ABSTRACT
In this chapter I want to consider whether it is possible to speak of an Anglo-Jewish poetic tradition. Some people might argue that there are no thematic differences between poetry written by Gentiles and Jews in postwar Britain. Others may insist that poetry can only be Jewish if it is written in a Jewish language, such as ‘Yiddish, Hebrew and Ladino’ (see Wirth-Nesher 1994b: 5). Certainly, some reviewers of my anthology, Passionate Renewal: Jewish Poetry in Britain since 1945 (2001), expressed such opinions.
