Happiness and Unhappiness as a "Jewish Question".

HAPPINESS -- Religious aspects; JEWISH civilization; PLASTIC surgery; SOCIAL attitudes; SOCIOLOGY of emotions; TWENTIETH century; SOCIAL history

The article presents an examination into the history of the social concept of happiness from the late-19th century to the 21st. Focus is given to the social understanding of happiness within turn-of-the-century Jewish culture, noting an inherent pessimism within their religious worldview. Parallel accounts are given discussing the rise of aesthetic surgery, pioneered by Jewish doctors, at the time and its influence on changing the public concept of happiness and its significance in measuring quality of life. A uniquely "Jewish" form of happiness in the early 20th century is then defined and highlighted, contrasting it with late 20th and early 21st century practices of cosmetic surgery for self-fulfillment.