Crisis and Covenant: The Holocaust in American Jewish Fiction

Explores how Jewish American writers have grappled with the enormity of the Holocaust.

In Crisis and Covenant, Alan L. Berger delivers a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of how American Jewish fiction has grappled with the cataclysm of the Holocaust. Situating literature at the crossroads of memory, theology, and identity, Berger examines how post-Auschwitz Jewish writers reinterpret the ancient concept of Covenant in light of unprecedented historical trauma.

Through nuanced readings of major American Jewish authors--including Saul Bellow, Cynthia Ozick, Bernard Malamud, Elie Wiesel, Philip Roth, and others--Berger traces the transformation of Jewish thought from religious and secular perspectives, exploring how the Holocaust serves as both a rupture and a point of reflection in modern Jewish narrative. He addresses the crucial question: Can fiction truly represent the Holocaust, and if so, what responsibilities do Jewish writers bear?

Divided into thematic responses--religious, secular, and symbolic--Crisis and Covenant reveals how these authors wrestle with Jewish identity, memory, and survival in a world shadowed by genocide. Blending literary criticism with theological inquiry, Berger presents a compelling study that challenges easy categorizations and opens new avenues for understanding American Jewish literature and its ongoing dialogue with history.