Purely Commentary
1958-THE
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
'Shikker Iz a Goy—Nichter lz a Yid'
Your Commentator knows many non-Jews who are tee-
totalers and quite a few Jews who, contrary to traditions, can
gulp down more liquor than an entire squad of men of another
faith.
Yet, there is validity to the old song "Shikker Iz a Goy,
Nichter Iz a Yid"—provided it is viewed in its proper setting.
A Yale Center of Alcohol Studies publication, "Alcohol and
the Jews," shows that there are fewer Jewish alcoholics than
those of other faiths. The author of the study, Prof. Charles R.
Snyder, emphasized in his book that it is not a question of how
much Jews - drink, - but how. He states that excess is avoided
because drinking among Jews "occurs in the presence of the
most powerful sanctions in Orthodox Jewish life."
Reviewing Prof. Snyder's book, Time Magazine reminded
its readers of the old Yiddish song, "Shikker Iz a Goy"
("Drunken Is a Gentile") which it offered in this translation:
The Gentile goes into the• saloon, the saloon
And drinks there a small glass of wine; he tosses it
off—his glass of wine.
Oh—the Gentile is a drunkard —a drunkard he is,
Drink he must,
Because he is a Gentile.
The Jew hurries into the place of prayer; •
An evening prayer, a short benediction he says, and a
prayer for his dead.
Far—the Jew is a sober man—sober he is . .
Pray he must,
Because he is a Jew.
On the face of it, this might appear chauvinistic, and the
quoting of it might be interpreted as inciting to anti-Jewish
prejudice and as being offensive. Some have expressed resent-
ment against the appearance of this translated song. They surely
would have felt differently had they given thought to the condi-
tions and the times which inspired that song. Time Magazine
would have done better to inquire into the motivating reasons
for "Shikker Iz a Goy, Nichter Iz a Yid . . ."
First of all, one must remember that the song originated in
Russia where Jewish drunkards were amazing rarities, where
the Jew's neighbor in the overwhelming instances was a shikker.
Then, it is necessary to take into account the status of the Jew
in the days of terror during which the song was written. The
Jew had to be on guard against an antagonistic environment.
He was compelled to find an escape from indignities and he
found it in study. He was drunken with the desire for pilpulistic
Talmudic discussions. His great satisfaction was in being able
to gain another mitzvah (good deed) when participating in a
synagogue kdushab. (solemn benediction). That is how he found
relief from the dangers and enn'uities that surrounded him.
Aren't we resorting to the same chauvinism we ordinarily
condemn by stating that the Jew's neighbor was a shikker? The
__evidence is at hand. It is provided for us by Jules Koslow, the
author Kremlin: Eight Centuries of Tyranny and Ter-
ror," published by Thomas Nelson & Sons (19 E. 47th, N.Y. 17).
About the book itself: it is a most revealing description of
the horrors that emanated from the center of Russianisms. Few
bestialities on record anywhere can possibly match the tyrannical
rule of the Kremlin. Murder, rape, drunkenness, the most dis-
gusting type of lasciviousness dominated the capital of the Czars,
their associates, the brutes who ruled over a tremendous area.
The women as well as the men were cruel, and Kremlin spelled
tyranny and mercilessness.
Jules Koslow toured the Kremlin in 1932 before it was ruled
out-of-bounds for visitors. He did research on his subject for
two years and he has done marked justice to it. A member of
the editorial staff of the New Yorker for seven years, he is now
an editor for the Ford Foundation.
In his truly exciting story Koslow quotes a Venetian traveller
named Contarini who toured Russia in the 14th century and
wrote:
"Here the men and women alike are comely, yet have a
beastlike air. And a hideous plague ravageth them all, of every
degree, and that plague is drunkenness, so that Moscow's
familiar spirit would indeed seem to be the spirit of the bottle.
One meeteth here even - nobles in liquor. And those nobles do
boast of the same, and, to boot, maltreat them who remain
temperate."
It is wrong, of course, to generalize and to condemn an
entire people. But there happens to be too much truth, for
instance, in this parable told by Koslow:
"A popular Russian tale is that when God created the
world He made various nations and endowed them with many
good things such as rand, corn, and fruit. Upon completion of
His work, He asked the various nations if they were satisfied,
and all of them said yes except the Russians who had received
the same as the rest. They replied, 'Please, Lord, some
Vodka.' "
Thus, ad infinitum, evidence is piled up in Koslow's book
to indicate the bestialities of some of the Russian rulers and
their courtiers — much of the heartlessness undoubtedly stem-
ming from alcoholism.
When the facts are taken into consideration, the "Shikker-
Nichter" song emerges as a natural result of an unnatural era
in the life of a harrassed people whose soul was in the spiritual
realm but whose neighbors were crazed by spirits.
Origin of the Word 'Czar'
Koslow's "The Kremlin," in which many of Russia's rulers
emerge in a very bad light, especially describes the cruelty of
Ivan the Terrible and states that, "unmoved by the sight of
blood," he "showed no sign of remorse or pity when he witnessed
the most brutal of tortures . ."
Koslow traces the origin of the word "Czar" and states:
"The word 'czar' has often been traced as a contraction of
`Caesar,' which in itself must have intrigued Ivan. However, the
actual origin of the word is unclear. It has been suggested that
it is of Eastern origin, meaning in Persian 'throne' or 'supreme
power,' and that Assyrian and Babylonian kings' names often
ended with 'czar,' such as in Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar.
`Czar' also was used by certain Tartar rulers, and it is possible
that Ivan got the idea of using the title from them."
Strengthening of Jewish Publication
Society as 'Arsenal of Jewish Spirit'
Urged at 70th Anniversary Celebration
By Jewish News
The contributions made by
committee's portion of the an-
Special Correspondent
JPS to various aspects of
nual meeting.
Dr. Grayzel, who was com-
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Amer- Jewish life, and especially
to Israel, were stressed by
mended by all participants in
ican Jewry was called upon, at
Judge Levinthal. He em-
the JPS 70th annual meeting
the 70th annual meeting of the
phasized that, in view of
for his creative efforts as editor
Jewish Publication Society of
Israel's tenth anniversary,
of the Society, concluded the
America, held here Sunday
particular stress is laid on
dinner meeting with "an ex-
at the Warwick Hotel, to
volumes dealing with Israel,
pression of gratitude and hope"
strengthen this "arsenal of the
and the Benshen. Abraham L.
Jewish spirit" in this country Zionism and the Hebrew
language. He reported that
Freedman greeted the meeting
and to advance the efforts that
as president of the Philadelphia
are being made to publish a an important biography of
Jewish Federation.
larger number of important Ahad Ha'Am will be pub-
lished by JPS in 1959, in ad-
Judge Theodore Levin and
Jewish books and to increase
dition to the other valuable
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Slomovitz
the number of readers of Jew-
books planned for the coining
were the Detroiters at the ses-
ish books.
months.
sions. Present at the meetings
Marking the 70th anniversary
of the formation of the JPS,
In his report as treasurer, were JPS leaders from all
spokesmen at the afternoon and Myer Feinstein said that the part of the country.
evenings meetings, and at the Society ended the year with a
birthday dinner, paid tribute to slight surplus and that a budget Jordan Protests B-G
the founders of the Society and of $362,000 was approved for Warning Mt. Scopus
recounted the struggles as well 1958. Joseph First reported for
as the achievements during the the nominating committee.
Must Be Accessible
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
seven decades of efforts to
During the day's discussions,
to The Jewish News
establish this non-profit Jewish at which the planned books for
JERUSALEM
— The govern-
publishing movement, in behalf the coming two years were
ment of Jordan protested to the
of American Jewry.
analyzed, Dr. Eli dinzberg re- Mixed Armistice Commission
A tribute to one of the
ported for the survey commit- against a statement by Israel
founders, Dr. Solomon Solis-
tee. His findings showed an Premier David Ben-Gurion that
Cohen, by Miss Emily Solis-
appalling attitude towards if the United Nations did not
Cohen, and read for her, in
books by the average readers, persuade Jordan to allow Israel
her absence due to illness, by and he made a number of con- access to the health and cultural
her nephew, Solomon Solis-
crete proposals for new JPS institutions on Mt. Scopus, Is-
Cohen II, grandson of the
efforts. A special meeting of rael would take the matter into
man honored, recalled that
the JPS publication commit- its own hands.
the founder had referred to
tee will discuss his report later
The crux of the Jordanian
the JPS idea, in 1888, as "the
this year.
complaint was that Ben-Gurion's
arsenal of the Jewish spirit."
Other interesting reports statement at the ceremony for-
The memory of the chief were given by Dr. Marcus, for mally opening the new campus
prime mover in the formation the American Jewish history of the Hebrew University con-
of JPS, Dr. Joseph Krauskopf, division, and Robert D. Abra- stituted a threat in violation
who was member of the first hams for the committee on of the terms of the armistice
class of Reform rabbis grad- juvenile literature. Judge Levin- agreement betwen the two
uated in this country, at He- thal presided at the publication states.
brew Union College, was hon-
ored in a brief address by Rabbi
Bertram W. Korn, of Knesset
Boris Smolar's
Israel Congregation, where Dr.
Krauskopf held the pulpit.
The history of the JPS, its
aims and major achievements
where outlined in the presi-
dential address of Edwin
(Copyright, 1958,
Wolf II, who was re-elected
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
president.
Justice Horace Stern was re- The Domestic Scene
About six weeks have passed sinced the bombing of the
elected one of the vice-presi-
dents, with Sol Satinsky and Jewish Community Center in Nashville and the synagogue in
Dr. Jacob R. Marcus, for his Miami, but the perpetrators of these outrages have not yet been
47th term. Myer Feinstein was discovered. Jewish organizations, like the American Jewish Com-
re-elected treasurer, Dr. Louis mittee and the Anti-Defamation League, are still keeping their
E. Levinthal again was chosen eyes on these two cities. The American Jewish Committee has
chairman of the publication sent a man to five other major cities in the South to confer with
committee for his 15th term. local community leaders and officials. One development noted
Dr. Solomon Grayzel was re- by the central Jewish. organizations is that the incidents of
elected editor of the Society for violence, deplorable as they were, have enhanced Jewish-
the 20th year. Lesser Zussman Christian relationship in Miami and Nashville. The response and
was renamed executive secre- reaction of Christians toward their Jewish fellow citizens has
tary. Philip Slomovitz was re- been more than an expression of sympathy. It was an unusual
elected an honorary vice-presi- demonstration of "togetherness."
* *
dent of the Society. Judge
Theodore Levin and Leonard Dormant Funds
There are about 7,000 Jewish "landsmanshaften" and
Simons are the Detroit mem-
fraternal societies in the United States. It is estimated that they
bers of the board of trustees.
Wolf told of the first effort have about $50,000,000 in their treasuries. The Israel Bond
to create a Jewish Publication Organization is asking them to invest their funds in Israel Bonds,
Society in 1845. It lasted until promising that they will be able to cash them any time they
1851. For a brief period, the need cash. Many of these fraternal groups pay small benefits
Society was reorganized in to families of dead members. Others keep their funds dormant
in banks. Up till now the "landsmanshaften" and the fraternal
1871 in New York. Through
the efforts of Rabbi Kraus- orders have purchased a total of about $8,500,000 in Israel Bonds.
kopf and his associates, the But while in 1956 there were about 1,200 such Bond purchasing
Society at last found its groups, their number decreased to 800 in 1957. The Israel Bond
Organization hopes to induce them to buy at least $10,000,000
moorings on June 4, 1888.
in Israel Bonds this year.
The Society, according to
* • *
Wolf, distributed 135,931 vol-
'Swope of G.E.'
umes in 1957, as compared with
When Gerard Swope, former president of General Electric,
124,571 in 1956. Included in this last November bequeathed his entire estate of several million
number, he pointed out, were dollars to the Technion in Israel, the news came as a surprise
39,844 Bibles. He also reported to most of the Jews in the United States. Many Jewish readers
an increase in membership will be even more surprised when they read "Swope of G.E.,"
which reached the number of a biography of this unique personality written by David Loth,
9,738.
published by Simon and Schuster. They will learn that his
Commending the efforts of
mother's maiden name was Ida Cohn, that her father was Chief
Dr. Harry Orlinsky and his Rabbi of Thuringia, Germany, and he was the first Jew to win
associates in the task of pro- a Ph.D. degree at the University of Breslau, that Gerard's parents
ducing a new trabslation of were members of a Reform temple and sent their son to the
the Bible, Wolf said that congregation's Sunday School. Swope drifted away from religion
marked progress has been but in 1948 rejected a British order specifically because he
made in that direction.
objected to the British opposition to the establishment of Israel.
He also reported on the un- The honor was to be conferred in Washington on June 5, 1948,
dertaking to reprint many JPS making him an Honorary Commander of the Order of the British
books in paperback editions, Empire. Swope was never a Zionist, but he was aroused by British
together with Meridian Books, policy in Palestine, and on June 8, three weeks after the procla-
and the publishing, together mation of the State of Israel, he wrote to the British Ambassador
with Farrar, Straus & Cudahy, in Washington saying he had lost his respect for the British
of a number of excellent chil- government because of her position at the United Nations on the
dren's books.
partition issue.
'Between You
. and Me'