and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
Lights front
Shadowland
Hank Greenberg and Belle Baker
AB *WM IEMSII Et RONIC1A
The 1932 file of The Detroit Jewish
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
Nstah•
Weekly by The Jewish Chr•mic.l• PullLisklag T.•., Lee.
e.,e;r•-
11%7::
Chronicle contained the following com-
ment by Charles H. Joseph, in the column
he conducted at that time under the head-
ing of "Random Thoughts":
General Offices and Publication Building
525 Woodward Avenue
1040 Cable Addreeat Chronicla
Telsplum., Cadillac
London OM.
14 Stratford Place, London, W. 1, England
Per Year
Subscription, in Advance..._........__..
trw tarute publication, all correspondence and news matter
w.h.
Iscs• meth this odic• by Tue.., •y.lag
of the paper only.
When toadied notices, Itiodly a. one
su•
The Detroit Jewish Chronicle in•itee torreepo•dense oa
Diets of Interest to the J•wi•h people, bet diselaime
'odor...eat of the O•ws •rpr•seed by the writers
Wit/ for
Sabbath Readings of the Torah
Pentateuchal portion—Deut. 32
Prophetical portion—Hos. 14:2-10; Joel 2:15
or 27.
Yom Kippur Readings of the Torah, Monday, Oct. 7
Pentatenchal portions--Morning, Lev. 16, Num.
29:7-11; Afternoon, Lev. 16.
Prophetical portions—Morning, Is. 57:14-58:14;
Afternoon, Jonah.
October 4, 1935
Tishri 7, 5698
A Chain Letter on the Olympics
Chain letters are not legal in this coun-
try if they solicit funds, or stimulate an
interchange of money. But we know of no
law which could stop the circulation of a
chain of letters which would serve to
stimulate action in behalf of a certain
cause, or which would tend to arouse pub-
lic opinion against persecutions and in
favor of justice and the principles upon
which this country was built.
In one of his syndicated colums, Rabbi
Louis I. Newman of New York called at-
tention to the circulation of this type of
chain letter. The quotation from this let-
ter and Rabbi Newman's comment upon
it follow:
Chain letters are a nuisance, but in the in-
stance I shall mention. they can prove of
distinct assistance. J. Friedenberg of New
York City has conceived the idea of sending
out a letter whereby thousands of communi-
cations will pour Into the Olympic Head-
quarters, 233 Broadway, New York City, pro-
testing against the holding of the Olympic
Games in Berlin next year. I present in this
column a copy of the chain letter so that my
readers may write at leant five copies to their
friends, in order that they may do likewise.
Thus the Olympic Committh will be made
aware of the widespread indignation of Amer-
ican citizens against • Nazidom and all its
works. The text of the letter is as follows:
"The rising tide of indignation against hold-
ing the next Olympic Games in a land where
innocent people accidentally born into a mi-
nority group are spat on and persecuted, has
brought from you the very lame rejoiner that
Germany has promised not to discriminate
against Catholic or Jewish athletes, that the
world of sport should keep aloof from pol-
itical involvements.
"Since the basic tenet of sport is fair play,
it is no wonder that the idea of sending a
clean young band of Americans into a hotbed
of racial tyranny is repugnant to people who
believe that the mere holding of the Olympic
Games in Berlin is tantamount to condoning
tacitly the tyranny and cowardice of the Nazi
Government.
"Surely your willingness to play into the
hands of those who would use the games as
propaganda for the 'New Germany' can only
reflect discredit on the athletic bodies you
represent
"Undoubtedly there are millions of Ger-
mans who abhor the barbarism of the Nazis,
but are powerless to protest, nor do those
millions know the revulsion this gang of mad-
men is breeding for everything German
throughout the civilized world. By cancelling
the present plans, you can tell the blind and
mute German citizenry dramatically and ef-
fectively of the scorn with which the rest of
mankind holds the present government of their
unfortunate nation.
"The Olympic Games exist to promote in-
ternational good-will and love of fair play;
by cancelling the 1936 plans you can promote
them objectives 10 times more effectively than
by going through with them."
This strong and pointed letter should be
sent by the hundred thousands to the Olympic
Committee. I trust that my readers will give
their support to this means of protest
We are in hearty accord with the Frie-
denberg-Newman sentiments. But we wish
that it could go a step further. If several
millions of such letters could be inspired
not only against the Olympic Games but
also in favor of the boycott of German-
in de goods, it would serve the great pur-
pose of forcing the hand of justice in the
land now ruled by the Nazis.
But it is no trick for Jews to write and
circulate such an appeal. We would hate
to believe that there are very many Jews
who still have to be convinced that the
boycott is necessary—the boycott of the
Olympics and of Nazi - manufactured
goods. This should now become the job of
non-Jews. The American Federation of
Labor, various church organizations and
many outstanding Christian individuals
are in favor of the boycott, are counted in
the opposition to our sending a team of
American athletes for participation in the
Berlin Olympics and are outraged by the
horrors perpetrated against Jews, work-
ers and liberals in Germany. It should be-
come the task of these groups to sponsor
the boycott, to encourage it, to circulate
a chain letter among their friends in favor
of it and to take drastic action against
Nazi barbarities.
It is Christianity's voice that must be
heard in the present tragedy enacted
against helpless people in Germany.
The Late I. L. Goldberg
PIOUS BELLE BAKER
By LOUIS PEKARSKY
Reproduction In part or whole forbid-
den. without permission of the Seven
Arts Feature Syndicate, CopyrIghtere of
thle feature.
If thin is true then some of our Jewish
movie magnates need reforming. Here's the
item in question:
REINHARDT'S RETURN SET
Here's good news! A cable-
gram from Max Reinhardt, now
Rallis Baker stuck to her religious prin.
in Salzburg, Austria, advises Jack
ciples and the Paramount Theater is re-
Is. Warner, president of Warner
placing the singer with two vocalists for the
Bros. Studios, that he will sail
current work. Miss Baker told the theater
for America in time to arrive in
management she wouldn't sing Sunday or
Hollywood on Oct. 16 for the
Monday as she had planned to observe Yom
formal premiere of "A Midsum-
Kippur. Informed that her absence would
mer Night's Dream." Thus, with-
constitute • breach of contract, the singer
in a year of Reinhardt's trium-
decided she would rather forego the $4,000
phant production of the great
salary involved than drop her religious
Shakespearean fantasy at the
principles.
world-famous Hollywood Bowl,
America's greatest outdoor thee-
One would imagine that the Paramount
ter, an even greater triumph for
management would find it more profitable in
the master-producer is awaited
the END to respect Belle Baker's religious
eagerly by all Hollywood. The
principles than to ease her out. The Jewish
opening of this million dollar
public, which is rather a generous theater-
Warner Bros. picture, described
attending public, may resent such action.
as Hollywood's most ambitious
effort since the advent of the aud-
In New York the Jews are telling each ible cinema, bids fair to endure
other that we in Detroit are praying for as one of the most glorious pages
the history of the motion pic-
rain on Yom Kippur for Henry Green- in
ture industry. The New Yorw
berg's sake (as if Greenberg's appearance premiere is net for Oct. 9.
in the line-up for the Tigers on the Day BENNY BAKER—A RISING
of Atonement is a moral burden to be STAR
Folks, meet Benny Baker, re-
carried by the Jews of Detroit). And in
cently signed as a featured play-
our own city sports writers are molesting er
by Paramount Pictures, who is
rabbis for opinions as to whether or not considered
one of the most prom-
Greenberg will be permitted to flay on ising comedians of the screen.
Yom Kippur (as if Judaism must suddenly Rochester, New York, and other
turn Catholic and offer absolution to Eastern cities and everywhere
are particularly interested in
Hank; and, as if this were a matter for else
the news of this Jewish youth's
the conscience not of Henry Greenberg success in the movies. We inter-
alone but of all of us).
viewed Benny, who is cherubic in
But the above quoted item needs no appearance, has blue eyes and a
complexion, at the studio
elaboration or comment. It speaks for rosy
and learned a few facts about his
itself. It has a lesson for Ilenry Green- life which we are passing on to
berg. And it carries with it its own moral you. Two weeks ago Benny was
featured with Jack Oakie, Ethel
for Frank Navin and Mickey Cochrane.
Merman, Carl Brisson and other
famous stars an an N. B. C. na-
tional broadcast in connection
the world premiere of "The
It is reported from Budapest that the with
Big Broadcast of 1936," in which
Hungarian capitol's Jewish community he has a part.
has made it a point to prohibit the Zionist
Benny's real name is Benny
custom of singing the Hatikvah after the Zifkin. He was born in St. Jos-
eph,
Mo. His family moved to
Chuppah ceremony at weddings. Several
Omaha, Nebraska, when he was
instances are reported in which the com- two
and he lived in Omaha until
munity leaders forced grooms to deposit he was 13, attending Kellom
certain sums which were to be retained as School. He attended Lincoln
fines in the event that this prohibition was High School in. Lincoln, Neb.,
broken. It is also reported that on one oc- where he captained the basket-
team and also played foot-
casion community officials assaulted wed- ball
ball. Benny went to the Talmud
ding guests because they had ignored their Torah at 24th and Cummings
order and burst into the singing of Ha- Sts. in Omaha and was a charter
member of the Aleph Zadek
tikvah.
Junior B'nai B'rith order,
These are interesting facts about the na- Aleph,
which was founded in Lincoln,
tive city of Dr. 'Theodor Herzl, the founder Neb. After leaving school he
of the modern Zionist movement. They worked as an errand boy on the
are interesting particularly because they Lincoln, Neb., Journal.
When he was 17 his family
reveal that some Jews have failed to learn moved
to Rochester, N. Y., where
the lesson of the past five years, so tragic- he lived for several years (at 93
ally taught to German Jewry. it will Joiner St.). His father, Max Zif-
be recalled that German Jewish leaders kin, worked in a Jewish bakery.
were the ones who jested that they would Benny landed a job as a bundle
in the cutting dept. 'of the
favor Palestine as the Jewish Homeland boy
Keller-Neumann-Thompson cloth-
provided that they could spend the win- ing factory in Rochester and
ters in Egypt and the summers in Switzer- worked there six months. Later
A Lesson in History
land. We believe it was also a German
Jewish leader who said he would favor
Zionism if he could assure for himself the
appointment as Palestine's ambassador to
France. Now the German Jews are told by
the Nazis that the only flag they may
display is the Zionist flag, and many Ger-
man Jews who were formerly anti-Zionist
are now mastering the Hebrew language
in Palestine and tell visitors to the Jewish
Homeland that they speak "rak Ivrith"—
"only Hebrew."
It is ridiculous for any community to
compromise its Jewish position. It is equal-
ly as ridiculous as it would be for them to
compromise their position as nationals in
the various countries in which they reside.
Facts must be faced squarely and honest-
ly, and there is no sense of ignoring na-
tural elements in life. To try to deny one's
natural Jewish position is nothing short
of being silly.
( PLEASE TURN TO NEXT PAGE I
RUMANIAN HISTORIAN DENIES
INQUISITION DESTROYED SPAIN
Not as popularly known as most Zionist
pioneers, the name of the late Isaac Loeb
Goldberg will nevertheless go down in
Jewish history among our noblest con-
structive geniuses of the 19th and 20th
centuries.
, A man of culture and means, he con-
tributed from both of these possessions for
the advancement of his people. He made
great contributions to Hebraic culture,
was a liberal donor to efforts for Pales-
tine's reconstruction and his consistency
in his Zionism made him an inspiration to
the old settlers and the new pioneers.
The late Mr. Goldberg's family made its
sacrifices for Palestine. One of his eons
died during the 1929 disturbances and his
supreme sacrifice is recorded among the
memorials in tribute to this pioneering
long run.
Zionist family.
Tidbits from Everywhere
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
r 11)
POLITICAL MERRY-GO-ROUND
Isaac Bacharach, New Jersey's
only Jewish Congressman, is go-
ing to have a Jewish opponent in
1936 , . . Dr. Isaac Stalberg will
be the Democratic nominee from
THE EXPULSION OF THE JEWS FROM SPAIN. By Valeriu Marcu. The Viking Press,
Atlantic
County next year and
18 East 48th St., New York ($2.25).
may give Bacharach some trouble
. . . James Landis, the new boss
It is the chapter "The Jewries" which will of the Securities Exchange Com-
In the concluding chapter of his most in- ..
mission, used to be law secretary
The
author
teresting "The Expulsion of the Jews From undoubtedly arouse resentment.
of Supreme Court Justice Bran-
Spain," Vareliu Marcu, Rumanian historian and chooses to emphasize the fact that Jews were deis . . . Former Supreme Court
forbidden
to
imbibe
Gentile
culture,
and
he
pic-
Judge Jermiah T. Mahoney, A.
essayist, asks the question: "Did the Inquisition
tures Jews as a people apart—a point hardly A. U. prexy and foe of American
injure Spain?" He answers in the negative.
reconcilable with Spanish Jewry's assimilation- participation in the Berlin Olym-
date for the Democratic nomina-
must eliminate the word
ist attitudes. But further chapters are master- pies, is reported to be a candi-
"The ob
ful descriptions of the rise and fall of the Jew- tion for mayor of New York City
'Happiness from the life of nations," Ise
ish community of Spain, of the horrible road of in 1937 . . . We hear that for-
writes. "When on. indulges in speculative
the prosecuted people from Converses to mer Governor Julius Meier of
thinking on collective happiness, it is not
Oregon is planning a political
thinking but pure wishing, for there is no
Marranos.
comeback in 1936 .. . Max Mani-
Rome is pictured in this brief history as schewitz, the matzoh magnate,
distinguishing characteristic, no criterion, by
the tolerant state, as opposed to the intolerance
now has the rank of colonel on
which happiness in the existence of nations
of Spain. "Even in the days of its own most the staff of Governor Ruby Laf-
can be determined.
grievous difficulties Rome did not forget to foon of Kentucky.
"Since happiness is not visible in history
take the part of the crushed race," the author WE'RE TELLING YOU
and only misfortune leaves deep traces on
reminds his readers, and he emphasizes that
There's a rumor making the
the stony tablets of mankind, it can only be
"pratical" tolerance is an ancient Catholic vir- rounds that President Roosevelt
asserted that the Inquisition was • misfor•
will
shortly issue an appeal for
tue.
Compared
with
Rome's
tolerance,
Spain
set
good
tune for the Jews; whether it was a
out to destroy what they began to believe was funds to support the American
thing for the Spaniards it is impossible to
Olympic Committee . . . We can
an enemy of a million souls. It distrusted the tell you now that this tale is just
determine. It cannot, however, be proved
converts who became the objects of hate.
pro-Olympic propaganda ... Post
that the log • • on destroyed Spain!"
Ferdinand and Isabella are described by the office boxes 626 and 324, General
Nevertheless he leads up to this conclusion author as courageous and crafty. We are told Delivery, Chicago, are the sources
of a new flock of anti-Semitic
by the numerous destructive elements which be- that they refused at first to yield to the de- Nazi literature . . . New York
gan to dominate Spanish life as a result of the mands of the Inquisition for the expulsion of the stationery jobbers are selling a
avarice and greed that accompanied the pillag- Jews. Father Barberisse influenced Ferninand, two-color German - made pencil
ing of Jewish refugees from Spain, and the and it became the task of Torquemada himself which is named "Liberty" . . .
Mathew Solomon, the New York
robbing of the exiles as they were leaving the to win Isabella's approval of the plans for the Jewish detective who got a lick-
mass destruction of the Jewish community of ing for defending the swastika, is
country of their birth and their hopes.
telling his fellow cops that the
Ably translated from the German by Moray Spain.
"The Eternal Diaspora" is a horrifying guy who beat him up was a Nazi
Firth, Mr. Marco's history is a most interesting
sailor and not a Communist . . .
document. It opens up with a chapter on "Dis- chapter describing the wanderings of the rem- The Anglo-Jewish press will be
putations and Renegades," describes the method nant which chose to remain loyal to Judaism and welcoming a new member when
of arranging disputes between Christians and to leave its happy Spanish haven. Marcu de- Trenton's first Jewish paper ap-
Jews, and relates how Jewish renegades added to cribes how the Jews of Portugal begged their pears . . . Asbury Park has prac-
tically clinched the 1936 conven-
the misery of the people they betrayed by tes- Spanish brethren not to come to their land "since tion of the Jewish War Veterans
the two countries were too near to each other . . . Hitler has a mad on with
tifying and working against them.
and the Inquisition would threaten them as well Goering because the general of
Speaking of the disputations the author in the near future." Shiploads of exiles met the many pniforms spent $20,000
comments:
death or were sold as slaves to pirates—many on a ritzy bathroom in his Berlin
of them later being bought up by the Grand palace . Yorkville'g Nazis don't
The rabbis were not in • position to
know it (or do theyl) that the
Rabbi of Constantinople. It was the Turkish casino, which is showing Nazi
speak freely, but were obliged to consider
Empire of the caliphs that invited the Jews, and films, is owned by a gentleman
their opponents. Their enemies, on the other
50,000 of them found shelter there, Alexander who would not be eligible for
hand, were able to rage without check.
VI. was the first sovereign to open harbors of anything but a ghetto in Hitler-
land . . .
Speaking further of the intentions of the papal territory to the Jews. "Against the will
• • •
of
local
Roman
Jews
he
accorded
the
exiled
Span-
renegades he writes:
IT'S A FACT
iards extensive hospitality," Mr. Marco writes.
Influential circles in Washing-
The Spanish Inquisition's struggle for purity ton are booming Mrs. Estelle M.
It cannot be denied that the intention
of many of the des was pious. They
of blood — "limpieza" — accusations of ritual Sternberger for the Nobel Peace
murder against the Jews, the damaging decree of Prize .. , Those in the know say
felt themselves to have been accorded a
that Estelle rates that honor for
Granada, are among the elements in the history her part in putting through the
share of Catholic grace and wished finally
of Spain's expulsion of the Jews which are munitions investigation and for a
to cast off the burden of Judaism. Only the
graphically described by the author of this in- swell job as director of World
Hebrews themselves had the right, by rea-
teresting volume. Valeriu Marcu adds an im- Peaceways . . . The youngest
son of their past history, to be rational
publisher of a daily newspaper
portant book to the library dealing with Span- in the United States is 23-year-
anti-Semites, for it was they alone who had
is-Jewish history, and his story is of particular old Ben Kaufman of Hammond,
to suffer from Judaism. The renegades kept
interest at this time, when events parallel to Indiana, who has just bought the
stumbling against it and wanted to destroy
the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition are being Spencer, Indiana, Evening World
it, as • child wants to destroy the object
.. . There's a cabaret up in Its-
enacted in European countries. —P. S.
against which it has hurt itself.
(PLEASE TURN TO NEXT P•Oill
(GOPYright. 1936. be 9. A.
Valeriu Marcu Writes Interesting Plistory of the Expulsion of
the Jews in 1492
Palestine Is Essentially
The Land of the Youth
A Detroit Tourist Describes Her Impressions of the
Jewish National Home
By JEAN ELLMANN
What is happening in Palestine !Arabs and with one another. But
is all too multifarious to embrace you feel here is a living with zest
in a short article. One could spend and verve in principle,'not only in
the economic, social or even in the
years dredging up treasures from emotional sense. Life is a spiritual
aged memories, since that land affair.
takes one back when geography , I loved the old people that I saw.
and history were made together, Coming from everywhere they are
and rightly feel that would be realizing their ambition of a life-
time. Palestine many of them
the only adequate background cherished as a prize, as a rest after
against which to set the New Pal-1 toil, as a goal beyond which they
estine. And yet, more than a whole I can stop and look back over life
library of source books is even a and collect their threads of ex-
short visit to absorb however vi- ' perience for the weaving perhaps
cariously the actual experience and of a last great adventure. Others
We should not be too hasty in recogniz- to get bald facts and information come because here they do not need
ing the newly-formed Revisionist Zionist undiluted and uncolored. Even the to walk with toes turned in and
bystander is important, patiently submit to cruelty or wor-
Organization, which chooses to call itself innocent
for has it not been through the ef-
over the pronunciamentos of
the Zionist Nation. The mere presumption forts of the passive ones that the a ry Hitler.
Genius may be the capa-
in choosing this name, and the attempt to active ones realize their destiny? city for taking infinite pains—far
Although Palestine belongs to a more it inheres in some supernor-
force communities throughout the world
to establish armed Jewish legions, present culture widely different from ours' mal capacity for suffering infinite
problems are the same as ours pain without succumbing. So, no
this new organization in a rather ridicu- the
are, or have been, the problems of more to be a blown leaf on the
lous light.
pioneering and exploitation. And wind of circumstance, a whirled
But there is another angle which must while occupied with the conflict of twig upon the stream of fate, they
not be ignored. It. may prove to the ad- economics and the philosophy of have a deepfelt appreciation for
materialism and expanding indus- the homeland. Here they come to
vantage of Palestine to have the Palestini- trialism,
this land emerges as the terms with the world, and they
an effort carried on by a dual movement. protagonist of high drama, for with have something to go on, with faith
The formation of the new Revisionist its roots from the Bible and till and hope.
worldwide organization suggests the pos- recently to backward, it is being
Empire of Imagination
launched precipitately into • world
sibility of carrying into effect the plan ad- of
But Palestine is essentially the
machinery. accelerated building,
vocated by David Ben Gurion, eminent and into meetly a collective society empire of imagination, which
labor leader, whereby all parties in the at that The leap is being made means it is the land of the youth.
reflect a multitude of mental
World Zionist Organization 'would be from biblical times; ways of life They
customs that stood for cen- attitudes. Whether they are a
fused into one body for the purpose of re- and
turies with all the compulsions of clever cross-section of the talky in-
building Palestine. If we must have two religion "that so proudly we telligentzia or brought up on the
Zionist organizations, then let the new hailed", are being supplanted by catchwords of modern phychology,
are in step with the swift
movement be the opposition body, even if new ways of life, not altogether they
without religious compulsion be- rhythm of our age. Those who in-
we must have such a sharp division of hind
terested
me most were the well
but certainly with a
opinion on a subject which should have fresh them,
inspiration. And in the rounded, full-blooded, three dimen-
united Jewry and eliminate action such scheme of things verily each man sional human beings I met at the
We asked one of these
as was encouraged by the Revisionists in and woman is his brother'a keeper! colonies.
how long he thought we
It stands out as an epic adventure. boys
Vienna.
should
remain
with him before we
"Life is • Spiritual Affair"
could understand the things they
We are not impressed by the Revisionist
There is much disquieting truth. are trying to accomplish, and he
claims to Zionist nationhood, nor by their People who come to Palestine do
us six months. Which was
boasts that 750,000 Jews cast their bal- not magically shed the enduring told
his way of saying that life is
of human frailties. Human only
lots for delegates to their rump congress. list
not something you understand but
nature is exhibited in the micro-
thing you live. Today begins
In fact, it is our opinion that their organ- cosm
and laboratory of any estab-
ization will be short-lived. But if it does lished social groups, there as else- where yesterday has not yet left
To get the real color of • coun-
carry on and musters some strength, there where. These various inherent con- off.
try one must get into the rhythm
is nothing to fear from a new movement flictu have different degrees of im- of living and loving, even of dying.
interpreted in full rela-
of its kind. In the long run the existence ImeclitsrY,
Who said civilization is running
tion to the contemporary scene.
beam, vitality and
of such an opposition movement may lend And criticism of mans things is down in bulk,
Here at the colonies of these
strength to the cause of a rebuilt Palestine. rightfully on the boil. But I never gusto?
young people things have just be-
No, Vladimir Jabotinsky does not connected Palestine with militant gun, Along with • determination to
organizations. Nor could I
life on such terms as ina-
frighten us. His movement sometimes labor
have pictured those modern cities enjoy
amuses us, and at time pains us because it whose statistics would make any dequate equipment can provide,
there
is
a profound seriousness un-
One
does not place us in an altogether good Rotary Club puff with pride.
and defects of new- relieved by any sense et debonair
light with the nations of the world. But in sees the effects
ni .L
. mirth and
a n nd
adventure.
They in efni
i n eve rything, but all this
the internal ranks of Jewry this new Zion- ness
o siirnexesaswy itah i m mense
ground has been covered so accept- bue
manner
nie t r
ist nationhood can not harm us. If it will ably. Of course. they will have to
for thinking, gives assurance that in human y
enroll a few hundred more thousand Jews develop techniques
even • need for lives something that can ride the
to serve Palestine, it may help us in the „ru ne, living and
MIAMI TITAN TO NEXT PAGR)
forgetting in dealing with the
Two Zionist Organizations
Strictly
Confidential
Rabbi Kook on Art I
London Artist Recalls Inter-1
eating Conversation With
Chief Rabbi
By A. MELNIKOFF
(1DprInted loon the London Jeal.lt
Chronicle)
As an artist I am interested
in the Biblical prohibition of
making "graven images," that
has had so much influence in
the creation of Jewish art.
One day I talked to the late
Rabbi Kook about this prohi-
bition. I asked him whether
it is true that somewhere in
our holy commentaries there Is
a passage which says that under
certain conditions sculpture is
allowed to be done by Jews?
The rabbi knitted his brows.
"Let me see, let me see," he
was saying to himself. A few
moments later he brought
down huge Gemaroth from
the shelves; he piled them up
on the tables; he opened one
after another, moving his deli-
cate fingers along the lines of
the holy script as he read. This
went on for half-an-hour. He
looked like a hunter on the
trial, a hunter after truth and
knowledge. At last he stood up
triumphantly. "Here it is," he
said. "Now listen to what our
gages say about your question."
I don't remember the exact
wording he quoted, but it was
something like this—"Our sages
say,"he read out, "that it is
allowed to Jews to make images,
if these are done imperfectly
and maimed."
This made me laugh.
"Why are you laughing?" he
asked.
"In that case," I replied,
"I am sure my sculpture is
lumber."
"Why?" he asked,
"Because my work is far
from being perfect"
Now was his turn to laugh.
He was all kindness. We talked
about art and he told ins the
following story:
"When I lived in London
used to visit the National Gal-
lery, and my favorite pictures
were those of Rembrandt I
really think that Rembrandt
was a Tzadik. Do you know that
when I first saw Rembrandt's
works, they reminded me of the
legend about the creation of
light? We are told that when
(PLEAffE TURN TO NETT PAGE)
History Repeats Itself
Looking at the Expulsion of Jews from Spain
By VALERIU MARCU
EDITOR , NOTE: laterite stereo, Romanian historian and essayist tyllice• 1,,,,..-
peon reputation toe mtedded to this country some yenr. ago slot the
publiollion of "Men 50•1 farces of our Time- and "The Willi of ills
lion." III. written • hook of eilmordinart inierekt, "The M111114.11 of tic
Jr1101 from spaln." 'rile Mine Pews., width publish,. this
10111111r Ild-
"tomb, hits amide.' om pertni...lott to reprint this chapter. Marco's Isei,
sill attract International attention.
(Copyright, WS,
SeVen
When the Jews of Central Eu-
rope were accused of having pois-
oned the Rhine and the Danube,
together with all their tributaries,
according to prescriptions in the
Talmud, and they were faced with
the alternatives of baptism or
death, thousands of them did not
wait to receive sentence but com-
mitted suicide. A remarkable race
began, to see who could be first—
the robber bands and the municipal
authorities in burning the Jews or
the Jews in burning themselves. In
Mainz the race was won by the
authorities, who caused 12,000
Jews to be "roasted to such a de-
gree that the window leading and
the bells of the Church of Saint
Quirinus were melted." In Esslin-
gen, on the other hand, the Jews
were first. The whole community
gathered in the synagogue and
turned the temple into a gigantic
pyre. In Speyer it was the robber
bands that won; they did not burn
but strangled, and sent the corpses
floating down the Rhine in empty
wine barrels. In Frankfurt the
Jews set their ghetto on fire and
threw themselves in great numbers
into the flames.
An eyewitness who saw 38 Jews
roasted in Brandenburg wrote:
"How stubborn the Jews are! I
should have found it difficult to
believe if I had not seen it with
my own eyes, how they not only
sang and laughed as they burned,
but many of them leaped and ex-
ulted, and suffered death with
great firmness despite the torture
which they were evidently under-
goin- "
They killed themselves from
fear of being made into Christ-
ians, even though it was allowed
by the Talmud to go through the
pretence of conversion if life was
endangered. The Jews of Central
and Western Europe were so de-
tached from life outside Jewry that
even the attempt to continue their
existence without the ritual to
which they were accustomed
seemed impossible.
They Were Allies of Kings
It was otherwise in Spain. Here
—in spite of the ghettoes, in spite
of rabbinism—they played an im-
portant part in the corporate life
of the developing Spanish nation.
The Jewish nabobs of the &risk.
cratie Christian quarters, who pos-
sessed hundreds of Arab slaves,
who presented silver candelabra to
the synagogues to lighten their
hearts of the sins they had com-
mitted against the prescriptions of
the ritual, were allies of the kings.
For three centuries they lent their
aid as faithful servants of the
Art. Feature Synillcotel
crown against all the forces whirl
set themselves up in opposition
against absolutism. The Jewish
Court dignitary was almost a part
of the unwritten constitution of
Castile. King Ferdinand IX had
the Jew Don Samuel at his side as
comptroller of his policies. King
Alphonse XI did not part for years
from his mentor Joseph Benevists,
and the absolute adviser of Peter
IV was Samuel Abuleija. The most
important monarchs of Castile
seem to have been unable to man-
age without Jewish educators, ad-
visers and ministers.
These Jews, Who were for the
most part rich, consciously fur-
thered the great process of national
construction. Through its exalted
representatives Jewish wealth ful-
filled a political function quite out-
side Jewry. In the domain of cul-
ture the part played by the Jews
was no less significant. The contact
between the Christian and Arab-
ian worlds, which was so important.
for Western Europe, took plies
through the intermediary of thi
Jews. The expelled Arabs had be-
queathed to them the inheritance of
Hellenism, and the brilliant uni-
versities of the caliphs at Cordoba
and Toledo continued their esti ,
ities under Christian rule—and the
guidance of Jews. Jewish scholar-
had once competed with the Moors
in translating into Arabic tio
works of Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy.
and the Greek mathematicians and
scientists, and they now translated
these further into Castilian. Not
only were they translators, but
they were among the first to pro-
duce original literature in t he
Castilian tongue; they stood at the
cradle of Spanish, and they
moulded it from a dialect into a
language.
Medicine In Their Hands
Everything that the Jews had
achieved in the fields of chemistry.
astrology, mathematics, and medi-
cine in their collaboration with the
Arabs they now handed on alone.
They were enthusiastic proclaimers
of experimental science, and 'sci-
ence was practically their monop-
oly. Throughout the whole of Spain
the art of medicine was in t heir
hands. The personal physicians of
the grandees, the kings, and the
archbishops were all Jews. Even
the pious rabbis, who had once (-l-
oosed the cultural alliance of Jew.
and Arabs and still prescribed the
scientific work of the Jews, made
an exception in the rase of medi-
cine. Among this stratum of Jew'.
composed partly of the presPer° •
partly of the most cultured and
(RLEASE 'TI - RN TO Lair( PAGE.