Arnaldo Momigliano (1908-1987): judaism past and present

The strong connection between Arnaldo Momigliano’s historical work and his Jewish cultural upbringing is today widely accepted, and not simply as regards his intellectual biography. The fact that the editors of the present volume have included him in a collection of essays entitled Makers of Jewish Modernity – the volume was the winner of the 2016 National Jewish Book Award - indicates the importance and general significance accorded his views on ancient and modern Judaism. I this essay, I try to show how life, doctrine, and métier d’historien, all converge in his very original approach to the problems of Judaism in the modern world today. Central to his position is an insistent and mandatory defense of historical truth and truthfulness, with which his commitment to what may be termed the ethical experience of Judaism is very closely interconnected.