How about the most recent book?
My most recent book is actually brand new. It's a rerelease of Arnold Zweig's De Vriendt kehrt heim. The book was released in a special edition with a new foreword by Meron Mendel. De Vriendt kehrt heim was originally written in the early 1930s. Based on one of the first Jewish political assassinations in the modern era, it takes place in Jerusalem and is a detective story. The main character is an Orthodox Jewish man who opposes political Zionism and carries on an affair with a young Arab boy. His death, initially thought to be carried out by the young Arab boy's family, later turns out to have been at the hands of his Zionist opponents.
I have various editions of the book, a first edition, an edition released in East Germany, and the critical edition. It struck me that its rerelease was an artefact of our times. The back of the new edition sells it as an "historical novel about the Middle East conflict". This may entice readers to buy copies, but in many ways, the book is far more complicated and exciting. Though it was translated when it came out, it is no longer available in English. At some point, I would love to do an updated translation.
And your favorite book in your collection?
This is hard, it's like choosing a favorite child. One of my favorites is a German translation and abridgement of George Eliot's Daniel Deronda. It's an example of the way literature was used and deployed to help readers imagine the possibility of a Jewish State when many thought this was unrealistic fantasy.
How about The One That Got Away?
Soma Morgenstern's Der Sohn des verlorenen Sohnes (1935). The first in a trilogy and one of the final books published in Germany by a Jewish author, the book was only allowed to be sold to other Jews. It nonetheless received positive reviews. The second and third books in the trilogy were released in translation, but only published in the original German in the 1990s. I initially was on the lookout for the book as a present for my supervisor upon the conclusion of my dissertation. I was able to get one copy for her, but the second copy I saw and wanted to acquire for myself was advertised and sold within 24 hours... I was too late!
What would be the Holy Grail for your collection?
A first edition of Theodor Herzl's Altneuland.
Who is your favorite bookseller / bookstore?
My favorite used bookseller is probably Pollak's in Tel Aviv. My favorite bookseller of new items is Dussmann here in Berlin.
What would you collect if you didn’t collect books?
I already do collect ceramics, but if I did not spend money on books, I would probably acquire far more ceramics.
