A Jewish Family in 19th Century Memoirs: New Russian Christians of Jewish Descent

Abstract

In the article, I juxtapose the memoirs written at the turn of 20th century by new Russian Christians of Jewish descent, Alexander Alexeev (Wulf Nakhlas) and Arkadii Kovner. At the heart of these texts are memories of childhood, youth and family. Concentrated around personal experiences of the Jewish past, the memoirs differ significantly in their tone. Alexander Alexeev, a devoted Christian and missionary, tailors his plot as a straight road towards the Orthodox Christian faith and Russia. Arkadii Kovner, a formal Christian and strong atheist, is making a claim for the Russian Jewish community as well as for himself as a Jew. Differently tuned, both narratives create a vision of the Jewish families as a world filled with deep sentiment and love. The Jewish families are a true cradle for personal virtue and intellectual growth, even for a Christian or ultra-progressive freethinker.