The art of listening: a soldier’s life writing in the Jewish Legions

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article I uncover formerly undisclosed ego-documents by Baruch Gurevitz, a young soldier who served in the Jewish Legions formed in the British army in the First World War. Gurevitz recorded in his notebook conversations with Jewish legionnaires from different countries and varied backgrounds. These documents reveal how crucial the tales of individuals are for an understanding of the sources of Jewish nationalism shown here to relate to tiny sparks of consciousness rather than to the rhetoric of national leaders and ideologues. The documents also highlight an important, if sometimes forgotten, component of life writing: the art of listening.