Das Jüdische ABC: Ein Führer durch das jüdische Wissen [The Jewish ABC: A Guide to Jewish Knowledge]

Berlin: Verlag Erwin Löwe. Good. 1935. First Edition. Hardcover. (no dust jacket) [a bit of damage to upper front hinge, slight fraying to cloth at top of spine, otherwise just a bit shelfworn, with a little darkening to the spine and some minor staining to the rear cover; one-time owner's name stamped in red ink on front pastedown (Fred Marx, Stuttgart)]. Essentially a one-volume reference work (in German) of Jewish culture in Germany, an alphabetically-arranged reference to various notable individuals, religious concepts, etc. I do not read German, but although it's tempting to tag this book as a sort of "Know Your Jew" for a Nazi readership -- especially given the presence of "Führer" in the subtitle (although in this context it translates innocuously to "Guide") -- a translation of most of the first paragraph of the introduction does not suggest any nefarious ideology or agenda: "This book is a -- drawing ["Zeichnung"; possibly there's a better translation?]. Anyone who wants to see it as more is wrong in their assumption and will experience disappointments that the editor would like to spare them. He was only interested in giving a 'profile' of Judaism and in creating something clear, concise and succinct through compilation, arrangement and grouping as well as through presentation and style. It was therefore only an educational goal that he was striving for, which is why he did not want to burden his book with individual knowledge, such as an encyclopedia. He wanted to say the essentials so clearly and memorable that the reader -- and we expect not only reference users, but also readers -- is inspired and motivated to work further on the basis of a clearly defined foundation and to deepen his knowledge of Judaism." (If I am missing something obvious, or misinterpreting this work in any way, I shall be happy to be corrected.) .