Community Views

Editor's Notebook

A New Memorial
And Remembrances

What Was Lost,
What Will Remain

RABBI SHERWIN WINE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Franklin Delano
Roosevelt's enemies were legion
If Hitler had prevailed, we too
Roosevelt was at The WASP establishment hated would have joined the Holocaust
one time a Jewish him because they resented his "be- victims; the State of Israel would
hero. That re- trayal" of the ruling class. The never have been established and
membrance was leaders of big business hated him Jewish survival would have be-
triggered by the because they believed him to be come an obsolete question.
recent dedication nothing more than a socialist in
Under Roosevelt, 100,000 Eu-
of his new memo- sheep's clothing.
ropean Jewish refugees were ad-
rial in Washing-
Racists and anti-Semites hated mitted to the United States at a
ton.
him because they thought that he time when the racist immigration
Roosevelt was the only presi- was controlled by Jews and soft on laws, initiated by public opinion
dent of the United States who was blacks. Isolationists hated him be- coupled with Depression fears of
elected four times to be chief ex- cause they imagined that he was job-stealing immigrants, had
ecutive of the nation. He came to leading the nation into a needless closed the door to virtually every-
power during the Great Depres- war against Hitler.
body. Accusers conveniently for-
sion, the most traumatic econom-
Fifty-two years after his death, get that what Roosevelt
ic setback our country had ever he now has his memorial. But he accomplished for the Jews was
experienced. He governed Amer- is no longer a hero in the Jewish achieved against an opposition
ica through 12 of the most difficult community. It is now fashionable that only he could ring any con-
years in our national history, in- for Jews, both young and old, to cession from.
cluding upheavals of World War denounce him.
The Jewish presence in the
AP PHOTO
II.
Roosevelt government was
both a novelty and political
Roosevelt is appropriate-
revolution. The emergence
ly acknowledged as one of
of Benjamin Cohen, Henry
the greatest presidents in
Morgenthau Jr., Felix Frank-
more than two centuries of
furter and hundreds of
American history. The New
others was a Jewish break-
Deal, which he championed,
was not perfect; but it res-
through that Roosevelt initi-
ated. It was also a political
cued American capitalism
at a time when more radi-
liability, making Roosevelt
cal socialist and fascist al-
liable to the charges of Jew-
Allies liberate Holocaust survivors, early i94
ternatives had already
ish control. No expression of
Roosevelt's courage in mak-
found vocal and powerful A Holocaust commemorative stamp issued by the U.S.
ing these appointments
constituencies. His leader- Postal Service in September 1995 as part of a World
ship, charisma and ebullient War II set of stamps. Could FDR have done more to
is ever offered by his ac-
personality provided hope save Holocaust victims?
cusers.
Could he have done more?
and optimism for millions of
Americans sunk in the despair of
He is accused of failing to res- Of course. Jewish concerns were
economic deprivation.
cue the Jews of the Holocaust. not No. 1 on his agenda. He was,
His opening of the highest of- Why did he not open the doors of first and above all, an American
fices of the federal government to America to receive the victims of president whose primary concern
women and non-Anglo-Saxon eth- Hitler's fury? Why did he not bomb was the welfare of America.
nic Americans represented a rev- the concentration camps and de-
Giving tanks to Hitler for Hun-
olutionary change in the governing stroy their gas chambers? Why did garian Jews sounds so simple. If
class of the nation. His incompa- he not ransom the Jews of Europe you were an American mother
rable presidential success in com- when Nazi leaders offered to sell whose son was in the war front in
Europe, would you have sanc-
municating with the masses, them?
exemplified in his "intimate" ra-
Roosevelt is now portrayed as tioned the giving of arms to an en-
dio "fireside chats," made him the an uncaring anti-Semite who let emy who would use them to kill
presidential pioneer in the use of millions of Jews die when he could your child? After all, we Jews were
the electronic media.
have saved them.
in favor of "unconditional surren-
His ability to convey simulta-
At the time his memory is be- der."
neously imperial strength and ing honored in Washington, these
Naive accusers talk as though
personal warmth, patrician know- accusations deserve a reply. Amer- Roosevelt functioned in a political
how and heartfelt compassion, ican Jews should remember that vacuum independent of public
was unique.
none of us would be here today if opinion. Roosevelt was a great
Many presidents who followed it were not for Roosevelt. It was he leader of the Allies against the
him have sought to imitate him, who led America against the war Nazi army in World War II. Be-
but none has succeeded.
with Hitler, and it was only be- cause of him, 12 million Jews in
cause of American intervention the world were spared the Holo-
Sherwin Wine is rabbi of the
that Hitler was defeated.
caust. ❑
Birmingham Temple.

TheDJN@aol . com

11

What
Do You
/ Think?"

In your personal experience, is
anti-Semitism alive and well?
How so?

To respond: "So, What Do You Think?"
27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034

Fifteen years
ago I was living
in Israel and
studying He-
brew with a
teacher of whom
I was especially
fond. Her name
was Bruria, and
she had long
hair and collected perfume bot-
tles.
She was a good teacher, and
I was an eager student. I
learned a great deal in her
class.
There were times, though,
when I became frustrated be-
cause I couldn't find the Eng-
lish equivalent for a Hebrew
word. Such is the case with et-
zel, which sort of translates, but
not precisely, into 'the place of,"
or "by" or "with." If you're going
etzel Ruth, you're probably
headed to Ruth's house, though
"home" certainly isn't a proper
translation of etzel.
You see the problem.
The older I become, and the
more I write, the more dis-
heartened I am by language's
limitations. As with etzel, there
are so many situations and
emotions that simply can't ac-
curately be translated — not
from Hebrew into English, but
from existence into words.
Sometimes, it's a matter of
human error. How many times
I have seen people try to say
something about the Holocaust
and it fails horribly, bruised
and aching with inadequacy:
"It was awful," "This must nev-
er happen again," "I cried as I
prayed," "Man's inhumanity to
man."
Sometimes, it's simply the
words themselves.
I discovered how bare lan-
guage is when I met up with an
acquaintance whose young son
had died. I'll call him Andy.
I don't know Andy and his
wife well, though I do know and
like his parents. They are al-
ways kind to my children, giv-
ing them treats and inviting
them to make a mess of their
toys or run around in their
wonderful back yard. A child's
little paradise.
Among the many family
photos in the parents' home is
one of Andy and his wife
at their wedding. She looks
young and pretty, and he gazes
at her with such affection.
When I see this, I think how
much their lives will change
within just a few years of the
photo, where I imagine they are
envisioning a life rich with love
and children.
I thought at length about
what I might say to Andy when
I saw him. "I'm so sorry," per-
haps, or "What can I do to

help?" — the usual cliches.
Then the moment came and all
my carefully considered lines
seemed inadequate, even of-
fensive. I felt like a lumbering
ox, weighted down by language,
becoming heavier by the
minute. The thickness of words
clung to me and would not let
go.
I ended up saying nothing.
I recently learned something
interesting about Andy.
I don't like to think about
these things, but it's human na-
ture, I suppose, to wonder,
"What would I do if I were in
Andy's shoes?"
What I cannot imagine hap-
pening to me is what, in fact, is
occurring in Andy's life: He has
become even more interested
in religion. He has not turned
from God, but to Him.

The thickness
of words clung
to me and
would not
let go.

I would like to be able to say
something about this to Andy,
but again I am troubled by the
terrible limits of language.
"How admirable" or "How im-
pressive," as though I were
speaking of a report card, sim-
ply wouldn't do. "So, you're not
giving up on God!" makes me
sound like a salesman.
And so, I'll likely stay silent
again, though I do find Andy
both admirable and impressive.
His behavior alone is enough to
sustain my faith — I, whose
quibbles with God are small
and fleeting.
Each spring, my daughter
Adina brings home bits of white
flower that have fallen outside
her school, Yeshivat Akiva.
They are small and delicate,
like her, yet they possess the
most remarkable fragrance —
something like gardenia, but
not quite so bold.
Sometimes, Adina will sur-
prise me and leave the flowers
in my purse, where they will be
tossed about in a sea of gum,
pens, lipstick, coins and other
assorted junk. It isn't long be-
fore their tiny heads begin to
wither, and their soft leaves
start to fade. Soon, I know, they
will die.
Their gentle fragrance,
though, lingers. Pressing the
flower to my face, I take in
what remains and breathe
deeply, the sweet, fresh smell
filling my heart. ❑