Karaj kiuńlari Heritage of Karaims in Present Europe Ed by Mariola Abkowicz and Henryk Jankowski BITIK, Wrocław 2004 copyright© 2004 Pages: 329 Softcover, Reference Trim size (cm): 25 cm Price 12 euro; 17 $

"Karaj Kiunlari" ed. by M. Abkowicz and H. Jankowski that's proceedings from international symposium Heritage of Karaims in Present Europe, which took place on 19-20 September. The purpose of the symposium was to bring together scholars and researchers, both Karaims and non-Karaims, with representatives and activists of Karaim communities spread throughout the world. The present volume includes twenty-one papers read during the seminar, in two versions each. Papers presented in Polish are published in Polish and Russian translation, whereas Russian papers are in Russian and Polish translation. Two contributions presented in English (Tapani Harviainen and Henryk Jankowski) are published in the original English version and Polish translation. The editors have appended English abstracts of all papers to this volume. Since only a few contributors sent English abstracts and some did not send them at all, the editors prepared some abstracts on their behalf.

The articles published in the present volume are diversified. Some of them are scholarly papers, some bibliographical contributions; in other articles non-professional enthusiasts make efforts to systematize their knowledge of the Karaim culture and history, to record the images of the world of their ancestors that is passing away. Then representatives of Karaim communities of Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and France read their papers devoted to important questions of the past, present and future of the Karaims.

KARAISM. HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Szymon Szyszman BITIK, Wrocław 2005 Copyright© 1980 L'Âge d'Homme Copyright© 2005 for the Polish edition by Bitik 1st Polish ed. Pages: 228 Softcover Trim size (cm): 20 cm Price 10 euro; 15 $

Karaism - the monotheistic religious doctrine based on the Bible of the Old Testament, appears as the missing link in the history of the culture of the religion of the East and the West. Dating back into the distant past, its present form was assumed in the 8th century. Karaism spread in a flash in the Middle East, in the basin of the Mediterranean and Black Sea and farther to the East, among nations of the different ethnic origin. Mass and individual conversions, sometimes spectacular, were a result of its spiritual bloom.

There were needed repressions of an exceptionally strong intensity that began in the 10th c. and lasted hereafter almost continuously to slow its expansion down and then stop it. An internal flimsiness which emerged amongst Karaims starting from the 13th c., also contributed to its fall. At present there are only a few communities of worshippers left - the last remains of the rich past.

In Poland Karaism is confessed by Karaims, a nation of the Turkish origin, who arrived to this area at the end of 14th c. from the Crimea. Today they constitute the smallest inhabited in Poland ethnic minority.

The author of the book, Szymon Szyszman (1909-1993) was born in Symferopol, the Crimea, in respected Karaim family which was well-known for its public activity. Later with his parents he settled down in Vilnius. He graduated from a secondary school in 1928 and in 1933 from the Department of Chemistry, Stefan Batory University. He worked at different scientific institutions in Vilnius and Warsaw. In 1944 he moved to the West, from 1949 to the end of his days he lived in Paris.

Szymon Szyszman personally got acquainted with Karaim communities originated from different cultures; he devoted the majority of his life to the researches on Karaism and the history of its believers. This publication is an introduction to the research on this religious movement and a useful synthesis for specialists and all readers interested in history of the religion and the community as well. Apart from this study the author published numerous articles about Karaism.

Research on the Qumran scrolls demonstrated some connections between the Essenes and Karaims what aroused the interest in Karaim doctrine falling gradually into oblivion. Rich Karaim literature, both theological and philosophical, can be of help in understanding the ideology and the structure of the society from above the Dead Sea.

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