Reviews
"A compelling achievement that will enrich immeasurably our comprehension of the Holocaust and its aftermath. It is vital for understanding not only the Holocaust, but also postwar Europe--as the DP phenomenon was far from short-lived--and the complex relationship between Europe, Palestine, and modern Israel." H-GERMAN, '... Life between Memory and Hope is a compelling achievement that will enrich immeasurably our comprehension of the Holocaust and its aftermath ... Mankowitz's book is virtually in a class of its own, and scholars of German and European history, as well as Jewish and Middle Eastern history, are certain to be enlightened by it.' Michael Berkowitz, H-German, '... this is a well-written and well-researched study. It presents an original thesis, which is convincingly argued.' Studies in Contemporary Jewry, "Zeev W. Mankowitz's study of the She'erith Hapleitah ia a major contribution to our understanding of the survivors during the immediate years after liberation. Based on exhaustive archival research, this work places the community of survivors at the center, exploring the "inner life" of its members. Focusing on the East European Jews in the DP camps of the American zone in Germany, Mankowitz shows how the survivors themselves chose a future of renewal by "voting for Palestine with their feet," and by seeing reaffirmation of life as a lesson of the Holocaust, something Yishuv and diaspora would not discover until decades later. With this study Mankowitz has forever banished the traditional picture of the survivors as a traumatized and manipulated group, replacing it with an accurate account of how the She'erith Hapleitah helped to create the state of Israel and contributed to the victory of Zionism in the diaspora." Henry Friedlander, '… Life between Memory and Hope is a compelling achievement that will enrich immeasurably our comprehension of the Holocaust and its aftermath … Mankowitz's book is virtually in a class of its own, and scholars of German and European history, as well as Jewish and Middle Eastern history, are certain to be enlightened by it.' Michael Berkowitz, H-German, "This one-person effort, demonstrably a life-long work, brings the she-erit hapeleitah era into the scholarly universe inabited by the Holocaust itself on one side and the establishment of the state in the wake of the catastrophe on the other. [Mankowitz] defines it for Jewish historical consciousness and sets the standard for measuring future research." Shofar, Gershon Greenberg, '... this is a well-written and well-researched study. It presents an original thesis, which is convincingly argued.' Dark Times, Dire Decisions: Jews and Communism, (Studies in Contemporary Jewry, vol. 21), 'Life between Memory and Hope is a meticulously researched and well-written study of a period which is often forgotten in the face of the enormous catastrophe before and the Jewish political revival afterwards.' German History, '… this is a well-written and well-researched study. It presents an original thesis, which is convincingly argued.' Studies in Contemporary Jewry, "In this highly detailed and important contribution to postwar Jewish history, Mankowitz details the extraordinarily resilient spirit of the She'erith Hapleitah.... a sensitive and persuasive assessment... Highly recommended." Choice
