2 FOday, August.16, 1985
'THEDETROIT JEWISH NEWS
PURELY COMMENTARY
PHILIP ILOMOVITZ
Rothschild Autobiographical Skill Adds Fascination to Family R000rd
An amazing record of family in-
volvements in nearly every aspect of eo•
cial, religious, political and scientific ex-
perience is recorded under the name
Rothschild, From the time that Mayer
Amschel Rothschild (1744.1812) created
the foundation of the famous banking
empire in Hasse-Kassel, Germany, the
high standards of trading honesty and
strict scrupulousness in business rela-
tions with governments and individuals
gave the family .name a distinction that
has always been viewed as a moral
standard, This is all. found in, Guy de
Rothschild's memoirs, The Winds of For-
tune (Random House),
There is a general acknowledgement
in the recognition of the Rothschilds'
knowledgement in the recognition of the
Rothschilds' activities, not in banking
alone, Many have upheld the highly cul-
tural aspirations inspired by the heads of
the family that became world famous,
Some become noted scientists, There
were botanists of distinction in their
ranks, There were Rothschilds who were
pieta and
Now the family record is highly
enhanced by one of the most
distinguished of the current leaders
who displays noteworthy literary skill
with an autobiography that has earned
best-selling status and is subject of
understandably wide discussion,
Guy de Rothschild was confronted by
many challenges, primarily that of
anti-Semitism, Members of his family
were among the victims of Nazism, e Il
himself was an officer in Charles de
Gaulle's Free French Army, The manner
in which he faced up to the many con-
frontations during the domination of
France by the Nazis lends significance to
an importantly-reminisced record of a
famous family's roles in a tragic period
in world history,
Most reviewers gave primary atten-
tion to the nationalization of banks by
the Mitterrand government, It is among
the most vital elements in a volume that
discusses the economic problems and the
saddening experiences for a family that
had great influence in the banking busi-
ness, The response of a Rothschild to the
nationalization of the banks assumes
notable importance for all concerned
with the French Socialist actions and the
rejection of it by a Rothschild, This is
how Guy de Rothschild confronts it;
It seemed incredible to ine
that, even in $ Socialist 1
anyone would try to
bask* indisiby
petitive motor, to
husk, it ink**
like Ma Ppi Mace,
woe seas wen Wr
114°
NOW
awl..
.1M 914
$1.1i
pealed In these territories, My
father was particularly con-
cerned by the uncertain fate of
the Algerian Jews: Vichy had SW
yoked the Crimiews decree,
which since 1170 had made them
citizens of France, The local
authorities, faithful to Vichy, did
nothing, and the. Americans were
reluctant to force their hand,
My father old, already weak
and failing, derived of pi/olden
and influencebut inspired by an
almost prophetic power, OM had
the courage to protest, After
waiting in vain for weeks he
nally lost his patinee and wrote
a long letter to Sumner
the undersecretary of state, in
which he denounced tile. Maori,
cans' neglect of their responsibil-
ity in such a vital manner, He'd
obviously touched a sensitive
point, because Well's'. reply was
in the form of an open Wm, in
which ha stated that my father's
Decimation', were false — the
word "lie" appeared several
time,
Shortly afterward, the Mg*,
Man 'Jews 'veined their French
citizens*, it was considered a
victory for the Gaulliete, since
most of the 'Jewish community_ in
North Africa had actively ai d ed
the Allied landings, Hut in the
eyes of the Americans, at least,
my father was gives the eredlt,
His act bad Nos the fulfillment
of a moral obligation rather than
a political gesture, Me had simply
behaved in the purest family tra-
dition, considering it a sacred
duty to defend the Jewish people,
whenever, wherever, Ipremieed
myself never to forget hie am,
pie,
Anything, everything relating to the
Rothschilds has A link with Xtonism and
The references to the Xioniat da,
esjons are numerous, and especially re,
levant is this comment in the al+WW4 ,
raphy because of Its reference to friuy's
fawns grout uncle, Ajmon41 .4la
Rothschild, whose many benefactiom for
the Jewish settlers in Palestine gained
him the affectionate title Ter gam";
Vn ,the she* wy fa ► y bed
always atioplajl * mow will'
Oda 4warithipaissoi my post
oasis Koin rdiwi asisi,v9 his
oisa is *My swot*
Isar
A t, I* ono
=
Any de Rothschild walks with French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou at the
dedication in Paris of the Monument to the Unknown Jewish Martyr, The photo is
from Rothschild's "The Whims of Fortune,"
Regretting to disappoint him,
I replied negatively, and the cub-
Jed was dropped,
Marked by a high sense of realism,
by strict adherence to the factual In the
World War II era of human experience,
Guy _de Rothschild's personal story is,
indeed, a chapter in contemporary
tory,
' His autobiographical account also
has its humorous element*, They, too, re-
late to the family history, H. is ape,
eially fond of these stories;
Among the booby toisaione
6.11,OrMOS4011 the bieltsge of the
sae fiefatiel there was nn entire
folklore of stories man y of &a
flavored
iww us with *Web busty,/
swabs, *I
assitsi b
involved *
ly beim;
Guy's life as a youth In the family
mansion and scores of events stemming
from that time enrich his story, Espe-
cially moving is the concluding chapter
of his autobiography, "Adieu
Rothahild," It is the goodbye to the ram-
Sy mansion and the bank headquarters
Hue haftitO, It is a very deeply-moving
story, it reflects the past, applied to the
present, bemoaning abandonment, in
that chapter Guy de Rothschild thus
waxes emotional;
A few steps away from the
bask I. the..eynagogue of the
raa is is Viettokei could it be
merely a soissidisasst How often
our sitikibatil sal Mn..
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