Hofstra professor discusses Judaism issues in new book

Dr. Sally Charnow’s recently-published book is the first biography of the French Jewish writer Edmond Fleg. // Photo courtesy of Hofstra Cultural Center.

Dr. Sally Charnow, professor of history, author, editor and current co-president of the Society for French Historical Studies, presented her recently published book, “Edmond Fleg and Jewish Minority Culture in Twentieth-Century France,” during a book launch held on Zoom by the Hofstra Cultural Center on Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Hofstra’s department of religion, history and Jewish studies presented the book launch and discussion. Charnow began by stating that Edmond Fleg (1874-1963) is “the most famous of French Jewish writers that you’ve actually never heard of.” According to Charnow, Fleg was one of France’s most influential authors at the time of his death, and he shaped “a modern French Jewish identity in the twentieth century.” However, this perception of Fleg has changed since then. “Why [did] Fleg’s centrality to French Jewish self-understanding fade from memory in the years after 1945?” Charnow asked. Moreover, she argued that the discussion of French Jewish identity became the focus of philosophers after the Holocaust, especially around the work of Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Anti-Semite and Jews.”

Charnow’s discussion focused on elements that surprised her during her research on Fleg. “Fleg’s work was not eclipsed,” Charnow said, “but rather his work found a voice through the impressive and well-known philosopher Emmanuel Levinas.” Levinas and Fleg shared a common understanding of Judaism, according to Charnow. Both authors valued “fresh readings of freely chosen Jewish ethical texts forming the foundation of a modern French Jewish spirituality and self-understanding.” The major argument of her book is that the Dreyfus Affair deeply affected Fleg and his generation, resulting in Fleg “constituting a unique way to reimagine Jewishness.”  

“[He] fashioned a minority identity within the French Third Republic ... in which citizens are sure of all that is particular to them and they are seen as the same by the state,” Charnow said.

Additionally, Charnow was surprised by Fleg’s influence. She explained that Fleg drew from the French philosopher Henri Bergson. “[Bergson offered] a way out of the disenchantment with the positivistic scientist way of thinking.” Charnow said,  “That the world is only knowable through its material manifestations ... and what we might call traditional eternalism or institution based religion.”

From Bergson, Fleg developed his own understanding of the division between politics and spirit. Charnow said that Fleg believed that there was a continuity between politics and the spirit. “Identity is never discrete, it’s never stable,” she said, “but it’s in constant motion between intellect or material and intuition and spirit.”

 “It is interesting that Fleg considered [institutional religion and spiritual religion] to be linked together since they were always separate,” said Alex Le, a freshman computer science major. “But, even more interesting is that Fleg promoted the view that both are separate from one another.”

Furthermore, Fleg’s inspiration came from serving for France in the Second World War. During his service, Fleg “forged an ecumenical spirit,” according to Charnow, which led to the notion of creating a diverse community. After serving, Fleg published many influential plays and essays, particularly “La Maison du Bon Dieu,” which supported his “expansive vision of unity across diverse communities, religious and otherwise,” according to Charnow.

“After the war, a lot of Jews started to express their culture in different ways, which I find fascinating yet at the same time saddening,” said Daniela Sagastizado, a freshman forensic science major. “I find [the impact of Fleg’s work] fascinating because it allows people to connect with [people] just like them during such hard times.”

Guest speaker Dr. Jeff Horn, a professor of history at Manhattan College, author, editor and co-president of the Society for French Historical Studies, closed the event by speaking on the importance of Fleg’s view of Judaism. “The fact that [Fleg] saw Judaism as the application of ethics in daily life, rather than formal religious practice,” Horn said, “is one of the elements that Charnow has really emphasized.”