Authority on Nazi Extermination Program Dartmouth's Rabbi Neusner Paints
Testifies Despite Defense Efforts to Stop Him Dark Picture for Mass of U.S. Jews:
FRANKFURT (JTA)—An expert on the Nazi program first be removed to other areas Apathy Is Effective as Russian Bias
and that, after the war, they would
for the extermination of European Jewry testified on that pro-
gram for three hours at the trial of former SS officers Otto
Hunsche and Herman Krumey, who had been Adolf Eich-
mann's chief aides in the roundup and deportation to death
camps of 450,000 Hungarian Jews.
The testimony by Dr. H. G.
Adler, formerly of Prague and September 20, 1939, followed by
now of London, was delayed other special decrees.
Dr. Adler then discussed a
for several hours, first by a
heart attack suffered by the scheme under which elderly in-
victims gave all their money
prosecutor, who was sent tended
to the Nazis on the ostensible
home, and then by a campaign promise they would be given places
by defense attorneys for the in old age homes.
two former Nazis against Dr.
It turned out, he said, that the
Adler's appearance.
"homes" were in Theresienstadt,
On his first two trips to Frank-
a concentration camp. The arriving
furt in June to testify, the de- Jews had no idea of what awaited
fense attorneys were able to pre-
them, and they requested a "nice
vent his taking the stand. This time
the court rejected the defense ar- room with a balcony."
Earlier in the trial, former SS
guments with the statement that
its task was not only to determine Major Hunsche collapsed in the
the role of the defendants in the court. The collapse was ascribed
tragedy but also the historical to a circulatory ailment.
At the trial of 22 former
truth.
Auschwitz administrators a n d
Dr. Adler described the arrange-
ments at the Gestapo headuaqrters medical personnel being held
and the Wannsee Conference on here, the court was told that at
least 75 per cent of the Jewish
Jan. 20, 1942, at which the final
decision was reached to kill all prisoners who arrived at the
camp had been marched directly
Jews who had been seized in the
to death in the gas chambers.
Nazi sweep through Europe.
The testimony was given by Mrs.
He stressed the role of Rein-
hard Heydrich, a key figure in the Helen Cougno, an Austrian-born
Wannsee Conference, who was as- Greek citizen. She was brought to
sassinated by the Czech under- Auschwitz in March, 1943 with her
ground, and then that of Hey- husband and two teen-age children
drich's successor, Ernst Kalten- in the first transport of 2,500 Greek
brunner, chief of the Nazi security Jews from Salonika. She said that
police. He also cited the activities the Jews who were not immediately
in the genocide program of Hein- killed were either worked or tor-
rich Muller, who was Eichmann's tured to death.
Meanwhile, a former SS sergeant
chief.
The Gestapo set up a special who had served two years for tor-
office for handling the "Jewish turing inmates at Dachau, was ar-
Question," which was assigned rested again at the Auschwitz
responsibility for emigration of trial after testifying on behalf of
Jews from Nazi Germany and one of the defendants.
The prosecution announced that
from occupied Holland, Belgium
George Engelschall, who was also
and France.
The special office set a "fee" a guard at Auschwitz as well as
of 150,000 marks for a Jew to emi- at the Dachau death camp, was
grate, an arrangement that was under suspicion of participating in
abruptly halted on orders of Her- some of the atrocities committed
mann Goering, the Nazi air force by his friend, former SS Sgt. Hans
head. In one case, Dr. Adler testi- Stark, one of the 22 men on trial.
Previous witnesses had testi-
fied, Swedish political groups paid
the "fee' f6r Prof. Meyers of The field that Engelschall had joined
Stark in forcing • a Polish Jew
Hague, but the scientist was not
called "Big Isaac" to drown 21
permitted to leave.
fellow inmates, including Isaac's
Dr. Adler also reported on the
own father. Engelschall was sent
Madagascar plan proposed by Al-
to jail to await trial.
fred Rosenberg, ideologist of the
Also at the trial a prosecution
Nazi movement and close friend
of Hitler according to which 400,- witness, Peter Budan, gave testi-
000 Jews were to be transported mony that conflicted with what he
to Madagascar in 1938, making the had told the court's officers in pre-
Polish city of Lublin, in the mean- trial hearings.
Budan. a Munich businessman
time, the assembly center for these
and
a former inmate and trustee
Jews.
That plan, too, was stopped, a de- of Auschwitz, said that many wit-
cision possibly made by Hitler in nesses had told "fairy tales" about
anger against articles in New York the defendants. He claimed that
newspapers criticizing his policies. defendants Oswald Kaduk and Wil-
He testified that the Gestapo helm Boger could not have been
newspaper, Schwarze Korps, then seen shooting inmates as scores of
published an article asserting that witnesses have testified.
In cross-examination, Budan ad-
"Germans cannot live together
with Jews under the same roof. mitted that he had himself whipped
Jews are without character and Russian Jewish prisoners at Ausch-
witz when they refused to obey
of a low race."
He said that systematic deporta- his orders.
In Munich, former SS Gen.
tions started on Oct. 16, 1941, to
Chelmno in occupied Poland and Karl Wolff continued to insist at
his trial on charges of complicity
that the first arrivals were gassed
in the wartime slaughter of 300,-
on Dec. 8, 1941. This was done on
000 Jews, that he had no idea
special order from Heydrich dated
that his fellow-Nazis were car-
rying out plans to exterminate
European Jewry.
German Poll Shows
Testifying in his own defense, he
told the Munich court that he
31 Pct. Do Not Feel
thought the purpose of removing
Nazi Rule Criminal
Jews to camps was to arrange
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
for their eventual settlement on
to The Jewish News)
BONN — One out of three West reservations. The 64-yea•-old for-
Germans still refuse to condemn mer chief of staff to Gestapo Chief
the Nazi dictatorship as a criminal Henrich Himmler insisted that
regime, according to the finding of Himmler had lied to him about
a new poll published here Wednes- the real purposes of the transport
of Jews.
day.
He told the court that, at the be-
Fifty three per cent of the
respondents agreed that. Nazi Ger- ginning of 1942, Himmler had told
many was a criminal and unjust him that increasing guerilla war-
state; 31 per cent said it was not; fare behind the German lines made
and 16 per cent had no opinion.
it necessary to break up the Jew-
ish ghettos.
According to his account, Hiirun-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
ler said that the occupants would
Friday, July 24, 1964
18
The cultural genocide of Soviet lanthropic success and the formal-
Jewry is no more efficient than ization of Judaism.
He decries the fact that while
the cultural suicide of American
Jewry, according to Rabbi Jacob parents regard intermarriage as a
Neusner, assistant professor of cardinal sin they offer their chil-
religion at Dartmouth College. dren little of meaning in Jewish
Writing in "Conservative Juda-- life. "They must live in a Jewish
ism," Rabbi Neusner claims that neighborhood, so that they can be
while the Soviet government is be- near a Chinese restaurant and a
ing attacked for the forced assimi- Pizza Palace. They must go to
lation of its Jews, a lack of aware- mostly-Jewish neighborhood
ness and concern for Jewish life schools, have mostly-Jewish
is pushing •American Jewry in the friends, and go to mostly-Jewish
meeting places when they want to
same direction.
He cites as examples "material play basketball or go swimming.
"Many young people don't
obstacles in the way of Jewish ed-
like this. They see no affirmative
ucation," disinterest in institu-
meaning in the fact that they
tions of Jewish culture, the failure
are Jews and they know little or
to support Jewish writers and
nothing of Judaism. They see no
teachers and the making of "an
truth, they find no insights, they
absolute value out of money" in
acquire no greater self-under-
the community.
standing, no source of purpose
"Synagogue attendance is
in playing basketball with other
rarely the prerequisite of leader-
Jewish people.
ship in either synagogue boards
"All of America is open to them,
or other Jewish organizations,"
and they feel no need to perpetu-
he writes, "though in some
places an elected officer is ex- ate the ghetto, to duplicate among
pected to maintain some minimal Jews activities and programs free-
ly available to them among other
standard of public piety.
"Moreover, in many commun- Americans. Their choice of a mate
ities, American Jewry effectively comes by and by: why marry a
prevents the maximum number of Jew? Who can argue against love?
"No reason will prevail, and in
poor and lower middle-class chil-
dren from gaining a good educa-• truth, there is no reason based on
tion, by witholding communal sup- education and personal experience
port from the best educational for many young Jews to marry
within the "tribe," though there
facilities (day schools, camps)."
Rabbi Neusner declares the is, in my opinion, substantial rea-
wasting of the cultural "inherit- son for them to marry withtin the
ance" of an earlier, far-sighted faith, to build a Jewish home, raise
generation. Teachers colleges and Jewish children, live a Jewish
libraries are in need of funds, he life."
Rabbi Neusner contends that
charges, and Jewish newspapers,
often lacking communal support the "religion of money has cap-
through subscriptions and adver- tured the community" but that
tising, are forced to turn to the "philanthropy has not captured
the Jewish masses." Claiming that
welfare funds.
"These papers (handed over a small part of a community gives
the greater part of Jewish philan-
to the community welfare funds)
thropic funds, he says the reason
frequently become mere house
is not that people have less money
organs for philanthropic enter-
to give, but that the generation of
prises, full of appeals for funds,
for pledges and then payment Jews who were moved to give be-
cause they were Jews is dying
of pledges, elaborate propagan-
out" and "we have not reproduced
da for next year's campaign and
those Jewish souls who sacrificed
little else."
He is discouraged by the "lack to give."
He concludes that "If even a
of serious Jewish magazines"—the
contribution to UJA is too much,
few that exist "are read by meager
then what may we hope for from
audiences" — and he claims that
the de-Judaized generations to
Yiddish culture "has been reduced
come? Is this not the sign of a
to a matter of cuisine."
tragic
loss of souls?"
Rabbi Neusner says that Jewish
Rabbi Neusner criticizes the
writers must address themselves
to the mass audience because false Jewishness of those who
"American Jewry has become so come to holy day services only to
*
stand outside and "sun them-
deJudaized."
Germans Melted Down
He adds: "A merican Jewry selves" and the popularity of a
never forbade the training of rab- half-way kashrut (at home but not
80,000 Bells for Arms
bis or the publication of Jewish away).
HAMBURG—Some 80,000 church books. But by often ridiculing the
"A formalistic and outward re-
bells in Germany and occupied rabbinical vocation, by constant ligion cannot and will not reach
countries were seized by the Nazis carping at the rabbinate, by coarse the hearts of men," he says. "It
during World War II to melt down and ignorant treatment of rabbis, will not teach them truth. It will
for armaments, it was reported by it has e f e c t i•v e 1 y discouraged not help them to live life, to face
the German Church Bell Archive. numerous well-trained young men suffering, disappointment and ulti-
The archive organization, set up from entering that profession, or mate death. People need help, how-
ever, to live and to die, and if one
after the war to trace the lost undertaking rabbinical studies."
bells, said 77 per cent of the
The writer charges that sal- religion fails them, then another
will win their hearts."
seized bells were melted down to
aries for Hebrew teachers are
Although Rabbi Neusner is pes-
manufacture war equipment.
"ridiculous" and that scholarly
Foundries in the north German
books are deprived of necessary simistic about the future of Juda-
area were given 42,853 bells con-
subsidies, thus preventing their ism among the masses, he sees a
bright, happy future for the cre-
fiscated from churches in what is
"publication — and writing — as
ative minority of American Jews
effectively as if, like the Com-
now West Germany.
who will live by their faith. He
munists, it had forbidden them
suggests that these Jews may
entirely."
Rock 'n' Roll and Teens
Rabbi Neusner claims that the have to give "greater attention to
in Israel: Leisure at Fault? community "beatifies the big giver, achieving a truly Jewish 'com-
munity' and to improving the
Some 3,000 teenagers stomped, canonizes the millionaire and vir- quality of our collective life."
tually
excludes
any
spiritual
con-
screamed, clapped, roared and gen-
erally went wild with adoration. cern or religious action from the
Facing them on the stage was ladder of Jewish values. If a man Stiff Prison Terms
gives large amounts of money to
British pop singer Cliff Richard.
for N.Y. Neo-Nazis
Such a scene could happen any- the community's institutions he
NEW YORK (JTA)—Four mem-
where in the U.S., Britain, France, becomes an important man, a good
bers
of the neo-Nazi National Re-
Jew
worthy
of
emulation.
If
he
but it did in fact take place recent-
ly in Tel Aviv, according to a Reut- merely keeps the Sabbath, he does naissance Party. were sentenced to
one to two years in state prison
not."
ers dispatch.
And, hi comparing the Com- for causing a riot at a civil rights
Israeli educators wailed that the
teen-agers had abandoned the path munist atheism to "vacuous mass demonstration in the Bronx last
of pioneering and dedication to be- sentimentality," R. a b b i Neusner summer.
In sentencing the two leaders of
come empty-headed and hysterical. writes: "Who is the greater athe-
Baruch Ben-Yehuda, one of the ist, he who does not pray because the group, Judge Irwin Devidson
country's leading educators, wryly he denies, or he who does not called them "hatemongers" and
commented that Richard should be pray because he is merely lazy?" said that "they did not hesitate to
Three examples of the "trend recruit for their malevolent pur-
thanked for exposing the depths
to which Israel's youth had sunk. toward the religious and cultural poses young men whom they suc-
He said too much leisure was extinction of the American Jewish ceeded in injecting with their own
masses" are noted by Rabbi Neus- virus of hate." The court identi-
to blame for the wild behavior.
ner: the growing rate of intermar- fied the leaders as James Madole
riage, the diminishing Jewish phi- and Daniel Burros.
Classified ads get quick results!
be settled in such places as Pales-
tine or Madagascar. Wolff told the
court he had left Himmler in no
doubt that the would have "firmly
rejected" giving even the slightest
assistance in the extermination of
the Jews.
The court presented a letter
which Wolff had written to Albert
Ganzenmuller, state secretary in
Hitler's Transport Ministry.
In that letter, Wolff wrote that
he had learned "with particular
pleasure that every day for the
last fortnight a train containing
5,000 members of the Chosen Race
has made the journey to Treblinka,
and that we are now in a position
to carry out expeditiously this
movement of population. The
smooth accomplishment of the en-
tire operation appears assured."
Wolff retorted that the phrase
"movement of population" proved
that he was unaware of the real
purpose of the operation and that,
even so, he had not actually writ:
ten the letter but merely signed
it after a "cursory glance."
He asserted he had never been
a Jew hater of any kind and that
he had given some Jews an op-
portunity to get away with false
papers.
The court president again chal-
lenged his testimony, saying that
Adolf Eichmann, during his trial
in Jerusalem, had called Wolff one
of the "saloon officers" of the SS
who "put on white gloves" and
did not want to know anything
about the "Jewish question."
The former SS general replied
that only a small clique of Nazis
were aware of the planned "final
solution" of the "Jewish problem,"
which had been a matter for the
Reich Security Department. The
prosecutor denied this, asserting
that orders for the actions against
Jews came directly from Himmler,
and that Wolff, as a close colleague
of Himmler, must have known
about it.
Wolff also related that Eich-
mann once had "the impertinence
to challenge me to a duel" when
Wolff "demanded" the release of a
Jewish "protege." Wolff said that
Eichmann, then only " a small SS
lieutenant," had refused to give up
the Jew, and that a quarrel had
developed in which Wolff had
showered Eichmann with insults.