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Friday, March 22, 1985
T . H. F.:(
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
PURELY COMMENTARY
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
The 'Legacy' Of 'Loot': Trude Weiss-Rosmarin In A Bewailing of Looting
The fact that the Czechs would
only deal with a U.S. government
institution, the Smithsonian, pro-
ves, if any proof were still needed,
that they know that the Jewish
treasures in their unrighteous pos-
session are "Loot! The Heritage of
Plunder." They exploit it as an im-
portant tourist attraction, while
maintaining the semblance of a
Jewish community of hapless,
mostly elderly people as a "show-
place" — like the Nazis maintained
Terezin (Theresienstadt, near
Prague) as a show-place for de-
ceiving the Red Cross and others
who could not imagine that human
beings would do what was commit-
ted in Auschwitz.
A Trude Weiss-Rosmarin viewpoint is
not to be trifled with. She is one of the
distinguished American Jewish writers
and editors. Upon earning her doctorate,
she was often referred to as the outstand-
ing woman talmudist and was recognized
as a scholar replete with biblical and tal-
mudic knowledge. In her essay "Legacy of
Plunder," describing her visit to Prague in
the early 1960s, she makes this assertion:
A Torah shield from Prague, 1816
In the limited number of communities
in the land chosen for a viewing of the
"Precious Legacy" which has the delinea-
tion of Czechoslovak rather than its
legitimate Jewish, hundreds of thousands
will have witnessed the display marveling
at the genius that created it.
How many stop to think about the tens
of thousands of additional items from
which the display was chosen? How many
bewail the fact that world Jewry is being
deprived of the rightful possession of these
treasures? How many are aware of the loot-
ing that gave the Czechs possession of the
Jewish treasures?
Few, very few, have the opportunity of
seeing the entire treasured collection.
Communist Czechoslovakia in the main is
closed to them. Therefore, viewing even a
fraction of the accumulated ceremonial
treasures in American exhibitions is a
blessing. The Smithsonian leaders in
Washington merit gratitude. Neverthe-
less, the facts of history must not be ig-
nored, the robbing of the treasures should
not be overlooked, realities must be treated
with respect. Karl Baum of the Interna-
tional Council of Jews from Czechos-
lovakia and Trude Weiss-Rosmarin, the
distinguished American writer, help in the
challenging of the injustices committed.
Trude Rosmarin is especially outspo-
ken on the subject and her views should be
circulated widely. Hers is a study of the
accumulated art treasures based on visits
to the exhibition hall in Prague some 23
years ago. In an article, "The Legacy of
Plunder," which appeared in Jewish Week
of New York and several other newspap-
ers, she drew upon the facts published by
Karl Baum in his organization's newslet-
ter, making the accusation of looting by the
Communist Czechs as follows:
Karl Baum, editor of the news-
letter of the International Council
of Jews from Czechoslovakia (pub-
lished in London) correctly stres-
ses that "The Great Legacy" does
not belong to Communist Czechos-
lovakia but to the Jewish people,
the rightful heirs of those who
were murdered by the Germans
and whose synagogues were plun-
dered for what the barbarians in-
tended to be an anthropological
study resource of the vanished
Jewish race.
Dr. Rosmarin then proceeds to define
the "looting" with this important refer-
ence:
In his recent book Loot! The
Heritage, Russell Chamberlin de-
scribes how most of the art of
Greece, Rome, ancient Egypt and
Mesopotamia in the great
museums of Europe, especially the
Louvre in Paris, was looted and
plundered, notably by Napoleon,
who also had an eye for art.
The
thousands
upon
thousands of Jewish ritual art ob-
jects — and the tens of thousands
of valuable Hebrew books — in the
State Jewish Museum of Prague
are "the loot" which the Nazis car-
ried away from 153 Jewish com-
munities. They are "The Heritage
of Plunder," which Czechos-
lovakia exploits.
At this point, Dr. Rosmarin recalls
that some years ago she proposed to Joy
Ungerleider, then director of the Jewish
Museum, to bring for exhibition the
Prague Judaica. The Ungerleider effort
failed. Dr. Rosmarin thereupon comments
in her article:
While the Jewish antiquities
are treasured and liberally pro-
vided for, Jewish religious and cul-
tural activities continue to deter-
iorate. Indeed, there is a vast dif-
ference between Soviet Russia and
Czechoslovakia. However, despite
the care lavished upon the State
Jewish Museum's antiquities,
Jewish affirmation and especially
Zionism are near-crimes in
Prague. Also, emigration is almost
as difficult as it-is for Soviet Jews.
The Czech exhibit is being admired by
the tens of thousands. They should be
aware of the facts being enumerated. Let it
be known that what is being admired and
must be treasured is the great Czechos-
lovak Communist "loot."
reen Petersen, public relations director,
and Duane Johnson, the executive officer,
of the Southeastern Michigan Red Cross, a
solution was found in the use of a Blood
Drop pin on a background depicting not
only the International Red Cross but also
the Magen David Adom of Israel, the Is-
raeli equivalent of the Red Cross.
When the dispute ended, not only with
an avoidance of acrimony but also the
stronger links of friendship and coopera-
tion, the views and comments of one of the
most authoritative spiritual personalities
was sought on the subject. Dr. Irving
Greenberg, the stimulating guide of the
National Jewish Research Center, was
asked to comment. He did, and even be-
latedly, his opinion is of great value:
I understand that the Red
Cross is not .a crucifix. However,
the truth is that it has gotten in-
volved in the politics of the histori-
cal relationship between Jews and
Christians.
I believe that the blame for that
must be assessed at the Red Cross'
failure in World War II to properly
report on the Holocaust, and the
continuing failure to admit Magen
David Adom to international af-
filiation. It is true that the Ameri-
can Red Cross has been responsive
to our concerns but it is not the
decisive voice in International Red
Cross.
My personal feeling is that Red
Cross would do well to develop a
pin that has a simple blood drop
rather than the cross.
There is a permanent tension
on this matter. In the 19th Century,
one wasn't sensitive to these ques-
tions. Now, Jews are more liber-
ated and the tension exists. I think
the Jews should continue to con-
Preventing Pollution
Of Historic Records
Trude Weiss-Rosmarin renders an-
other important service, by serving in the
ranks of those, few as they may be, who
prevent falsification of historic records. If
this is ever allowed, the polluting errors
could prove devastating for documentary
truth.
Much of the implied polluting is found
in journalism and in literary publishing.
Sometimes it is unintentional. Often it
stems from a lack of knowledge, which is
brutally called ignorance.
There was such a resort to misin-
terpretation in the record of an extensively
published and publicized scholar whose er-
rors had been exposed a number of years
ago by the late Prof. Solomon Zeitlin, then
by Dr. Harry M. Orlinsky and finally, only
recently, at a Columbia University liter-
ary function by Dr. Morton Smith, profes-
sor of history at Columbia. They are the
protectors of truth in literature and his-
tory.
`Blood Drop' As World
Symbol For All Related
Red Cross Movements
Some months ago, a long-time blood
donor to the Red Cross (Detroiter Sam
Haber) raised the issue of the Christologi-
cal aspect in the Red Cross symbol. He ob-
jected to wearing the pin issued in recogni-
tion of his many services and his continu-
ing blood giving. -
A notable solution emerged. With No-
Dr. Irving Greenberg:
Backing the 'blood drop' solution.
tribute, but I deeply respect those
JewS who will not wear the cross.
You are also right that our
support for American Red Cross
gives it strength in the battle for
international recognition of Israeli
MDA.
Still, the conflict must remain.
This is the appropriate answer to
your question. The issue cannot be
resolved until the Messiah comes,
and it should not be. There are a
number of major issues in Jewish
life today which I feel are best not
resolved in the present time, so this
answer is not unique to the Red
Cross question.
This is a most welcome opinion. Its
emphasis on Red Cross recognition of
Magen David Adorn adds to its value.
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