The Shtetl: Myth and Reality

Historically, many Polish Jews lived in shtetls, villages and small towns, but little of what we know about shtetl life comes from historical research. This collection includes papers from a June 2001 conference on the myth and reality of shtetls organized by the Institute of Jewish Studies at University College, London. Topics include the role of the shtetl in integration, their existence under Russian/USSR and Polish rule, how they changed culturally in the early twentieth century, how they maintained their social relationships, and how they were portrayed in literature. Contributors offer work on correspondence from shtetl residents, the 1936 incidents in Przytyk, and Jewish prisoner labor in Warsaw after the Ghetto uprising. They include reviews of recent publications and memorials of supporters of the Institute for Polish-Jewish Studies. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)