Impressions of Ludwig Lewisohn
Generally recognized as one of the greatest living masters of the English language in writing today, Dr. Lewisohn possesses a facility of expression, a superb diction and a choice vocabulary, which quite apart from the subject matter of his address, made the evening a memorable one for his hearers recently in Toronto.
Choosing as his subject, "Jews in the Modern World," Dr. Lewisohn commenced with a reference to his earlier life, when lie had been a convert to Christianity and had attempted to assimilate in the fullest sense of the word. He said that in his case the steps taken were not deliberate but rather a mere falling in with the spirit of the times. The wave of cosmopolitanism which followed after the emancipation of the Jews carried on until 1914, which year in the opinion of Dr. Lewisohn marked the end of the 19th century.
• Jewish Emancipation
"The emancipation of the Jews of Europe which began when Napoleon Bonaparte conferred with the Sanhedrin in Paris, was not given straight-forwardly to the Jews on our own human merits," stated Dr. Lewisohn, "but rather on the understanding that the Jews should de-Judaize themselves and divest themselves of their own characteristics as a people amongst people. The rabbis of the Sanhedrin such as Rabbi Sinsheimer, of Strasbourg, knew that in agreeing to such terms they were guilty of a breach of all Jewish traditions and teachings but the urge for freedom from the ghettos was too great to be resisted. The Jews of France, the first to be emancipated, cut themselves off as French Nationals from all other Jews in the world, and set up a theory, since followed elsewhere, that the Jews are a religious sect only, a weak, puny and false theory still defended by a few die-hard ponderers to fear," he added. Dr. Lewisohn stated that the denying of Jewish nationality was always a weak and empty gesture, nonetheless, throughout Europe and the western world Jews became imitation Frenchmen, imitation Germans, imitation Americans, etc.; have lived second hand imitation lives. Here he derisively interjected, "There is nothing so unlike the diamond as a piece of polished glass." Devoting much time to explaining his attitude toward absorption of the Jewish race by other races. Dr. Lewisohn stated, "There can be no whole integrated life unless there is an aflfirmation of one's own kind, one's own traditions, one's history and one's historic personality." He commented on the fact that the world has had since the emancipation few great Jewish personalities of the type for which early Jewish history was illustrious.
Dealing with the. situation in. Europe today. Dr. Lewisohn found that the cause of the unrest since the war, and the reasons for the impending war. which seems unavoidable lay in the fact that there was no justice in the Versailles treaty. He added that Germany was not solely to blame for the last war and had been unjustly punished. The sufferings of the German people since the war have given rise to the present leadership here, whom he described as "neurotic gangsters." "The pagan ideas of
By David B. Wodlinger, Past Editor of the Bulletin
Mr. David Wodiinger, the ; author of this article, is well- < known to the Vancouver comr munity as past editor of the Jewish Western Bulletin, as past ; Honorary Secretary of the Ad-msRsstrative Council, and as a young man of scholastic attain-ment with vital interest in things Jewish.
Born in Selkirk, Manitoba, he came to British Columbia some years ago to study at the University of British Columbia. Upon graduating he entered the legal offices of Mr. E. El. Sugarman as a student, and later the offices of W. C. Thompson. In 1933 he led the province in the legal examinations of that year and was shortly after admitted to the bar. He is at present in Toronto on business.
force and violence, so alien to the true Jewish soul will triumph again. Pagan will fight pagan and destruction will follow destruction. -The outlook is bleak and dark," declared Dr. Lewisohn.
A Unhappy Jewish Protection
Under such circumstances the Jews once more find themselves in an unhappy position. Fomenting none of these wars they have fought before for their stepfatherlands and will be called to do so again. Of all the peoples in the modern world the Jews alone stand with clean hands in respect to the urge of war. "The reason for this," stated Lewisohn, "is that we as a people have undergone the discipline of civilization and we know the value of life. The humblest Jew knows that force has never righted a wrong or healed a hurt and has never settled any questions. Force is opposed to our instincts, and our knowledge: We want peace.
"The Jews," stated Lewisohn, "have always been the objects of the mad historic processes, never the subjects. Our patriotism is sometimes impugned because we hate and loath violence. Nonetheless, we have our own kind of courage. We are regaining the courage to repudiate pagan ideas of war. The courage to fight for our stepfatherlands is attested to by the fact that more than 12,000 German Jews died in battle in the last war, a number far out of proportion to the Jewish population. Although we still have our ethical reaction- . aries this courage must be mustered by Jews for the greater duty — to repudiate pagan ideas of war, to co-operate with tirue Christians and pacifists as Jews. We Jews should be conscientious objectors in the next war. They couldn't kill any more of us than the many killed on past battlefields, and we should be bearing witness to that spirit," Dr. Lewisohn stated with passion.
• Palestine,—Great Hope
Summing up, the speaker opined that two roads lead out of the troubles of the Jewish people. One great hope lay in Palestine. For the sake of mankind and for our own sakes we must upbuild and recreate the Jewish :t:iation, establish a community of peace brotherhood and social justice which would "send out its rays of redemption to the darkest corners of our exile." The other hope was that the Jews as a race ought to emancipate the world from war, force, hatred and tyranny. At this juncture the speaker voiced impassioned onslaughts on both Fascism and Communism. A militant opponent of the tdtalitarian state whether of the right or left because in one case it cr.ushes out Jewish life and in the other it absorbs Jewish life. Dr. Lewisohn remarked that the assimilationist Jew, the non-Zionist Jew, plays into the hands of the totalitarian state. "He puts on the uniform before he is told to," added the speaker, sarcastically, "is ready to give up his individualism and jfewish nationality at a signal. By being nationalistic Jews we help liberty and cultural religious and nationalistic pluralism within the given state," declared the speaker. "We as Jews must force our states into an extension of human liberties; we must no longer be the objects of historical processes which have proved themselves to be unjust and unethical."
, In a billiant and emotional summation and appeal which left his hearers inspired and spellbound, Dr. Lewisohn closed as follows, "We were a mob of slaves that Moses led out of Egypt. We became a people by taking upon ourselves the yoke of the law. Once again at the end of this assimiiatory period we are a mob of people, we can redeem ourselves only by being the people of Israel. Once more must we receive the law at the foot of Horeb. This for our own sake and for the sake of mankind. In accepting Zionism we the people of Israel once more accept the yoke of the law and become a people indivisible and one."
O Forest Named For Henrietta Szold
Jerusalem—^Another honor never before bestowed upon a woman by Palestine Jewry has been conferred upon the 7 5-year old American social worker. Miss Henrietta Szold, after whom a great forest is to be named as part of this country's celebration of the veteran woman leader's birthday. The Jewish National Fund announced that the Henrietta Szold Forest will be developed by German-Jewish youths who have come to Palestine.
Miss Szold is the director of the department supervising the entry of the youngsters, 1,000 of whom have already entered the land. The forest will be planted near the co-operative colony of Gevat in the Valley of Jezre^l. Other distinguished people after whom similar forests have been named include Albert Einstein, Lord Balfour, and the late King George V. of England.
9 Turkish B'nai B'rith Marks Twenty-fifth Year
Istanbul—^The Istanbul Lodge of the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith celebrated this month the twenty-fifth anniversary of the existence of the order in Turkey.
Miami—Cornerstone of the new Beth Jacob Congregation was laid here.
The Jewish Western Bulletin, April 7th, 1936
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