Jewish Women in Fin de Siècle Vienna

Preface and Acknowledgments

ix Preface and Acknowledgments During the course of my research and writing on Jewish women in fin de siècle Vienna, which began with the early stages of my dissertation research in 1989, I have come to feel quite close to the personalities I study, without of course having met any of them. Whenever I have found that one of these women met a tragic end I have felt an inevitable sadness and despair. While unfortunately many ended their lives in tragedy, I hope that my work will help them to be remembered for their caring and compassion for their fellow human beings, which guided them in their lives, as well as for their accomplishments, which are manifold. So many of the women in this study devoted themselves to bettering the world in which they lived, to improving the lives of the less fortunate, to contributing to progress in humanistic and scientific scholarship, to expanding the possibilities for education and freedom for youth. The tragedy that in many cases no one was there for them in their hour of need inspires me to see that I do all I can to prevent similar injustices from being perpetrated in the present. I hope that in some small way, telling the stories of these women, their struggles, their successes, and their inner strength, will inspire readers to think more about the way that they perceive and treat those who appear to be different or “other” in their world today. I would like to express my deep appreciation to many individuals and institutions that have provided essential assistance and support for me during my research, which is now in its second decade! I apologize for any inevitable omissions as over the years I have crossed paths with so many, and I of course am solely responsible for all errors. My parents, Myna and Terry, and my sister, Holly, have always been there for me, believed in me, and supported me in countless ways. I first learned my love of history from my history teacher at Aspen High School, George Burson, and I first learned that I cared about politics and was destined for a career involving public speaking from my speech and debate coach at Aspen High, Ken Lyon. These experiences and my desire to move further west led me to an incredible learning experience at Reed College, where I was constantly engaged and excited by many inspiring professors—especially Christine Mueller, who advised my senior thesis and ignited my interest in the Habsburg x » Preface and Acknowledgments monarchy; Richard Wolin, who introduced me to intellectual history; and Leila Berner, who first taught me Jewish history. At the University of Washington in 1986 I benefited from several supportive professors, particularly Hillel Kieval, who advised me for my master’s thesis on Arnold Schoenberg, and John Toews, who furthered my knowledge of European intellectual history, introducing me to the work of Carl Schorske. My time at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem working on my Ph.D. was enriched by many professors, friends, and fellow graduate students. There is no way I can begin to express my gratitude to Robert Wistrich, who took me on as his graduate student and advised me in writing my dissertation. I learned so much from his wisdom and knowledge of Viennese Jewry, anti-Semitism, and Zionism. Without his support I am certain I would not have made it this far. As a recipient of a Wiener Library Fellowship in 1992 on the topic of women in European history, I pursued my research in the supportive environment of Tel Aviv University under the guidance of Shulamit Volkov and Billie Melman, who both provided direction and feedback on my work in progress. Participation in the University of Vienna Summer School in Ströbl helped me immeasurably with the German language, and there I formed connections with the Heine family in Mödling, the Rossbachers of Salzburg, and Ursula Reisenberger, all of whom supported me during my research. Also, the Liska and Moskovits families kindly hosted me for Shabbatot in Vienna. During the writing of my dissertation and after, many have provided guidance and advice, lending their expertise to help me develop my ideas, pursue my research, and refine my arguments, and offering various sorts of assistance. Among those who have provided feedback and suggestions at various stages of my research and writing are Paula Hyman, Marion Kaplan, Susannah Heschel, Steven Aschheim, Sander Gilman, David Biale, Marsha Rozenblit, Ben Baader, Claudia Prestel...