Historic 'Beiliss Case,' Czar Nicholas' Aid to Bigots Who
Spread Ritual Murder Libel, Told by Maurice Samuel

America and Alfred Knopf, is a
remarkable act of recording, a
splendid work of research and an
unusual commentary on the anti-
Semitic trends in Russia during
Czarist days, when an inhuman
and atrociously vicious libel was
encouraged in its sponsorship of
the ruler of Russia.

MAURICE SAMUEL

Maurice Samuel, unquestionably
the most creative 'Jewish writer of
our time, has reconstructed an
historic event in his newest book.
It renders an important service to
Jewry and to mankind by its ap-
proach to truth and justice and it
brings to light the events which
marked a dramatic episode in the
history of anti-Semitism in Russia.
His "Blood Accusation — The
Strange History of the Beiliss
Case," published jointly by the
Jewish Publications Society of

and com-
As an on
mentary on the lack of informa-
tion regarding major occur-
rences, Samuel points out in
his interesting introduction that
while the Dreyfus Affair is
frequently written about, the
Beiliss case is unknown. While
he need not have done that, he
thereby justifies his work which.
began in 1962 and which in-
volved him in research in which
he required expert assistance in
the collection of the recorded
facts. A group of Detroiters sev-
eral years ago encouraged this
effort with assistance to the
staff of researchers.

The Dreyfus and Beiliss cases
are contrasted: there were such
vital differences between Russia
and France. But Samuel neverthe-
less shows that they "had the same
fundamental purpose — to arrest
and turn back the forces of prog-
ress; and time showed that in
each instance the particular case
was but,- an episode or an instru-
ment in the larger historical strug-
gle. In France anti-Dreyfusism had
been related to the rejection of

Conservative Jewry Hails
Gains of Movement in Israel

GENEVA (JTA) — The World
Council of Synagogues, attended
by 250 delegates from 11 coun-
tries, concluded its deliberations
here with a resolution hailing the
founding of the United Synagogue
of Israel made up of 20 Conserva-
tive congregations,
Emanuel G. Scoblionko, of Allen-
town, Pa., was reelected president
of the Council.
The concluding session was ad-
dressed by Dr. Louis Finkelstein,
head of the Jewish Theological
Seminary in New York, who laud-
ed the growth of the Conservative
movement.

Earlier, the conference heard
from Rabbi Marshall Meyer, of

Buenos Aires, Argentina, who
said that the Jewish communi-

Farbstein Seeking
Use of Mt. Scopus
for Peace Center

WASHINGTON (JTA) — A Con-
gressional resolution advocating
the establishment in abandoned
Hebrew University buildings on
Mt, Scopus, in Jerusalem, of a
branch of the Truman Peace Cen-
ter open to all Mideast students
was submitted here by Rep. Leon-
ard Farbstein, New York Demo-
crat.
Rep. Farbstein, a member of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee,
told Congress that since it is the
Policy of the United States to en-
courage peaceful resolution of
Mideast disputes, the Truman Cen-
ter for Advancement of Peace
should expand its scope to utilize
the unused buildings on Mt. Sco-
pus. "It would undoubtedly con-
tribute to peace to have Jordanian
and Israeli students studying side
by side," he said.
The Farbstein resolution would,
if adopted, declare "that the
United- States Congress favors the
establishment in abandoned uni-
versity buildings in Jerusalem of
a branch of the Harry S. Truman
Center for the Advancement of
Peace, which would be open to the
students of all Middle Eastern
countries."

32—Friday, August 72, 1966

ties • of South and Central Am-
erica "are practically devoid of
rabbinical leadership, and of a

the 1789 revolution and it was ac-
companied by a romantic nostalgia
for the illusory simplicities and
sweetnesses of the ancient regime;
but Petainism and collaboration-
ism in World War II were an
expression of the same rejection
and echosed the language of the
Dreyfus case. In Russia the Bei-
iss case was mounted by men who
hoped by means of it to strengthen
the autocracy and to crush the
liberal spirit that was reviving
after the defeat of the 1905 revo-
lution."

Of special importance, there-
fore in the expose of the crim-
inal forces who pressed charges
against an innocent Jew while
overlooking the evidence that
was mounting against a crim-
inal woman and a gang of thieves
who were responsible for the
murder of the 13-year-old boy
whose death caused the initia-
tion of the ritual murder charge,
is the role that was played by
the Czar, Nicholas II, and by
the Czarina Alexandra. In the
presentation of these facts Sam-
uel presents an important chap-
ter on Russian history — on
the role of Rasputin—who were
responsible for the medieval
rulership that dominated over
the Russian masses, leading to
their eventual overthrow, to the
murder of the Czar, the Czania,
and the Czarevich.

With his presentation of the
facts regarding Mendel Beiliss, the
simple Jew who became a world
figure as a result of the limelight
in which the Kiev court figured
in this tragic case, Samuel actual_
ly reconstructs a bit of Russian
history and thereby adds valuable
data regarding the Czarist rule,
the Russian people, the newspapers
in Russia and the intellectuals as
well as the many common men
who refused to fall prey to the
atrocious ritual murder propagan-
da. There was a sense of justice
among many of the ordinary peo-
ple who were outraged by the
case that was drummed up by
anti-Semites. Some Russian offi-
cials were demoted and punished
for attempting to ferret out the
truth. The Czar was in the middle.
He was kept informed about the

dynamic and vibrant synagogue."
As an example of synagogal
"void" in Latin America, he cited
the fact that, of the 350,000 Jews
in Buenos Aires, only 50,000 at-
tended services during the last
High Holy Days.
To overcome the indifference to-
ward the synagogue on the part of
Latin American Jewry, Rabbi Mey-
er reported, the Conservative
movement is attempting to concen-
trate on Jewish youth.
Hebrew Corner
The rabbinical seminary . in
Buenos Aires, established by the
Eilat
Conservative movement, now has
The event occurred on the 11th of
20 young Latin American Jews Adar,
5709 (1949). Military vehicles
studying for the rabbintate, Rabbi full of soldiers approached the shores
of
Eilat
and stopped. The soldiers
Meyer said.

In another address, Rabbi
Stuart E. Rosenberg, of Toronto,
warned that "the new entente"
between Judaism and Chrstian-
, ity, resulting from the spirit of
ecumenicism, involves conceal.
ed dangers.

"To be effective," he said, im-
plementation of that spirit "must
exact from both Christians and
Jews reevaluations of traditional
attitudes toward each other. As
Christians seek Christian renewal,
so must Jews seek Jewish renew-
al."
Other addresses were delivered
by Rabbi Raphael Posner, professor
in residence of the American Stu-
dent Center of the Hebrew -Uni-
versity in Jerusalem; and Rabbi
Bernard Segal, executive director
of the United Synagogue of Ameri-
ca.
At the opening session, the
Council presented a special award
in absentia to Mrs. Helen Suzman,
the only woman member of the
South African Parliament and an
ardent foe of that country's apar-
theid policy. Mrs. Suzman, who is
Jewish, could not come here to
receive the award personally be-
cause of her duties at home.
The South African legislator was
cited for her "distinguished leader-
ship in the battle to translate the
prophetic vision that 'all men are
created equal' into a living re-

ality.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

jumped out and took up positions.
But it soon became clear that the
enemy troops had already run away
from the place.
"We must hang an Israeli flag on
the building!" said the Commander.
But no one had a flag. What was to
be done? A soldier brought a sheet,
a second soldier took out a bottle of
blue ink, and in a few minutes the
bedsheet became a Jewish flag with
two stripes and a Magen David (Star
of David). The flag fluttered in the
wind and gave notice that the Shores
of Eilat were in the hands of the
Israel Defence Force.
That was the last day of the War
of Independence, and also the first
day of the town of Eilat, the southern-
most point of the State of Israel.
This spot is one of the most mar-
vellous places in the world. No other
city has grown with such speed or
has such fascination. There are several
reasons for this.
First of all, the wonderful scenery—
on the south the blue bay, and all
around high, wild mountains. And the
climate—Eilat is the Miami of Israel.
It hardly knows what winter is like.
A warm sun always shines there.
The town grew very fast. Thousands
of people arrived there—young people
born in the country and immigrants
from all parts of the world. They built
a large harbor there, and ships began
to arrive in the port from Africa,
India, Japan, and Australia. A large
pipeline transports the oil from Eilat
to the refineries in Haifa.
Near Eilat, the pioneers discovered
the copper mines of King Solomon's
times and reactivated them.
Today Eilat is a modern city, with
new handsome houses, large hotels,
an Ocean Museum, theaters and movies,
schools, restaurants, etc.
And where does Eilat get its water?
It' at the very edge of the desert!
Eilat draws part of its water from the
sea. Large engines pump out the sea
water and convert it into good sweet
water.
Eilat is the pearl of the south of the
State of Israel.
Published by the Brit Ivrit Olamit.
with the assistance of the Memorial
Foundation for Jewish Culture.
Material in vowelized, easy Hebrew,
can be obtained by writing to the Brit
Ivrit Olamit, P.O. Box 7111, Jerusalem,
Israel.

happenings. He was among the
chief culprits.
So many people were involved
in the case that Samuel found

it necessary to list a dramatis
Personae at the commencement
of his history of the noted
case. By listing and identifying
the figures in the ca s e, he is
most helpful to the reader.
Of even greater importance are

the appended 14 pages of notes.
While the author expresses the
view that "only a small — but
very important — number of my
readers will be interested in the
notes — I am sorry to inconven-
ience them for the benefit of the
majority," the fact is that as an
historical record the Samuel book
is especially valuable because of
these notes and because of the
collection of records regarding the
occurrences in Russia, the anti-
Semitism, the struggle for justice,
the ultimate triumph of truth.
There were many intrigues. The
anti-Semites were adamant. The
prosecution knew who the guilty
were, but they determinedly pur-
sued the plot to impose a charge
upon Jewry — although there was
an effort to make it appear only
a Hasidic minority practiced ritual
murder.
A strange jumble marked the
trial. An illiterate jury returned
a guilty verdict. It was discovered
— and by the anti-Semitic Novoye
Vriemya—that the vote was 6 to 6,
which meant acquital. The world

press called it a comedy. Russia
was ridiculed. The prosecution
called the case a triumph for its
efforts and celebrated with a ban-
quet. The released Beiliss left for
America, after first settling for a
brief time in Palestine. He was a
pronter, he recorded his case in
the Yiddish press, died in New
York in 1934 and was forgotten-
now to be revived in interest agz
in the Samuel book.
The Beiliss defense attorneys—
V. A. Maklakov, Oscprr- O. Gruzen-
berg_ =..--wrierre'Tti a superb light.
There are a number of people who
refused to be misled by the cabale.
Samuel's commentaries, his de-
scription of the Protocols of the
Elders of Zion, the spread of which
began after the Beiliss case, and
numerous other occurrences, com-
bine to make this a great his-
torical compilation, brilliantly writ_
ten.
It could take a reviewer thou-
sands of words to analyze the
splendid literary attainment in
"Blood Accusation" by Maurice
Samuel. Pulitzer Prize winning
author and critic Mark Van Doren
correctly said that this book of
less than 300 pages could have
been a thousand pages. By the
same token much more could be
said about this book. Suffice it
to say that it is, indeed, great !
It is superb writing ! And there
will be much more to say about
it in time.

—P, S.

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