish Democracy: Sammy Gronemann as High Judge and Chief Architect of the Pre-State Zionist Judiciary (1911–1946)
- Illustrating a Jewish Life: Portrait Photography, Biography and the Creation of a Jewish Public Sphere
