MY MEMORIES VOL. 2 - JECHESKIEL KOTIK

Embark on a sentimental journey through the 19th-century Pale of Settlement with the second volume of Jecheskiel Kotik's Memoirs. This time, you will find a story full of sadness, pessimism, and a sense of life's failure. Kotik describes his wanderings in search of a worthy occupation, sharing his failures and hardships with readers.

• Historical credibility and accuracy of depictions
• Unique historical document about the life of Jews in Eastern Europe
• Insightful look at the social and cultural changes of the 19th century
• Colorful characters and small-town atmosphere
• A story about family, childhood, and youth of the author
• Analysis of disputes between Hasidim, Misnagdim, and Maskilim

The second volume of Jecheskiel Kotik's Memoirs is not only a continuation of the story from the first volume, but above all a deep reflection on the course of fate and the challenges that life presents to us. The author describes his failures with extraordinary sincerity, creating a moving image of a man searching for his place in the world. The historical credibility and accuracy of the depictions make this volume a unique historical document that allows us to better understand the realities of life in the 19th-century Pale of Settlement.

Kotik's Memoirs are also a valuable source of knowledge about the history of Jews and other social groups in 19th-century Eastern Europe. The author raises basic issues concerning the life of Jews in this period, such as the change from a state society to an early capitalist society, social and cultural disputes about the essence and form of Jewish life between Hasidim, Misnagdim, and Maskilim. Kamenec Litewski, where Kotik grew up, becomes a lens in which almost all processes changing Jewish life are concentrated, running similarly in hundreds of other cities and towns throughout Eastern Europe.

Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN presents this unique document in a new edition, preserving the original text and adding an introduction that introduces the reader to the historical and literary context. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of Jews in Eastern Europe, memoir literature, and the culture of the 19th century. Let yourself be transported back in time and discover a world that no longer exists, but whose echo still resonates in our hearts.

The book has 224 pages, format 234x169 mm and is paperback. Published in 2020 by Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.