Good Jews

The first investigation of philosemitism in post-Holocaust Europe, exploring evolving attitudes towards Jews, Judaism and Jewishness.

The Holocaust is now widely recognized as a central event in twentieth-century Europe. But how did the genocide of the Jews affect European attitudes towards Jews, Judaism and Jewishness after 1945? While many histories of antisemitism exist, Good Jews offers an investigation of philosemitism – defined as a politics of post-Holocaust friendship. Gerard Daniel Cohen presents a critical exploration of the languages of philosemitism in mainstream European politics and culture from 1945 to the present day, with particular emphasis on Germany and France. Within this framework Cohen explores how the 'Jewish question', or the problem of Jewish difference and incorporation in Western countries during the postwar decades, has been distinctively foregrounded in the language of philosemitism. Ultimately, Good Jews demonstrates that philosemitic Europe is not an idealised love story, but a reflection of European attitudes towards Jews from the Holocaust to the present.