An Anthology of Jewish-Russian Literature: Two Centuries of Dual Identity in
Prose and Poetry.
Maxim D. Shrayer, editor.
M.E. Sharpe, 2007. 2v. $225.
ISBN: 978-0-7656-0521-4
Jews have a long history in Russia. Despite centuries of persecution and forced assimilation, Jewish culture survived and thrived as writers with dual identities as
Russians and Jews created literary works in Russian. Maxim D. Shrayer, a Russian
émigré who is professor of Russian and English and co director of the Jewish Studies program at Boston College, has compiled an anthology of the work of more than 130
Jewish authors and poets writing in Russian. The two volumes cover the years 1801-1953 and 1953-2001, years which include numerous pogroms, the Russian Revolution and the establishment of a Communist government, two World Wars and the Holocaust, the establishment of the state of Israel, and the end of the Soviet Union.
The editor’s general introduction discusses the development of Jewish literature in
Russian. Each volume is divided into chronological sections, which have their own introductions. The editor also provides a biography of every included author. The selected works were chosen for their literary quality and their illumination of questions of
Jewish identity, history, and status. The authors represent a wide range of literary styles and forms. Early works such as Afansy Fet’s “Sheltered by a crimson awning” and
Leyba Nevakhovich’s
Lament of the Daughter of Judah appear along with works by better known writers such as Isaac Babel, Osip Mandelstam, and Boris Pasternak. More recent writers include Joseph Brodsky, Felix Roziner, and Vladimir Gandelsman. Among the women represented are Marina Temkina, Ludmila Ulitskaya, and Dina Rubina.
In addition to the introductory material and extensive bibliography, the anthology includes an outline of Jewish-Russian history by John D. Klier of University College,
London. This is an excellent resource for students of Jewish literature and anyone interested in learning more about Jewish culture in Russia. Academic libraries supporting
Jewish Studies, comparative literature, and/or Slavic studies programs will want to add it to their collections. Public and synagogue libraries serving interested communities will

want to consider it also. Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland Public Library, Oakland, CA;
Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, CA.