Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary
At the turn of the twentieth century, the Khazar ancestry of European Jewry was a popular idea that particularly resonated throughout the discourse surrounding Hungary’s national origin and belonging. One of this discourse’s critical questions concerned whether Magyars and Jews were divided or unite...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Hungarian Cultural Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://ahea.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/ahea/article/view/427 |
| _version_ | 1819154387513114624 |
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| author | Mari Réthelyi |
| author_facet | Mari Réthelyi |
| author_sort | Mari Réthelyi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | At the turn of the twentieth century, the Khazar ancestry of European Jewry was a popular idea that particularly resonated throughout the discourse surrounding Hungary’s national origin and belonging. One of this discourse’s critical questions concerned whether Magyars and Jews were divided or united by ethnicity or religion: this paper demonstrates how Samuel Kohn (1841-1920), an important rabbi-scholar of the time, participated in this discussion by arguing for a common origin of the two groups. Kohn asserted that the Khazar ancestry of Hungarian Jews comprises both an ethnic and a religious connection. He considered two complementary questions: whether Hungarians and Jews possessed common ethnic origins and thereby belonged to the same race, and whether Magyars converted to Judaism during the Khazar era, i.e., the belief that Hungarians and Jews shared a common religion in the past. The contemporary political atmosphere magnified the significance of Kohn’s contribution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:20:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-515d6b501a154b8e850e086078a2a4f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2471-965X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:20:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | University Library System, University of Pittsburgh |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hungarian Cultural Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-515d6b501a154b8e850e086078a2a4f22022-12-21T18:21:39ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghHungarian Cultural Studies2471-965X2021-07-01140526410.5195/ahea.2021.427400Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of HungaryMari Réthelyi0Louisiana State UniversityAt the turn of the twentieth century, the Khazar ancestry of European Jewry was a popular idea that particularly resonated throughout the discourse surrounding Hungary’s national origin and belonging. One of this discourse’s critical questions concerned whether Magyars and Jews were divided or united by ethnicity or religion: this paper demonstrates how Samuel Kohn (1841-1920), an important rabbi-scholar of the time, participated in this discussion by arguing for a common origin of the two groups. Kohn asserted that the Khazar ancestry of Hungarian Jews comprises both an ethnic and a religious connection. He considered two complementary questions: whether Hungarians and Jews possessed common ethnic origins and thereby belonged to the same race, and whether Magyars converted to Judaism during the Khazar era, i.e., the belief that Hungarians and Jews shared a common religion in the past. The contemporary political atmosphere magnified the significance of Kohn’s contribution.http://ahea.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/ahea/article/view/427samuel kohnkhazars, nationalismhungarian conquestneolog judaismorientjewish identity |
| spellingShingle | Mari Réthelyi Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary Hungarian Cultural Studies samuel kohn khazars, nationalism hungarian conquest neolog judaism orient jewish identity |
| title | Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary |
| title_full | Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary |
| title_fullStr | Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary |
| title_short | Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary |
| title_sort | hungarian jewish stories of origin samuel kohn the khazar connection and the conquest of hungary |
| topic | samuel kohn khazars, nationalism hungarian conquest neolog judaism orient jewish identity |
| url | http://ahea.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/ahea/article/view/427 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marirethelyi hungarianjewishstoriesoforiginsamuelkohnthekhazarconnectionandtheconquestofhungary |