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.