Yehiel De-Nur (; ''De-Nur'' means 'of the fire' in
Aramaic
The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...
; also Romanized ''Dinoor, Di-Nur''), also known by his pen name Ka-Tsetnik 135633, born Yehiel Feiner (16 May 1909 – 17 July 2001), was a Jewish writer and
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
survivor, whose books were inspired by his time as a prisoner in the
Auschwitz concentration camp. His work, written in
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, tends to "blur the line between fantasy and actual events" and consists of "often lurid novel-memoirs, works that shock the reader with grotesque scenes of torture, perverse sexuality, and cannibalism".
[
]
Biography
Yehiel De-Nur was born in Sosnowiec, Poland. He was a yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are st ...
pupil in Lublin and later supported Zionism
Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
. In 1931, he published a book of Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
poetry which he tried to destroy after the war.[
During World War II De-Nur spent two years as a prisoner in Auschwitz. In 1945, he ]immigrated
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...
to Mandatory Palestine
Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...
, (later the State of Israel). He wrote several works in Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
about his experiences in the camp using his identity number at Auschwitz: Ka-Tsetnik 135633 (sometimes "K. Tzetnik").
''Ka-Tsetnik'' (ק. צטניק) is Yiddish for "Concentration Camper" (deriving from "ka tzet", the pronunciation of KZ, the abbreviation for ''Konzentrationslager
From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as concen ...
''); 135633 was De-Nur's concentration camp number. He also used the name Karl Zetinski (Karol Cetinsky, again the derivation from "KZ") as a refugee, hence the confusion over his real name when his works were first published.[archived](_blank)
Tom Segev
Tom Segev ( he, תום שגב; born March 1, 1945) is an Israeli historian, author and journalist. He is associated with Israel's New Historians, a group challenging many of the country's traditional narratives.
Biography
Segev was born in Jeru ...
, '' Haaretz'', 27 July 2001
De-Nur was married to Nina De-Nur, the daughter of Prof. Yossef (Gustav) Asherman, a noted Tel Aviv gynecologist. She served in the British Army as a young woman. Nina sought him out after reading his book ''Salamandra'' and eventually they were married. She was instrumental in the translation and publication of many of his books. They had two children, a son (Lior) and a daughter (Daniella), named after his sister Daniella from "House of Dolls", both still living in Israel. She trained with Virginia Satir
Virginia Satir (26 June 1916 – 10 September 1988) was an American author and psychotherapist,http://www.psychologistanywhereanytime.com/famous_psychologist_and_psychologists/psychologist_famous_virginia_satir.htm recognized for her approach to ...
in the 1970s. Later in life, Nina changed her name to Eli-Yah De-Nur.
In 1976, because of recurring nightmares and depression, De-Nur subjected himself to a form of psychedelic psychotherapy promoted by Dutch psychiatrist Jan Bastiaans
Jan Bastiaans (May 27, 1917 in Rotterdam - October 31, 1997 in Warmond) was a Dutch neurologist and psychiatrist, known for his controversial ''Bastiaans method'' of treatment of traumatised survivors of The Holocaust suffering from survivor guilt ...
expressly for concentration camp survivors. The treatment included the use of the hallucinogen LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...
, and the visions experienced during this therapy became the basis for his book, ''Shivitti''. The book's title is derived from David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
's Psalm 16:8, "Shiviti YHVH le-negdi tamid (שיויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד)," literally, "I have set YHVH before me always."
Yehiel De-nur died in Tel Aviv on 17 July 2001.
Testimony at Eichmann trial
His civic identity was revealed when he testified at the Eichmann Trial on 7 June 1961.
The Trial of Adolf Eichmann, Session 68 (Part 1 of 9)
', Nizkor Project, 7 June 1961 In his opening statement, Dinur presented a different opinion about the Holocaust than other well-known Holocaust writers (such as Elie Wiesel), by presenting the Holocaust as a unique and out-this-world event, saying:
''"I do not see myself as a writer who writes literature. This is a chronicle from the planet Auschwitz. I was there for about two years. The time there is not the same as it is here, on Earth. (…) And the inhabitants of this planet had no names. They had no parents and no children. They did not wear lothesthe way they wear here. They were not born there and did not give birth... They did not live according to the laws of the world here and did not die. Their name was the number K. Tzetnik."''
After saying so, De-Nur collapsed and gave no further testimony.
In an interview on '' 60 Minutes'', aired 6 February 1983, De-Nur recounted the incident of his fainting at the Eichmann trial to host Mike Wallace.
In Hannah Arendt's book '' Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil'' the author implies that his fainting might have been due to the response of prosecutor Gideon Hausner and presiding judge Moshe Landau, who thought he detracted from the case at hand with the spectacular witness statement of his.
Literary career
De-Nur wrote his first book about the Auschwitz experience, ''Salamandra'', over two and a half weeks, while in a British army hospital in Italy in 1945. The original manuscript was in Yiddish, but it was published in 1946 in Hebrew in edited form.
''House of Dolls''
Among his most famous works was 1955's '' The House of Dolls'',
House of Dolls (Beit ha-bubot)
', novelguide.com, 2002 which described the "Joy Division", a Nazi system keeping Jewish women as sex slaves in concentration camps. He suggests that the subject of the book was his younger sister, who did not survive the Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
. While De-Nur's books are still a part of the high-school curriculum, Na'ama Shik, a researcher at Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem ( he, יָד וַשֵׁם; literally, "a memorial and a name") is Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; honoring Jews who fought against th ...
, The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in Israel, has claimed that ''The House of Dolls'' is pornographic
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, fiction,
Israel’s Unexpected Spinoff From a Holocaust Trial
', Isabel Kershner
Isabel Kershner is a British-born Israeli journalist and author, who began reporting from Jerusalem for ''The New York Times'' in 2007. Kershner had previously worked as senior Middle East editor for ''The Jerusalem Report'' magazine. She has al ...
, New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, 6 September 2007 not least because sexual relations with Jews were strictly forbidden to all Aryan citizens of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. In addition, professor Yechiel Szeintuch has suggested that De-Nur did not have a sister at all. In De-Nur's 1961 book ''Piepel'', about Nazi sexual abuse
Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...
of young boys, he suggests the subject of this book was his younger brother, who also died in a concentration camp.sandrawilliams.org
Sandra S. Williams, Ka-tzetnik's use of paradox, 1993.
''House of Dolls'' is at times pointed to as the inspiration behind the Nazi exploitation
Nazi exploitation (also Nazisploitation) is a subgenre of exploitation film and sexploitation film that involves Nazis committing sex crimes, often as camp or prison overseers during World War II. Most follow the women in prison formula, only re ...
genre of serialized cheap paperbacks, known in Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
as Stalag fiction. Their publisher later acknowledged the Eichmann trial as the motive behind the series. The British rock band Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
derived its name from this book, which was quoted in their song "No Love Lost".
Published works
*''Salamandra'', 1946; as ''Sunrise over Hell'', translated by Nina Dinur, 1977
*', 1953; as ''House of Dolls'', translated by Moshe M. Kohn, 1955
*' (''The Clock Overhead''), 1960
*' (''They called Him Piepel''), 1961; as ''Piepel'', translated by Moshe M. Kohn, 1961; as ''Atrocity'', 1963; as ''Moni: A Novel of Auschwitz'', 1963
*' (''Star of Ashes''), 1966; as ''Star Eternal'', translated by Nina Dinur, 1972
*' (''Phoenix From Ashes''), 1966; as ''Phoenix Over The Galilee'', translated by Nina Dinur, 1969; as ''House of Love'', 1971
*' (''Judgement of Life''), 1974
*''Haimut'' (''The Confrontation''), 1975
*', 1976; as ''Love in the Flames'', translated by Nina Dinur, 1971
*''Hadimah'' (''The Tear''), 1978
*''Daniella'', 1980
*''Nakam'' (''Revenge''), 1981
*' (''Struggling with Love''), 1984
*''Shivitti: A Vision'', translated by Eliyah Nike Dinur and Lisa Herman, 1989
*''Kaddish'', (Contains ''Star Eternal'' plus essays written in English or Yiddish), 1998
*Ka-Tzetnik 135633 (Yehiel De-Nur), ''House of Dolls'' (London: Grafton Books, 1985)
*Ka-Tzetnik 135633 (Yehiel De-Nur), ''House of Love'' (London: W.H. Allen, 1971)
*Ka-Tzetnik 135633 (Yehiel De-Nur), ''Moni: A Novel of Auschwitz'' (New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1963)
*Ka-Tzetnik 135633 (Yehiel De-Nur), ''Phoenix Over The Galilee'' (New York: Harper & Row, 1969)
*Ka-Tzetnik 135633 (Yehiel De-Nur), ''Shivitti: A Vision'' (California: Gateways, 1998)
*Ka-Tzetnik 135633 (Yehiel De-Nur), ''Star Eternal'' (New York: Arbor House, 1971)
*Ka-Tzetnik 135633 (Yehiel De-Nur), ''Sunrise Over Hell'' (London: W.H. Allen, 1977)
References
Further reading
*Anthony Rudolf, 'Ka-Tzetnik 135633,' in Sorrel Kerbel, Muriel Emanuel and Laura Phillips (eds.), ''Jewish Writers of the Twentieth Century'' (London: Routledge, 2003), p. 267
*"Holocaust History and the Readings of Ka-Tzetnik", Bloomsburry publishing, Annette F. Timm, 25 January 2018 (Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Calgary, Canada).
External links
*
Project Nizkor: The Trial of Adolf Eichmann, Session 68, evidence of Yehiel Dinur
Article in Haaretz
* Isaac Hershkowitz
Asmodeus and Nucleus on Planet Auschwitz: Katzetnik’s Theological and Demonological Kabbalah
a paper presented at the International Workshop: Ka-Tzetnik: The Impact of the First Holocaust Novelist in Israel and Beyond, University of Calgary
The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being ins ...
, 10–12 March 2013.
{{DEFAULTSORT:De-Nur, Yehiel
1909 births
2001 deaths
Adolf Eichmann
Auschwitz concentration camp survivors
Deaths from cancer in Israel
Hebrew-language writers
Israeli novelists
Jewish Israeli writers
Modern Hebrew writers
Writers from Lublin
People from Sosnowiec
People from Tel Aviv
Polish Zionists
Polish emigrants to Mandatory Palestine
Yiddish-language poets
20th-century novelists
Burials at Yarkon Cemetery
20th-century pseudonymous writers