The Jewish world of pre-war Europe was almost destroyed. If we hold up a lantern to that darkness, what can we discover about what was lost, what survived and what could have been?

This issue of The Jewish Quarterly illuminates the efforts to recover and remember the Jewish world of Europe before the Holocaust. Menachem Kaiser brings to light recent discoveries of hidden troves of documents and artefacts, and examines the battle to preserve them. Eva Hoffman unearths the remarkable life and work of a forgotten Polish poet, and Rachel Kadish traces the story of the intriguing figure and the hotel that played pivotal roles in her family’s past. Also included is a feature on the Jews of Provence by Benjamin Ramm, three probing reviews by Vladislav Davidzon, Tali Lavi and Benjamin Balint, and more.