Żydzi i sprawy żydowskie w „Lalce” Bolesława Prusa
Jews and Jewish Question in Boleslaw Prus’ “Lalka”

Summary/Abstract: It is a fragment of the afterword to the Hebrew edition of “Lalka” (“The Doll”), translated by Miriam Borenstein and soon to be released in Israel. Prus devoted a lot of attention to Jewish question in his journalistic work, which was generally favorably received by the spokesmen of the Jewish community in Poland. Sometimes his opinions were argued against, when his portrayal of Jewish characters was compatible with stereotypical, negative opinions, common in Polish culture and the Christian tradition. But in his writing Prus mostly condemned all forms of persecution of and discrimination against Jews. The writer, who just a few years before witnessed and promoted the process of the Jews’ cultural assimilation, had by the time of writing the novel lost his faith in the possibility of transforming the Jewish population in the constituent part of Polish society. What remained was the appeal for tolerance and understanding of the Jews, who live in socio-cultural isolation, and especially for those who show commitment to Polish culture.

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