The People of the Book in the World of Books is a Russian bimonthly publication for serious readers with Jewish interests. Our English website includes only the summaries of the published articles. To access the complete text of them, please visit the Russian version of this website.


91

April 2011

This issue of the magazine includes:


• In Memoriam: Evgeny Moroz (1950–2011)


St. Petersburg historian Evgeny Moroz was a member of the editorial board of “The People of the Book in the World of Books” and a regular contributor. Nearly every issue of this magazine included his reviews of historical (or pseudo-historical) books, his surveys of literature on interethnic dialogue and problems of tolerance, or his polemical responses on various journalistic pieces. In academic circles, he was well known as a researcher and a leading expert on the radical Russian nationalist movement, and specifically on its neo-pagan trend. Evgeny Moroz died in March 2011. This commemorative issue of the magazine publishes recollections from his colleagues and friends, as well as the last review he wrote for “The People of the Book in the World of Books.”


Review: Freemasons and Jewish Mysteries


This detailed article by Evgeny Moroz analyzes two recently published books on the history of the myth of the so-called “Jewish-Masonic Plot.” The comprehensive monograph The Myth about the Plot by German historian Johannes Rogalla von Biberstein was published in St. Petersburg in Russian translation. This in-depth scholarly research is full of rich and interesting information, but consciously avoids any polemic passion and is written in an exaggeratedly dry style. In contrast, the popular book Who Runs the Contemporary World, by Russian-Israeli authors Alexander Rybalka and Andrei Sinelnikov, aims to expose the “conspiratorial” myth to wider reading audiences. This book can be read like a thriller, but, unfortunately, is full of obvious historical mistakes and confusions. The reviewer regrets that there are so few publications on “the Jewish-Masonic myth” that combine engaging writing with good quality content.


Jewish Calendar of Significant Dates: May–June 2011


Bibliography: 40 New Books