An event on this very topic was just held in San Francisco a few days ago: the screening of a film on this pornography, called Stalags (and a discussion afterwards). The announcement is below.

Here’s a Wikipedia on Stalag porn. The announcement:

Congregation Beth Israel Judea Film Series "Coming Reel Soon" Presents: "Stalags: Holocaust and Pornography in Israel"

Saturday, March 13..

In the early 1960’s Israelis were exposed for the first time to the shocking testimonies of Holocaust survivors at the trial of Adolph Eichmann. Simultaneously a series of pornographic books, "Stalags," written by Israelis, became best sellers throughout Israel. These books were subsequently banned in 1962 by the Israeli courts as being anti-Semitic pornography. The books went out of print and circulated underground in specialty second-hand bookstores, however after decades of being off the shelf these books are re-emerging in the public eye.

This film examines this notorious literary phenomenon, exposing the creators of this genre for the first time. Film Director Ari Libsker suggests that this short-lived literary craze shaped the image of the Holocaust for a whole generation of Israelis. Libsker further suggests that the combination of pornography and the Holocaust also appears in canonic Holocaust literature and continues to be a widespread part of the representation of the Holocaust in Israel today. (While the film is not rated, it is not suggested for young or immature viewers.)

Ofer Ashkenazi, PhD, post doctoral fellow who is a visiting scholar from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and currently teaching at UC Berkeley, will lead a discussion and answer questions following the film.



