Rome — Amos Elon, the distinguished Israeli essayist and historian, died at his home in Tuscany.
Elon’s wife, Beth, told The New York Times that he died Monday from leukemia at the age of 82.
Elon, one of Israel’s most distinguished essayists and historians, was born in Vienna in 1926 and moved with his family to Palestine in 1933.
The author of nine books, Elon also was a longtime correspondent and columnist for the Israeli daily Ha’aretz. His most recent book was “The Pity of It All,” a history of German Jewry from the 18th century until the rise of Hitler.
Elon’s decision to leave Israel and move permanently to Italy in 2004 touched off debate throughout the Israeli cultural and intellectual world.
Amos Elon, like Raul Hilberg and Yeshayahu Leibowitz, was a lover of Jewish culture, but had an abiding dislike of the Jewish people. Jews who help the Jewish people are sometimes honored by being buried on Israel's Mt of Olives. In honor of Mr Elon's volcanic dislike of Israel and love of anti-semitic Europe, he should be buried on Italy's Mt Vesuvius
Nimrod - At the time of death, we mourn people in a dignified way. It's only proper to debate with the living. Amos Elon participated in the incredibly interesting story of Israel. It's true that he left us to live elsewhere. That's sad, but he had been part of Israeli society and culture. There are many, many Jews who have never been part of this drama. There are those who haven't even set foot here as a tourist. So, you can put things in proportion.
Dear Qol As individuals, we have the right to determine how and if we mourn. In the case of Mr Elon, I didnt wish him death, nor do I begrudge him the right to live outside of Israel. What I object to is the lionization of this man who in my opinion was not a friend of Israel or the Jewish people. In his interview with Ari Shavit, he expresses regret that his mother forced the family to move to Palestine in 1933 rather than to France, as his father favored. Had he moved to France, he would likely have been killed by the nazis. Thus, moving to Eretz Yisrael saved his life. He lacks gratitude for this. The inability to say thank you is particularly irritating, and is characteristic of other parts of the Middle East. I see now reason why Mr Elon deserves any more commemoration than the thousands of anonymous victims who died in the Eastern Congo or Darfur on a daily basis. We dont know the accomplishments of these anonymous victims. In regards to Mr Elon and the Jewish people, we know that his net negatives balance out his net positives for a sum of zero
Amos Elon's "Herzl" became, and still is, my "bible" to Jewishness and Israel. When I told my rabbi in Massachuetts, around 1975, that I was on my first visit to Israel, he immediately suggested reading "Herzl." My rabbi knew I was born in Vienna and, at the age of eight, left with my family on an eight year trek to the U.S. He associated me with Herzl because of his and my Viennese background. I have since written a book, "Out of Vienna," and mentioned Amos Elon's Theodore Herzl as one of the inspirations to begin writing. Amos Elon's Herzl should be everyone's reading to discover the reason's for the existance of Israel. Ernie Weiss
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