Jacob Israël de Haan

Jacob Israël de Haan (31 December 1881-30 June 1924) was a Dutch Jewish poet and novelist. He was born in Kloosterveen, a village in the province of Drenthe, and grew up in Zaandam. His father was a hazzan (synagogal cantor).

De Haan worked as a teacher after obtaining a degree, and studied law between 1903 and 1909. He wrote in socialist publications during these years, and corresponded with Frederik van Eeden , a celebrated author of the period.

He initially lived in Amsterdam, where he composed the controversial novel Pijpelijntjes (1904, named after the then-new neighbourhood De Pijp), which featured what can be interpreted as homoeroticism. He married Dr Johanna van Maarseveen in 1907, but this marriage is likely to have been platonic; they separated in 1919, although they never officially divorced.

Around 1910, De Haan developed an interest in Judaism, the Land of Israel and the Zionist cause, wrote extensively on the subject and moved there in 1919. He rapidly became more religiously committed and sided with the anti-Zionist groups in Jerusalem, for whom he became a political spokesman. There is circumstantial evidence that he was homosexually active during this time, despite his commitment to Orthodox Judaism, which denounces homosexuality.

He was murdered in 1924, allegedly by Zionist extremists, for his political stance.

His sister was also a writer, mainly under the pseudonym Carry van Bruggen .

See also

• Neturei Karta

External links

• Archive (Amsterdam University)
• Amsterdam Jewish History Museum biography (Dutch)