Purely Commentary

2

Noted Leaders at UPA
Conference Nov. 3 and 4

"Dizzy"—Whose Genius Was His Pride in His Origin

Benjamin Disraeli—born D'Israeli, who later dropped th e
apoStrophe and lower-cased the I—did not go through the Ba r
Mitzvah ceremony. At the age of 12 he was broUght into mem
bership of the Church of England by his father, Isaac D'Israeli
who "was wholly indifferent" to the Jewish faith, "never attende d
the Synagogue, and was quite willing to be called a Jew, a Chris
tian, a Deist, or a Buddhist, so long as he was not expected t 0
participate in any religious ceremony." But a synagogue fine fo r
non-participation in religious activities enraged him and when
"a friend named Sharon Turner considered that Isaac's children
would have a better chance in the world if they became Chris-
tians," Benjamin was brought to the Church of England and
"the intransigent attitude of the Jewish authorities made possible
his later career in politics."
The quotations are from one of the most interesting books
of the year—from "Dizzy—The Life and Personality of Benjamin
Disraeli" by Hesketh Pearson, recently published by Harper. It
is a remarkable book as a study of one of the great men of the
last century and as a commentary on Jewish loyalties on the
part of a man who, although removed from his Jewish background,
nevertheless espoused the cause of justice for Jewry as if he were
the spokesman for his ancestors.
He was a Christian before he became a teen-ager, yet, where-
ever he turned later in life, he was constantly referred to as "the
Jew" and never flinched from it. During his campaign for a
parliamentary seat, Whig animosity brought epithetical cries of
"Shylock!" and "Old Clothes!" at political meetings. He was
greeted derisively when he finally took his seat in the House of
Commons. Thomas Carlyle spoke of him as a juggler, a • Hebrew
conjurer, an absurd monkey, a mountebank, a self-seeking im-
postor,' as "the cursed old Jew, not worth his weight in cold ba-
con . . . the worst man who ever lived." Matthew Arnold, to whom
Disraeli was especially courteous, was equally as insulting to the
Jewish-born British statesman.

.

.

England owes much of her glory to "Dizzy" who scored tri-
umph after triumph for his country, in spite of the gratuitous
remark by Biographer Pearson with reference to his love for his
wife Mary Anne: "The only alternative to fame was an oscure
but happy domestic life; and his nature was strongly inclined
to this because, as a Jew, his real country was his home. Like
others of his race, he had a far keener susceptibility to family
life than the average Englishman, whose home is his country."
This remains an unproven opinion. In a sense, it slurs the man
who devoted his life to the empire he helped build and who
matched the genius of Bismarck in his labors for Great Britain.
To quote Mr. Pearson: "Bismarck was the only statesman of that
age worthy of Disraeli's steel; but though the one had absolute
power while the other was accountable to parliament, it was the
old Jew' as Bismarck called him, who won • the first and last
bouts." Limping John Bull could. use Disraeli today.
Pearson's brilliant personality sketch of the very great states-
Man whose genius remains unmatched' in our time has so much
to commend that it is difficult to do it full justice in a com-
paratively brief resume*. Suffice it to point but that one of the
most interesting portions Of "Dizzy" deals with his support of
Lord John RuSsell's motion for the removal of the Jews' civil and
political disabilities. It was brought about by the election of Baron
Lionel de Rothschild to represent the City of London in Parlia-
ment and his refusal to take the oath "on the true faith of a
Christian." Rothschild was not given his seat and he had to seek
election again and again while the battle for the removal of
disabilities raged in parliament, Disraeli losing popularity because
of his position.

The author of "Dizzy" points out that "Disraeli's support
was founded on his conception of the Jews as the spiritual pre-
decessors of Christianity. He said that the doctrines of Jesus
were the completion, not the change, of Judaism; that Jews,
the Apostles, the Evangelists, and all the early Christians, were
Jews, that the Jews, as the guardians of religious revelation,
were a highly privileged race; and that England would not be
a Christian country if it had not been for a Jew."

Disraeli asked the House of Commons, "Where is your Chris-
tianity if you do not believe in their Judaism?" He became heated,
he was constantly interrupted, "for the first time since he first
rose in the House his speech was received without a sign of ap-
proval," and while Russell's motion carried the House it failed
in the Lords. The battle raged from 1847 until 1858, when, "at
length, under Disraeli's leadership, :z measure was passed giving
each House the power to: alter its own form of oath, and soon
after that. Jews were enabled to sit in the Commons without
swearing as Christians." Thus, the man who was constantly
taunted as a Jew, came through in battle for Jewish rights and
won the fight within his own party to be "master of my political
destiny."
Another of Disraeli's novels, "Taricred," reflects his "pride in
his Jewish origin and his desire to lead a modern crusade," Pear-
son asserts to indicate that "his candid speeches in parliament on
Jews and Christians, together with "Tancred,' mainly account for
the difficulties he encountered. But he came through the strug-
gle nobly."
• In more than • one sense, he was a liberal. This paragraph
from "Dizzy" is worth quoting:

"Near the end of his life Disraeli said to a Jewish boy who had been presented
to him: 'You and I belong to a race which can do everything but fail.' He believed
in the paramount importance of race. 'Progress and reaction are but words to
mystify the millions,' he wrote. 'They mean nothing, they are nothing, they are
Phrases and not facts. All is race. In the structure, the decay, and the development
of the various families of man, the vicissitudes of history find their main solution.'
This doctrine was opposed to such tenets as the equality of man, which, he asserted,
had destroyed ancient society without creating a satisfactory substitute. Men were
only equal in relation to their Creator; all other equality was absurd; but faith was
essential; and spiritual, not material, values were all that mattered. Such was his
creed, and it explains his belief in an aristocracy that should lead, guide and en=
lighten, soften vulgar prejudices and encounter popular passions. But his doctrine
does not take account of individual genius, which in literature and action, has had
more effect on the world than race; and it does not do justice to his own remark-
able achievement, which was as unique as himself, and due to the peculiarities. of
his nature, not to his racial characteristic's. It is true that his 'origin was against
him, true also that his chief racial qualify, patience, was in his favor; but what
ultimately- made him leader of a party whose components were radically antipa-
thetic to his derivation,:his 'manners,. his mentality, his habits, his personal appear-
ance; and indeed everything about him, was the compelling force of his personality;
in a: word, his genius.'

. This is a fair evaluation. Regardless of Disraeli's attitude
on race, his own individuality is the most striking thing about
the man whom history recognizes as Genius. But it is not to be
denied that his Jewish heritage, the Hebraic legacy upon which
he - 'drew constantly and to Which he always referred with pride,
played a part in the making of the Genius who defied all .oh-
stacles to achieve the dream of becoming Premier of England.
The "pride in Jewish origin", is in itself something unique in one
who became a Christian at the age of 12. Nearly all other similar
experiences are that the Convert also becomes the antagonist.
Dizzy. became the , protonist.
n
=Th to too, was the zejii,i3s,

THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, November 2, 1951

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ'

Yet, Disraeli was not resentful. On the contrary: "All Dis.
raeli's books contain dream-pictures of himself and what he
would like to achieve; and `Alroy' is a fantasy in which its au-
thor is depicted as the descendant of David, the conqueror
chosen by God to lead the Jews to victory and revive their an-
cient glory."

—

NEW Y OR K—W. Stuart
Symington, formerly United
States Secretary of the Air Force

Goldmann

Symington

and currently Chairman of the
Reconstruction Finance Cor-
poration, will be among the
principal speakers at the United
Palestine Appeal's National Con-
ference for Israel on Nov. 3 and
4, at the Shoreham Hotel, Wash-
ington, D.C., Rudolf G. Sonne-
born, UPA National Chairman,
announced.
With him as - chief partici-
pants in the parley will be top-
level leaders of Israel and
American Jewry, as well as
prominent national figures, _in-
cluding: Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Jr., Congressman from New
York, who will make his first re-
port at the conference following
an intensive survey of conditions
in Israel; Abba Eban, Israel Am-
bassador to the United States;
Dr. Nahum Goldmann, chair-
man of the World Zionist Con-
gress and co-chairman of the
Jewish Agency for Palestine;
Benjamin G. Browdy, chairman
of the Palestine Foundation
Fund, UPA constituent agency,
and president of the Zionist Or-
ganization of America.

Permission Granted for Sale
Of Israel's Bonds in Canada

Direct -JTA Teletype Wires to The Jewish News
MONTREAL. — The Canadian government has
granted permission for sale of Israel bonds in this
country, it was announced here Monday night at the
closing session of the ninth plenary meeting of the
Canadian Jewish Congress by Samuel Bronfman, who
was re-elected president of the organization.
The Congress adopted a resolution calling upon
Canadian Jewry to aid Israel through the purchase of
Israel bonds, through contributions and through in-
vestments in the newly established' Canadian Israel
Trading Corporation. Other resolutions stressed the
need for provision for Yiddish education and support of
Yiddish press, and called for payment of reparations by
Germany to Jewish victims of Nazis.
Canadian Immigration Minister Harris, who ad-
dressed the convention, told the delegates that the
Dominion Government was trying to remove all dis
criminatory barriers to immigration. He pledged that
war criminals from. Central Europe would not be ad-
mitted as immigrants.

Local Drive Collections at 55 Percent
As AJC Workers Head for 100% Goal

To boost the 1951 Allied Jew- chairman of the Women's Divi
ish Campaign collection rate sion collection committee, is be-
from 55 per cent to clOse to 100 ginning preparation for an all-
per cent in the next month is out C-Week from, Nov. 30 te
the goal of all divisions of the Dec. 7. Mrs. Samuel S. Aaron,
Jewish Welfare Federation.
committee vice - chairman, will
- Assignments rapidly are being handle special assignments-Mrs,
made for the 100 trade and pro- Lewis Manning, other vice-chair-
fessional workers - who volun- man, will be in charge or re-
teered during the week to work cruiting workers.
on collections, Harvey H. Gold-
Mrs. Nathan H. Schermer and.
man, Detroit Service Group pre-
Mrs. Irving Mahler will take care .
sident, announced.
Several trade and professional of clerical details, and- commit-.
sections have scheduled organi- tee secretaries will include Mes-
zational meetings. Louis Taba- dames Mark Dale, Selden Koblin
shnik will meet today, at 12:30 and Morey L. Rosenthal.
p.m., with furniture men at the
Federation office in the Owen Microfilm Copy of Rare Book
Bldg. and the physicians, under Sent to Ben-Gurion in Israel
the combined leadership of Dr.
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Premier
Leo Orecklin and Dr. Hyman S.
Mellen will convene at the home David Ben-Gurion was the re-
of Dr. Orecklin at 11 a.m., Sun-. cipient of a microfilm copy of a
day. Meetings held during the rare Greek book ,by the fifth-
past week were the attorneys, century philosopher, Proclus,
presented him by U. S. Ambas-
with Abe Satovsky, chairman, sador Monnet B. Davis on be-
and the dentists, with Dr. Ro- half of Luther H. Evans, head of
bert Moss, chairman.
the Library of Congress in
Mrs. William B. Isenberg, 'Washington.
TWenty-five years of service
to the health of the community
will be celebrated by North End
Clinic at a • dinner, 7 p.m., Nov.
28 at the Hotel Statler, David
Wilkus, president of the Clinic,
announced.
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1951, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
A member agency of the Jew-
ish Welfare Federation and a Internal Issues
Red Feather Service supported
The rift between the American Jewish Committee and the
by the Torch Fund, North End
Clinic provides medical, dental Jewish Agency may be healed sooner than some expect ... The
and diagnostic treatment for situation at present is being watched with great caution . The
people unable to afford private Jewish Agency statement in New York criticizing the American.
care. The medical staff, headed Jewish Committee was not issued without approval from Jerusalem
by Dr. S. G. Meyers, chief of . . . The entire issue - was actually precipitated by the fact that
staff, and Dr. Saul Rosenzweig, the Jewish Agency included in its budget several hundred thous-
assistant, is selected from among and dollars for promoting Chaluziut on the American Continent
physicians and dentists of the
. The American Jewish Committee considered this contrary to
community, without regard to Premier David Ben-Gurion's declaration on the subject . There
race or creed. •
was an exchange of cables between the American Jewish Com-
Arrangements for the anniver- mittee and Israel even prior to the adoption of the Jewish Agency
sary celebration are being made budget. by the World Zionist Congress . . . And other important
under the joint chairm. a,nshi -o of American Jewish leaders, not connected with the American Jewish
Sylvan S. Grosner and Dr. Hy- Committee, had cabled Israel their objections to the allocation
man S. Mellen. Committee mem- of funds for stimulating Chaluziut in the United States . ..After
bers assisting the chairmen are the speeches against Chaluziut for America delivered at the Zion-
Board members Mrs. Abraham ist Congress by ZOA and Hadassah delegates; the matter was
Cooper, Mrs. Julius Gilbert and considered settled. . . The 'issue was revived after it was learned
David Wilkus: staff representa- that the Jewish Agency budget contains an allocation for Chalutz
tives Drs. Robert Berman, S. G. propaganda among American Jewish • youth . . . The Jewish
Meyers a n d Saul Rosenzweig; Agency explains, however, that this allocation concerns youth in
staff doctors' wives Mrs. Harry Latin American countries.
August, Mrs. M. P. Meyers and
Mrs. Lawrence Segar and office
personnel Eva Ravnitzky, Dora Communal Affairs .
Now that Jewish groups engaged in combatting anti-Semitism
Taylor and Selma J. Sampliner.
Officers of the clinic, in addi- in the United StateS have made known their views on the Mac-
tion to Wilkus, are Sylvan S. Iver Report; a c16.r picture emerges . . The Anti-Defamation
Grosner, vice-president, Mrs. League of Bnai Brith is the chief opponent of the MacIver recom-
Henry Moses, secretary, Edith S. mendations . . . The American Jewish Cominittee is opposed to
Heavenrich, treasurer, Louis A. some of the basic recommendations, but., is willing to accept the
The large Jewish
Baum, member of the executive Mac.Iver Report as a basis for negotiations
committee, Julian H. Krolik. Federations and Welfare Funds support Prof. Maclver's recom-
member of the executive com- mendations in principle and leave the details of implementation
mittee and Selma J. Sampliner, open for negotiations . . . The Jewish Labbr Committee supports •
Prof. MacIver's recommendation in relation to work with labor
executive director.
and finds the other basic recommendations of the Maclver Report
Worthy
of further' study ... The Atherican Jewish Congress shares
Truman Won't Desert
and supports, with certain qualifications, Prof. MacIver's proposals ;
Hennock Appointment; for the elimination of duplication: 1n the . work of Jewish groups
engaged in fighting anti-Semitism . It also subscribes fully to
McGrath Supports Bid - Prof.
Maclver's judgment as to • the "Unsatisfactory character" of:
WASHINGTON — ( A J P ) — the procedures now employed by communities in allocating funds
President Truman stood firm on to these groups ... The Jewish War Veterans of the United States
his refusual to withdraw the finds itself in. agreement with the .major share of the estimates'
nomination of former FCC Com- and conclusions of the MacIver RepOrt:,, The Union of American'
missioner Frieda Hennock to be Hebrew Congregations gives "wholehearted 'endorsement" - to .the
a Federal judge in New York. major premises of th:e Maclver Report. and urges speedy imple-
Bar associations in the New inentation of. its - major recommendations
Competent bbseTvers
area opposed the appointMent. believe that no real action will be taken: in:the near future of. the,
Testifying in favor of Miss Maclver recommendations, but that eventually some coMproMiSe.
Hennock's appointment as jurist will be reached .
They feel that the :interest Which . the .Mac-
before a Senate committee was IVer Report has aroused among organizations and in the Jewisli
U. S. Attorney-General J. How- Community has-been , a valuable stimulant to1 intelligent
ard. McGrath.
ity concern about Jewish..activities in the fiefd'orfighting bigotry,

North End Clinic
Honors 25th Year

Between You and Me

