Not Only Forgotten but Never Known: The Life and Contributions of Jiří Langer
Jiří Langer was one of the first contributors to a psychoanalytic understanding of Jewish rituals and Jewish mysticism through his book The Eroticism of Kabbalah and two articles published in Imago in the 1920s and 1930s. He also was a practising Chassidic Jew, the only one to publish in an analytic journal until the late twentieth century. This article deals with his transition from an assimilated Prague family to a Belzer Chassid, his interpretation of Jewish symbols through a Freudian lens as well as his friendship with Kafka. The article also tries to understand the appeal of Chassidism as an outlet for his homosexual desires and as a regulator of his self-esteem. Langer's life, although short, was a fascinating journey of self-discovery and an attempt to synthesize Jewish mysticism, cultural anthropology and Freudian theory.