ICE ON I E

I Spy Something Jewish

It didn't begin with the Rosenbergs.

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Q: In a recent column, "Tell Me and Christianity became the of-
Why" brilliantly explained how Pe- ficial state religion, Christmas Soviets. The British caught him
and sentenced him to a lengthy
sach influenced the early chu rch (on Dec. 25) became a perma- term in the infamous Worm-
fathers in determining the date of nent part of the Western world. wood Scrubs. He escaped. As-
Easter. Was there any Jewish in- (The Eastern church observed sisted by the KGB, he was
Jesus' birth on Jan. 6.)
smuggled out of England and
fluence in reckoning the date of
Christianity soon won out settled in Moscow.
Christmas, such as Chanukah?
over Mithraism, but not be-
Another famed British agent
A: Not a bit.
cause it had a better holiday. was Sigmund Rosenblum,
Unlike Easter, which is p art- To a large extent, Mithraism
ly based on the Jewish symbo 1- died out because it excluded who was born in 1874 in
ism of Pesach, Christmas h as women, and thus lost the abil- Odessa. He went by the name
no Jewish source upon whi ch ity to use the family as a source "Sidney Reilly," spying on Ger-
to draw. In fact, the core co n- of continuity. Its lasting legacy, many during World War I. His
ruse was nothing less than re-
cept of Christmas — the birt h however, is Christmas.
markable: he posed as a Ger-
of Jesus as the Messiah — is an
Q: All the recent news about man soldier, often working
anathema to Judaism. The b a-
Jonathan
Pollard has got me think- behind the front lines. One of
Pour on the ice. Coolly elegant diamond jewe lry
sic theme of Chanukah — t he
ing
about
Jewish spies. I know Rosenblum's most memorable
ofJudsism in the fa ce
that's guaranteed to melt your heart. Ask the man in survival
of external hostility and assim about the Rosenbergs, of course, adventures came after he was
your life to come in and see our seleCtion of
ilation from within — has n 0 but have there been others in his- hired as a chauffeur for a lead-
ing German colonel. He killed
Christian counterpart. Chris t- tory?
exquisite diamonds from the Ice On Ice Collection.
the
man, then impersonated
mas owes its origins entirely to
A: There have been many, the colonel at numerous meet-
paganism.
They're sure to have temperatures rising.
and Tell Me Why will give you
Pagans had long celebrate d a small, but enticing, taste right ings. As mysterious as Rosen-
blum's life was his death: he
A DIAMOND Is FOREVER.
Dec. 25, the winter solstic e, here and now.
disappeared in 1925. Though
when the sun begins to sho w
George Blake
his abductors (assuming he was
an increase of light. In 274 C.E (born Behar in
kidnapped) were never found,
the Roman emperor Aureli an• 1922) was the
most
believe he was taken and
proclaimed Dec. 25 the "birth son of a Jew-
killed
by Soviet agents.
7/
day .of the . unconquered -sun ish father
Ewen
Montagu also was
and used the occasion to insti and
a
British.
Born in 1901, he
tute the state cult of Mithra, th e gentile
FineJewelets
Est. 1919
served
with
British Naval In-
Indo-Iranian god of light •
telligence during World War
(Mithraism had spread fro m
Brilliance Since 1919
II. He was the author of the
Persia to the west by the lat e
famous spy novel, written
30400 Telegraph Rd. Suite 134, Bingham Farms • 642-5575
first century C.E.)
in 1953, The Man Who
Romans celebrated with
Never Was.
feasts and parades. This co-
Leopold Trepper,
incided with the raucous
born in 1904 in Poland,
revelry of the Saturnalia
went by the name "Lei-
(in honor of Saturn, Ro-
ba Domb." For many
man god of agriculture
years, including during
OR TWO
and future really hip au-
World War II, he head-
tomobile)
celebrated
Dec.
PAIR ONLY
ed the Soviet spy net-
17-24. The Saturnalia, the
work throughout
most popular of Roman
France and Belgium.
festivals, was marked
Its discoveries regard-
by
a
suspension
of
work
Sale Ends 11/17/95
ing
the German army
and business, street
were significant. While
celebrations, the ex-
in his 60s, Trepper
change of gifts, feast-
made aliyah.
ing and general
Otto Katz,
madness.
born in 1900,
Mithraism grew to
worked as a Sovi-
be so popular that it
et agent in both
soon emerged as the
Czechoslovakia
chief rival and oppo-
and the United
nent of another new
States. He devel-
religion, Christianity.
mother.
oped numerous
Faced with their
During World
Communist agents
own "December
War II, he
and groups in Hollywood dur-
dilemma," and afraid
worked for
ing the 1930s and 1940s, and
Values to $179
that their followers
M16, British
was a leading participant in the
This comfortable kilte tassel is perfect for everyone's Fall wardrobe. From
would succumb to the pleasures intelligence.
plot to murder Czech Foreign
the J. Murphy Collection by Johnston & Murphy its now only $99.98
of paganism, the church fathers Supposedly,
Minister
Jan Masaryk. He was
around 336 C.E. decided to co- during the Ko-
executed
during a Soviet purge
opt the customs of Mithra's rean War he
in 1952.
birthday and the Saturnalia by was captured and brainwashed
declaring that Jesus was born — that's the only explanation
West Bloomfield • On the Boardwalk • Orchard Lake Rd
Dec. 25.
available, in any case, for what Send questions to "Tell Me Why"
Just South of Maple • 626-3362
In
337,
When
the
Roman
em-
Mon.-Weds. & Sat. 10-7; Thurs. & Fri. 10-9; Sun. 12-5
happened next: Blake became c/o The Jewish News, 27676
peror Constantine was baptized a double-agent, working for the Franklin Rd., Southfield, MI
48034 or send fax to 354-6069.

Tell him a little ice is all it takes
to melt your heart.

\ ir:r(

'180!

AL /JEWS