64 Friday, August 1, 1980

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Freud's Jewish Identification Emphasized in Clark Biography

There is much about
all the energy he will need analysts. Perhaps the most certain, but according to
"Freud: The Man and the
a distant relative, Dr. Freud and his family, about
impressive definition of it
for
that
struggle.
Do
not
de-
Cause" by Ronald W. Clark
Joseph Freud, he re- his personal life and his
prive him of that advan- asserts:
(Random House) is an
ferred to Herzl in a uni- many conflicts. The reader
"Psychoanalysis
had
to
tage.'
expertly-researched biog-
versity lecture in 1905 or will be impressed with this
overcome not only the
"As
far
back
as
1909
he
raphy of the founder of the
1907, saying that the portion in the concluding
opposition
aroused
by
its
had told Jung that he was to
science of psychoanalysis,
Zionist
leader had ap- chapter of this notable biog-
be the Joshua destined to emphasis on sex but also
written by one of the ablest
raphy:
the antagonism evoked peared to him in a dream.
explore
the
promised
land
of
authors of biographies of
"Perhaps the best indica-
"
'An
appearance
filled
by
its
creator
being
a
psychiatry which Freud,
this decade.
with glory, with a dark yet tion of what he was like has
Jew. Freud himself had
like
Moses,
was
only
to
see
So massive is the new
pale countenance, adorned been given by his widow in a
ambivalent feelings
from afar.
material incorporated in
with
an attractive black be- letter she never thought
about
the
fact
that
during
"To Arthur Schnitzler he
this biography that it
ard, and with eyes which would be published.
its first few years con-
had
written
after
being
con-
emerges as one of the out-
" 'How good, dear Dr.,'
expressed infinite grief,' the
gratulated on his 70th verts were almost exclu-
standing works in biog-
she
wrote to Ludwig
doctor
observed
of
Freud's
birthday, 'Emotionally, sively Jewish.
raphical literature. At the
SIGMUND FREUD
Binswanger, 'that you
when description of Herzl.
"Later,
Jewishness
is
still
very
im-
same time it retains the
" 'The apparition at- knew him when he was
psychoanalysis had become
basic facts about Freud the Moses, who led the Chosen portant to me,' and to the established, he could say: 'I
tempted to persuade Freud still in the prime of his
editor
of
the
Swiss-Jewish
psychoanalyst, the Jew, the People into the Promised
of the need of immediate ac- life, for in the end he suf-
don't know whether you're
Land. Deeply conscious of weekly, Judische Pressen- right in thinking that
lover of humor, the man
tion,
if the Jewish people fered terribly, so th .
who was confronted by his separation from many Zentrale, 'I have always felt psychoanalysis is a direct
was to be saved. These even those who wou
a
strong
feeling
of
kinship
anti-Semitism and the fellow Europeans by an un-
words astonished him by Most like to keep hil1.
product of the Jewish spirit,
manner in which he treated bridgeable chasm, Freud with my race and have also but if it were I wouldn't feel
their logic and their pent-up forever had to wish for
knew the dangers and was fostered it in my children ashamed.' In the early years
it.
his release! And yet how
emotion.' "
.
.
.
On the score of Freud's to devote much time, and
Freud's friendship with terribly difficult it is to
the
situation
was
very
"When
the
local
branch
of
reaction to anti-Semitism many schemes, to warding
different and more danger- many of the world's noted have to do without him.
and his Jewish identifica- off the charge that the YIVO, the Jewish Sci- ous."
personalities, with eminent To continue to live with-
entific
Institute,
welcomed
tion, there is this interest- psychoanalysis was a
Jews, are recorded in this out so much kindness
Controversies
with
Carl
ing and very important quo- Jewish creation. Without his arrival in Britain, he Jung are discussed in the volume. The relationships and wisdom beside one!
had
replied
with
a
categori-
tation from the Clark biog- the need for this defense, its
" 'It is small comfort for
Clark biography, with and correspondence with
history might well have cal: 'You no doubt know that references to Jung's an- Arnold Zweig and Stefan me to know that in the 53
raphy:
I gladly and proudly ac-
Zweig are especially im- years of our married life not
" 'My parents were Jews,' been different.
tagonism to Jews.
knowledge my Jewishness,
"His
pride
of
race
had
one angry word fell between
he always stressed, 'and I
Freud's attitude on pressive.
though
my
attitude
toward
Freud's forced abandon- us, and that I always sought
have remained a Jew my- early qualified his re- any religion, including Zionism is indicated in at
spect for Jacob Freud,
least one important refer- ment of his home in Vienna as much as possible to re-
self.'
ours, is critically nega-
"His loyalty was by no whom his instinct wished tive.' "
ence in this biography, and his departure for move from his path the mis-
England mark the lasting ery of everyday life. Now my
means inevitable, as dur- to regard as the un-
Considerable attention is which states:
ing his youth and man- blemished patriarch. The given to the question of
"The strength of impressions of the suffer- life has lost all content and
hood the life of the ghetto father had recalled to his Jewish dominance in the Freud's interest in ings that were entailed with meaning.' "
— P.S.
slowly disappeared from son the occasion, appar- ranks of the psycho- ;, Zionism at the time is un- the rise of Hitlerism.
Europe. As it did so, more ently in Galicia, when he
and more Jews took the had been walking in the - Coming of Age in the Holocaust
road of baptism, the 'ad- street wearing a new fur
mission ticket to Euro- cap.
" 'A Christian came up to
pean civilization' as
- •
me,'
he said, 'and with a
Heine called it, and an in-
rians invaded a small sec- worked at the nearby an aviation factory.
By ALLEN A. WARSEN
single
blow
knocked
off
my
There
they received
surance compared with
tion of Czechoslovakia, in- hills straightening the
Livia E. Bitton Jackson's
somewhat
better treat-
land.
Supervised
by
the danger of retaining cap into the mud and
cluding Somorja, in 1938,
shouted: 'Jew! get off the memoir "Elli: Coming of while Hitler's armies ab- kapos, mostly profes- ment and were given
the Jewish faith.
Age in the Holocaust"
sional German criminals, "new clothes."
"Freud's colleague of the pavement!'
(Times Books) is the most sorbed most of it.
"Asked
what
-
had
early 1900s, Alfred Adler,
II, the the women were beaten
During
World
War
While trying on her new
was to be baptized. So was happened next, Jacob re- recent addition to the litera-
SS stationed in Hungary for the slightest infrac- coat, the author writes,
plied:
'I
weneinto
the
road-
ture
on
the
Holocaust.
tion. ,
Fritz Haber, the German
"Suddenly I notice white
The memorialist com- ordered the Jews of Somorja
chemist whose revolution- way and picked up my cap.'
to
wear
stars
of
canary-
Malnutrition and "sub- stitching at the hem of the
mences
her
recollections
At
the
age
of
43
Freud
still
ary method of producing
yellow fabric on the left side animal treatment "caused lining. As I look close I see
ammonia helped the remembered how he had with a graphic description of their chests, to mark their the women to cease menst- the stitches form letters.
Fatherland during the First contrasted the situation of Somorja, her native town. homes with stars, to have no ration. They, furthermore, Leah Kohn — Des. It is a
World War — and who with the scene in which She recalls with warmth dealings with gentiles, and were alarmed by the rumor name and a place. A town in
found that baptism did not Hannibal's father made his and tenderness the Carpat- Jews were forbidden to that bromide was added to Hungary. And the name of a
save him from being forced son swear to take vengeance hian Mountains at the enter public places such as their food, as they suspected girl. A Jewish girl . . . Leah
town's end and "the hills
to flee from Germany when on the Romans."
coat becomes an
that loom in the haze theaters, restaurants, cafes, the Nazis of "experimenting Kohn's
There
are
numerous
Hitler came to power.
schools, parks, post office, with mass sterilization." agonizing burden. And so
toward
the
west."
She
re-
"Freud trod the harder other incidents of Freud's
city hall or library.
Simultaneously, the does the pretty pink dress of
road. Acutely sensitive to affirmations of his Jewish- members affectionately the
Next the Jews were forced women's breasts began to a nameless owner.
the slightest *hint of anti- ness. Notable in the Clark Dan,tabe, the heart of the to leave Somorja and con- shrink. Eventually they
"I have become an ac-
town, that "pulsates with centrate at the nearby
Semitism, he formed very biography is the following:
"disappeared completely."
complice
to SS brutality and
the
promise
of
life."
"Freud's
intense
feel-
few friendships with Gen-
makeshift ghetto at
robbery
by
wearing these
But
the
joy
was
inter-
"Once," the author re-
tiles. To the end of his life he ing of Jewishness had
Nagymagar.
clothes. By benefitting from
calls,
"I
was
picked
for
the
did not wish to accept royal- never been in doubt, a rupted in the late 1930s by
The ghetto, sur-
ties from any of his works fact which made the im- Hitler's incessant shrill rounded by barbed wire, cleaning commando, the pillage and perhaps mur-
der I have become a par-
shrieks:
"We
will
play
foot-
translated into Hebrew or pact of 'Moses and
soldiers and military favorite of 'commandos .. .
Yiddish; Jewish mysticism Monotheism' on the Or- ball with the heads of the police, consisted of a At noon, we are given scraps ticipant in the crime. How
dare I wear this coat? This
was never far below the thodox that much Jews."
synagogue and a few from the meals of the Ger- dress? Leah Kohn, forgive
These obscene exple-
man
soldiers.
This
makes
it
level of his conscious greater.
small houses into which
me. Please!"
"Years earlier when tives frightened the 12-
riaoughts, and at times he
people from 15 com- a dream commando. But
year-old
sensitive
Elli,
that
day
it
was
Tisha
b'Av,
From Augsburg the
felt that the shadow of the Max Graf, the father of 'Lit-
munities were herded.
and I was fasting. With women were suddenly -
biblical Joseph, whose in- tle Hans,' had told Freud and the "bloody heads
Then
unexpectedly
the
terpretation of dreams had that to improve his son's rolling on the dusty foot-
ghetto was abolished; the tears of regret I gave my moved to the notorious
brought him prominence in chances he might follow the ball field became Elli's
men between the ages of 18 lunch to another girl. This is Dachau death camp where
my destiny."
an uncertain future awaited
Pharaoh's kingdom, was example of Adler and have recurring nightmare."
She was as terrified by and 45 were deported to the
Nevertheless, Elli ,them.
him baptized, Freud had re-
walking by his side.
Komarom
slave
labor
camp;
the Hungarian Fascists' re-
"Important among the sponded unequivocally: 'If current raids on her par- and the rest of the people, quickly adjusted to the de-
There Ellie, accid ,40
you
do
not
let
your
son
grow
historical figures with
including women, children humanizing conditions: "I tally, met her sick,
ents'
home
on
the
pretext
grew
into
a
concentration
whom he was to identify, up as a Jew, you will deprive of searching for spies, but and the elderly, were trans-
wounded and emaciated
camp inmate. I learned to brother, Bubi. There : •
and whose past tended to him of the sources of energy
actually with the purpose of ferred to Auschwitz.
live
with
fear
and
hunger
which
cannot
be
replaced
by
guide his present, were
There, the author relates,
on May 7, 1945 they v:
robbing her family's preci-
and abuse. I learned to swal- liberated by the Ameri
Hannibal, who had anything else. He will have
"Dr.
Mengele,
the
tall,
possessions.
low dirt and worms. I
exhorted his armies toward to struggle as a Jew, and ous
Incidentally, the Hunga- handsome, psychic monster learned to endure cold, pain cans.
the gates of Rome, and you ought to develop in him
with the kind voice, who
Livia E. Bitton Jackson
. gently stroked my golden and long hours of hard phys- after liberation completed
ical
labor.
I
learned
to
live
hair and told me to lie about
high school studies in DP
my age to his SS-machinery with waning hope and to camps in Germany. She
cling
to
reality
born
of
pre-
so as to save my life, as-
came to the United States in
signed my mother and me to tenses."
1951 where she completed
She
also
learned
to
help
a labor detail."
her higher education, re-
her
mother
and
often
to
Soon afterwards, they
ceiving a PhD from New
were transported to the save her.
York University. Currently
From
Plaszow
the
Plaszow slave labor camp
she teaches at Tel Aviv
women
were
transferred
0
near Krakow.
University.
There, the women to Augsburg to work in

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