3 Prof. Dars History of Germany Calls Nazi Laymen Aided in Biblical Studies by
4 Bible
•
Commentary'
Rabbi
Casper
s
Crime 'Documentation 'Beyond
Question''
•
Rabbi Bernard Casper; who ily, Moses Nachmanides, Don
In his preface to his impress- places in society out of propor- conqueror,"
formerly held pulpits in Eng- Isaac Abravanel, Moses Men-
Prof.
Dill
writes
with
apprecia-
tion
to
their
numbers.
It
was
ive book, "Germany—A Modern
land and now serves as Dean delssohn and the Malbim.
History," published by the Uni- possible to focus unreleased tion of the German reparations of Students at the Hebrew Uni-
Indicating how the conten-
programs,
stating:
versity of Michigan Press, Prof, hatred upon them, to make them
"In view of the unspeakable versity on Jerusalem, creates a tions of many of the German
Marshall Dill, Jr., stating that a scapegoat for all ills in a way
desire for further research and so-called "higher" Biblical
"the troubled history of Germany that would have been impossi- ordeal which the Jewish people offers a deeper understanding critics have been swept away
endured
during
the
Nazi
regime,
ble
against
the
millions
of
Cath-
has much to teach us," declares:
of Holy Scriptures in his im- by archaeological finds, Rabbi
"It is a challenge to write olics and Protestants. Everyone it is encouraging to observe the portant 130-page book, "An Casper states that "the ten-
about German history. -Probably knew from Hitler's frank and efforts made by the Federal Re- Introduction to Jewish Bible dency towards treating the
no other people has been at times virulent statements that when public to make reparation, in Commentary," just published by Bible as a secular study still
so much admired and at other the Nazis came to power, the cases ,where reparation is still Thomas Yoseloff (11 E. 36th, persists in some scholarly
times so much loathed as the Jews would suffer; few could possible. The federal basic laws N.Y: 16).
quarters," and he concludes:
have guessed the almost endless specifically outlaw any attack
German people."
"No doubt this is sympto-
In
spite
of
its
brevity,
this
based on religion or race, and all
To emphasize his point, he extent of their suffering.
matic, and perhaps in some
volume
inspires
great
interest
"From . the moment of the responsible German leaders can
refers to "the lofty grandeur" of
in Biblical commentaries. It is degree a contributory cause,
Kant, Bach and Goethe, as con- Nazi accession to power, the be quoted in the same vein. Any especially. valuable in its ex- of the general unhappy sec-
German
Jew
who
suffered
dur-
trasted with the "diabolical persecution of the Jews began.
planation of how the Bible ularization of our age. The
venom" of Goebbels and Himm- Jews were dismissed from all ing the Nazi years or his heirs Canon was fixed, and in his hope for the future lies in
governmental or teaching posts can apply for restitution for the essays on important Jewish the fact that the millions of
ler.
In his conclusion, Prof. Dill, and gradually from the learned goods taken from him. Thousands Bible scholars whose commen- laymen and women who read
who is in the department of his- professions and important busi- have done so, and restitution of taries on the Bible remain the Bible today, Jew and
tory at Dominican College, San ness, position s. Jewish-owned about two billion dollars has among the most valued of all Christian alike, do so not for
its historical or archaeologi-
Rafael, Calif., writes that "Ger- firms were seized and 'Aryan- been made out of funds collected time.
cal .interest, but chiefly in
many is a full partner in the ized.' On April 1, 1933, there was by the German government as
Intended
primarily
for
lay-
world's plight . . . heavily in- a one-day boycott of all Jewish reparation taxes. Jews have been men, Rabbi Casper accomplishes order to satisfy a subjective
volved in the cold war . . . She firms. The concentration camps, invited to return to Germany to his task well. He explains the spiritual need. This was the
cannot afford the luxury of hurriedly constructed, started to settle and some thousands have Scribes and the Targums, has main aim, and here is the
neutralism and gives little indi- fill; synagogues were burned and done so, giving contemporary an important evaluation of the permanent importance, of the
,cation of wishing it. West Ger- plate-glass windows broken. Germany a Jewish population of Mislina and the Masora, has an Jewish traditfonal commen- -
many seems to be firmly allied- Elderly Jews were exposed to all about 30,000. The government interesting chapter on medieval tators."
A list of Hebrew quotations
with the Western world and for sorts of .indignities, such as be- has built synagogues and centers philosophers and devotes indi-
the last ten years has given evi- ing forced to clean the Streets for Jews and tried to integrate vidual chapters to the following: and a noteworthy bibliography
add to the merits of this book.
dence of a devotion to the demo- with their tongues while gangs them into the new cosity. On
Rashi, Sa'adya Gaon, Abra-
ci•atic process that is noteworthy of 'Aryan' hoodlums jeered at Sept. 10, 1952, the Federal Re- ham Ibn Ezra, the Kimchi Fam- Classified ads bring fast results!
,
and unprecedented in her his- them. Placards and signs _made public signed at Luxemburg an
tory . . . One can afford at least it clear that there would be little _agreement with the government
moderate optimism about the or no punishment for attacks on of Israel. Germany will pay to
new Germany. Surely all men of Jews. The visitor to Germany Israel $822,000,000 by 1964, of
good will must hope that this became woefully used to signs which $500,000,000 has already
optimism may continue to be on park benches stating that been paid. Much of this has taken
Jews might not sit there, to anti- the form of machinery, agricul-
warranted."
* * *
Semitic exhibitions of porno- tural equipment, rolling stock,
These two sentiments provide graphic hideousness, and to slo- and shipping, without which the
a basis for an understanding of gans painted on fences saying, early years of Israel would have
Prof. Dill's approach to his `The Jew is the enemy of the been much more difficult."
factual history. He has covered world' or 'Who kills a Jew does a
It would have been more in-
iri it all • aspects of Gi2man good deed.' "
teresting if Prof. Dill had made
events. He makes mention of the
* * *
a further study of the position
Prof. Dill describes the Nur- of German.Jewry. He would have
roles played by Einstein and
emberg
Laws
of
Sept.
15,
1935,
other distinguished Jews. In his
found that the future of the Jews
review of the activities of Ferdi- which deprived Jews of German in the Federal Republic remains
nand Lassalle he mentions his citizenship, in which "a Jew was uncertain. He does, however, de-
having hailed from "a comforta- defined as anyone with one Jew- vote considerable space in his
ble Jewish family in Breslau." ish grandparent," which enabled book to anti-Semitism.
He gives an • account of Nazi- police to invade Jewish homes at
He states that "there is latent
midnight and remove the inhabi- anti-Semitism in Germany as in
Fascist iniquities.
Describing the German police tants, and he calls the entire most countries. However, in Ger-
state; the torture and sadism of period of 1933 to 1945 "a long many it is a more frightening
Dachau, Buchenwald and Belsen passion for the Jewish people, a matter on account of - the past."
"where the 'final settlement of pogrom without relaxation. The
He mention s- the swastika-
the Jewish question' was to be only fortunate Jews were those smearing campaign that started
carried out"; the crimes of who managed to escape from the on Christmas eve of 1959 and he
Goebbels, Himmler and the in- country with help from abroad declares: "The government re-
famous Gestapo; the seizure of and only the clothes on their mains watchful, but there seems
Jewish property and the Sub- backs."
no reason to expect significant
Himmler's pogrom activities anti-Semitism or neo-Nazism i
jection of the German press to
are
part
of
another
chapter
de-
the will of the Nazis, Dr. Dill
the near future."
shows how "the orgy of yiolence" scribing the Nazi horrors. Prof.
* * *
reached its height in NOvember Dill declares that. "the accounts
Dr. Dill mentions anti-Semiti
1938. He shows how attacks on of these diabolic activities must incidents in earlier periods
. Protestants and Catholics died not be considered as simply war- German history. He refers to the
down with the coming of the war time atrocity stories. Their docu- assassination of Walter Rathe-
and he - outlines the Jewish trag- mentation is beyond question. In nau and the eventual emergence
fact. they must be considered of Hitlerite anti-Semitism which
edy as follows:
"It is almost too heart-rending understatements, because words he calls "pure emotion and
to tell again the tragic story of and statistics are unable to con- hatred," adding: "The Jews were
the Jews in Nazi Germany, surely vey a full account of such un- responsible for everything Hitler
. one of the sorriest pages in the precedented human misery. Prob- disliked in art, politics, social
annals of humanity. In 1933 the ably not since the time of Tamer- life, etc. A psychologist might
Jews were less than 1 per cent of lane has a conqueror been so say that Hitler made the Jews a
the population, but they had high brutal and inhuman as the Nazi scapegoat for his own inade-
quacies."
Prof. Dill writes that the brown
terror "shocked civilization."
Had it shocked civilization on
time, perhaps the evils of Hitler-
ism might have been prevented.
Dr. Dill does list a number of
DRESS UP .YOUR PROPERTY
eminent German Christians who
spoke up against the terror. He
PAINT!
WITH MERC
lists Cardinal Faulhaber, Bishop
of Munster Clemens von Galen,
RY Custom
Bishop of Berlin Konrad von
There' a reas
why MER'
ur property.
Qua•PAINT on dress up
Preysing and "many anonymous
tory tested
M CURY P TS are lob
parish priests" who refuted
auty, duro-
t give you
maxi •u
calumnies.
tistics prove
ma'nte
lity and e
Commenting on the Nazi
ain •
at proper
ce con add
crimes in Poland, Prof. Dill states
roped y.
va
2% to t
that the tragedy has probably
erty
eoding c, tractors
It's a pleasant step—getting into hot water with a
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