George Eliot's Role as Zionist Precursor
Related in Dr. Haight's Superb Biography
"Daniel Deronda" is perpetuated
in Zionist literature as one of the
most noteworthy declarations by a
Christian writer in support of the
redemption of the land of Israel.
George Eliot wrote that famous
endorsement of the Jewish libera-
tion hope long before Dr. Theodor
Herzl had formed the World Zion-
ist Organization and the World
Zionist Congress. Her advocacy of
the return to Zion was an endorse-
ment of an undying Jewish hope.
A biography of George Eliot by
Prof. Gordon S. Haight of Yale
University draws attention anew
to the Deronda angle. It contains
comment on "The Modern Hep!
Hep! Hep!" which was a strong
condemnation of anti-Semitism by
George Eliot.
This new biography, published
by Oxford University Press (200
Madison, NY16) is one of the most
illuminating on the eminent writer
of the last century. It is the story
of one of the most interesting
women of a century ago and
throws light on her union with
George Henry Lewes — who had
great influence upon the former
Mary Anne Evans who assumed
the male pseudonym for her writ-
ings — a union that scandalized the
Victorians.
Dr. Haight's study, thorough,
illuminating, filled with impor-
tant details about the Evans
family's interests and the sad
marital experiences of Lewes,
contains the basic data about the
guidance and inspiration the
noted critic gave to the woman
who shared his life with him and
gave him comfort during the
humiliations and indignities he ,
suffered from a disloyal wife.
The acknowledged importance
of "Deronda" becomes evident
GEORGE ELIOT
'
,
early in this biography in the quo-1
tation from that book:
"A human life should be well '
rooted in some spot of a native
land ... a spot where the definite-
ness of early memories may be
inwrought with affection."
Mary Anne Evans is introduced
as a deep student of the Bible, who
had read Holy Scriptures "over
and over again, who was diligent
and serious in her evangelicalism.
She had studied Hebrew and her
interest in Jewish traditions was
deep-rooted.
She had caused concern in
her father in her attitudes, and
at an early date, in 1842, she had
written to him: "I wish entirely
to remove from your mind the
false notion that I am inclined
visibly to unite myself with any
Christian community, or that I
have any affinity in opinion with
Unitarians more than with other
classes of believers in the Divine
authority of the books comprising
the Jewish and Christian Scrip-
tures. I regard these writings as
histories consisting of mingled
truth and fiction, and while I
admire and cherish much of
what I believe to have been the
moral teachings of Jesus him-
self, I consider the system of-
doctrines built upon the facts of
his life and drawn as to its
materials from Jewish notions to
be most dishonorable to God and
most pernicious in its influence
on individual and social hap-
piness."
There was reconciliation with
her father, and Mary Anne did not
press her views on religion in fur-
ther discussions with him. She had
definite views on race, and the bi-
ographer makes this observation:
"Disraeli's theory of 'pure' race
Mary Anne dismisses as without a
leg to stand on. She foresees an
eventual extermination or fusion
of all races not even excepting
Disraeli's 'Hebrew-Caucasian,'
though "the Negroes are too im-
portant physiologically and geo-
graphically for one to think of their
extermination, while the repulsion
between them and the other races
seems too strong for fusion to take
,
48—Friday, May. 2,. 1969
°Between You
raphy is of equally great inter-
est. Dr. Haight tells about Lewes'
friendship with Varnhagen van
... and Me'
Ease and his celebrated wife,
(Copyright 1189, JTA Inc.)
Friederike Rahel, who was hos-
tess at the famed salon in Berlin;
and that in Paris he became
COMMUNAL "PREVIEW": The American Jewish Committee is now
acquainted with Moses Hess, starting
to look into the "tomorrow" of Judaism in this country. It
author of "Rome and Jerusa- seeks to envision how Judaism will look in the United States about a
km."
quarter
of
a century from now, with a fourth generation of American-
The Haight biography of George born Jews, having been raised in an increasingly affluent atmosphere,
Eliot is a monumental work, and it well-educated and accultured, but confused about their Jewishness and
acquires a valuable place in the
totally ignorant of Jewish values.
library dedicated to the literature
With Jewish youth strongly influenced by the stormy events which
of the Victorian period. —P.S
are now taking place in American universities, and with the negative
attitude which many of the Jewish students display toward basic
'George Henry Lewes Jewish interests — discarding the Jewish spiritual values of their
parents as "obsolete" — the effort on the part of the American Jewish
as Literary Critic'
George Henry Lewes, who played Committee to assess the future is very timely. Especially since the
a most important role in the life effort is aimed at strengthening Jewish identity of a maturing genera-
of George Eliot, had a great in- tion which shows a tendency to consider Jewish matters as secondary
fluence on 19th Century literary to general issues in American life, and which is largely indifferent
to Jewish problems.
criticism.
Wide-ranging investigations on this subject have been launched
As the husband of George Eliot,
Lewes gained wide notoriety. But culminating in the publication, about two years ago, of the results
his influence was primarily as the of its "Lakeville Studies"—a survey of a large Midwestern suburb
critic whose views on literary cre- with a population of 25,000 inhabitants, a third of whom were Jews.
place to any great extent."
Of major interest to Zionists and
to those who are fascinated by the
Daniel Deronda story is the in-
fluence upon George Eliot of
Emanuel Deutsch, who came to
London from Germany in 1855, be- ations in the 19th Century were the
came an assistant in the British most respected.
In "George Henry Lewes as Lit-
Museum, was a Semitic linguist.
Deutsch is credited with having erary Critic," published by Syra-
inspired George Eliot with the cuse University Press, Prof. Alice
character of Mordecai. Dr. B. Kaminsky of State University of
Haight points out that "her lively New York, College at Cortland, has
concern with the idea of Jewish formulated her 15-year interest in
nationalism sprang directly from Lewes' work and has both evalu-
her friendship with Emanuel ated his criticisms as well as out-
lined his life's activities.
Deutsch."
As a supplementary work to
Deutsch sent her proofs of his
the study of George Eliot's lit-
famous article on the Talmud. He
erary role, Prof. Kaminsky's
gave her lessons in Hebrew "which
impressive study is of unusual
her notebooks show she studied
value.
diligently." Dr. Haight writes that
Prof. Kaminsky touches upon all
Deutsch died May 12, 1873, "just as
George Eliot was planning her new of Lewes' criticisms and comments,
also
on George Eliot's works and
novel (Deronda): and memories of
poor Deutsch are woven through Lewes' influence. She states inter
alia:
her conception of the dying Mor-
"Lewes encouraged George Eliot
decai. She makes Mordecai (in
"Daniel Deronda") — like Deutsch to utilize to the fullest extent her
perceptive
and reflective faculties.
— a great scholar, 'a man steeped
in poverty and obscurity, weak- Starting with his premise that a
novelist
should
deal with real ex-
ened by disease, consciously within
the shadow of advancing death, perience, she developed as an art-
but living an intense life in an in- ist to the point where she realized
his ideal of a superior novelist, by
visible past and future.' "
George Eliot's deep interest In supplementing her realistic studies
and study of Hebrew, the Jewish with the ideas of a mind that had
reactions to "Deronda" and the thought deeply and wisely. It will
attitudes towards the general be recalled that when Lewes ex-
theme in her Zionist work pro- pressed his belief in her ability to
vide much material for students write novels, he told her, 'You have
of the literature of Eliot's time wit, description and philosophy ..."
and of Zionism in this outstand- Unquestionably, one of the widest
ing biographical work. "Deron- read women of her age, she ex-
da" is described as having hibited less of her extraordinary
"formed a momentous landmark" grasp of history, politics, religion,
in Zionism, and the biographer science, philosophy and literature
takes occasion to indicate the in her later novels, 'Romola,'
subsequent developments in the 'Middlemarch' and 'Daniel Der.
onda.' "
movement.
In the course of her review of
George Eliot had befriended Har-
Lewes' criticisms of 19th Century
riet Beecher Stowe, to whom she
authors,
Prof. Kaminsky makes
wrote:
this reference: "Comparing Dis-
"As to the Jewish element in
raeli
and
Thackeray, he wrote:
'Deronda,' I expected from first to
'Disraeli (saw) society — not
last in writing it, that it would
very clearly, but be (saw) it;
create much stronger resistance
Thackeray saw it, and (saw)
and even repulsion than it has
through it, all the human beings,
actually met with. But precisely
all the motives high and low,
because I felt that the usual atti-
simple and complicated which
tude of Christians towards Jews
make it what it is." There is
is — I hardly know whether to say
a footnote which states that
more impious or more stupid when
"Lewes was hostile to Dis-
viewed in the light of their pro-
raeli's political and literary ef-
fessed principles, I therefore felt
forts."
urged to treat Jews with such
Prof. Kaminsky's study views
sympathy and understanding as
my nature and knowledge could Lewes in 19th Century literature,
as
critic of poetry, the novel and
attain to . . . ."
Chief Rabbi Dr. Herman Adler the drama. It is supporting work
and others wrote to commend of great merit in studying George
Eliot and her career and creative
George Eliot.
Lewes' portrayal in this biog- literary accomplishments. —P.S.
Moslem Parley Ousts, Then Admits, El Fatah
LONDON (JTA) — A three-man
delegation of El Fatah, ousted last
Thursday from the 20-nation Inter-
national Moslem Conference at
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was re-
admitted Sunday through the inter_
,vention of the Egyptian delegation.
The El Fatah leader, Abu Hishan,
said he was seeking world Moslem
support for the guerrilla struggle
against IsraeL
Boris Sntolor's
Conference officials had evicted
the El Fatah members because
they represented no government
and the conference was billed as
nonpolitical. But Dr. Abdel Aziz
Kamel, head of the Egyptian dele-
gation, arranged to have them
admitted as observers without the
issue being put to a conference
vote. It appeared that El Fatah
also gained status because of the
turmoil it has created in Lebanon,
a half Christian, half Moslem
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS country.
The Jewish community of Lakeville was chosen for the survey because
it was considered a typical community of educated American Jews
where 89 per cent of the Jewish men had higher education and 82
per cent of the women had at least some college education.
While the Lakeville findings have attracted a good deal of attention,
AJCommittee leaders are now interested in establishing to what extent
Lakeville is representative of other Jewish communities today, as well
as of the Jewish communities tomorrow. Hence, they are now embark-
ing on the work of stimulating nationwide discussions based on the
question which emerged from the "Lakeville" survey. They want, like
a physician, to take the pulse of the American Jewish community
through group discussions in which the participants would include
students, parents, teachers, rabbis and local community leaders.
PORTRAIT OF COMMUNITY: The Lakeville community of 8,000
Jews has four Reform Temples, one Conservative synagogue and no
Orthodox house of worship. This is definitely not typical for most
American suburbs or cities. The question, however, is whether it will
be typical tomorrow. Some two-thirds of "Lakeville" Jews belong
to a synagogue, but the synagogue services are very badly attended.
In fact, some Jews join the synagogue as members but never appear
at services.
To get an idea of the Jewish "belonging" in "Lakeville," Jews
there were asked what characteristics they considered essential or
desirable in a "good Jew." The answers — given here in order of the
frequency with which they were named — throw a certain light on the
mentality of the average Jew there.
In the "essential" category, one was considered by the "Lakevil-
lers" as a good Jew if he practiced one of the following: Led an eth-
ical and moral life; accepted his being a Jew and tried not to hide
it; supported all humanitarian causes; promoted civic betterment and
improvements in the community; gained respect of Christian neighbors;
helped the underprivileged improve their lot; know the fundamentals
of Judaism; worked for equality for Negroes.
In the "desirable" category, the answers indicated the follow-
ing: he must be well versed in Jewish history and culture; marry
within the Jewish faith; contribute to Jewish philantropies; belong
to Jewish organizations; support Israel; attend weekly services; attend
services on High Holy Days; belong to a synagogue or temple.
It does not take long to see that support of Israel and religion are
placed as the last requirements and not even in the "essential" cate-
gory. When asked "if the Arab nations should succeed in carrying out
their threat to destroy Israel, would you feel a very deep, some, or not
personal sense of loss," 25 per cent said they would feel "some" sense
of loss, and 10 per cent replied they would feel no sense of loss at all.
This question was posed and the answers given some time before
the Six-Day War. After the Slx-Day,War, it was thought that American
Jews had gained new respects in gentiles' eyes because of Israel's feat
of arms. They also felt no strain between their status as Americans
and their support for Israel.
During the crisis of the Six-Day War, "Lakeville" Jewish commun-
ity raised unprecedented amounts of money through improvised drives
as well as through the regional Jewish welfare fund. However, after
the war, emotions appeared to have shaken down pretty much to where
they had been before. When young people wanted to go to Israel to
help during the war days, parents often temporized.
PRESENT AND FUTURE: What about intermarriage in "Lake-
ville?" The "Lakeville" Jews do not consider intermarriage involving
their children a far-fetched possibility. Only 36 per cent of them said
that they did not think their children would marry non-Jews. Fully
93 per cent said they would accept the mixed marriage and thus retain
family ties; only 1 per cent declared they would reject the child.
All but 1 per cent of the Jews interviewed said they would like
to live in an area with substantial numbers of gentiles. About one-half
per cent of the respondents said they felt at ease in gentile companY,
but just as many acknowledged that they found it uncomfortable.
0 n the whole, Jews and gentiles rub shoulders in Lakeville almost
constantly — in stores, in streets, at beaches, at concerts, in organiza-
tion meetings and in the day's work. Opportunities for contacts are
abundantly available to Jewish business men and employed profes-
sionals. However, most of the mixed friendships have an aura of un-
reality and uncertainty about them. The Jews are being accepted as
individuals only if, and to the extent that, they conform to gentile
standards.
Does "Lakeville's" kind of Jewis life offer hope that Jewish heri-
tage will continue?
This is the question for which the American Jewish Committee
is trying to find an answer.
The American Jewish Committee believes that "Lakeville" Jews
want, and mean to, remain Jews "in some significant sense." But
what being Jewish will mean to the generation of Jewish Americans
now coming to maturity — to this question the survey does not give
any definite answer. All it says.is ."only,the future.can tell."
.
.
. . . . . .
. . .
. . . .