Serbia: Equation with Two Knowns (Chapter 10)

Abstract

This article has a twofold aim: historical and practical. First, it conducts a brief historical review of the Jewish community in Serbia, addressing the ways in which this community has contributed to the country’s culture, history, sciences, politics, and social life. It focuses especially on Jewish life in Serbia after the Holocaust, and the various difficulties of assimilation and emigration. Second, the essay investigates the practical realities of interculturalism in Serbia, weighing these realities against concerns about preserving Jewish identity. The article stems from three interviews: Stefan Sablić, theatre director, musician, and founder of Shira U’tfila; Sonja Viličić, activist and founder/director of NGO Haver Serbia; Dragana Stojanović, anthropologist and scholar of cultural studies. Taken together, the responses of these speakers offer novel approaches to multiculturalism and intercultural dialogue in an area with a complex history and cultural makeup.

Ovaj članak ima dvojaki cilj: istorijski i praktični. Prvo, predstavlja kratak istorijski pregled jevrejske zajednice u Srbiji, kao i načine na koje je ova zajednica doprinela kulturi, istoriji, naukama, politici i društvenom životu zemlje. Posebno se fokusira na jevrejski život u Srbiji posle Holokausta i razne poteškoće asimilacije i emigracije. Drugo, esej istražuje praktične realnosti interkulturalizma u Srbiji, odmeravajući te stvarnosti i zabrinutost oko očuvanja jevrejskog identiteta. Članak potiče iz tri intervjua: Stefan Sablić, pozorišni reditelj, muzičar i osnivač Shira U'tfila; Sonja Viličić, aktivistkinja i osnivač/direktor NVO Haver Srbija; Dragana Stojanović, naučni istraživač antropolog i kulturolog. Zajedno, odgovori ovih govornika nude nove pristupe multikulturalizmu i međukulturnom dijalogu u području sa složenom istorijom i kulturnim sastavom.