Dr. Cecil InotliTs Newest Collection of
Essays Enriches Anglo-Jewish History

Dr. Cecil Roth is more than an
eminent historian. He is a de-
lightful storyteller. He has a
sense for the dramatic and the
stimulating. He is eminently
well qualified for research.
These collective qualities are
in evidence in his "Essays and
Portraits in Anglo-Jewish His-
tory," the new-
est work is-
sued by the
Jewish Publi-
cation Society
of America.
His skill at
presenting his-
torical fact?
and at inter
preting them
is especially
applicable tc
the British-
Jewish sphere
his home
scene.
For a full un
derstanding of
the episode:,
Dr. 'tout
recorded here,
it is proper that the eminent au-
thor should have started with
an evaluation of the Anglo-Jew-
ish tradition. Commencing with
the earliest times, referring -to
the Jewish traders who came to
the country in Anglo - Saxon
times, Dr. Roth reviews the in-
terest that arose in the People
Of the Bible imder the aegis of
, the Puritans; the" tolerance of
Oliver Cromwell; the opportuni-
ties that were afforded to Jews
in later times.
There developed in England,
as Dr. Roth indicates, a healthy
Jewish literature and Jewish
scholarship. There were times
when poverty and delinquency
created problems for Jews, but
once "the results of persecution
were blunted, prejudice weak-
ened, the foreigner acclimatiz-
ed, the problem disappeared..."
* * *
Eminent Jews came to the
fore. "Down to the last genera-
tion, the well-to-do, conserva-
tive, synagogue-attending house-
holder was typical of the Anglo-
Jewish bourgeois. England pro-
duced in the second half of the
19th century what was in some
ways the ideal Jewish commu-
nity of the Age of Emancipa-
tion: as earnestly Jewish as it
was sincerely English respected
by its neighbors by virtue and
not in spite of its Jewish enthu-
siasm, with a boundless charity
and a warm feeling of Jewish
brotherhood."
The sketches in Roth's latest
collection of essays depict the
various aspects of British-Jew-
ish experiences:
While recognizing the exist-
ence of anti-Semitism, Roth as-
serts that "even before the Jews
returned to England, there was
a strong philo-Semitic move-
ment in the country." He links
it to the intense interest in the
re-establishment of the Jews in
Palestine. He declares that
"emancipation in England . . .
was unstintingly fulfilled." Tak-
ing into accounts Britain's blun-
ders in dealing with Zionism in
Palestine, he nevertheless points
to the tradition of friendship
for the Zionist idea and de-
clares it would be preposterous
"to ignore the idealism and in-
tense sympathy . . which lay
behind the Balfour Declaration,
or the fact that it was the policy
based on that Declaration, how-
ever hesitantly followed, which
made possible the laying of the
foundation of the state of Is-
rael."
* * *
His "Portraits and Caricatures
of Medieval English Jews" re-
fers to interesting characters
and characteristics, and his es-
say on "A Day in the Life of a
Medieval English Jew" recon-
structs an important era.
Then there are studies of
"Jewish Physicians in Medieval
England," listing, historic names;
an account of medieval Lincoln
Jewry and its synagogue; a sad

note on a Tisha b'Ab in Eng-
land—July 18, 1290, which cor-
responded with the Ninth of Ab,
was the day on which the edict
for the expulsion of the Jews
from England was issued.
"The Mystery of the Reset-
tlement" is in itself an enlight-
ening historical chapter, deal-
ing with "Menasseh's failures
and Cromwell's hesitancies."
The story of the Governor of
Guernsey, Sir Edward Bramp-
ton, alias Duarte Brandao, the
King's favorite (1468-72) is the
story of a "portuguese Jewish
swashbuckler."
There are sketches of Haham
David Nieto, Moses Montefiore
and other eminent personalities.
An account is given of a Jew-
ish voice for peace in the
American War of Independence
—Abraham Wagg's role in the
peace effort.

Lord George Gordon's conver-
sion to Judaism is one of the
fascinating accounts of a Chris-
tian's interest in the Jews.
The Chief Rabbinate of Eng-
land and the Court Jews of Ed-
wardian England are valuable
historical analyses.
Among the especially inter-
esting chapters is the one on
the English versions of "Adon
Olam." About a dozen verses of
the various versions are quoted
as translations by numerous au-
thors, for adult worshipers and
for children, of the 1,000-year-
hymn.
Voluminous notes assist the
reader in an understanding of
the numerous historical facts
presented by an eminent au-
thority, whose book will be re-
ceived as informative and at the
same time most delightful read-
ing.

Reznikoff's Selected Verses
in 'By the Rivers of Manhattan'

Charles Reznikoff, a New
York attorney, has gained fame
as a poet and novelist. His
poetry has appeared in many
national magazines, his essays
are scholarly and he has shown
skill as a novelist.
A 115-page book of his poems,
published as an original paper-
back' by New Directions (333
6th, NY 14), jointly with the
.San - Francisco Review, is de-
servedly creating a sensation
in literary circles.
There are seven selections of
poems from the author's Five
Groups of Verse, 1927; Editing
and Glosses, 1929; Jeursalem
the Golden, 1934; In Memoriam:
1933, 1934; Going - To and Fro
and Walking Up and Down,
1941; Inscriptions: 1944-1956,
1959.
"By the Waters of Manhat-
tan," the subtitle of "Editing
and Glosses," has become the
title for this poetic collection.
Rebekah, Rachel and the
Egyptian and the three poems
in this section, and as in the
rest of the book there is a
deep-rooted Jewish feeling
here.
For instance, in "Jerusalem
the Golden," written long be-
fore Israel became a state, Rez-
nikoff wrote:

The Hebrew of your poets,
_ Zion,
is like oil upon a burn,
cool as oil;
after work,
the smell in the street at
night
of the hedge in flower.
Like Solomon,
I have married and married
the speech of strangers;
none are like you, Shulamite.

are fables, in memoriams and
a score of moods in which the
author emerges as the univer-
salist.
A wonderful tribute to Rezni-
koff is paid- in an introduction
by the noted non-Jewish author,
C. P. Snow, who states:
"Mr. Reznikoff's writing,
so far as a Gentile can judge,
is in all senses deeply Jewish.
That is, a great many of the
references in his poetry are
- not immediately familiar,
even if one is relatively fa-
miliar with Jewish literature.
I believe that he is also Jew-
ish in a much more funda-
mental sense: that is, there
is for me running through his
writing the threads of the
Jewish loneliness, the Jewish
delight in God's gifts, and the
Jewish triumph. He conveys,
as sharply as I have ever seen
conveyed in any writing about
New York, the feeling of the
lonely soul in the great
city • . •"
And to prove his point Snow
quotes these- lines from Rezni-
koff:

I like the streets of New
York -City, where I was born,
better than these streets of
palms. . .

Reznikoff emerges in "By the
Rivers of Manhattan" as a
master of his -art.

N. Y. Mandatory Death
Penalty Urged Dropped
by United Synagogue
The United Synagogue of
America has endorsed a New
York State Commission's recom-
mendation to abolish the man-
He catches equally as superb- datory death penalty.
The recommendation, contain-
ly the spirit of Manhattan as he
does the one of Jerusalem. In ed in an interim report issued
by New York's Temporary Com-
"Millinery District" we read:
mission . on Revision of the Penal
The clouds piled in rows like
Law and Criminal Code, noted
merchandise,
become dark; lights are lit in that New York is alone among
America's many jurisdictions in
the lofts;
the milliners, tacking bright its "adherence to the mandatory
death penalty."
flowers on straw shapes,
It proposes a bill - extending,
say, glancing out of the win-
the jury's power of recommen-
dows,
dation to all murder cases and
It is going to snow;
and soon they hear the snow rendering the jury's determin-
ation binding on the court, thus
scratching the panes. -
eliminating the mandatory death
By night it is high on the
penalty.
sills. . . .
There are inscriptions in
which Reznikoff strikes at bru- Jewish Body Aids
tality and at the beasts who
caused Jewish sufferings dur- Morocco Flood Victims
CASABLANCA, (JTA) — A
ing the Nazi regime. In this
section he also sings paeans to check for 1,000,000 francs to-
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, ward relief of victims of floods
Hanukah, Purim and Passover. in this country was contributed
In Purim, in which Queen here by the American Jewish
Esther pleads for the lives of Joint Distribution Committee.
M. Rombko, deputy JDC di-
her people,
The hands, heavy with rings, reCtor here, accompanied by
are Esther's but the voice is Meyer Obadia, president of the
the voice of Hadassah.
Moroccan Jewish Community,
There is a sightseeing tour of gave the check to Col. Driss
New York that will delight all Ben Aomar, Governor of Casa-
lovers of poetic moods; there, blanca. ... . ,

,

Hadassah Asks Congress Examine
U.S. Unconditional Aid to Nasser

NEW YORK, (JTA)—A reso-
lution asking Congress "to ex-
amine the theory of uncondi-
tional aid" when it reviews the
United States foreign aid pro-
gram was adopted at the closing
session of the four-day confer-

ence of Hadassah attended by
200 delegates from all parts of
the country.
The resolution expressed Ha-
dassah's concern over the con-
tinuing "militant posture" of
President Nassar of Egypt. It
cited Nasser's constant threats
to destroy Israel; his defiance
of the Government of the
United States in continuing to
maintain a military force of
about 15,000 men in Yemen;
and the apprehension expressed
in Congress that United States
massive aid to Nasser is mak-
ing it easy for him to acquire
arms from the Soviet Union.
The conference endorsed the
view taken by Senator Jacob K.
Javits (R. N.Y.) in a recent
statement, asserting that "by
shoring up Nisser's economy
with large grants of assistance
while he continues to barter his
•country's agricultural products
for Soviet arms, we are in fact
contributing to the defeat of
our own objectives."
Hadassah also went on record
as supporting the foreign aid
objectives of President Ken-
nedy's Admini ttation "to help
nations willi to help them-
selves builicki new bulwarks of
freedom.","

Argentine Judge Is
Criticized for Freeing
Anti-Semitic Youths
BUENOS AIRES, (JTA) —
Argentina's new political party,
Union del Pueblo Argentine,
harshly criticized a Judge who
found a group of anti-Semitic
youths, belonging to the Ta-
cuara movement, not- guilty.
The youths had been appre-
hended after a fight at a sum-
mer resort at Santa .Fe, in
which some _ Jewish youngsters
had been beaten. up.
"It is difficult t o under-
stand," the statement said, "how
in the dramatic m o m e n_t s
through which the country is
passing, it is possible that a
totalitarian and anti-Semitic or-
ganization could act without
punishment, carrying on its sub-
versive activities which denote
regressive mentalities and are
reminiscent of those which, 30
years ago, were engaged in by
the founders of the Third Reich
in Germany"
Union del Pueblo Argentine Hebrew Corner
is currently backing Ike,former
.President, ,Gen. Pedro Aram-
buru, 'bpi-- election to the presi- Auschwitz Count
A British soldier who, during. the
dency of .Argentina in the next Second
World War, escaped three
general elections.
times frbm a prisoner of war camp
* * *
and, as a punishment, was sent to
Auschwitz Camp, was successful
BUENOS AIRES — Jewish the
in saving more than 400 Jews from
death during two years.
leaders were reported Wednes- certain
This is a fact that many witnesses
day to be gravely concerned disclosed
at the Nuremburg Trials
16 years ago; yet, due to the mod-
over the action of Judge Eu- esty
of the soldier, Charles Coward,
genio Wade in releasing a num- the fact was not made known to the
until only a year ago.
ber of members of the anti- public
With the help of a journalist
Semitic Tacuara group'
friend, Mr. Coward wrote about his
in a book called "The
were arrested during tr ng rescue work
is Courage". This book,
exercises in a camp in San Fe Password
which gained publicity lately, will
be put on the screen next year.
Province.
Since then, the journalists in Eng-
It -was noted that under the land
gave him the name he was
called
by his prisoner friends, "The
law he could have acted against
Count of Auschwitz."
the Tacuara members to re- When this modest hero arrived in
press terrorist and anti-demo-- Israel as a guest of the British
Organization and the War
cratic activities. The Jewish Zionist
Veterans Organization, he was greet-
leaders recalled that Another ed by the Minister of Housing and
Mr. Joseph Almogi,
judge, Arturo M e d xl yeas Development,
who was himself a British prisoner
equally lenient with ‘P&-Nazi of war of the Germans.
He said to the visitor, "We thank
youths who attacked a syr1--- .you
and your friends for your hero-
gogue in Florida last year, ism during the most difficult period
passed over the Jewish nation."
wounding two Jewish girls in that
The visitor replied in plain words,
the gun attack. 'Judge Medina 'mit with emotion, `I did nothing
special.
I only fulfilled my duty."
released the attackers on bail Translation
of Hebrew column.
of $70 and $35.
Published by Brit Ivrit Olamit,

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