Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov Series IV: Philology and Cultural Studies • Vol. 4 (53) No.1 - 2011

JEWISH-ROMANIAN WRITERS: A CONVERGING OR A PARALLEL CANON?

Romulus BUCUR 1

Abstract: Starting from the discussions around the notion of canon in Romanian culture, especially since the translation of Harold Bloom’s The Western Canon, the present paper examines the canonical status of a particular group of writers, that is, those who belong simultaneously to , and to the Romanian-speaking Jewish minority. It reviews the cases of two writers, and N. Steinhardt, both from the point of view of their self-image, and of the reception of their work.

Keywords: canon, Jewish, inherited vs. acquired identity.

revived and firmly stated in (Bloom, 1998), How do Jewish / minority writers situate and refined, within the field of Romanian (themselves) towards the literature of the literary theory, by Mircea Martin (Martin, majority? There are a series of approaches 1997-1998), (Martin, 2000a), (Martin, of the issue, from various points of view: 2000b), (Martin, 2000c), (Martin, 2000d). (Călinescu, 1983: 963-964, 791, 794, 796, Considering literature “in and for itself, and, especially, 973-976), (Crohm ălniceanu, beside any considerations foreign to its 2001), (Morar, 2006), the writers discussed intimate nature and to literary life”1 (Martin, being Ronetti-Roman, , Mihail 2000b), and canonization taking place Sebastian, Max Blecher, I. Peltz, Ury “exclusively within the literary field”, a Benador, Ion C ălug ăru, H. Bonciu, Tristan decisive part is played by literary critics, but Tzara, B. Fundoianu, , also by “the writers, themselves, through Gherasim Luca and Norman Manea, a their publicly asserted preferences and special issue of the Vatra review etc.; it does affinities” (Martin, 2000b). not result a definite position of these writers We shall discuss two cases, symptomatic with regard to the canon of Romanian through the fact that, without trying to hide literature: some are, rightfully, considered as their ethnic origin, the respective authors marginal, others are validated individually, explicitly set their references to Romanian others are claimed also by the canon of the culture, aiming at the canon of Romanian avant-garde, by that of French literature, by literature: Mihail Sebastian and N. a transnational canon of the diaspora Jewish Steinhardt. Which arises the question of literature. the defining criterion of the Jewish- It must be said that, by canon , we Romanian / Romanian-Jewish writer: is it understand the esthetic canon, such as the religious one, the linguistic one, that of undertaking certain cultural, in a broad

1 Transilvania University, Bra şov, . 44 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov. Series IV • Vol. 4 (53) No.1 - 2011 sense, values, that of (self-) identification identity, writing two books about it, with a certain image? (Steinhardt & Neuman, 1935), and There is a certain ambiguity in the (Steinhardt & Neuman, 1937), after his canonical situation of our two writers — religious conversion seems to try to that between the esthetic / critical canon, conceal it. and the school / academic one, which is In the case of Sebastian, his position in “only retrospective ”, and “open to the inter-war literature isn’t very clear — heteronomic aspects of culture” (Martin, one cannot speak of obvious denial of his 2000b); it remains to be seen to what value (the possible exception, De dou ă mii extent the interest in Mihail Sebastian’s de ani [For Two Thousand Years] caused and N. Steinhardt’s works is a genuine something very close to a character one, or can be tied to formerly assassination, but all was due to the unpublished, or out of print (and taboo) author’s Jewish identity), but a discreet works (Mihail Sebastian), or formerly marginalization can always be invoked. taboo themes (N. Steinhardt). It is certain, The beginning might be considered the though, that these works, published in the famous, in Romanian literature, G. nineties, shed a new light on their work as Călinescu’s, Istoria literaturii române de a whole, asking for a re-evaluation. la origini pân ă în prezent , where one can As to what ‘region’ of the canon do our find judgments like “Artistic talent as a authors belong, we might mention the fiction writer seems to be missing, division between a corpus of “canonical though”, or “One can feel the lack of literary texts”, and one of “afferent critical imagination” (Călinescu, 1983: 963), a comments” (Martin, 2000a), that is, a trend continued by the exegesis — “their creative canon, and a critical and [of Sebastian’s generation, R. B.] books theoretical one, both being “the faces of have (with a few exceptions) a the same esthetic canon, whose complex signification pertaining moreover to unity shouldn’t be ever lost from view” attitude, to a mentality different from the (Martin, 2000b). traditional one, than to esthetic As regards the canonical situation of the achievement” (Gr ăsoiu, 1986: 155), while two writers: Sebastian’s target is the his fiction, “no doubt interesting, creative canon, without neglecting the impressive through the pathos of the search critical one (through his reviews, essays, for his own identity”, does not succeed in cultural ), while the bulk of “achieving the level of the great novel of Steinhardt’s work consists of literary the inter-war period” (Gr ăsoiu, 1986: 155). criticism, and cultural and religious essays The situation seems to have slowly and sermons. At no point was there any changed, to this contributing the reprinting attempt to situate them in the canon as of his long-silenced novel De dou ă mii de — Sebastian’s value as a writer is ani [For Two Thousand Years], generally denied exactly because of his ethnic origin, together with Cum am devenit huligan and, when he explicitly approaches the [How I Became a Hooligan], the pressbook theme of , he is violently attacked of the scandal caused by the books, by both sides, xenophobic Romanians together with the author’s responses, and considering him an alien trying to infiltrate especially the revelation of his Diary , in the healthy body of the Romanian nation published in 1996; also, the anniversary / culture, while Jews simply labeled him as moment in 2007 seems to have added to a renegade; Steinhardt, after having tried, the reevaluation: new monographs, press- in his youth, to undertake his Jewish inquiries, articles, conferences etc. R. BUCUR: Jewish-Romanian Writers 45

There is, nonetheless, an exception: His canonic status, already good, has (Petreu, 2009), (Petreu, 2010), a book been enhanced by a recent book, originally which tried to construct the image of an a PhD thesis, (Ardeleanu, 2009), which author totally indebted to his master, Nae examines thoroughly both his biography Ionescu, and thus to the interwar far right. and his work. In the author’s opinion, we have a It was formulated the hypothesis of “a “moderate far right extremist” Petreu, certain, problematic too, Jewish (micro) 2009: 126-127); although conscious of the specific in Romanian literature” aberrant term, she insists in using it (Cistelecan, 2000: 3). Developing it, in the (Petreu, 2009: 127). It is also worth same issue of the Vatra review, Leon mentioning that the book generated ample Volovici, referring to ’s inquiry reactions, mostly negative, and which may published in 1935, in Facla , quotes I. constitute in themselves another book. Peltz, who considers himself “a Romanian The volume Mihail Sebastian . Dilemele writer — just a Romanian writer”, and who identit ăţ ii [Mihail Sebastian. The does not hide his “Jewish origin. But this is Dilemmas Of Identity], although published something totally different” (Volovici, with a great delay after the international 2000: 14), or Ury Benador who, just like conference whose proceedings it publishes Sebastian, is preoccupied by “the intimate (Finkenthal, 2011), can also be viewed as fusion of the Romanian element with the an instance of the consolidating of Mihail Jewish one” (Volovici, 2000: 15); an Sebastian’s canonic status, as well as the interesting nuance is brought by Al. Robot: discovery of a few previously unpublished “A Jew become writer brings along too, in poems by him (Dinu, 2011), (Cernat, a greater or smaller quantity, an ancestral 2011); to the same conclusion lead a series contribution, but he can also represent, of papers recently published by Ion Vartic with dignity, the specific of the country to – (Vartic, 2011a), (Vartic, 2011b), (Vartic, whose art takes part, and in whose 2011c), (Vartic, 2011d). language he expresses himself” (Volovici, Steinhardt’s position was somehow 2000: 15). similar — without speaking about In the case of the authors we are writing marginalization (except, perhaps, by the about, their option is clear too; there is a authorities), he was known as an honorable rather doubtful reference to knowing critic and essayist, and, by a few personally each other: in the Resolution for connoisseurs, an as atypical Orthodox Closing file # 9802 , Steinhardt is monk; the change of image came with the characterized as “a close co-worker of a posthumous publication, in 1991, of his series of writers (such as Mihail Sebastian, prison diary, Jurnalul fericirii [The Diary N. D. Cocea, G. C ălinescu, Al. Rosetti) of Happiness], followed by the reprinting who were appreciative of his writings” of his previous books, by the publishing of (Cosmineanu & Moldovan, 2005: 123). his sermons and religious essays, by two Although hard to prove, they were small monographs, (Ardeleanu, 2000), and frequenting the same circles, and had, (Mure şan, 2006), and by a lot of articles in through family / affective ties, affinities for the literary reviews, among which a the same places: “I’d like to know, for dissonant voice, that of Alexandru Sever instance, what anti-Semitic law could (Sever, 1997), who denies, on a moderate annihilate in my being the irrevocable fact though firm, sometimes ironical tone, the of having been born near the and author’s moral right to religious of loving this land” (Sebastian, 2003, 230), conversion. or, in a more succinct phrasing, “I will not 46 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov. Series IV • Vol. 4 (53) No.1 - 2011 cease to be, by that, a Jew, a Romanian, solitude, of unregimentation, seen as the and a Danube man” (Sebastian, 2003, only possibility of existence for the critical 229), and, “I met him in my first college spirit (Sebastian, 2003, 266), as opposed to days. He was, like Mihail Sebastian, a the “uniformed man” (Sebastian, 2003, Danube man, yet not from Br ăila, but from 267), does not represent anymore an the smaller Olteni ţa. Br ăila: an international option, at least, not for the writer. His port, Olteni ţa a wealthy borough” freedom is the freedom of option, even (Steinhardt, 1991, 118) — this is when this option is impossible, or declared Steinhardt’s account on his friend Manole or as such by the others. Em. Neuman, the co-author of his two Steinhardt’s two books on Judaism are books on Judaism). More: “He questions me intertwined with a juicy (double) account whether I am a Romanian. I am, answer I. of the religious adventures of the two What, ain’t you a Yid? My blood is Jewish, friends, he and Manole; the in extenso reply I, but for feeling and thinking, I think version is to be found in Jurnalul fericirii , and I feel Romanian” (Steinhardt, 1991, the abridged one, in a text called 164), and, “My answer, paraphrasing Mărturisire [Confession], a story which Churchill, whose mother was American, and ends in giving up Judaic religious who used to declare I’m fifty percent initiation, and, as known, culminates in the American and hundred percent English, author’s religious conversion, in prison, might have been: I’m hundred percent and, a while after getting out, with his Jewish and thousand percent Romanian” becoming a monk. (Steinhardt, 1991, 165). The quest for identity in the case of the In both cases, we are clearly facing a two authors can be followed in much more dialog between two identities: an inherited, detail. Nevertheless, even from the present Jewish, one, and an acquired, or more sketch, a drama of the dialog of the double exactly, in the process of acquiring, identity can be seen, a drama which, Romanian one. A dialog which Mihail assumed seriously and lucidly, can account Sebastian wished harmonious, for the actual change in their canonic constructive, and which is, at every step, status. denied by reality, and which seems to have succeeded for N, Steinhardt at the cost of Notes the probable occultation of his roots. 1Unless otherwise specified, the English In the opinion of one of the most translations from the works quoted in this outstanding interpreters of Sebastian’s paper belong to its author, Romulus Bucur. work, Leon Volovici, also the editor of his Diary , “the writer the most preoccupied by References Jewish identity”, Mihail Sebastian,

“sarcastically rejects the ‘assimilist 1. Ardeleanu, George: Nicolae comedy’, as he calls it, proposing one of Steinhardt . Monografie, Bra şov: Aula, the most profound meditations on the 2000. essence of Judaism, and the condition of 2. Ardeleanu, George: Nicolae Steinhardt being a Jew in modern Europe, and in şi paradoxurile libert ăţii . O Romania in particular” (Volovici, 2007, 3), perspectiv ă monografic ă [Nicolae the novel being interdependent with the Steinhardt and the Paradoxes of image of the island , the theme of the Freedom. A Monographic author’s last, unfinished play, and a Perspective], Bucure şti: Humanitas, recurring image in his work. This idea of 2009. R. BUCUR: Jewish-Romanian Writers 47

3. Bloom, Harold: Canonul occidental , 14. Martin, Mircea: entru o l ărgire a Romanian translation, Bucure şti: conceptului de canon. [Towards Univers, 1998. Widening the Concept of Canon], 22 , 9, 4. Călinescu, G.: Istoria literaturii (2000), 12-13. române de la origini pân ă în prezent , 15. Mircea Martin: Canonizare şi [History of Romanian Literature from decanonizare. [Canonization and the Beginnings to the Present] 2 nd Decanonization], Observator cultural , revised ed., edited with a foreword by 2, (2000), 16-17 Al. Piru, Bucure şti: Minerva, 1983. 16. Martin, Mircea: Pentru un concept 5. Cernat, Paul: Sebastian, liricul lărgit de canon. [For an Enlarged vulnerabil. Observator cultural , 568 / Concept of Canon], in Liviu Papadima 25 martie-1 aprilie 2011. – Mircea Vasilescu, eds., Cercetarea 6. Cistelecan, Al.: Problema evreiasc ă. literar ă azi . Studii dedicate Umblatul ca pe ou ă. Introducere la o profesorului Paul Cornea, Ia şi: dezbatere literar ă [The Jewish Problem. Polirom, 2000, 146-153. Walking on eggs. Introduction to a 17. Morar, Ovidiu: Scriitori evrei din Literary Debate], Vatra , 10-11 (2000), România [Jewish Writers from 3. Romania], Bucure şti: Ideea European ă, 7. Cosmineanu, Clara & Silviu B. 2006. Moldovan (eds.): Nicu Steinhardt în 18. Mure şan, Adrian: Hristos nu trage cu dosarele Securit ăţ ii 1959-1989 [Nicu ochiul. N. Steinhardt & Genera ţia ’27 Steinhardt in the files of the [Christ Does Not Wink. N. Steinhardt Securitate ], Bucure şti: Nemira, 2005. and the Generation of ’27], Cluj- 8. Crohm ălniceanu, Ovid S.: Evreii în Napoca: Limes, 2006. mi şcarea de avangard ă româneasc ă 19. Petreu, Marta: Diavolul şi ucenicul [Jews in the Romanian Avant-garde], său: – Mihail Sebastian Bucure şti: Hasefer, 2001. [The Devil and his Apprentice: Nae 9. Dinu, Maria-Magdalena: Inedit: poeme Ionescu – Mihail Sebastian], Ia şi: de Mihail Sebastian. Observator Polirom, 2009. cultural , 568 / 25 martie-1 aprilie 20. Petreu, Marta: Diavolul şi ucenicul 2011. său: Nae Ionescu – Mihail Sebastian . 10. Finkenthal, Michael: Între dilemele [The Devil and his Apprentice: Nae nd identit ăţ ii şi multitudinea nivelurilor de Ionescu – Mihail Sebastian], 2 interpretare. Observator cultural , 563, revised and enlarged edition, Ia şi: 17-23 februarie / 2011. Polirom, 2010. 11. Gr ăsoiu Dorina: Mihail Sebastian sau 21. Sebastian, Mihail: De dou ă mii de ani. ironia unui destin [Mihail Sebastian, Cum am devenit huligan. [For Two or the Irony of a Destiny], Bucure şti: Thousand Years. How I Became a Minerva, 1986. Hooligan], Bucure şti: Hasefer, 2003. 12. Martin, Mircea : Du canon à une 22. Sever, Alexandru: Epistol ă despre époque post-canonique. Euresis. convertire. [An Epistle on Cahiers roumains d’études littéraires , Conversion], , VIII, nr. 9 1997-1998, Bucure şti: Univers, 3-25. (1997), 12-24. 13. Martin, Mircea: Despre canonul 23. Steinhardt N. & Em. Neuman : Essai estetic. [On the Esthetic Canon], sur une conception catholique du România literar ă, 5, (2000), 3, 14-15. judaïsme , Bucure şti: Cultura Româneasc ă, 1935. 48 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Bra şov. Series IV • Vol. 4 (53) No.1 - 2011

24. Steinhardt, N. & Em. Neuman : Illusions 28. Vartic, Ion: Singur, ca Iosef Hechter. et réalités juives . Considerations Apostrof , XXII, nr. 2 (249) / 2011. réalistes sur quelques problèmes Juifs, 29. Vartic, Ion: O autobiografie ru şinoas ă. : Librairie Lipschutz, 1937. Apostrof , XXII, nr. 3 (250) / 2011. 25. Steinhardt, N.: Jurnalul fericirii. [The 30. Volovici, L.: Scriitor român — scriitor Diary of Happiness], Cluj-Napoca: evreu. [Romanian Writer — Jewish Dacia, 1991. Writer], Vatra , 10-11 (2000), 14-15. 26. Vartic, Ion: «Grodek». A treia 31. Volovici, Leon : Insula lui Mihail variant ă. România literar ă, 1 / 2011, Sebastian. Bucure şti, 1939-1944, 12-14. Apostrof , 11 (2007), 3-6. 27. Vartic, Ion: Verdictul, cu Iosef Hechter şi Ghi ţă Blidaru. Apostrof , XXII, nr. 1 (248).