Dor Hameasfim Beshahar Hahaskalah (the Circle of Hame'asef Writers at the Dawn of Haskalah), by Moshe Pelli

Bnei-Brak: Hakibutz Hame'uchad Publishers, 2001. 223 pp. In Hebrew; abstract in English. The transition of Jewish people into modern times is specialty of Professor Moshe Pelli, director of Judaic Studies Program at University of Central Florida, who has produced an insightful text on subject of of first Hebrew periodical, Hame'asef. Written in Hebrew (along with a detailed English synopsis), book opens door to understanding a neglected aspect of Hebrew letters, within larger Jewish and Hebrew Haskalah (Enlightenment). Without question revival of Hebrew is of seminal elements of entrance of Jews into modernity. The role Hebrew played in development of Haskalah movement is difficult to overestimate. One literary journal in particular, called Hame'asef (The Gatherer), issued from 1784 to 1811, played an important role in growth of modern Hebrew. It was, in author's words, the first modern Hebrew periodical at beginning of Haskalah in Germany. This rarely studied periodical (and writers who contributed to it) is subject of Pelli's impressive research. In introduction to work, author explains that there are two approaches to studying phenomenology exemplified in Hame'asef: a literary and an extraliterary approach. The general literary conventions prevalent in Europe in eighteenth century form basis of former. The second approach utilized in evaluating Hame'asef relates to its extra-literary characteristics. These include various social and educational activities, promoted by editors with a view toward advancing principles and tenets of Haskalah. One goal was to bridge gap between Jewish culture and general European culture. The other objective involved attempt of Haskalah leaders and writers to reinterpret Judaism in a modern way; Hame'asef took an active role to that end. The author devotes chapter of his analysis to each of five major literary genres represented in Hame'asef. First, author evaluates poetry of Hame'asef -- most popular genre represented in journal but least studied genre in of Haskalah. Indeed, poetry represents high point of creative process in Hebrew, including its artistic and linguistic aspects. Here, author studies efforts of Hame'asef's editors to revise and reinterpret poetical expression. The proponents of Haskalah thus brought about a syncretism between Jewish values and those of European Enlightenment. Secondly, author breaks new ground in evaluating genre of fiction, as found in Hame'asef. He notes that these stories, relatively few in number, represent efforts of Hebrew writers at beginning of German Haskalah to establish a new, modern Hebrew literature. He highlights use of various literary techniques employed in a number of sub-categories of prose narrative, represented in journal. This represents a fresh new element of Haskalah criticism. Thirdly, author takes up fable -- one of most popular genres of eighteenth-century European literature -- of which a total of fifty-five appear in ten volumes of journal. Hame'asef's treatment of fable is considered, in light of fact that fables were originally thought to be a sub-category of poetry and only later evaluated as a separate and distinct literary genre. …