‘, '-111E4MiltOIT1EWISHIEWS
Baron-Edited Volume on Violence
to Jewry a Scholarly Anthology
By ALLEN A. WARSEN
"Violence and Defense in
the Jewish Experience"
(The Jewish Publication
Society of America), edited
by Salo W. Baron and
George S. Wise, is an an-
thology consisting of scho-
larly and thought-
provoking essays.
The contributors include
the editors, the late Yoha-
nan Aharoni, Harry M. Or-
linsky, Shimon Shamir and
others.
In his penetrating study,
Baron, professor emeritus of
Jewish history at Columbia
University and Jewish his-
torian, reviews historically
the various manifestations
of anti-Jewish violence and
the Jewish response.
Instructive, inter alia,
is his account of the his-
tory of the blood accusa-
tions. He states that the
blood libel had its begin-
ning at the time of the
Maccabean revolt. It was
Antiochus IV who then
invented the story that he
had seen in the Temple
priests fattening a Gen-
tile for sacrificial pur-
poses.
"This myth first ad-
versely affected the Christ-
ian population of the Roman
Empire," but since the 12th
Century Jews throughout
Christendom have been ac-
cused of this malicious
slander. Thus in 1144, Jews
in Norwich, England, were
charged by a monk, a
Jewish convert to Christ-
- ianity, with using Christian
blood for ritual purposes. In
1236, Jews of Fulda, a city
in Hesse-Nassau, Germany,
were slaughtered as a result
of a blood libel. In 1840, the
"Damascus Accusation" re-
sulted in Jewish casualties.
For unexplained reasons,
the author failed to record
the "Beilis Case" of 1911
that became an interna-
tional cause celebre. He.
does mention the blood libel
of 1927 at Messena, N.Y.
In fairness to the Popes, it
must be stated that they,
time after time, condemned
this scurrilous calumny.
0
Illuminating is the essay
"Violence and Tranquility
in Ancient Israel: An Ar-
cheological View" by the
late professor of archeology,
Aharoni.
Orlinsky, professor of
Bible at the Hebrew
Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion, in
his profound study `The
Situational Ethics of Vio-
lence in the Biblical
Begin in 'Parade
NEW YORK (JTA) —
Premier Menahem Begin of
Israel will attend this year's
Salute to Israel Parade as
its special guest, it was an-
nounced in New York by
David Sidorsky, board
chairman of the American
Zionist Youth Foundation
which sponsors the parade
each year.
Period" explores the
ethics of violence in an-
cient Israel.
He declares that the suf-
ferings inflicted on the
Egyptians, the Israelites
considered as divine justice;
while Pharoah regarded
them as acts of violence. In
contrast, the destruction of
the Holy Temple and Judah
by the Babylonians in 586
BCE, the prophet Jeremiah
regarded as divine retribu-
tion for Israel's transgres-
sions, and considered
Nebuchadnezzar, King of
Babylonia, as God's ser-
vant. Even in-rabbinic lit-
erature, Nebuchadnezzar is
described as a "Tsadik" (a
righteous man).
The author emphasizes
that in the 4,000-year his-
tory of the Jewish people
only the destruction of the
Second Temple and Judean
independence in 70 CE and
the Holocaust in our times
"can be classed with the de-
struction of Judah and the
First Temple." Most impor-
tantly, Orlinsky asserts
that the biblical concept of
justice is based on the "con-
tact that had been duly ac-
cepted by the two sig-
natories, Israel and God."
Shamir, professor of Mod-
ern Middle Eastern History
at Tel Aviv University, in a
well-documented essay
"Muslim-Arab Attitudes
Toward Jews: The Ottoman
and Modern Periods," pre-
sents an intriguing study of
Muslim-Jewish relations
under and post-Turkish
rule,
Contrary to the view of
idealized Jewish-Muslim
relations prior to the es-
tablishment of the state
of Israel, the author
proves conclusively that
the reverse was the rule.
He presents a formidable
list of anti-Jewish restric-
tions and discriminatory
practices that were
applied "to payment of
taxes, ownership of land
and choice of occupa-
tion."
Jews were excluded from
military, political and ad-
ministrative positions ("a
fact which, incidentally,
made it so difficult for Mus-
lims of our time to accept
the reality of Jewish state-
hood and Israeli military
power"). Jewish men,
moreover, were forbidden to
marry Muslim women,
while Muslim men were al-
lowed to marry Jewish wo-
men. In addition, Jews suf-
fered all kinds of humilia-
tions.
In recent times Jews were
victims of acts of violence
committed by Arabs. Suffice
to recall the massacres in
the old city of Jerusalem
(1920, 1929), Hebron and
Safed (1929), Damascus
(1938), Cairo (1945).
Febrvarr24,- 197U. 41f!
Brazil Is Target of Arab Boycott
In his engrossing
study, on the basis of ar-
cheological discoveries,
Prof. Aharoni proves
that the settlement of Ca-
naan by the Israelites
was gradual and peace-
ful. He records the dis-
coveries of unwalled set-
tlements at Beersheba
and Tel Mason, the an-
cient Khirbet Meshash.
Close by, an extensive
settlement of the "Early
Israelite" period was dug
up. It contained well-'
built "typical Israelite
four-room homes with --
rows of pillars. Pottery of
circa 1000 BCE and an
ivory-shaped lion were
found there.
On the basis of the dis-
coveries in the Negev, the
archeologists concluded
that the "Israelite settle-
ment in the Negev is a pro-
cess of pastoral occupation
of an unsettled region .. .
The period of settlement
appears as one of relative
peace and security."
"In reality," the author
points out, "this is the pic-
ture which becomes more
and more patent in other
regions of the country as
well, and the Bible itself
hints at it."
"Violence and Defense in
the Jewish Experience" has
filled a void in Jewish his-
toric literature.
RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA)
— Bnai Brith, ORT and
WIZO in Brazil have been
placed on the Arab boycott
blacklist, according to
Adolpho Bloch, the pub-
lisher of a number of pre-
stigious magazines, includ-
ing Manchete, the illus.- •
trated weekly which has
worldwide circulation.
In an article published in
Manchete, Bloch also ex-
pressed alarm about the
capitulation of a number of
leading Brazilian firms to
the boycott and noted at the
same time that a number of
important firms in Brazil
have been- placed on the
boycott list after refusing to
comply with the boycott
regulations.
Among the latter are,.,
Ford Motor Co.; Xerox
Corp.; Sears Roebuck;
Helena Rubinstein; and An-
tartica Products, which
sells soft .drinks and beer,
because the firm's symbol is
similar to the Star of David.
FIRESTONE
JEWELRY
Jewel),
hnh,al• lhamortil"
U .01 Reimirine
•numnitnc
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Koch Is Cited
Disco Parties by
NEW YORK (JTA) —
The New York Federation
of Reform Synagogues - has
commended Mayor Edward
Koch for his "courageous
stand with respect to the
rights of homosexuals to
equal consideration for jabs
in the (city) government."
Dan Sandberg
353-6699
dick stein inc.
from one to any number of musicians
jeep smith
patty grant
bill meyers
Jerry fenby
shelby lee
johnny griffith
Let the Professionals Perform
NEW NUMBER 855-1400
"music the stein way"
Prof Contends Jews Active
in Resisting Nazis in War
ELIZABETH, N.J. — A Partisans and Survivors
40-year-old historian and in Tel Aviv.
Holocaust survivor chal-
The two spent more than
lenged the prevailing belief four years researching
that six million Jews all materials from documents,
went to the slaughter like archives and from inter-
sheep — without resistance views with - nearly 400
— in World War II.
former partisan comrades
in the U.S. and Israel. Their
Lester S. Eckman, re- findings were confirmed by
searcher awl author in the Federation of Under-
Holocaust studies, asserted ground Fighters and
that his findings indicated Holocaust Survivors, the of-
that tens of thousands of ficial U.S. organization rep-
Jews fought the Nazis to resenting former Jewish
death in hundreds of parti- partisans of World War II.
san actions on almost every
"There is no question,"
front. In Eastern_ European said Dr. Eckman, "that
ghettos and forests, he said, Jewish partisans played a
Jews organized themselves significant role in the over-
into fighting cadres and all partisan warfare, which
conducted ferocious upris- sapped much of the strength
ings as well as daring at- and manpower out of the
tacks on German troops and Nazi war machine." He said
Nazi collaborators.
that he undertook the pro-
"More than 30 years after ject with Lazar "to dispell
the end of World War II, the long-held myth that
new facts are emerging Jews, all Jews; went to their
about Jewish resistance, deaths passively."
There emerged from
facts that should cause his-
torians to do some rethink- those in hiding and for the
ing about the Holocaust. escapees of the ghettos,
Perhaps as much as 75 per- death marches and concent-
cent of the Jewish resis- ration camps organized
tance picture still needs to Jewish forces that exacted
vengence from the enemy, a
be uncovered," he said.
vengence meant to uphold
Prof. tckman, an ex- Jewish honor. They
pert on Eastern Euro- wreaked havoc with Ger-
pean Jewry, wrote "The man convoys and supply
Jewish Resistance" in lines. They blew up bridges
collaboration with and munition centers vital
Chaim Lazar of Israel, to Nazi operations and dealt
former freedom fighter of squarely with their own
the Vilna Ghetto and pre- countrymen who made a
sently director of the habit of turning in Jews to
Museum of Combatants, the Germans.
presents
Maureen and Linda
here and now .
CJ
23077 - Greenfield Road
(Advance Bldg.)
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