19 - America in the Shade: Etty Hillesum as Mediator Between the Cold War Perspectives on the Holocaust
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 January 2021
Summary
Abstract
Etty Hillesum hardly made explicit reference in her writings to the Unites States of America. Yet, this country functions powerfully in perceptions of her work. The author points out that Hillesum's lack of mention of the US, forces researchers to re-evaluate just how much occupied Europe expected from America during the war. Secondly, American reflections on Hillesum's work put the focus on the psychological dimension, which might obscure the cultural context of her writings. Thirdly, the author concludes that Hillesum's fascination with Russia functioned as a bridge between the diverse approaches to Jewish suffering in the East and West. Because Hillesum escaped the fixed models of Cold War historiography, she was able to play a mediating role that perfectly matched her aspirations as a writer.
Keywords: Russia, Cold War, America, international reception, academic reception, Holocaust studies, historiography, Etty Hillesum
Esther “Etty” Hillesum had no special relationship to the United States. The first thing one notices in Etty Hillesum's letters and diaries is the almost complete absence of references to America. Yet, this country looms large when one reflects upon her work. In these reflections, America functions at three levels. First, it is a remarkable absence in her literary production Second, it is an academic arena where discussion of Etty Hillesum's work has resulted in widely divergent opinions. And third, especially during the Cold War, the United States formed one side of the competing interpretations of the Holocaust, with Russia forming the other. Etty Hillesum's oeuvre can fulfil a role in bridging the differences between the two sides and providing a cohesive way to understand how and why they diverged. This essay opens with notes on Hillesum's writings on America, followed by an analysis of the reception of her work in the United States, and concludes with a call to utilize her work to bridge the gap between eastern and western interpretations of the Holocaust. As it turns out, this mediation role perfectly matches Etty Hillesum's aspirations.
America in Hillesum's Literary Production
Etty Hillesum made only a few, indirect, references to America. For example, she dismissed the public show of religious feelings that emerged out of the Oxford Group, an original American effort to secure peace through moral rearmament.
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- Information
- Reading Etty Hillesum in ContextWritings, Life, and Influences of a Visionary Author, pp. 379 - 394Publisher: Amsterdam University PressPrint publication year: 2018