People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present
- Downloads：5137
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-24 19:21:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Dara Horn
- ISBN：1324035943
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Melissa
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Dara Horn’s essays address challenging issues in a humorous， lively voice。 Full of interesting historical facts and serious ideas related to the jaw-dropping title。 If you read just one， make it the essay on the （former） Jewish community in Harbin China！ And the prologue。 And maybe the Ann Frank piece。
Elaine
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This book just was NOT for me。 One of the few books I couldn't really make it through。I was originally encouraged because I have enjoyed Dara Horn's fiction。However， this just was not my kind of book This book just was NOT for me。 One of the few books I couldn't really make it through。I was originally encouraged because I have enjoyed Dara Horn's fiction。However， this just was not my kind of book 。。。more
KP
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WOW。 This book doesn't pull punches。 I kinda want to shove this book at。。。 everyone。。。 WOW。 This book doesn't pull punches。 I kinda want to shove this book at。。。 everyone。。。 。。。more
Allison Poirier
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My whole life I knew there was something wrong with the way I was taught about the Holocaust， and Dara Horn has finally articulated what I’ve always known in my gut。 This book is fiery， angry， and absolutely necessary for anyone who is trying to combat modern anti semitism。
Patricia
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Lots of fascinating information on antisemitism throughout history。
Barry
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Powerful， sobering， a real challenge to so much of our thinking。
Gideon
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this book was SO good。 extremely important for anyone to read but especially non-Jews。 investigates and criticizes the way people conceive of and aim to prevent modern-day antisemitism and how it's treated， the role of Jews in the non-Jewish imagination， and other topics。 the writing is excellent and i。 have so many emotions about this go read it rn this book was SO good。 extremely important for anyone to read but especially non-Jews。 investigates and criticizes the way people conceive of and aim to prevent modern-day antisemitism and how it's treated， the role of Jews in the non-Jewish imagination， and other topics。 the writing is excellent and i。 have so many emotions about this go read it rn 。。。more
Pava Cohen
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Sad but true。 Sums up the story of my people。 Five years ago， I read a novel about Palestinians and challenged myself to read other cultures’ world views， thinking I was too sheltered and my perception about anti-semitism getting worse had to be wrong。 That people could not really be that blindly cruel and stupid。 Surely we have evolved。 This was my first return to my own history。 I was reminded that: people were， are， and always will be cruel and stupid。 It is easier to blame another easy to si Sad but true。 Sums up the story of my people。 Five years ago， I read a novel about Palestinians and challenged myself to read other cultures’ world views， thinking I was too sheltered and my perception about anti-semitism getting worse had to be wrong。 That people could not really be that blindly cruel and stupid。 Surely we have evolved。 This was my first return to my own history。 I was reminded that: people were， are， and always will be cruel and stupid。 It is easier to blame another easy to single out ethnic group than to take responsibility for your own life challenges。 Jews， blacks， Muslims， women— whomever has the least power to fight back。 And preferably the most spoils of war to seize。 。。。more
Laura Egendorf
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A very tough read at times， but one of the best books I've read in quite a while。 There are whole chapters I wish I could quote here。 A very tough read at times， but one of the best books I've read in quite a while。 There are whole chapters I wish I could quote here。 。。。more
Joseph Tepperman
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i read this over tisha b'av， while fasting - i had put off reading it for a while because i was afraid it would shake me - and it did - the arguments throughout are tight - the examples of the world preferring dead jews to living jews are relentless and crushing - i who had long ago decided the Merchant of Venice was not antisemitic am ready to reconsider， because of Dara Horn - hers is maybe not the most nuanced take but some subjects need a harsh word i read this over tisha b'av， while fasting - i had put off reading it for a while because i was afraid it would shake me - and it did - the arguments throughout are tight - the examples of the world preferring dead jews to living jews are relentless and crushing - i who had long ago decided the Merchant of Venice was not antisemitic am ready to reconsider， because of Dara Horn - hers is maybe not the most nuanced take but some subjects need a harsh word 。。。more
Anessa Farber
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Really a fresh perspective with an amazing nuanced portrayal of Anti-semitista。 Love it and think it should be mandatory reading for Jewish high schooler and adults！
Claire
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I have not read any of the author's fiction but this set of essays focuses on anti-semitism that might not be evident to those who don't hear it。 Includes the rise and destruction of Jewish communities such as Harbin in China （and the relation to Russia） and the myth that Ellis Island （which employed many translators） was a wholesale source of name changes。 Worth reading to consider certain events from a different perspective。 I have not read any of the author's fiction but this set of essays focuses on anti-semitism that might not be evident to those who don't hear it。 Includes the rise and destruction of Jewish communities such as Harbin in China （and the relation to Russia） and the myth that Ellis Island （which employed many translators） was a wholesale source of name changes。 Worth reading to consider certain events from a different perspective。 。。。more
Bronte Page
，
People Love Dead Jews is a collection of essays from author Dara Horn that reflect on tensions between the societal fascination with the holocaust and the realities of the experiences and antisemitism faced by Jewish people in their everyday lives。 This book was on My Jewish Learning's 120 Jewish Books for Every Age that popped into my email last night and the title and premise of the book instantly intrigued me。 Boy， was I not disappointed。 The book was thought provoking， confronting and super People Love Dead Jews is a collection of essays from author Dara Horn that reflect on tensions between the societal fascination with the holocaust and the realities of the experiences and antisemitism faced by Jewish people in their everyday lives。 This book was on My Jewish Learning's 120 Jewish Books for Every Age that popped into my email last night and the title and premise of the book instantly intrigued me。 Boy， was I not disappointed。 The book was thought provoking， confronting and super informative。 The range of topics covered everything from frozen towns in China， to the way society consumes Jewish literature， to Varian Fry， an American man responsible for saving many prominent Jewish artists during the holocaust。 There were a few things the author touched on in her essays that I wish had gotten an essay of their own but on the whole I thought the selection was very well thought out。 The structure of the essays was coherent with a mix between essays on historical antisemitism and more modern issues highlighting the increasing antisemitism American Jews have been facing in recent years。 This is a must-read for anyone who is wanting to think more deeply about antisemitism as well as confront their own ignorances and misinformation on the issue。 。。。more
Alina Dell
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I will never be able to vocalize just how much I need people to read this book
Kendra Ramada
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This book was really， really good。 Insightful and educational， and also makes you think about your own complicity in glorifying a whole group of people’s trauma。 I also （maybe inappropriately？） laughed out loud a lot - Horn has a funny， dry， morbid wit that I really appreciated。 Some of her moments of sarcasm really underline the absurdity of some of the historical atrocities she writes about。 A must read， imho。
Sarah （sally）
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Dara Horn's thought provoking and often disturbing essays are a must read。 The one that left me reeling was about the blockbuster exhibit "Auschwitz: Not Long Ago， Not Far Away"。 For someone who lived and breathed Holocaust education for years， this essay gave me a lot to digest。 Dara Horn's thought provoking and often disturbing essays are a must read。 The one that left me reeling was about the blockbuster exhibit "Auschwitz: Not Long Ago， Not Far Away"。 For someone who lived and breathed Holocaust education for years， this essay gave me a lot to digest。 。。。more
Seth B。
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I’ll keep it short。 My first review ever。 I cried， I smiled and I brooded。 Spent a lot of time watching the birds in my backyard and staring into the distance for something that made sense of these stories。 I think I’ve spent more time reading about dead people of the Jewish faith than I have loving the ones who probably live in my town。 Time to educate myself further and spread the love。
Wendelle
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an eye-opening book and a worthy stopover for self-reflection that should be required reading given the recent sobering news that the Jewish people are the most targeted group for hate crimes in Toronto for the 3rd year in a row。 The book's provocative title spawns from the author's description of a phenomenon wherein people love to use the concept of 'dead Jews' as a narrative device or civilizational device to feel good about themselves， to feel uplift about humanity， while at the same time th an eye-opening book and a worthy stopover for self-reflection that should be required reading given the recent sobering news that the Jewish people are the most targeted group for hate crimes in Toronto for the 3rd year in a row。 The book's provocative title spawns from the author's description of a phenomenon wherein people love to use the concept of 'dead Jews' as a narrative device or civilizational device to feel good about themselves， to feel uplift about humanity， while at the same time there is an uptick of crimes or insidious or subtle discrimination against living Jews。 As stark example of this， the author provides the instance of Holland's Anne Frank Museum， the Anne Frank House， forbidding an employee to wear a yarmulke out of its perceived discordance with the museum's goal of diversity。 This is done even as， of course， the museum and the culture itself reaps benefits from Anne Frank's story。 This attitude， according to the author， has other examples-- such as the success of a culture factory that churns out cathartic novels wherein Jewish victims are rescued or liberated by heroic， fictional non-Jews during WWII。 The author perceives and names books such as 'the Tattooist of Auschwitz' and 'the Boy in Striped Pajamas' as examples of this。 This type of Holocaust literature， the author says， has taken the place of Jewish voices， or Hebrew or Yiddish literature。The book goes beyond this， and shows， on a global trek， how Jewish presence has been excavated， then paved over with versions of history and record that gloss over Jewish suffering in that area。 From places like Harbin， China to Soviet Russia to immigrant America to Iraq and Saudi Arabia and Libya， this author writes， Jews have been driven away， their businesses have been taken， they have been manipulated to condemn their own culture and people， they have been forced to assimilate， and in acts of terror they have been killed too。 And even now， the author says and shows， there is a creep in antisemitic persecutions， in a thousand guises。Whether one agrees with the author's entire mindset or not， this book is significant outpost for reflection。 。。。more
Maire
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An extremely important read which asks us to analyze and question the narrative we’ve been fed and also acknowledge the Anti-Semitism that continues to run rampant here in the US and all over the world。 I would say just as an observation that this book does have a bit of a Zionist bias。
Pam
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Exceptionally good。 A really strong audiobook， too （pronunciations aside）， and so insightful and clarifying。
Benjamin
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Incisive and profound essays on Jewish life and the haunting nature of the Jewish past。 Loved this book！ Favorite essays were on Harbin， China and the false narrative about name changing at Ellis Island。
Liz
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I've seen this book recommended all over Jewish Instagram and finally borrowed it from my local library。 So glad I did！ I shared so many of the same feelings with Dara。 I was fascinated and frustrated by the stories she played out。 Made me want to keep reading and learning about our history， and even got me to look up some daf yomi podcasts I've seen this book recommended all over Jewish Instagram and finally borrowed it from my local library。 So glad I did！ I shared so many of the same feelings with Dara。 I was fascinated and frustrated by the stories she played out。 Made me want to keep reading and learning about our history， and even got me to look up some daf yomi podcasts 。。。more
Howard H
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For a few days， Dara Horn sort of lived inside my head - and it was wonderful。 Not her conclusions， which are awful if apt。 What was wonderful was her ability to capture eloquently and poignantly - maybe tragically - how media and society fail the Jews。 That this isn't a new story doesn't make it any less compelling。 HH For a few days， Dara Horn sort of lived inside my head - and it was wonderful。 Not her conclusions， which are awful if apt。 What was wonderful was her ability to capture eloquently and poignantly - maybe tragically - how media and society fail the Jews。 That this isn't a new story doesn't make it any less compelling。 HH 。。。more
Miriam
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The chapters are so different and moralistic but the writing is so excellent that it still feels more like a book than a treatise or series of essays。 The conversation about how we learn about the Holocaust， different diasporas and expulsions， and modern day hate crimes felt so absolutely personal and yet inciteful in ways I had never considered before。 Combine that with the literary analysis running throughout， this book taught me more about my own feelings of the Jewish experience than years o The chapters are so different and moralistic but the writing is so excellent that it still feels more like a book than a treatise or series of essays。 The conversation about how we learn about the Holocaust， different diasporas and expulsions， and modern day hate crimes felt so absolutely personal and yet inciteful in ways I had never considered before。 Combine that with the literary analysis running throughout， this book taught me more about my own feelings of the Jewish experience than years of less-guided reflection have been able to。 Engaging and thoughtful at all times without ever being ham-fisted。 。。。more
Jody KL
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A must-read for everyone
Daniel Sevitt
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This was a selection of previously published essays rather than a hypothesis with a clear thread running all the way through。 Once I got over that minor disappointment， I was able to appreciate the fine work in each of these vignettes。 The strongest chapters were the section of the Jews of Harbin， China and what remains of the community there and the strange story of Varian Fry which was all new to me and utterly compelling。But beyond these highlights there were no mere filler chapters。 It was a This was a selection of previously published essays rather than a hypothesis with a clear thread running all the way through。 Once I got over that minor disappointment， I was able to appreciate the fine work in each of these vignettes。 The strongest chapters were the section of the Jews of Harbin， China and what remains of the community there and the strange story of Varian Fry which was all new to me and utterly compelling。But beyond these highlights there were no mere filler chapters。 It was all super smart with just the right amount of outrage。 No point in my wishing for something the author never intended。 This was a superior and thought-provoking collection 。。。more
Helene
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This book expresses so much of how I've felt most of my life and was unable to put into words。 It is sad and true。 This book expresses so much of how I've felt most of my life and was unable to put into words。 It is sad and true。 。。。more
Andie
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Important and eye-opening。
Meredith
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Wow。 This book was so insightful， and it moved me to tears so many times。 It was surprising how much I related to this book and how many of my personal experiences were reflected within it。 And the commentary on the simultaneous commodification and erasure of the Jews displaced from different places by the same people that displaced them was super impactful。
Zivan
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