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Key words: Sholem Asch, midrash, Apostle, New Testament, Pauline epistles
Abstract: This article proposes that the second part of Sholem Asch's christological trilogy-the novel The Apostle-be considered as a form of haggadic midrash of The Book of Acts and Pauline epistles. By giving certain examples, the author explains why the 'midrash key' differs in this case from a simple fictionalisation of New Testament texts-and further discusses what this reveals about the attitudes, expectations and desires of Asch himself.
Introduction: A word about a very dialogical heart
As one of the most notable Yiddish writers Sholem Asch continues to generate considerable interest and his work gives rise to discussions and controversies. As Ben Siegel noted in the first monograph on his work, 'Asch was not a tidy writer'.1 His oeuvre, which was completed over many decades, addressed a broad range of themes, from the life of the Eastern European Jewry, through the histories of Jewish immigrants in the United States, to religious, philosophical and social issues. It was his trilogy2 that brought Asch both popularity and notoriety: Der man fun Natseres (1943; English version The Nazarene, 1939),3 The Apostle (1943),4 and Mary (1949).5 After these publications Asch began to be perceived as an author strongly concerned with a Jewish-Christian dialog, though he also met with a certain ostracization from the greater part of his Jewish readers. The publication of The Nazarene can be seen as a turning point in both the literary reception and public perception of Asch. This change is amply illustrated by Ben Siegel's comparison of Asch's funeral with the funerals of two other classical Yiddish writers, Isaak Leib Peretz and Sholem Aleichem:
An approximate 100,000 Warsaw Jews had followed Isaac Leib Peretz's funeral procession in 1915, and another 100,000 had lined New York street in 1916 to mourn Sholem Aleichem. Wrapped in his large woolen prayer shawl, Sholem Asch was buried quietly in the West London (Reform) Synagogue's cemetery in Hoop Lane, Golders Green.6
It is known for certain that from the entirety of Sholem Asch's literary output, it was these two works-The Nazarene and The Apostle-that were given particular consideration by the Nobel Committee for Literature in the years 1946 and 1947.7 Both nominations were submitted by a Jewish professor emeritus...