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Karl Marx
Dates
1818-1883
Background
Philosopher, historian, sociologist, economist, current affairs journalist, and editor, Marx's best-known titles are the pamphlet, The Communist Manifesto, and the three-volume Das Kapital.
Famous Quote
"History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."
Karl Marx (1818–1883)—philosopher, historian, sociologist, economist, current affairs journalist, and editor—was one of the most influential and revolutionary thinkers of modern history, but he is rarely thought of as a Jewish thinker, and his Jewish background is either overlooked or misrepresented. Here, distinguished scholar Shlomo Avineri argues that Marx’s Jewish origins did leave a significant impression on his work. Marx was born in Trier, then part of Prussia, and his family had enjoyed equal rights and emancipation under earlier French control of the area. But then its annexation to Prussia deprived the Jewish population of its equal rights. These developments led to the reluctant conversion of Marx’s father, and similar tribulations radicalized many young intellectuals of that time who came from a Jewish background.
Avineri puts Marx’s Jewish background in its proper and balanced perspective, and traces Marx’s intellectual development in light of the historical, intellectual, and political contexts in which he lived.
"Besides being approachably succinct, Avineri’s sympathetic account is distinguished by its appearance in the highly regarded Jewish Lives series." —James Miller, The New York Times
"And here lies the central strength of this short biography: It tells us what Marx actually wrote." —Jonathan Rose, The Wall Street Journal
“Shlomo Avineri has written a wonderfully perceptive and nuanced biography of Karl Marx--paying all due attention (but no more than that) to Jewish interests, Marx's and ours. His book is both intellectually and politically engaging--and a pleasure to read.” —Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ
Shlomo Avineri is professor emeritus of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. A leading Israeli political scientist, he is the author of The Social and Political Thought of Karl Marx and The Making of Modern Zionism.
Author Photograph © Hebrew University
Karl Marx is one of the most influential and revolutionary thinkers in modern history, but his Jewish background is either overlooked or misrepresented. Shlomo Avineri, author of the Jewish Lives biography Karl Marx: Philosophy and Revolution, puts Marx's Jewish background in its proper and balanced context.
Watch Chapter 1 of the PBS American Experience film Emma Goldman, and learn more about the radical thinker and activist with Jewish Lives.
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Franz Kafka
Dates
1883-1924
Impact
Franz Kafka was the poet of his own disorder. Throughout his life he struggled with a pervasive sense of shame and guilt that left traces in his daily existence—in his many letters, in his extensive diaries, and especially in his fiction.
Famous Quote
"The meaning of life is that it stops."
June is LGBT Pride Month.
Watch a 1978 NBC News report introducing viewers to the newly elected and openly gay San Francisco official Harvey Milk, and learn more with Jewish Lives.
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Moses
Dates
Biblical period
Impact
No figure looms larger in Jewish culture than Moses, and few have stories more enigmatic. Who was Moses? Orphan. Prince. Fugitive. Shepherd. Negotiator. Leader. But he never made it to the Promised Land.
Famous Quote
"Let my people go"
Spring is here and love is in the air.
Watch Barbra Streisand sing a stunning duet with Judy Garland during an episode of "The Judy Garland Show," and learn more about Streisand's iconic career with Jewish Lives.
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Benjamin Disraeli
Dates
1804-1881
Impact
Served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and played a central role in the creation of the modern Conservative Party. He is widely celebrated for his role in Jewish history but is the perception of him as a Jewish hero accurate?
Famous Quote
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
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Hot off the presses!
Read two new reviews of the Jewish Lives biography Martin Buber: A Life of Faith and Dissent by Paul Mendes-Flohr:
The New York Times Book Review
The New Yorker
Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) was an enormously influential artist and nurturer of artists even though his accomplishments are often overshadowed by his role as Georgia O’Keeffe’s husband. This new book from celebrated biographer Phyllis Rose reconsiders Stieglitz as a revolutionary force in the history of American art.
Born in New Jersey, Stieglitz at age eighteen went to study in Germany, where his father, a wool merchant and painter, insisted he would get a proper education. After returning to America, he became one of the first American photographers to achieve international fame. By the time he was sixty, he gave up photography and devoted himself to selling and promoting art. His first gallery, 291, was the first American gallery to show works by Picasso, Rodin, Matisse, and other great European modernists. His galleries were not dealerships so much as open universities, where he introduced European modern art to Americans and nurtured an appreciation of American art among American artists.
"There is no pure white or black in photography: a great photograph captures the nuances of light and shadow that underlie perception. That is exactly what Phyllis Rose's biography of Alfred Stieglitz does. And no biographer has a sharper sense of focus for the competing narratives that underlie a marriage. This double portrait of Stieglitz and O'Keeffe is the work of a master.” —Judith Thurman, author of Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette and Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller
“Rose is consistently generous, knowledgeable . . .” —Christine Smallwood, The New Yorker
Phyllis Rose is a literary critic and biographer. Her books include the acclaimed biography of Virginia Woolf, Woman of Letters, and her classic Parallel Lives: Five Victorian Marriages. She divides her time between New York City and Key West, FL.
Author photograph © Sigrid Estrada
Watch author Steven Nadler discuss the life and legacy of Menasseh ben Israel, filmed at the Park Avenue Synagogue in NYC.
This event is part of the Jewish Lives Book Club, a global reading group program where participants receive discounted books, free reading guides, and more.
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Alfred Stieglitz
Dates
1864-1946
Impact
Although his career as an influential photographer and art promoter is often overshadowed by his role as Georgia O’Keeffe’s husband, Stieglitz was a revolutionary force in the history of American art.
Famous Quote
"Wherever there is light, one can photograph."
Watch an exquisite duet with Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland from a 1963 episode of “The Judy Garland Show," and learn more about Streisand's iconic career with Jewish Lives.
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Martin Buber
Dates
1878-1965
Impact
Buber’s philosophical and theological writings, most famously I and Thou, made significant contributions to religious and Jewish thought, philosophical anthropology, biblical studies, political theory, and Zionism.
Famous Quote
"A person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human, is what this individual person, has been created for."
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Ben Hecht
Dates
1894-1964
Impact
A celebrated American screenwriter best known for Scarface,Twentieth Century, and Notorious, Hecht emerged as an outspoken crusader for the imperiled Jews of Europe and later became a fierce propagandist for pre-1948 Palestine’s Jewish terrorist underground.
Famous Quote
"Love is a hole in the heart."
James Corden calls on Barbra Streisand for a ride to work. Hear Barbra sing classics as well as music from her new album, "Walls," and learn more about the Hollywood legend with Jewish Lives.
This month, Judith Rosenbaum, PhD, executive director of the Jewish Women’s Archive, answers 4 questions about the Jewish experience.
1. In your opinion, what is the defining feature of Jewish life today?
I would say choice. Jewish life in the 21st century is voluntary, and – even for those of us for whom Jewishness is a primary identity – it is one among many commitments and affiliations.
2. What is your favorite Jewish book and why?
It’s hard to pick just one, but if forced to choose, I would have to say Grace Paley’s The Collected Stories. Her stories, which focus on women’s lives, capture how the most mundane, brief moments of everyday life (a walk with a friend, moms watching kids in the park) contain everything we need to know about people and the world. I also love the intersections of politics, family, and storytelling. No one was better than Grace Paley at making clear the political imperative, as well as the human imperative, to love people and to tell their stories. I return to these stories again and again for Paley’s deep wisdom about people, relationships, love, and justice.
3. What do you think Jewish life will look like in 100 years from now?
As a historian, I have a great deal of humility about making predictions. As in the midrash of Moses feeling lost in the beit midrash of Rabbi Akiva, I expect – and hope – that I would be surprised and perhaps confused, because Judaism should continue to evolve.
4. If you could meet any figure from Jewish history, who would it be and why?
Again, how to choose just one?? I’d love to meet the 19th century feminist Ernestine Rose and hear about how it even occurred to her to sue her rabbi father in the Polish civil court over her betrothal to a man she didn’t want to marry and the loss of her inheritance to him. I’m also fascinated by Emma Goldman and would enjoy meeting her. And I’d be interested to get Bella Abzug’s perspective on how to grapple with politics in this challenging era. Among many others.
Enjoy the humorous choreography of Jerome Robbins performed by the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company, and learn more about the master choreographer with Jewish Lives.
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Mark Rothko
Dates
1903-1970
Impact
One of the greatest painters of the twentieth century, Rothko was born in Russia and immigrated to the U.S. when he was ten. His paintings are recognizable for their rectangular fields of color and light.
Famous Quote
“You’ve got sadness in you, I’ve got sadness in me – and my works of art are places where the two sadnesses can meet, and therefore both of us need to feel less sad.”
