Jewish Prostitution in the Archives: Reflections on Stigma, Access, and Anonymization

This article critically examines the historiography, source accessibility, and archival regulations surrounding anonymization in the context of archive materials on Jewish prostitution in Argentina. Drawing on fieldwork conducted at the IWO (Argentina), the CAHJP (Israel), and the University of Southampton’s Library (UK), I argue that the enduring stigma attached to sex work transcends time and place, prompting archives to restrict access and withhold the identities of individuals involved in prostitution. This produces a paradox within archival repositories: while there is growing scholarly interest in exploring sensitive and previously marginalized topics, archival practices often maintain a steadfast emphasis on privacy and anonymity. By juxtaposing anonymization protocols with the widely known case of Raquel Liberman, a Polish Jewish sex worker whose identity is publicly acknowledged and commemorated, the article explores how some lives are rendered legible while others remain obscured. It also reflects on the affective and ethical dimensions of researchers’ encounters with both archival institutions and their materials.