German Jews (Mendes-Flohr)

The provided excerpts offer an extensive overview of German-Jewish identity and the complex relationship between Judaism and German culture, primarily through the lens of the humanistic ideal of Bildung (self-cultivation). A central theme is the "and"—the struggle to reconcile being both a Jew and a German, often referred to as a dual identity or bifurcated spirit. The text discusses key figures who grappled with this tension, such as Moses Mendelssohn and the philosopher Franz Rosenzweig, the latter of whom championed a Jewish Renaissance based on affirming Judaism as a living reality while engaging with modern culture. It further explores cultural debates like the Kunstwart debate