Volume XXVIII No. 9 September, 1973 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE MSOOAjm Of XWBH REfUeOS m GOAT BKITAni Zucker, shows that even a man like Theodor '^' Rosenstock Mommsen, who took issue with Treitschke in the famous debate in the Preussische Jahr­ buecher, took the view that Christianity and WORLD JEWRY IN TRANSITION modern nationalism were so intertwined that to be a true national one had to become a so far as he draws the political conclusions Christian. The adherence to Judaism also In his address to the Conference of the served as a barrier to the admission to the World Jewish Congress in Tel Aviv, which from the emancipation and, to use the now­ *as briefly referred to in our previous issue, adays fashionable term, acculturation of West­ Prussian reserve officer corps, as an article by yr. Joachim Prinz defines the position of the ern Jewries in their countries of residence. Werner Angress sets out in detail. The re­ Jews in the twentieth century, especially since While wide sections of the Zionist movement action of the Jews to this exclusion was not ^ne existence of the State of Israel, as "post- concede that Jews have a right of existence uniform. Some, as Maximilian Horwitz, the ?niancipatory, post-assimilatory, and post- in the Diaspora, he claims that, beyond this, founder member and chairman of the Central- Hitler". Emancipation in the free Westem they are entitled to political autonomy. Yet Verein, said at a meeting of the Verband der countries, he says, is an established fact, and in fairness it must be added that his concept Deutschen Juden, took the view that it was Jye survivors of the catastrophe have differs from that of many pre-Hitler non- out of proportion to fight for the removal of the ban, "though it could hardly be considered affirmed progressively more fervently their Zionists in one respect. He does not advocate pizenship in the countries in which they the replacement of a pro-Israel "patriotism" the pinnacle of all glory to become a lieuten­ «ve". The humiliation of the Holocaust was by a "right or wrong my country" attitude of ant". Others, like Ludwig Haas, felt that a ^t off by the pride in the State of Israel. Yet the Diaspora Jews, but calls for the assessment principle was at stake and that the Jews were ^°w, after 25 years, these feelings unavoid- of political issues, both in the Diaspora and in not only entitled but under the obligation to Israel, with the yardstick of the ethical tenets claim equal treatment in all spheres of public ,.'y have receded and Jewish life in the of Judaism. diaspora is exposed to the dangers of dilution, life. ccentuated by the increase of intermarriages The concept of the Christian State also j.^ an inevitable result of more or less un- New L.B.I. Year Book proved an impediment in the efforts of the ^stricted social relationships between mem- Jews in pre-1914 Prussia to create a publicly ers of different ethnic or religious groups in This leads to the fundamental question of recognised representative body. As Marjorie ^ iree society. These trends could only be whether religion still, or again, plays a part Lamberti sho'A's, there were two main reasons ounteracted if Jews again became more con- in politics. In a way, this problem is the for which Prussian authorities disregarded all "ous of their ethical heritage and based their Leitmotif of the latest Year Book of the Leo proposals made by leading Jews. The main j°J,'tical actions on the postulates of Prophetic Baeck Institute,* most of whose contributions objection was that such an organisation would ^daism. For the Jews in the Diaspora this are focused on Wilhelminian Germany. At a put the Jewish community on an equal footing diff^ '"esult in conceptions and actions which time when the "racial" approach to the Jewish with the representative bodies of the Christian tier from the policy of Israel. Such differ- question had not yet obtained a stronghold in denominations, which would run against the on^^^- ^6<^ame evident, for example, in the Germany, it was the idea of the Christian concept of the Christian State. Yet it was also PPosition of large sections of American Jewry State which turned out to be a barrier to full feared that a representation of this kind would |x 'ne Vietnam war and to the re-election of emancipation. The paradox is that the main serve as an instrument to promote the in­ p^sident Nixon. The conclusion from Dr. ideological founder of the Christian State terests of the Jews in the political sphere and ca^^^ analysis is that Jews in the Diaspora theory was a baptised Jew, Friedrich Julius thus add to the influence they allegedly th'^'^-'^^ subordinate their political decisions to Stahl. Jews on their part claimed that state exerted by virtue of their role in the financial th ^"^^'•ests of the State of Israel, but have and religion were two different things and world. The article also mentions a memorandum a,,^ right, or actually the duty, of political that the state was an all-embracing entity submitted by Rabbi Singer of Coblentz call­ "'Jtonomy. which had to give full rights to all its citizens ing for regulations which would consolidate j^.' Was only to be expected that the speech whatever their religious affiliations might be. the status of the rabbis vis-a-vis their com­ j^^'J controversies, but at a time, when in Accordingly, in their majority, they stead­ munities; it may not be known to many ^wish life many conceptions which should be fastly refused to buy their rights by forsaking readers that the author was the father of itiB f''^^ have become axiomatic it is gratify- their community of origin, and as a matter of Dr. Kurt Singer, the co-founder and head of of t experience such a critical examination self-respect, this attitude was even taken by the organisation of the Juedische Kultur­ Jewry's position, most of those to whom Judaism or, for that buende in Nazi Germany. jy^ ^s not up to citizens of this country to matter, religion as such had lost its mean­ While the articles so far mentioned reflect A.m^^- ^h^ther Nixon is good or bad for ing. A further paradox emerges, if we look the collective position of the Jews, an essay ajj,^'^<^a. Yet the decisive point is that Prinz at the problem as it presents itself after the by Ernst J. Cohn deals with the life stories eleet''^'*y other American Jews opposed his creation of the State of Israel. Whereas the of three individual Jews, the jurists Max thio ^ ^P^te °^ ^^5 pro-Israel attitude. In position of the Jews in the Diaspora stands Hachenburg, Max Pappenheim and Otto Opet. tw2,*ay. the problem of "dual loyalty" be- and falls with the recognition of religious and By its combination of Jewish and legal aspects of^^ the country of citizenship and Israel, ethnic pluralism in the body politic, the State and the author's first-hand knowledge of the eqy.'' easily dismissed as "bogus", is un- of Israel, like many newly established nation subject, this essay is a gem of German-Jewish arj^-^'^^Uy resolved in favour of the loyalty states, tends towards the widest possible reli­ historiography. Hachenburg for some time ^ew ^ from citizenship. The fact that this gious and ethnic uniformity of her citizens. took part in Jewish activities as a member and, 2iQ . 's propounded by a man of life-long There are many reasons for this, and it would for six years, as president of the Synod of ^dripif' antecedents like Dr. Prinz gives it go beyond the scope of this article to expound Badenian Jews. Yet, as the result of frictions sidei? *^iSht. The widespread habit of con- them. The statement certainly also calls for between the Orthodox and Liberals, he later the ^^ political world issues primarily under qualifications in various directions. Yet basic­ withdrew from Jewish communal work. Never­ stat^^Pect of whether a particular country or ally, the existence of this paradox can hardly theless, the awareness of his position as a Isfg^ffan or parliamentarian is "good for be denied. Jew played a part in his life. When he was iHoj.^: niay easily result in a confusion of The Year Book, in an article by Stanley proposed as president of the German Law^rers' j^ '• Values or in a ghetto-like mentality. Association, he declined the office because he t>fijj^,*ould be tempting to claim that Dr. was of the opinion that such an elevated post y th^ views coincide with the attitude taken * Leo Baeck Institute. Year Book XVII. Edited by Robert should not be occupied by a Jew. In 1933 he Weltsch. Seeker & Warburg, London, 1972. 350 pp., 23 ^tle '''^^"Zionist majority of Jews in pre- iWustrations. Ii5-25p. Free of charge for members of the ^ Gennany. Yet this holds good only in Society of Fr ends ot the L.B.I. Continued on page 2, column 1 AJR INFORMATION September, 1973 Page 2 ANSPRUCHSMOEGLICHKEITEN WORLD JEWRY IN TRANSITION NACH DEM OESTERREICHISCHEN OPFERFUERSORGEGESETZ Continued from page 1 Das osterreichische Opferfiirsorgegesetz sieht unter amderem Entschadigungsma^- reiterated this view by writing in his Juri­ Gruenewald, and the history of the Schocken nahmen fur Personen vor, die mit der Wafie stische Rundschau column of the Deutsche Verlag, founded by Salman Schocken, is in der Hand fiir ein freies demokratisches Juristenzeitung that to some extent the Jews described by Stephen M. Poppel. Hermann Oesterreich gekampft haben, falls sie dadurch themselves were to blame for the anti- Cohen's philosophy is interpreted by Nathan Gesundheitsschaden erlitten, durch die sie Jewish measures of the regime because they Rotenstreich.