Exile from Exile: Israeli Writers from Iraq (S U N Y Series in Israeli Studies)

The standard histories of Israeli literature limit the canon, virtually ignoring those who came to Israel from Jewish communities in the Middle East. By focusing on the work of Iraqi-born authors, this book offers a fundamental rethinking of the canon and of Israeli literary history. The story of these writers challenges common conceptions of exile and Zionist redemption. At the heart of this book lies the paradox that the dream of ingathering the exiles has made exiles of the ingathered. Upon arriving in Israel, these writers had to decide whether to continue writing in their native language, Arabic, or begin in a new language, Hebrew. The author reveals how Israeli works written in Arabic depict different memories of Iraq from those written in Hebrew. In addition, her analysis of the early novels of Hebrew writers set against the experience of "transit camps" (ma'abarot) argues for a re-evaluation of the significance of this neglected literary subgenre. Front Matter 1 Half Title Page 3 Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Dedication Page 7 Table of Contents 9 Acknowledgments 11 Preface 15 Content 19 PART ONE: THE LITERATURE OF EXILE AND IRAQI JEWISH WRITING 19 Exile, Literature, and Jewish Writers 21 The Jewish Community in Iraq 33 Jewish Writers of Modern Iraqi Fiction 47 PART TWO: NARRATIVE WRITINGS OF THE IRAQI JEWS IN ISRAEL 59 The Choice of Language 61 The Experience of Transition: First Novels in Hebrew 85 Childhood and Home in Iraq: Narratives in Arabic 125 Different Perspectives on Life in Iraq: Narratives in Hebrew 147 Conclusion 169 Back Matter 175 Notes 175 Bibliography 209 Index 225 Back Cover 232 Published by State University of New York Press © 1996 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic,electrostatic,magnetic tape,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information,address the State University of New York Press,State University Plaza,Albany,NY 12246 Production by Bernadine Dawes· Marketing by Nancy Farrell Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Berg,Nancy E. Exile from exile: Israeli writers from Iraq / Nancy E. Berg. p. cm. - (SUNY series in Israeli studies) Includes biblliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-2979-2 (hc: acid-free). - ISBN 0-7914-2980-6 (pb : acid-free) 1. Israeli fiction-history and criticism. 2. Arabic literatureJewish authors-History and criticism. 3. Arabic literature·-IraqHistory and criticism. 4. Jews,Iraqi-Israel-Intellectual life. I. Ti tie. II. Series PJ5029.B47 1996 892.4'3609920694-dc20 95-44136 CIP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Published by,State University of New York Press,© 1996 State University of New York,All rights reserved,Printed in the United States of America,No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner,whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book,may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or,by any means including electronic,electrostatic,magnetic tape,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise without the,prior permission in writing of the publisher.,For information,address the State University of New York Press,State University Plaza,Albany,NY 12246,Production by Bernadine Dawes· Marketing by Nancy Farrell,Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data,Berg,Nancy E.,Exile from exile: Israeli writers from Iraq / Nancy E. Berg.,p. cm. - (SUNY series in Israeli studies),Includes biblliographical references and index.,ISBN 0-7914-2979-2 (hc: acid-free). - ISBN 0-7914-2980-6,(pb : acid-free),1. Israeli fiction-history and criticism. 2. Arabic literatureJewish,authors-History and criticism. 3. Arabic literature·-IraqHistory,and criticism. 4. Jews,Iraqi-Israel-Intellectual life.,I. Ti tie. II. Series,PJ5029.B47 1996,892.4'3609920694-dc20 95-44136,CIP,1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pt. 1. The Literature Of Exile And Iraqi Jewish Writing. Ch. 1. Exile. Literature, And Jewish Writers. Ch. 2. The Jewish Community In Iraq. Ch. 3. Jewish Writers Of Modern Iraqi Fiction -- Pt. 2. Narrative Writings Of The Iraqi Jews In Israel. Ch. 4. The Choice Of Language. Ch. 5. The Experience Of Transition: First Novels In Hebrew. Ch. 6. Childhood In Iraq: Narratives In Arabic. Ch. 7. Different Perspectives On Life In Iraq: Narratives In Hebrew. Ch. 8. Conclusion. Nancy E. Berg. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Annotation Focuses on writers of both fiction and nonfiction narrative who were among the Jews that migrated from Iraq to Israel in the early years of the country, 1948-51. After setting both the literary and Jewish contexts, examines issues of language within the narrative and external to it, the portrayal of the past in Iraq and the present in Israel, and the response to the writing. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Focuses on writers of both fiction and nonfiction narrative who were among the Jews that migrated from Iraq to Israel in the early years of the country, 1948-1951