Ars Judaica 2011 67 (Bönen, : Pictorialism to the New Vision : Pictorialism to the New Vision (Stuttgart, 1979). For other exhibitions, Film und Foto , vol. 1 (London and New York, 2004), esp. 2004), esp. , vol. 1 (London and New York, The Visual Arts in Germany 1890–1937: Utopia and Arts in Germany 1890–1937: Utopia and The Visual Fotografie und Bildpublizistik in der Weimarer Republik Fotografie und Bildpublizistik in der Weimarer Shtetl (New Brunswick, NJ, 2001), 167–74. See also Diethart Kerbs and The German-Jewish theorist Walter Benjamin, in Benjamin, in The German-Jewish theorist Walter 82–174. For a brief discussion of photography in the Weimar Republic, 82–174. For a brief discussion of photography in the Weimar see Shearer West, Despair Uka, Walter Rocco, “Before see Vanessa in German Photography Exhibitions from 1909–29” (Ph.D. diss., City 3 and 4. 2004), esp. chaps. Graduate Center, University of New York The Photo-Book: A History 2004). Still useful is Ute Eskildsen and Jan-Christopher Horak (eds.), Film und Foto der zwanziger Jahre First World War, attracted by the economic and creative by the economic and creative attracted War, First World contributed freedom of the new republic, subsequently of the field significantly to the acceptance and expansion of photography. helped to his 1931 essay “Little History of Photography,” photography’s legitimize the new medium by emphasizing an audience than greater effectiveness for reaching that the easy that of painting. Benjamin explained reproducibility – due to its technological of photography to circulate widely basis – not only allowed this medium it the possibility of and inexpensively but also afforded the modernrevealing the underlying structure of world. theoreticians, As an idealist inspired partly by Communist propel his world Benjamin sought a visual form that could struggle into a view of unbalanced class and economic powerful, modern mass communication. In his 1931 essay, approaches Benjamin praised two related but divergent as modern: one, the seemingly straightforward portraits Ph.D. Program in ArtPh.D. Program History; Salsbury and Britany and Aneta Biesiadecka, Ph.D. Program in Art History graduate students. 1 For a general survey of photobooks, see Martin Parr and Gerry Bader, Anlitz der Anlitz der Rose-Carol Washton Long Rose-Carol Washton However, for most However, 1 and the Eastern European Modernity as Anti-Nostalgia of 1929 as well as of the numerous of 1929 as well as of the numerous ; Roberta Saltzman, Dorot Jewish Division of the the Division of ; Roberta Jewish Saltzman, Dorot The Photographic Books of Tim Gidal and Moshe Vorobeichic The Photographic BooksVorobeichic and Moshe Tim Gidal of Ars Judaica Ars Film und Foto (Face of Our Times) that organized photographs that organized photographs (Face of Our Times) Portions of this essay were presented at two conferences, The Fifteenth World World The Fifteenth conferences, at two presented were Portions of this essay Jerusalem, 5 August 2009 and University, Hebrew Studies, of Jewish Congress The An InternationalMeanings of Modernity in Central Symposium, Europe: 2007. 10 November York, New Public Library, York New Tim Gidal © The Israel by Museum, Jerusalem. Nahum Photos by Photos with the permission of the Raviv Moi-Ver) (Moshe Raviv; Moshe Vorobeichic Israel. family, to thank: like matters, I would their help with editorial and technical For The Graduate in Art Ph.D. Program Center, History, RosemaryProf. Bletter, Emerita Prof. Ziva Amishai-Maisels, Department York; of New City University Editorial Levine, of Jerusalem; Aviva University the Hebrew of Art History, of Coordinator New York Public Library; Carol Lees, Director of the Visual Resource Collection, Public Library; of the Visual Resource Lees, Director Carol York New photobooks such as August Sander’s 1929 photobooks such as August Sander’s By the early 1930s in Germany, many photographers of photographers of many in Germany, By the early 1930s to be on the cutting Jewish background were considered photography. edge in fields of art as well as commercial of exhibitions Much has been written about the success such as sequentially around a particular theme. Zeit of the fourteen years of the Weimar Republic (1918–33), Republic (1918–33), of the fourteen years of the Weimar The that it has today. photography did not have the stature painting, sculpture, so-called “fine arts,” as the fields of considered far more and architecture were labeled, were then included important than the applied arts, which until the end of the twenties that It wasn’t photography. to be recognized photography in all its dimensions began In addition as a significant field for artistic expression. critics, a number of to German-born photographers and many of whom had central and eastern European Jews, abandoned the lands of their birth for Germany after the 68 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long TheYiddish term 3 Walter Benjamin,“ALittle HistoryofPhotography,” in 2 “unmasked” ratherthanaestheticizedthepresent,and approaches ofbothphotographers,Benjaminconcluded, had goneintoasecondeditionin1927.Thediffering Photographie, Film as explainedintheBauhauseducator’s book, particularly drewuponMoholy-Nagy’s workandtheories montaged imagescutoutfromnewspapers.Benjamin new vision Moholy-Nagy, whoadvocatedanewwayofseeing– by theHungarianémigréandBauhausinstructorLaszlo descriptions ofclass,andtwo,theexperimentalwork that Benjamincalled“atrainingmanual”forsociological by AugustSander, publishedin Wilna Fig. 1. in whichthemajorityofpopulation wereJews.Branchingout Gary Smith(Cambridge,MA,1999), esp.520–26. Selected Writings , 1931 MosheVorobeichic, Cover of –byshootingfromuncommonanglesandusing , vol.2,eds.MichaelW. Jennings,HowardEiland,and (Painting,Photography, Film),which shtetl referstothesmalltownsineastern Europe Ein Ghetto imOsten: Anlitz derZeit , avolume Walter Benjamin: Malerei, Fig. 2. a Tim Gidal,Cover of portrayals ofeasternEuropean Tim N.Gidal,andtheirvariantthematicstylistic German-trained photographers,MosheVorobeichic and used opposingstylisticstrategiesintheirphotographic yehudit published in1931,andGidal Ein GhettoimOsten:Wilna photographic practicesof1920sGermany, Vorobeichic in by ZionistdreamsofarevitalizedJewryaswellthe divergent approachesdescribedbyBenjamin.Inspired powerful visionofmodernity. as aresultallowedtheirworkstocreatedynamicand This essayaddressesthephotobooksoftwoassimilated, York andLondon,2006),1–25. in “Introduction,” seeSamuelKassow,and asimilarapproachtoreligion –Orthodox; occupations, butnonethelessshared acommonlanguage–Yiddish – from localmarketgatherings,Jews becameinvolvedinadiversityof (Memories ofJewishPoland),publishedin1932, Memories Poland ofJewish The Shtetl: (A GhettointheEast:Vilna),

2 – 1932

New Evaluations shtetl

Zikhronot mi-Polinha- s 3 thatparalleledthe , ed.StevenT. Katz(New 1927. In the correct? caption: Ars Judaica 2011 69 Which is New York New York – A Vanished A Vanished were published were published Dawna Pocztówka Dawna Pocztówka acclaim for these acclaim for these The Man The Man , eds. Eugene M. Avrutin , eds. Eugene M. Avrutin ModernityAnti-Nostalgia as Not only does Not only does 8 Polish Jews, Photographing the Jewish Nation: Photographing the Jewish Nation: The Vanished World World The Vanished (New York, 1974), 8. (New York, A Photographic History of Jewish Life in Poland, A Photographic History of Jewish Life in Poland,

[catalogue, Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa], [catalogue, Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa], Roman Vishniac , 4 Apr. 2010: 36–43. , 4 Apr. (New York, 1977). (New York, – is emotionally loaded. – is emotionally 7 Lublin: Waggoner Waiting for a Customer Waiting Lublin: Waggoner (New York, 1983), caption for fig. 34. (New York, 1937 World World photos did not occur until much later; see Eugene Kinkead, “The Tiny photos did not occur until much later; see Eugene Kinkead, “The Tiny Landscape,” in and the curator Maya Benton of the forthcoming exhibition of his work at the International Center of Photography in New York, Magazine Times in 1947 by Schocken under the title the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, took the form of took the form of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, during the First World commercial postcards, journalistic photo-reports and in the twenties a few photobooks. For a discussion of how the War, Jewish life grew out of interest in depicting characteristic examples of expeditions late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century ethnographic to areas relatively untouched by modernization, M. Avrutin see Eugene “Introduction,” in and Harriet Murav, Ethnographic Expeditions Pictures from S. An-sky’s photographs from this et al. (Hannover and London, 2009), 3–25 (the also expedition were not published until 2009). See Zydowska Ze zbiorów Marka Sosenki/Old Jewish Postcards from Marek Collection Sosenko’s curators Eugeniusz Duda and Marek Sonsenko (Cracow, 1997) (Polish 1997) (Polish curators Eugeniusz Duda and Marek Sonsenko (Cracow, and English); Lucjan Dobroszycki and Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Image Before My Eyes: 1864–1939 In order to illuminate the difference between the two between illuminate the difference In order to 8 8 “Commentary on the Photographs” in his See Vishniac’s 7 discussion of Vishniac critiques, see Alana Newhouse’s For some of these 6 6 Although some of the images in 5 5 with Representations of shtetl life, primarily from regions associated his title emphasize the central figure’s helplessness, but but helplessness, the central figure’s his title emphasize also contrasts the rumpled elderly man to a Vishniac is actively walking fashionably attired younger man who attention to the physical details out of the picture. Gidal’s figure produces of the wagons surrounding his resting rendition, that is a less empathic, more matter-of-fact By the active labor. related to the theme of respite from photos were published after the Second time Vishniac of life had been obliterated the shtetl way War, World photobooks under discussion and Vishniac’s volume, a volume, a discussion and Vishniac’s photobooks under of a similar subject should comparison of representations a laborer title of his image (fig. 3) of be informative. Gidal’s for example, is straightforward and resting in a wagon, descriptive – title for his image (fig. 4) – while Vishniac’s Before. in a Russian Pogrom Thirty Years Had Lost His Legs Warsaw, but rather nostalgically focusing on the most pious and pious and on the most nostalgically focusing but rather impoverished.

, Ansichten Photographs Photographs Fotografische Fotografische , eds. Marina , eds. Marina

As most 6 Photography at the Photography at the

4 The Vanished World The Vanished is Roman Vishniac’s is Roman Vishniac’s 5 , ed. Klaus Pohl (Giessen, 1983), Tim Gidal, Bilder der 30er Jahre: Tim Chronisten des Lebens: Die moderne Fotoreportage , published in 1983, although the although the , published in 1983, Die Juden in Deutschland von der Romerzeit bis zur Die Juden in Deutschland von der Romerzeit bis zur Diaspora and Visual Culture: Representing Africans Culture: Representing Africans Diaspora and Visual (Gütersloh, 1988), esp. 374–81 and 415–19. [catalogue, The Open Museum, Tefen Industrial Park], Park], Industrial [catalogue, The Open Museum, Tefen [catalogue, Museum Folkwang], curator Ute Eskildsen (Essen, , ed. Nicholas Mirzoeff (London and New York, 1999/2000), 1999/2000), , ed. Nicholas Mirzoeff (London and New York, , ed. Jeannine Fiedler for the Bauhaus-Archiv (Cambridge, , ed. Jeannine Fiedler for the Bauhaus-Archiv (Cambridge, Jüdische Kultur(en) im Neuen Europa: Wilna 1918-1939 Jüdische Kultur(en) im Neuen Europa: Wilna The photobook most commonly associated with most commonly associated with The photobook Vorobeichic’s, most likely because of the latter’s connection to the connection to the the latter’s most likely because of Vorobeichic’s, of Vorobeichic, well-known art school, the Bauhaus. For discussions when he emigrated to Israel, see who used the name Raviv-Vorobeichic von Moshe Vorobeichic,” Marina Dmitrieva, “Die Wilna-Fotocollagen in (Moi Ver)” 193–206; Herbert Molderings, “Moshé Raviv-Vorobeichic and “From the Bauhaus to Photojournalism,” in Dmitrieva and Heidemarie Peetersen (Wiesbaden, 2004), 69–84; Carol Dmitrieva and Heidemarie Peetersen (Wiesbaden, and Eastern Zemel, “Imaging the Shtetl: Diaspora Culture, Photography European Jews,” in and Jews Bauhaus For Gidal, whose first name MA, 1990), 73–83 and 264–85 respectively. Gidal, is sometime listed as Nachum, see Nachum Tim 1929–1991 1992). The German photo historian Ute Aviv, curator Natan Zach (Tel works Eskildsen briefly mentions and reproduces only a few of Gidal’s from his photobook in Sammlung mentioned in a few photos for the illustrated press are 1984), 8. Gidal’s für Jedermann: Reisephotographie in studies; see Klaus Pohl, “Die Welt deutschen Illustrierten der zwanziger und dreissiger Jahre,” in (Berlin, 1993); idem, Weimarer Republik Weimarer der Ferne Reisephotographie 1850-Heute 96–127. Gidal himself has written numerous books on photography, N. Gidal, including Tim photos were taken in the mid- and late thirties. photos were taken The Vanished World The Vanished 4 4 scholarly attention than photobook has elicited less Gidal’s chronicles of their respective origins in Lithuania and and origins in Lithuania of their respective chronicles with so they were assisting that in doing Poland, believing the modernization (figs. 1 and 2). of Judaism the representation of shtetl life the representation scholars are now aware, Vishniac was commissioned by was commissioned by Vishniac scholars are now aware, Distribution Committee, a relief the American Joint assist Jews threatened by antisemitism, agency designed to throughout the and other destructive events poverty, mentioned in world. Though not Vishniac later alluded to the commissioned aspect of to the commissioned aspect of later alluded Vishniac to be used for fund- this work. These photographs were the intense raising efforts and tended to emphasize the photos poverty of eastern European Jews. Although a vivid and have been acclaimed by many for portraying many scholars have elegiac representation of shtetl Jews, the multiple critiqued this photobook for not presenting and central Europe types and classes of Jews in eastern 70 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long Thirty Years Before. Warsaw, 1927 Fig. 4. Memories Fig. 3. Roman Vishniac, Roman Vishniac, Tim Gidal, Lublin: Waggoner Waiting for aCustomer The ManHadLostHisLegsinaRussian Pogrom 34. Whichis in note8: , correct? no. 37 in A Vanished World , 6thphoto in Socialists, bothmenemigratedthere.However, their and inthemid-thirties,afterelectionofNational to theestablishmentofaJewishhomelandinPalestine, Zionists, thisnewanddynamicidentitywasconnected world.Formost identity thatcoulddealwiththemodern belief intheestablishmentofanew, invigoratedJewish have met,theysharedacommoninterestinZionism–the the camera. clothingandstaring self-confidently at dressed inmodern reveals ayoungmanwhoseemsthoroughlyassimilated, (fig. 6a); to havehisworkrepresentedintheillustratedweeklies much moreopentooutsiders.By1929,Gidalhadbegun photography –particularlycommercialwas position, fewJewssucceededinthatmedium,but studies andphoto-journalism.Givenpainting’s privileged there andlaterinBerlin,alternatedbetweenhis born inMunich1909.Hewasabletoattenduniversity from thePolishlandsthenunderRussianrule,andhewas his self-portraitof1931(fig.5b). exposures fromMoholy-Nagy(fig.5a),asisevidentin frequently appropriatedtheexperimentaluseofmultiple of Moholy-Nagy, whobecamehisinstructor, andhe Bauhaus inDessau.Therehewasdrawntothework to Germanyin1927studyatthenewartschool, near Vilna, Lithuania(thenpartofRussia)andmoved than abidforsympathyandfinancialsupport. 1936, hadadifferentgoalinmind–revitalization,rather way oflifebeforetheyemigratedtoIsraelin1934and theirphotobooksabouttheshtetlGidal, whoproduced permitted greatexposureforhisphotos.Vorobeichic and Moreover, Vishniac’s eventuallocationinNewYork overshadowed theirnostalgicallyelegiacrepresentations. by theNazis,givinghisworksanimmortalitythathas 0 Hisphotoswerepublishedinthe 10 AccordingtoMaiaRaviv-Vorobeichic, herfatherhadaclose relation- 9 Tel Aviv, 19Aug. 2001. left theBauhausin1928;MaiaRaviv-Vorobeichic, interviewbyauthor, ship withMoholy-NagyandvisitedhiminBerlinaftertheHungarian with thephotoagency Illustrierte Zeitung Although thesetwosecularphotographersmaynever Vorobeichic wasborninashtetlcalledLebedova 10 hisself-portrait(fig.6b)fromthatsameyear , and Die Woche Weltrundschau . Asafreelancer, hebecameassociated Münchner IllustriertePresse ; seeEskildsenin 9 Gidal’s parentscame Tim Gidal , Kölnische , 7–8. Ars Judaica 2011 71 ModernityAnti-Nostalgia as , 1931 Self-portrait Moshe Vorobeichic, Moshe Vorobeichic, Fig. 5b. Tim Gidal’s photos in an illustrated and his self-portrait, photos weekly Tim Gidal’s 1929 Fig. 6a and b. Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, untitled (Multiple Portrait), 1927 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Fig. 5a. 72 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long 14For adiscussionoftheapotheosis ofthe 13Oscar SchlemmertoOttoMeyer, 29June1930fromBreslau Amongthemanystudiesdevotedtothissubject,seeDonaldL.Niewyk, 12 11 See chartinHagitLavsky, 11 of Jews–7percentwereactivelyinvolved. avidly secular. InGermany, onlyasmallpercentage membership –fromtheferventlyreligioustomost Jew.”the “newmodern Zionismhadaverydiverse divergent conceptswithinZionismofwhatconstituted pictorial memoirsof1931and1932recallthecomplex cultured Germans. withtheprocessofbecomingand equatedmodernity Jewish backgroundsweremoreinterestedinassimilating, intellectuals andupper- andmiddle-classpersonsfrom their rootsamongtheOstjuden–asso-calledeastern exploratory tripsintoPolandandLithuaniatostudy to theincreasedantisemitismafterWWIbymaking equated witharrogance. 1919, ashavinga“typicalJewishmanner,” whichhe Moholy-Nagy, whohadconvertedtoProtestantism in the BauhauschroniclerOskarSchlemmerreferredto stereotyping wastherule,notexception.Forexample, empire, andsoon.Eveninintellectualcircles,negative Jews wereblamedforprofiteering,thefailureof quite evidentduringthetwentiesinWeimar Republic. common ineasternEurope,anti-Semiticactionswerestill and Jewishquartersofsmallcities–weremuchmore lifestyle. Althoughpogroms–thebrutalraidsonshtetls returning totheirJewishroots,neitherinworknor as Moholy-NagyfromHungaryshowednointerestin Aschheim German and essaysdoesnotcontainthisreference. stereotyping ofthetime.Thepublished editionofSchlemmer’s letters a clearreferencetohisinabilityresistusingcommonnegative Schlemmer’s useofthephrasethathe“cannothelphimself”provides typical Jewishmanner, whichhethenstrivestodisguisewithamiability). zu bemänteln”(morearrogantthanever, who,Icannothelpmyself,ina helfen, sotypischjüdischerart,dieerdannsichbemüht,mitnettigkeit following words:“derarroganterdennje,vonichkannmirnicht wrote abouthisformerBauhauscolleagueandlatercrossedoutthe (unpublished typescript,Bauhaus-ArchivBerlin)inwhichSchlemmer chap. VI,125–63. The JewsinWeimar Germany A numberofGerman-Jewishintellectualsreacted Zionism (DetroitandJerusalem,1996),34. , BrothersandStrangers:TheEastEuropean JewinGermanand 12 Evenrecentsecularémigréssuch 13 Before Catastrophe:TheDistinctivePathof (BatonRougeandLondon,1980),esp. Ostjuden , seeStevenE. 11 Most published anaccountofhisjourneytoeasternEurope. Dessau whenhewasstudyingattheBauhaus. of 1929,promptedbyavisittothesynagoguelibraryin photobook. Vorobeichic returnedtoVilna inthespring took withhisLeicaandwasabletopublishthemasa Shortly afterthistrip,hecollectedthephotosthat in agriculturalprojects, called theBlau-Weiss thatfocusedontrainingitsyouth Gidal, whohadbelongedtoaradicalZionistyouthgroup Both GidalandVorobeichic followedinthatdirection. before hewrotetheforwardtoSander’s made thistripwasthenovelistAlexanderDöeblinwho, had nevermetbeforehistripthere,bothbookscapture including Lowicz,wherehehadnumerousrelatives population inanumberofsmallPolishcitiesandvillages, quarters ofVilna, andGidalphotographedtheJewish Jews intimately. We hadknownthemonlyfrombooks.” Poland, becausewewantedtogetknowtheEastern wrote aboutthistrip:“MyfriendsandIwenttoJewish summer of1932withtwootherZionistfriends.Helater series twoyearslater. Füssli-Verlag inZurich,whopublishedthephotographic where theyattractedtheattentionofaneditorworkingfor Molderings, broughthisworkstoaZionistCongress used aLeicaand,accordingtothehistorianHerbert European Jewswerelabeledthen. 9 Molderings,“MosheRaviv-Vorobeichic,” 75. 19 Dmitrieva reprintsabriefsectionofVorobeichic’s18 remembranceofthis 17Nachum Tim Gidal,“TheVisit toJewishPoland”in AccordingtoGidal’s secondwifePia,thephotojournalisthadjoined 16 Forabriefanalysis ofDöblin’s 1925 15 Even thoughVorobeichic concentratedontheJewish “Die Wilna-Fotocollagen,” 74–75. incident fromanunpublishedmanuscript byMayaRaviv;seeDmitrieva, unpaginated. Nahum GoldmannMuseumoftheJewishDiaspora](Tel Aviv, 1984), Jewish Poland–1932,Photographs:NachumTim Gidal of JewishCultureinWeimar Germany London, 1996),esp.286–87;seealsoMichaelBrenner, Papers onZionism “Ideology andStructureinGermanZionism,1882–1933,” Jerusalem. ForinformationabouttheBlau-Weiss, seeJehudaReinharz, this groupattheageoften;interviewwithPiaGidal,20Aug.2001, ed., 1999),esp.185–214(pagecitationsherearetothe1999edition). German JewishConsciousness,1800–1923 , eds. Jehuda Reinharz andAnitaShapira(NewYork, eds.JehudaReinharz and 19 16 traveledtoJewishPolandinthe Reise inPolen 14 Amongthosewho (Madison, WI, 1982; paperback (Madison, WI,1982;paperback (New Haven,1996),46–47. Anlitz derZeit , seeAschheim,305–6. 18 Hetoo [catalogue,The The Renaissance Memories of 15 17 , Essential

Ars Judaica 2011 73 was was Körperbau und Körperbau und type Because of Memories 22 ” in a number ” in a number ModernityAnti-Nostalgia as type , 10th photo in , 10th photo About Face: German Psyiognomic Thought from About Face: German Psyiognomic Thought from (Detroit, 2004), 136, 193–94. and he often added some additional and he often added some additional 23 Warsaw: On a Street Corner On a Street Warsaw: in his book Tim Gidal, Lavater to Auschwitz im Synagogenhofe” sits below two photos of elderly men No. 21 “Typen der with peaked caps and long flowing beards; nos. 48 and 49 “Typen Judengasse” sits below the familiar representation of a male lined face, peaked cap, and flowing beard as well as below photos of women with lined faces and heads for the most part covered by shawls. Charakter For both Vorobeichic and Gidal, the Jewish For both Vorobeichic 23 Among the captions in which the word “type” appears are the following: 22 Richard T. Gray cites Ernst Kretschmer’s 1922 study Gray cites Ernst Kretschmer’s 22 Richard T. Fig. 8. during the twenties, permeating the popular press and popular press and during the twenties, permeating the The cultural scientific or pseudo-scientific journals. have commented historian Richard Gray and many others Germany given over on the variety of studies in Weimar traits by means of the to the identification of psychological this type of attitude with Gray demonstrates physical body. which, for example, images from pseudo-scientific studies, related thin bodies to an aesthete mind-set and thick, solid bodies to superior athletic performance. the perverse application of these ideas by the Nazis, we by the Nazis, we the perverse application of these ideas the attempts were are much less aware of how widespread racial physiognomic to catalogue ethnic, national, and period. traits of all groups during the Weimar figure associated predominantly represented by a male with the traditionally pious through beard, peaked cap, and long coat (figs. 7 and 8), even though they were aware of Jews in contemporary clothing living in these areas. used the words “Jewish Vorobeichic of his captions

20 type type Jan Bulhak: Jan Bulhak: , trans. Michael , trans. Michael or homeland photos Ein Ghetto August Sander: Face of Our August Sander: Face of Our Heimat , see , no. 9 in In his more compact project, 21 Anlitz der Zeit Talmud Hours Talmud (Jan Bulhak: Polish Photography) (Warsaw, 2000) 2000) (Jan Bulhak: Polish Photography) (Warsaw, Moshe Vorobeichic, Moshe Vorobeichic, In their photobooks, both photographers had to deal had to deal In their photobooks, both photographers Time: Sixty Portraits of Twentieth-century Germans Sixty Portraits of Twentieth-century Time: Robertson (Munich and London, 1994, 2003), esp. number 25, titled “Revolutionaries.” of Vilna by the Polish photographer, Jan Bulhak, whose romanticized Jan Bulhak, whose romanticized by the Polish photographer, of Vilna I; see War before World appeared documents of Vilna Fotografia polska (Polish). 21 21 For reproductions from 20 would also have absorbed the Vorobeichic a lively local culture as well as incredible poverty. At the poverty. a lively local culture as well as incredible prototypes from same time, the books reflect numerous commercial sources. both contemporary experimental and framed the major For his cover image (fig. 1), Vorobeichic with sharp-angled dark shadows that synagogue in Vilna Moholy-Nagy. recall the work of his Bauhaus teacher Fig. 7. Fig. 7. figures dominate almost all of the 16 photos included. In photos included. In figures dominate almost all of the 16 even though architectural motifs work, Vorobeichic’s images, figures are are used for about one-third of the 64 dominant as well. specific Jewish with the complex issue of whether a existed – that is, was there an identifiable representative existed – that is, was there an identifiable representative of a common Jewish spiritual and ethnic heritage? They were not the only ones thinking about this issue, as the search for a collective face or body to represent a particular characteristic of a group was commonplace in Germany Gidal’s cover (fig. 2), on the other hand, records in a hand, records in a cover (fig. 2), on the other Gidal’s manner six boys seemingly straightforward Sander-like solemnly facing the camera. 74 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long photography usedforinexpensive travelsouvenirsand travel record,but,aswewill see,alsofromcommercial as HermannStruck’s sketchfromArnoldZweig’s 1922 that accompaniedsuchliterary descriptionsoftheeast photographers deviatednotonlyfromthesoulfuldrawings representativeofeastern EuropeanJewry,modern both is lookingawayfromthecenter. Intheirquestfora the otheryouthinhatandcoatofOrthodox secular youthinacaplooksquizzicallyathiselderwhile younger menwhoappearoneitherside.Interestingly, the composition, contrastinghimwithtwoclean-shaven Gidal placesanelderlypiousJewinthecenterof work simplytitled minded Jews.Closetotheendofhisphotobook,ina more frequentlycontrastedwithyounger, lesstraditionally- interpretations. Gidal’s signifierofthisreligioustypeis remind usofthetraditioncontinuedstudybiblical man withcapandwhitebeard signifier ofreligion,suchastitlingthephotoanelderly Fig. 9aandb. Hermann Struck.Hermann Zweig, drawinginArnold Warsaw: OnaStreetCorner Talmud Hours (fig.7)to The Face ofEastEuropean Jewry (fig.8), 25The workofWilly examplesof the typeof Romer provides good Forthefirstphoto inhisbook,Vorobeichic montaged asimilarJudaic 24 during World War I, of Jews(seefig.16b)orthephotographicaccountstaken and straightforwardgaze.Unlikethecommercialpostcards eastern Jewsdignitybyemphasizingtheiruprightposture painting, bothphotographersoftengavetheirimages of thandrawingormore dynamicandhencemodern by Struck. next tothestoopedandslightlyhunchedfiguredrawn Judaic representativeappears,especiallywhenviewed (fig. 9a),wenoticehowvigorousandvitalVorobeichic’s Vorobeichic titled newspaper accounts.Comparing,forexample,animage Deutsche HistorischeMuseum],curator DiethartKerbs(Berlin,2004). Fotograf Willy Römer1887–1979:aufdenStrassenvonBerlin in ashtetlsquare–takenthePolish landsduringtheWar. See photographic records–usuallywide viewsoffiguresstandingorsitting face (albeitmorecheerful)nexttoacut-outofVilna synagogue. compared toVorobeichic, 24 Believingthatthetoolsofphotographywere The Jew 25 bothmenusedclosecropping(and (fig.9b)toaStruckportrait The Jew , no.39in Ein Ghetto [catalogue, Der Ars Judaica 2011 75

, no. 28 , no. 28 ModernityAnti-Nostalgia as Memories Our Daily Bread Our Daily , 8th photo in , 8th photo Lublin: Selling Potatoes on a Street on a Street Selling Potatoes Lublin: Moshe Vorobeichic, Moshe Vorobeichic, Tim Gidal, Ein Ghetto Fig. 11. Fig. 11. Corner Jewish Quarter of the Fig. 10. in in in ’s 27 were were Ostjuden Brothers and Brothers and Ostjuden Renaissance of Jewish Ostjuden Arnold Zweig: The Face Arnold Zweig: The Face (fig. 10). Gidal (fig. 10). Gidal , seeing them as , seeing them as warned against over- ; see Aschheim Kafka and the Yiddish Theater: Its Kafka and the Yiddish Ostjuden Ostjuden Ostjuden The belief that the 26 Our Daily Bread , ed. and trans. Noah Isenberg (Berkeley, 2004), 2004), , ed. and trans. Noah Isenberg (Berkeley, (Madison, 1971), 214–15. , esp. 196–207. See also the discussion on this topic in Noah , esp. 196–207. See also the discussion on this topic in Noah , 187–90; Evelyn Torton Beck, , 187–90; Evelyn Torton While both photographers often focused on the focused on the While both photographers often Giving dignity to eastern European Jews was more more European Jews was to eastern Giving dignity Jewish traditions would be beneficial; see Brenner, Jewish traditions would be beneficial; see Brenner, Culture Impact on His Work of Jews in Germany to the Strangers Isenberg, “Preface to the English Edition,” in of East European Jewry esp. x–xxvi. in Prague before World War I, and believed educating the War in Prague before World idealizing them and making their way of life into a “cult.” idealizing them and making their way lack of material goods to be more spiritual allowed them of thinkers, among dominated the perspective of a number eastern travel record 1922 Zweig’s them Martin Buber. visions of eastern is filled with romanticized and mythic than the assimilated Jews as one people, holier and purer as bourgeois. Yet German Jews, whom Zweig criticized others interested in the piously-garbed Jew who inhabited the eastern regions, the eastern regions, piously-garbed Jew who inhabited crowded conditions neither neglected the impoverished or used multiple of the Jewish quarters. Vorobeichic poignantly montages to depict the breadlines for the poor, captioning the scene 27 27 romanticized attitudes Aschheim describes both the negative and the 26 theater 26 culture, attended the Yiddish was interested in Yiddish Kafka unusual for a secular Jew at that time than one might one might that time than a secular Jew at unusual for not only German Christians who imagine, for it was negative defects of ghetto and shtetl commented on the Steven Aschheim and others have Jews. As the historian Germanized Jews were not reported, many assimilated in questions of origins but actively only uninterested as poorer eastern Jewish brethren looked down on their when the borders changed at the they streamed westward author Franz I. The Czech-German War end of World on how his wealthy religious family Kafka commented resented the impoverished in Vorobeichic’s case – montages) to intensify their images. to intensify case – montages) in Vorobeichic’s more authentic to their Jewish roots because of their because of their more authentic to their Jewish roots simplicity and poverty. outsiders from mainstream, modern culture, and referring and unkempt. coarse, vermin-infected, to them as smelly, the But for Kafka, who was not a Zionist, 76 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long 29 For examplesofphotographs,see Joachim Büthe,etal., 29 “IdeologyandStructure,”esp.285–87. Reinharz, 28 oneofthe we knowfromhistorianssuchJehudaReinharz, 1928. Gidalworkedforleft-leaningnewspapers,and, as was appointedastheseconddirectorofthatschool in especially whentheCommunist-orientedHannesMeyer socialism aswellCommunism,werepartofdailylife, about thenewSovietUnion,importance of Vorobeichic attendedtheBauhaus, livelydiscussions about economicinequalitiesandclassstruggles.When party members,theywereexposedtomuchdiscussion though neitherGidalnorVorbeichic wereCommunist (fig. 11),todocumentthepovertyhewitnessed.Even Selling PotatoesonaStreetCorneroftheJewishQuarter employed amorestraightforwardformat,asin Fig. 12. Fotograf: (Cologne, 1978),esp.182,192,204, 205. Moshe Vorobeichic,

Dokumente undBeiträgezurArbeiterfotografie 1926–1932 Jewish Child Jewish , no.41in Ein Ghetto Der Arbeiter- Lublin:

Family’s RopeShop Fig. 13. weekly, the as foundintheGermanCommunist-sponsoredillustrated class-conscious photosofimpoverishedyoungsterssuch and 13).Vorobeichic’s imagereflectsmoredirectlythe hence, bothincludedphotosofraggedchildren(figs.12 Reward arrangement ofthefigures isironicallytitled project, andwhentheyare,thethree-montaged or oppressedasthosepicturedinVorobeichic’s book. be shoeless,butneitherhenortheothersappearasragged numerous otherphotosofchildreninGidal’s book,may shop inLowiczreveals(fig.13).Thischild,andthose in are lesspoignant,astheoneinfrontofhisfamily’s rope shouldering theheaviest burden. Gidal,incontrast, as dispirited,withtheoldest maninthecenterimage to alignthemselvesmoredirectlywithsocialistthinking; aims ofanumberGermanZionistsinthetwentieswas Very fewworkingJewsarefoundinVorobeichic’s

[Tagelöhner] Tim Gidal,Lowicz: Arbeiterfotograff , 4thphoto in (fig.14)andthemenareportrayed My CousinGershon inthe Doorway ofthe Memories . 29 Gidal’s imagesofchildren Daily

28

(Tageloshner) the caption correct, in Which is or here?

Ars Judaica 2011 77 , 10th photo in in , 10th photo ModernityAnti-Nostalgia as , their personal , their personal Ostjuden Lublin Porter Waiting for a Customer for Waiting Porter Lublin Tim Gidal, Although Gidal and Vorobeichic were not com- Although Gidal and Vorobeichic Gidal’s porter to a porter from one of the many postcards Gidal’s that reveal disheveled I War (fig. 16b) taken before World porter feet. Gidal’s figures in torn clothing and rag-bound relaxed stance from differs markedly in his upright but these earlier artifacts. missioned to photograph the decisions may have been supported by the increasing rise of the National Socialists after the 1930 German their variant representations of elections. However, working men may also derive from the different attitude the Republic toward of the Zionists during the Weimar strategy of projecting Gidal’s concept of the modern Jew. strength in his porter rather than victimization may also reflect his basic comprehension of Zionism as enabling a new vision for Jews by revitalizing both the body and mind through agricultural work and sports. His youthful movement reminds us membership in the Blau-Weiss Fig. 15. Memories

Ein Ein Lublin , no 53 in Hod Carrier (Tageloshner)

But his work is neither But his work is neither 30 (fig. 15), the porter’s head is (fig. 15), the porter’s Daily Reward Daily Moshe Vorobeichic, Moshe Vorobeichic, Fig. 14. Ghetto 30 Poland.” to Jewish See Gidal, “Visit (fig. 16a) uses the specific environment to provide a (fig. 16a) uses the specific environment to provide a clear sense of place and balance in order to convey a Of monumental but concrete image of a daily laborer. relatives in Poland had a course, the fact that Gidal’s small business in rope-making, a dominant occupation for many eastern European Jews, may have given him a predisposition to honor his Jewish brethren as he moved through what he called “the invisible curtain, which and East.” had separated West positions his working Jews in a positive manner. In manner. positions his working Jews in a positive and his crossed feet upright, his shoulders are not bent, on the doorjamb convey a relaxed attitude as he leans Gidal that serves as a frame and resting place for his body. whose portrait seems to reference Sander, Porter Waiting for a Customer Porter Waiting mythologizing nor reportage, as we can see by comparing 78 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long included animatedratherthanvictimizedwomen. 31For discussionofBarKochbaandotherJewishsportsgroups,see (fig. 17). German ZionistyouthorganizationssuchasBarKochba he photographedsportscompetitionsandparadesof agricultural workinPalestine.Duringthelatetwenties, throughsportsinordertopreparefortherigorsofbody of hisexposuretothephilosophystrengthening facilitated hisvision. with itsstraightforwardstrategies,likethoseofSander, that time.Inthisregardhisphoto-journalistbackground his abilitytoenvisionthecomplexityofJewishculture at perhaps herethatthepowerofGidal’s visionsurfaces,in 2 ThewomenGidalchose forhisphotosappeartobemoresecularand 32 Nationalism fromNordautoJabotinsky Michael Stanislawski, of adarkcourtyardintothebright lightofthemarketplaceand house,” hefeaturesawomanstepping outfrombeneaththearchway photo, “Lowicz.Entrancefromthe market-squaretomygrandfather’s less victimizedthanthosechosen by Vorobeichic. InGidal’s second 31 Justasheincludedspiritedchildren,Gidalalso Fig. 16a.andb. Zionism andtheFindeSiècle:Cosmopolitanism (Berkeley, 2001),91–93. August Sander, Hod Carrier 32 Itis in Face ofOurTime this area,mentioning“menoffaithandhypocrites[…] mix ofattitudesandconditionsthatheencountered in his visittoJewishPoland,hedescribedtheincredible overcome byadulationastotouchit.Writing laterabout secular clothinglookingatthetombrespectfullybutnotso byhavingtwomeninreminds hisviewersofmodernity places hishandreverentiallyonthewall.ButGidalalso dress his rationalistviews.AmanintraditionalOrthodox Gaon ofVilna, aneighteenth-centuryrabbiadmiredfor vision. Gidal’s lastpage(fig.18)depictsthetombof however, quitedisparatechoicestobringvitalitytheir Both photographersendonapositivenote,using, bent overandragged,havelined, anxiousfaces. 36, 42,43,46,and49).Ineachcase, theindividualwomenseemtobe “Maternity,” “OldJewishWoman,” or“JewishType intheAlley”(nos. for acustomeroraregivengeneric labelssuchas“Motherhood,” of theothersthatappeardepictawomansittingbeforeshopwaiting doesn’t appearuntilno.27,“Courtyard Passageway.” After that,many outside world.ThefirstimageofawomaninVorobeichic’s chronicle , 1929, and postcard prior toWorld, 1929,andpostcardprior War I Ars Judaica 2011 79 ModernityAnti-Nostalgia as Memories , 16th photo in , 16th photo Vilna: Tomb of the Gaon of Vilna of the Tomb Vilna: Tim Gidal, Tim Gidal, Parade of a Bar Kochba Group after a relay race,Tim Gidal, Parade after Group 1932 a relay of a Bar Kochba Fig. 18. Fig. 17. Fig. 17. 80 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long and Fig. 19a.andb. The Cantor Gedalke Moshe Vorobeichic, , no.63in Ein Ghetto The BlindFiddler > , no.62

> Ars Judaica 2011 81 . Ostjuden . Arranging Ein Ghetto ModernityAnti-Nostalgia as Judaic type (Joyous), no 64 in (Joyous), Fröhlich Fröhlich Moshe Vorobeichic, Moshe Vorobeichic, eastern brethren – they were not romanticized devotees eastern brethren – they were not romanticized devotees For Gidal, the concept of a vigorous of eastern Jewry. people not dependent on traditional religious constraints, who could build a communal, socialistic nation, is central hybrid portrait of the to his extraordinary, vigorous, dynamic photographs, both men registered their identification with the vital construction of a modern Jew represented either by the structure of the shots or by the image itself. Fig. 20. For Vorobeichic, the eye of the camera was the athlete, camera was the athlete, the eye of the For Vorobeichic, modernizing through its action the all of which Gidal attempted all of which Gidal 33 (Joyous). More cinematic than Gidal, Gidal, (Joyous). More cinematic than Gidal’s photographic memoir did not emphasize photographic memoir did not emphasize Gidal’s In contrast to Gidal, Vorobeichic ended his photobook Vorobeichic In contrast to Gidal, Fröhlich eastern European Jews as religious or victimized; that eastern European Jews as religious or victimized; that is, he did not concentrate on dire poverty or on Jews praying in relation to their synagogue as did Vorobeichic. Instead, he focused on dignifying the multiple aspects of daily life. Neither photographer advocated a return to the traditional lifestyle and religious activity of their Vorobeichic used a repetition of montaged motifs cut out Vorobeichic viewer through his from pieces of Jewish life to propel the book. The number of dynamic, montaged compositions increases toward the end, and suggests that Vorobeichic may have viewed his visual experiments as modernizing interpretations of the folk culture of the so-called authentic Jew of the East. to convey in his pictorial memoir by giving weight to the memoir by giving weight to the to convey in his pictorial rather than the religious. secular and the physical In of joy brought from Jewish culture. with representations (figs. 19a and 19b) before the last one, the two facing pages a street juxtaposed several montaged photos, Vorobeichic a violin, producingmusician playing klezmer perhaps and a man and a woman responding. music, and a child he included three On the facing page, on the upper right, who appear to be montaged views of his “typical” Jew, the sound of the looking at or listening to music. But of a record in music playing is conveyed by the presence This circular record the upper left of that composite photo. is the only clear representation of modernization – of the and reproductiontechnological revolution of duplication – reinforce To has included in his portrayal. that Vorobeichic come out of Jewish his concept of the vitality that might with an image concluded his book culture, Vorobeichic with a portion of of his typical Jew – smiling (fig. 20), Moholy-Nagy the face sharply shadowed, as his mentor left little doubt about the frequently had done. Vorobeichic mood he wanted to convey: the caption of this image is 33 to Jewish Poland.” Gidal, “Visit ignoramuses and atheists, socialists and communists, […] and communists, and atheists, socialists ignoramuses orthodox that He ended by stating assimilationists.” and Jewish life of “the flow of gave him a sense this mixture future,” from the past to the 82 Ars Judaica 2011 Rose-Carol Washton Long While Vorobeichic’s strategyofmontagingwouldhave stop andchangethecustomaryresponseofspectator. following aSanderorMoholy-Nagyapproach,would for Benjaminthemostpowerfulphotograph,whether 4 Benjamin,“ALittleHistoryofPhotography”(n. 2above),526–27. 34 the associativemechanismsinbeholder.” fleeting andsecretimageswhoseshockeffectparalyzes in 1931,would“instruct”thespectatorby“capturing committed photography, whichasBenjamindescribed In asense,wecanseebothartistsasparadigmsof 34 Thatis, construct – a new identity for Jews in the modern world. construct –anewidentityforJewsinthemodern complex strategiesmeanttopropagate–thatis, of easternEuropeanJewrybut,moreimportantly, two these photographicbooksrevealnotonlyaremembrance piety andreligion.Theseriesofphotoswhichmakeup particularly thoseaccustomedtoequatingJewishnesswith sense ofpowerwouldhavealsoshockedtheobserver, strategy ofgivinghisimagesordinaryJewsadirect definitely unsettledthespectatoratthattime,soGidal’s