By Philip
Purely Commentary
Yiddish on Pattern of German — Jerusalem Court
Told of Jewry's 'Bestowal of Love on Germany'
U)
-
In his historic address to the court that is trying Adolf
Eichinann, Israel's Attorney General Gideon Hausner spoke about
the great gifts that were made to Germany by Jews, the large
number of Nobel Prize winners, "the great love and devotion
that had been bestowed on Germany') by the Jewish people.
He described how Yiddish had developed from German.
spoke about the noted German-Jewish Socialist leaders, and
about the loYa-lty of German Jews who "flocked to the ranks
of the German army with patriotic zeal" until the advent of
Nazism which robbed them of their rights to activate the
loyalties.
Hausner stated in his reference to , German Jewry's gifts
•
to their native land:
"Of the 257 Nobel Prize winners during the first 50 years
of this century, 34 were Jews, 12 of whom were expelled by the
Nazis. I shall not list here all the outstanding Jews stemming
from those countries which had suffered at the hand of Hitler.
It will suffice if we mention just a few of the many hundreds,
to gain but a partial idea of the Jewish people's contribution
to European culture and life—great geniuses like Albert Ein-
stein and Sigmund Freud; Fritz Haber, the chemist; Henry
Bergson, the philosopher; Paul Ehrlich and Ilya Manschikow,
biologists; Niels Bohr, physicist; Otto Warburg and Ernest
Boris Chain, physiologists; thinkers like Martin Buber; writers
like Emil Ludwig, Stefan Zweig, Franz Kafka, Franz Werfel,
Jacob Wassermann, Max Brod and Leon Feuchtwanger, the
sculptors and painters like. Antokolsky, Chagall, Modigliani and
Max ,Liebermann; Max Reinhardt, the producer _ ; musicians
like Huberman, Rubinstein, Kreisler and Richard Tauber.
"The associations between Jewry and Germany comprise a
tragic chapter in human annals. Anyone who peruses Barn-
feld's "Book of Tears," will readily see that Germany was the
country where Jews suffered more than in any other place.
And yet, the Jewish people bestowed great love and 'devotion
on Germany. Its folk-language, Yiddish, was created on the
pattern of German; it- carried this tongue with it to every
country of the dispersion, to Poland, Russia and across the -seas.
It was in German that Herzl wrote his classics of Zionism, that
the proceedings of the Zionist Congresses were held, that
standard works on Jewish history, and philosophy were written.
In other European countries Jews also settled down and at-
tained positions of honour, but nowhere in recent generations
did they display the same devotion and enthusiasm as in Ger-
many. Karl Marx and Ferdinand Lassalle created German So-
cialism, which spread throughout the world, and it was their
Pupil, Edward Bernstein, who founded reformed Socialism.
"When World War 'I broke out, the German Jewish com-
munity flocked to the ranks of the German army with patriotic
zeal; the aged philosopher, Herman Cohen, stepped down from
his university rostrum and called. for a supreme effort on behalf
of Germany. Fritz Haber devoted himself tirelessly to the
scientific effort, and invented the synthetic ammonium which
was of such assistance to the German war effort. The German
Jewish community was proud of every soldier and officer
awarded a medal. After the capitulation, the Jews devoted
themselves to the reconstruction of the country. Walter Rathe-
nau, first as Minister of Economic Affairs and later as Foreign
Secretary, achieved much on behalf of Germany. Hugo Preuss,
the Jewish Minister of the Interior, prepared the draft of the
Weimar Constitution, one of the most progressive constitutions
in Europe.
"But all • this only served to fire the anger of the Nazis.
Rathenau was assassinated by nationalist plotters. The Jewish
contribution to Germany was represented by the Nazis as a
foreign growth, which had to be uprooted--and this became an
accepted aim in their campaign of incitement."
Socialists from Palestine, among them David Ben Gurion, the present Prime
Minister. The book was also published in German, and in its preface it is
pointed out that despite the fact that there was a war going and in spite
of the resentment likely to be felt by many Jews against anything that is
German the publishers had neverthless decided to bring out a German edition
of the book, since German was the language that is understood by most of
the Jews throughout the world.
A certain dislike for anything that was German could still be. noticed
in the beginnings of the Israeli State, which was proclaimed on May 14,
1948. After the establishment of the new State, large numbers of Jews who
had been liberated from the concentration camps flooded the country, for
in its constitution it was laid down that all Jews should be granted the
right of free and immediate access to the country. The - dreadful experiences
they had gone through often lead to a psychologically conditioned anti-
German attitude, though it could not bear up against sensible second
thinking. In 1952, the Luxemburg Agreement was then concluded under
which the Federal Republic of Germany committed herself to make restitu-
tion payments also to the State of Israel, in addition to the compensation
payments to be made to individual victims, widows and orphans. In Luxem-
burg the then Israeli Foreign Minister, Mr. Moshe Sharett, and Federal Chan-
cellor Konrad Adenauer sat vis-a-vis for the first time. When Mr. Sharett, on
his return to 'Israel, was asked in which language he had talked to Herr
Adenauer, he replied: "In the language of Goethe, which existed long before
National Socialism came to power . . ."In spite of the fact . that there were
cases in which persons, who had suffered great psychic damage in the
past, showed an anti-German attitude and thus also turned against the
German language, the standing of German in Israel has nevertheless grown
from year to year ever since. Last but not least, this is due also to the
very positive assessment of the attitude taken by the Federal Governnient
towards all Israeli and Jewish questions on which the - Israel-Mission in
Cologne could report to Jerusalem.
The Youth Too Is Learning German
German films have in spite of some opposition, clearly gained ground.
The German-speaking press has also been able to increase its circulation;
today it has two dailies and numerous weeklies at its disposal, being
the only non-Hebrew papers. Furthermore, there is a German theater • in
Tel Aviv, the "Ilagesher' (The Bridge), giving performances wherever it
is invited to do so. The Israeli of German origin attach great importance
to the idea of handing down to their children the values of German culture,
and among the youth of the country, who receive their school education in
Hebrew, the German language has by no means died out, on the contrary,
it is constantly gaining importance. It is estimated that today one can
converse in German with over three quarters of the population of Israel.
The establishment of diplomatic relations between Bonn and Jerusalem,
which is mutually desired, would certainly strengthen and consolidate the
position of the German language in Israel even further.
A new era has arisen, Yiddish is no longer the powerful
language it was, and German is less popular. It is still more
widely used in Israel than anywhere else, except in Germany
itself—because so many Jews have settled in Israel.
But from an historical and sociological point of view,
.Glaser's evaluation is interesting. It- is even more interesting as
a substantiation of the contentions of Israel's Attorney General
Hausner..
FirSt German Newspaper Appeared in 1936
Since 1933, when the National Socialist Program with its anti-Semitic
principles claimed enforcement among the Germans all over the world,
the German language had got into a very peculiar and hybrid position. On
the one hand, it had all of a sudden become the "language of enemy,"
while, on the other, emigrants from Germany kept pouring into Palestine,
bringing along with them their German mother-tongue now more than
ever before. Subsequently the first circular for German-speaking readers
was introduced in Palestine in 1936, called "Blumenthal" after its author.
In the beginning it was merely a hectographed bulletin, but meanwhile, it
has developed into quite a prominent daily paper ("Jedioth Chadashot").
Typical for the significance attributed to the German language by the Jews
Is a book which appeared in Sweden right in the middle of the Second
World War (1942); it is entitled "Das arbeitende Erez Israel" (Israel—
A Nation at Work) and contains contributions written by many leading
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
LONDON—The situation of the
Jews in Algeria at present is
"very complicated" R. N. Car-
valho, president of the Anglo-
Jewish Association, warned here.
Addressing the Association's
annual council meeting, Carvalho
declared it would be important
to watch carefully the security
of the Algerian Jews in the next
few months when the fate of
that country's future will be set-
tled.
In Morocco, Carvalho said the
situation of the Jews also con-
tinued to be uncertain although
"overt anti-Semitism" appears to
have been halted. He declared
that few Moroccan Jews were ob-
taining passports in spite of the
government's recent order per-
mitting Jews to apply for pass-
ports. The Moroccan government,
he added, seemed to fear that.
Jews might use their passports to
travel to Israel.
Turning to the Adolf Eichmann
trial in Israel, Carvalho said 'that
press reports and public com-
ments in Great Britain were
showing admiration foi the man-
ner in which Israel is conducting
the trial.
However, he cautioned it was
still too early to forecast the long
range effects of the trial on the
world, on Germany, or on Jews
either in Israel or outside Israel.
Member Agencies Will illfeet Increased
Demands as Result of '61 Campaign
the United Nations Subcommis-
sion on the Prevention of Dis-
crimination and Protection of
Minorities of the United Na-
tions, urged that individual gov-
ernments and United Nations
agencies such as UNESCO begin
"working conferences of workers
in mass medics that could ex-
plore methods for making ex-
pression of hatred obsolete."
(Continued from Page 1)
.
of local services. We have given
and worked to maintain these
services and to make certain that
they are available to all who
need them, the young, the old,
the sick, the lonely, the home-
less and the dependent.
"I am proud in your name
of the progress of the Campaign
to date. When the reports are
tabulated I am certain that De-
troit will again have given an
excellent account of itself. The
figures are closing in on last
year's total. Whatever extra ef-
fort is necessary to finish the
job, I know you will exert until
the last dollar is in—and that
the pride we have in our causes,
in our organization and in our
community will be fully justi-
Hausner had, indeed, ,outlined a "tragic chapter in human fied."
annals."' He reconstructed history with brilliance,_ and his de-
Katz called a strong Ameri-
scription of Yiddish as Jewry's "folk-language" which was "cre- can Jewish community the
ated on the pattern of German" should especially' have caused best hope for Jewish survival.
remorse in the criminal who sat in this glass-encased dock He stressed the importance of
listening to Hausner's speech.
building local and national in-
Yiddish, as Hausner said, had; indeed, carried the German stitutions to take care of our
tongue "with it to every country of the dispersion."
people and preserve our heri-
In a recent'report on his visit to Israel, written in Jerusa- tage. •
lem, Dr. Franz Glaser, a noted Swiss journalist, gave his impres-
Katz is a fornier president of
sions of Yiddish and the status of German in Israel, as follows:
the
Jewish Federation of- New
The Jews have never deserted the German language, neither in the course
of the
many centuries during which German was their mother-tongue in Orleans. He praised 'Campaign
large parts of Europe, nor in their own new State Israel, which was estab- workers for building a strong
lished thirteen years ago. The first assimilation of Jews to the German
language is supposed to have taken place in the beginnings of the Christian community able to take care of
era, when they as merchants in the Roman Legioh's suite, came to Germania its needs at home and to help
and to the Limes. When the crusaders persecuted the Jews in German
provinces in the Middle Ages, forcing them to move farther to the East, they provide for Jews in distress
took with them the German language to Poland and Russia, as they did overseas.
during the era of Austria's expansion to Hungary and Southeastern Europe,
except for the Mediterranean area only, where Jewish expellees from Spain
Katz called Detroit a national
have preserved their "Spaniolic" or "Ladino" as the language of everyday
life up to the present day. When the Zionist movement under Dr. Theodor leader and an inspiration to
Herzl, a journalist from Vienna, started its propagation campaign for the other Jewish communities. He
return of the Jews from the dispersion to their ancient fatherland Palestine,
there were quite a few people who pleaded for the preservation of the said that with Detroit's record
German language as cultural language in the new Jewish State, and even this year, no community in the
when the Haifa Technion was founded discussions were Still going on as to
whether German or English was to be adopted as the language of instruction. nation has an excuse for doing
The "Jiddisch," i.e. the German spoken by the Jews, which was used in the less than its share.
ghettos of the East as well as by emigrants from this area in Western
At the same time, Katz urged
Europe, in North and South America, is medieval German, interspersed,
however, with numerous expressions derived from the Hebrew language Campaign workers to _rededicate
of worship as well as from Russian and Polish. The pious people in the
eastern countries strongly demurred to the revival of Hebrew as colloquial themselves to further effort. "By
language of the Jewish people in Palestine, pointing out that the language continuing your efforts just a
of the Bible had to remain the "Holy Language" ("Loschen kodesch"),
whereas they considered their Jew's German to be their actual mother- little while more, you can make
tongue ("mainme-loschen"). During the time between the World Wars, when this one of Detroit's best years,"
Palestine, was under British mandatory administration on behalf of the
League of Nations, English, next to Hebrew, which meanwhile had generally he said.
been recognized as national language, had made ready headway as 'second
language, owing to its significance for international relations, and since the
middle of the fifties, French is also being fostered with a _view to the.
effectiveness of the alliance between Israel and France.
Carvalho Warns
Algerian Jewish
Situation Complicated
Such action, Katz said,
would be in accord with the
UN's Draft Convention on
Freedom of Information which
"emphasizes the responsibili-
ties of government in prevent-
ing expressions that incite na-
tional, racial or religious
hatred."
Elly Stone entertained the
large gathering with a fine selec-
tion of Hebrew, Yiddish and
English songs.
Zuckerman paid tribute to the
community leaders at the head
table who included former Cam-
paign chairman Louis Berry,
Campaign vice - chairman Tom
Borman, Justice Henry M. But-
zel, former Campaign chairman
Irwin I. Cohn, Mrs. Joseph H.
Ehrlich and Mrs. Henry Wine-
"At $4,600,000, the figure
already assured for this year's
Campaign, Detroit stands- at a
minimum of 96 per cent of
last year's -performance with a
fighting chance to exceed this
figure.
"To come within four per cent
of last year's final figure with
more than 2,000 prospects Yet
to be covered, is a distinguished
accomplishment and guarantees
another. year of successful ac-
tivity."
Situation of Morocco Jews Remains
Severe; Wishes of Late King Defied
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
He spoke of the old people,
the sick, the handicapped, both
in our country and overseas,
whose only source of aid
comes froni_. federated Cam-
paigns throughotit'the nation.
He spoke of 'farm settlers in
Israel who have-manned her out-
post settlements for years with-
out adequate tools and facilities
and who must have help now or
be forced to abandon their
settlements.-
Katz, who has testified before
man, honorary chairman of the
Women's Division whom he called
the sweethearts- of our. commu-
nity.
Also at the. head table were
pre-Campaign co-chairmen Sol
Eisenberg and A. Alfred Taub-
man; pre - campaign chairman
Charles H. Gershenson, Rabbi
Benjamin Gorrelick, who gave
the invocation; former Campaign
chairmen Abe Kasle, John E. Lu-
rie, Nate S. Shapero and Abra-
ham Srere.
Others at the head table were
Campaign vice - chairmen Abe
Shiffman and Max J. Zivian,
president of United Jewish
Charities.
-
Where the promise of the _late
King to Jews is not being
honored by the Moroccan au-
thorities. -
Meanwhile, the Moroccan
press was reported here to be
engaged in a new campaign
against Moroccan Jews follow-
ing the arrest .of a number of
Jews at Melilla on charges that
they were planning to go to
Israel.
The new press campaign was
one involving all parties, from
left to extreme right. The organ
of the progressive left, L'Avant
Garde, questioned the reprez-
sentative nature of the Govern-
ment-sponsored Council of Jew-
ish- communities and assailed its
publication, Voice of the Com-
munities.
Al Fajr, the organ of the
Moroccan Ministry of the In-
terior, and Al Moukafih, organ
of the Moroccan Communist
Party, also carried legnthy
cussions of the events involving
PARIS — Moroccan Jews
were reported here to be still
experiencing difficult ies in
obtaining passports for travel
abroad despite promises by the
late King Mohammed V and the
late Interior -Minister Si Bekkai
that such restrictions would be
removed.
Meyer Obadia, president of
the Casablanca Jewish Com-
munity, was forced to intercede
with Moroccan authorities to ob-
tain a passport for an elderly
Jewish woman, Mrs. Esther Zo-
har, suffering from a grave eye
disease after her son, Albert
Zohar, found too many obstacles
placed in his path when he tried
to get his mother a passport to
travel to Barcelona to consult
an eye specialist.
The Moroccan authorities fi-
nally issued the passport when
Obadia intervened after the son
failed .to get satisfaction even
from the Governor of Casablan-
ca. The case is only one of many Moroccan Jews.