How did modernization, Polish culture and political ideologies shape the lives and identities of young Jews in Poland between the two World Wars? How did the younger generation navigate the social and cultural changes of the period, the new opportunities opening up before them, and the discrimination and antisemitism they encountered in the society in which they grew up?
The Institute for the Study of Polish Jewry and Israel-Poland Relations at Tel Aviv University invites the public to an evening celebrating the launch of the book by historian Dr. Kamil Kijek, Modern and Radical: Politics, Culture and the Socialization of Jewish Youth in Interwar Poland (Indiana University Press, 2026)
Drawing on hundreds of autobiographies written by young Jews in the 1930s, the book offers an in-depth look at the lives of young Jews in Poland during the 1920s and 1930s, a period marked by rapid political, social and cultural change. Kijek examines how their views, identities and sense of belonging took shape, and how Polish society, political movements and different cultural currents influenced their lives.
The book focuses on a generation that grew up within Polish society, participated in its cultural life and encountered modern ideas and a variety of political movements. While aspiring to integrate into society and find their place within it, these young people also had to navigate the tensions between their Jewish identity and their surroundings, as well as antisemitism and an increasingly complex social and political reality. Through their personal accounts, the autobiographies offer a window into how these young people experienced their time and the forces that shaped their world.
The launch event will feature the book’s author, Dr. Kamil Kijek of the University of Wrocław, Prof. Scott Ury of Tel Aviv University, Dr. Ella Bauer of Kibbutzim College and Dr. Emma Zohar of the University of Haifa. The participants will discuss the book, its contribution to the study of Jewish history in Poland, and the questions it raises about identity, culture and society in the interwar period.
Thursday, November 26 | 16:00
Mellman Library, Carter Building, Tel Aviv University
Places are limited.
For further information and registration: polin@tauex.tau.ac.il
Wisława Szymborska Week 🗓
Polish Encounter #8 🗓
