Joseph Trumpeldor: The story of Z ionist Pioneer
By JOSEF FRAENKEL
"cowardly" soldiers. And, in order
- Jewish News Special London
to prove the baselessness of this
Correspondent
accusation, Trumpeldor volunteer-
Czarist Russia was traditionally ed to fight at the front in the
more anti-Semitic than the Kaiser's Russo-Japanese war in 1904-5. He
Germany. undertook highly dangerous mis-
In 1827, Czar Nicholas I decreed sions in the defense of Port Arthur,
that Jews must render 25 years of gained the admiration of his fellow-
military service. Children were ab-
ducted • the
their beds at night to be handed
over to the military authorities.
Threats and promises, kindness
and cunning, were used to per-
suade them to renounce their reli-
gion. Thousands died: thousands
were forcibly baptized, but thou-
sands—despite 25 years of military
service — remained true to their
faith. Zeev Trumpeldor served 25
years under Czar Nicholas I.
Even his wife, Fedosia, tried in
vain to persuade her husband to
forsake his people and his religion.
A Jewish' mother is not always
Jewish. They had four children and
only the youngest, Joseph, revolted
against his non-Jewish upbringing.
He was strong-willed like his fath-
er, who exerted a profoundly Jew-
ish influence over the boy.
Joseph, born on Dec. 4, 1880,
in Piatigorsk (Caucasus), was
interested in Jewish affairs. Tol-
stoy's books impressed him deep-
ly, and he sought spiritual guid-
ance.
He read Leo Pinsker and Theo-
dor Herzl, which led him to dis-
cover Zionism. Two years after
finishing his studies (dentistry) he
became a soldier. Anti-Semitism
also flourished in the Russian
army. The Jews were branded as
soldiers, and was decorated many
times for outstanding bravery. He
was wounded and lost his left arm,
but again he asked to be sent to
the front line.
He became the first Jewish offi-
cer in the Russian army. It was
in the army that he was first rec-
ognized as a hero. The Jewish and
non-Jewish press hailed him not
only as a Russian officer and a
hero with the highest decorations,
but as a Jew and a Zionist.
Russia lost the Russo-Japanese
War and among the prisoners
taken, including Trumpeldor,
were about 500 Jewish soldiers.
Trumpeldor succeeded in found-
ing a relief organization for
them, as well as a Zionist society
with 150 members. He gave talks
and edited a Zionist weekly.
Even among prisoners of war,
anti-Semitism was rife. Trumpel-
dor and his friends felt that their
future lay in emigration to Pal-
estine.
After returning from imprison-
ment, Trumpeldor began to study
law at the University of St. Peters-
burg, while continuing with his
Zionist activities. In 1912, he left
Russia with a few friends and set-
tled at first in Migdal, and later in
Degania. He believed in the princi-
ple of Jewish labor, however ardu-
ous it might be. One-armed Trum-
; peldor found happiness in plough-
ing the land and was one of the
I finest pioneers.
During the First World War,
Jemal Pasha, the commander of
Palestine, persecuted both Jews
and Arabs, and Jewish pioneers
were forced to leave the country.
Trumpeldor left for Alexandria
where he met Vladimir Jabotinsky,
the correspondent at that time, of
a Russian newspaper. Jabotinsky
won Trumpeldor over to his plan
for the formation of a Jewish unit
which would fight side by side with
England to free Palestine from the
Turks. A Jewish Legion would
stress the historical bond between
the Jews and Palestine. But the
British general, Sir John Maxwell,
could not agree to the proposal,
submitted by Vladimir Jabotinsky
and Joseph Trumpeldor, that Jew-
ish troops should be allowed to
fight at the front in Palestine be-
cause, at that time, March 1915,
there was as yet no fighting in
Palestine.
The general suggested that the
Jewish contingent, the "Zion Mule
Corps," should be sent to Gallipoli.
About 600 Jews, Trumpeldor among
them, volunteered. They had their
own flag and emblem, the Shield of
David, and served with distinction
under Colonel Henry Patterson.
Over 10 per cent were killed or
wounded within one year.
In 1916, Colonel Patterson
published a book, "With the
Zionists in Gallipoli," in order
to gain the support of the Jews,
especially in America, for Eng-
land. Germany, too, recognized
the significance of Jewish troops
AFTER THE WAR,TRUMPLIDOR RE-
MINDED THE JEWS THAT THE REALIZ-
ATION OF A NATIONAL IDEAL IS NOT
SIMPLE.THEY MUST FIGHT FOR IT
TO LIVE IlellAARETZ ...- THEY MINT
OE READY TO SACRIFICE fOR IT/I
JOSEPH TRUMPLIDOR BECAME
AN ARDENT ZIONIST AND
WENT TO PALESTINE AS A
* HALUTZ!..
J
OSEPH TRUMPLIDOR,
THE SYMBOL OF MODERN
JEWISH HIROISM,WAS BORN
IN RUSSIA IN map .14IS WAS
A COMPLETELY INJSSLINLIED
FAMILY AND WHEN HE VOLUM-
TIERED FOR THE RUSSO-JAP
WAR, JOSEPH WAS A TOTAL
STRANGER TO
JEWISH LIFE
AND JEWISH
INTERIST5.\
HE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF
IN WORLD WAR I.TOGETHER
WITH JAISOTINSKY HE ORGAN-
IZED THE FIRST JEWISH LEGION
BATTALION AND FAILED IN A
THE ANTI-JEWISH PREJUDICES HEFOUND .
IN THE ARMY AND ESPECIAUXHIS HORROR
DARING POST-WAR PLAN TO
LEAD AN ARMY OF SEVERAL
OF THE KISHENEFF POGROM, AROUSED HIS
JEWISH CONSUOUSNESS AND
o
Wherever danger loomed,
Trumpeldor was to be found. He
took over the defense of Galilee
when the Arabs, under the pre-
text that the Jews were hiding
the French, attacked some colo-
nies. Triunpeldor drove them out
of Metulla, but they concentrated
their attack on Tel Hai, and on
Nov. 29, 1920 (11 Adar,
5E80), Joseph Trumpeldor was
killed there. His last words were:
"EM davar" (It does not matter)
— "It is good to die for our coun-
try." His death was a heavy loss
for the Yishuv. Trumpeldor be-
came the symbol of Jewish youth,
and his legend began with his
death. Thousands were to follow
in his footsteps, to till the land,
to guard and protect it.
Nahum Sokolow declared that
Trumpeldor "burned like a pure
flame of love for his people and for
Eretz Israel." Jabotinsky named
his youth organization "Brith
Trumpeldor." A colony has been
named after him, and he is im-
mortalized in song and in the his-
tory of the Land of the Jews.
A number of books on Trumpel-
dor, among them those by J. Yaari,
D. Beltcharkovsky, P. Lipovetzky
and lately by Roman Freulich to-
gether with Joan Abramson, have
been published in Israel and in
The Communist revolution wreck- other countries and should be rec-
ed his project. Trumpeldor was ar- ommended reading for Jewish
rested but the halutz movement youth.
captured the imagination of Jewish
Israel issued a special stamp on
youth in both East and West Eu- the 50th anniversary of the death
rope, and halutzim were among of Trumpeldor. Now a film on the
the first to undertake the rebuild- life of Trumpeldor is to be pro-
ing of Palestine. Trumpeldor suc- duced. The memory of Joseph
ceeded in leaving Russia, and, in Trumpeldor is an inspiration for
November 1919, reached Palestine. the future.
and wanted to form a Jewish
Legion, but Turkey was against
the idea.
Joseph Trumpeldor helped Vladi-
mir Jabotinsky to organize the
Jewish Legion. Trumneldor, too,
addressed meetings in Whitechapel,
and in a memorandum dated 24
January, 1917, presented to Lloyd
George, Jabotinsky and Trumpet-
dor advocated the formation of a
Jewish Legion and asked for the
consent of the British government.
On Aug. 23, 1917, nine weeks
before the Balfour Declaration was
issued, the formation of the Jewish
Legion was announced by the Bri-
tish government. Col.. Patterson
was in command, and as the Jewish
Legionnaires marched through
Cairo on their way to Palestine,
women pelted them with flowers.
Trumpeldor departed for Russia
to recruit 100,000 young Jews for
the Jewish Legion. He also wanted
to achieve his own goal: the reali-
zation of a halutz movement. Jabo-
tinsky often quoted Trumpeldor's
definition of a halutz. ".. . I have
no name of my own. I serve Zion,
ready for every task, bound in no
way and recognizing only one com-
mand: Build!" He also organized
a Jewish self-defense corps for
aid during pogroms.
ALL TOO SOON HE WAS TO SET THE HEROIC EXAMPLE/ IN
11120.HE WAS LIVING THE LIFE OF A PIONEER HALUTZ IN
TEL HAI WHEN A HUGE ARAB FORCE TREACHEROUSLY
ATTACKED THE LITTLE GALILEE SETTLEMENT._
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
MEN INTO PALESTINE...
INSPIRED BY TRUMPLIDOR,T111
GALLANT DEFENDERS FOUGHT
BACK MAGNIFICENTLY. OUT-
NUMBERED BY MORE THAN 100
TO I , THEY REPELLED ATTACK
AFTER ATTACK...
k
ONE BY ONE THE HEROES FELL.
TRUMPLEDOR SWORE WITH THE
SURVIVORS NEVER TO SURRENDER.
MORTALLY WOUNDED,NE SNOUTED:
-S7
)
HIS IMMORTAL WORP3nT IS GOOD TO DIE FOR
OUR COUNTRY" HAVE TAKEN THEIR RIGHTFUL
PLACE IN JEWISH LEGEND AND WILL CONTINUE TO
INSPIRE GENERATIONS OF JEWS DETERMINED TO
CREATE A ERIE HOMELAND IN PALESTINE/
wow
'WE SMALL NOT BUDGE 7....
AND THEY DIDN'T/
Cartoon by Norman Nodel. Text by Joseph Benamy
Iraqi Jews' Exodus Marked by Stamp Issued in Israel
•:„.
•;!..s to leave legally. In 1946.
On Sept. 7, Israel will issue a
•----.tion was stopped
stamp honoring Operation "Ezra • however,
-•
and Nehemiah, the exodus of completely, and tension beiwe,....
Iraqi Jews to Israel. Designed by the authorities and the Jewish
M. and G. Shamir and printed by community mounted as the immin-
E. Lewin Epstein Ltd., the stamp ent partition of Palestine was an-
features a symbolic drawing of a nounced.
dove flying toward the sun. Within
the outline of the dove's body is
the inscription "Operation 'Ezra
and Nehemiah' " in Hebrew.
At that time, many Jews aside
from those in the underground
acquired weapons, and Jews band-
ed together in their communities.
The riots that the Jews of Irm The military regime which took
lived through in 1941 led to the over in Iraq in May 1948 had an
organization of illegal emigration, adverse effect on the Jews' situa-
although there were also oppor- tion.
40 — Friday, August 14, 1970
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
-"elr/7
1
I
Zionist youths were arrested
and a number of Iraqi Jews sold
their property and with the help
of the underground left the coun-
try. Between December 1949 and
February 1950, some 3,000 Jews
came to Israel from Iraq.
the Baghdad Synagogue on Jan.
14, 1951 and the fear it brought of
renewed violence stimulated reg-
The illegal immigration impellel istration for departure. Although
the Iraqi minister of the interior
42,000 Jews left in 1951, Iraq ex-
to propose ' law allowing Jews to tended the time limit to allow
leave if they renounce their cit _,-
i- '
those on the waiting list to go.
zenship. The first three planes oi
the American "Near East Airline"
left its mark
Iraqi Jewry
which the Israel government char-
tered left Baghdad airport on May upon life in Israel, A considerable
19, 1950, bound for Israel.
number were well trained 2nd in-
Illegal immigration also contin- tegrated quickly into agriculture,
ued swelling the number of emi- industry and business and made
gres. A total of 32,000 Jews came lasting contributions to the achieve-
to Israel in 1950. The explosion in ments of the nation as a whole. .