Volume XXXIV No. 7 Jul/ 1979 INFORMATION ISSUFO BY THE ASSOaAJION OF JEMSH REFIKEES U OlEAT BRITJUK Eva G. Reichmann their foreseeable decisions their contributions make especially meaningful reading, giving experienced THE SUBLIME MYSTERY accounts of both the ways that led them to Zionism and to those further designs that resulted from it. It is probably no mere coincidence that Twenty-one Contemporaries in Search of their "Judaism" they both see one of their most urgent tasks in This is an eminently Impressionist book. Should share a struggle for survival, to belong to a Jewish working for reconciliation and a new dialogue "^yone expect to find in it anything resembling destiny from which—with the help of God or with Germans and Christians. Their new-won "*e "Essence of Judaism"—a topic masterly ex­ without it—there is no escape" is the hardly more Jewish security as Israeli citizetis gave them the pounded by one of the sages of our age. Rabbi explicit statement of Samuel Bak, a painter. Al­ ability and also the desire to stretch out into ^ Baeck—he would be sadly disappointed. The fons Rosenberg (Zurich), a writer who, while spheres of fonner antagonism. Coincidences, by ^tributors to this anthology (Mein Judentum, having found a new spiritual home in Christianity, the way, are according to a saying of Franz ^erausgegeben von Hans Jurgen Schultz. Kreuz continues to feel Judaism as the unalterable Rosenzweig, quoted by Emst Simon, what "the ^W'lag Stuttgart—Berlin 1978. DM 24.-)—writers, foundation of his existence which cannot be cast ancients called Angels". ^ft'sts, scholars, poets, musicians—do not seek to away. He calls it "an uncanny power with its Approach Judaism in its grandiose totality; they root both in the spirit and in the blood". Even the Significance of Israel ''Jerely deal with what this totality has meant to recent recipient of the Buber-Rosenzweig-Medal, Even more important than with actual Israeli 'hem personally: how they met it on the very Man^s Sperber, is unable to be more articulate. residents is the significance of Israel in those cases ^iSerent ways of their lives, the impacts they felt He speaks of the Jewish existence as a "problem where a personal settlement there is decidedly "•Uring these encounters, the values they attached equally inscrutable in its historical as in its rejected, but Israel's existence is considered of '° them, the effects they had on their future. No philosophical aspect". paramount relevance. For Guenther Anders, e.g., ^J^herent picture emerges from their expositions. a publicist more deeply rooted than most in *«ther are we presented with strokes and dots of Elusive feelings Germany, her language, her literature, her music, ? multitude of observations—just as Impression- These are only a few examples for the strenuous everything representing the lost "Heimat", Israel "^ painters combined strokes and dots to what efforts to find a suitable terminology for the is the great divide. He visited the country. He felt ^^enttially resulted in paintings of a higher artistic elusive feeling of Jewish belonging, whether still deeply affected. He felt happy that there was a Veracity than those which contented themselves alive and strong, or freshly unearthed under spot in this world where the hunted could feel at ^tn merely copying reality. difficulties. And yet, from all the vagueness, the home. "I say *Yes' to Israel" is his reaction. But a The majority of the authors are persons of uncertainties and inconsistencies some analogies second answer is to follow: "I could not live ^wish descent for whom Judaism is conspicuously come to light. A remarkable number of the there". Among the reasons for his negative de­ J'etnote from the centres of their lives. Many of authors emphasize the fact that Jews are simply cision is one of crucial gravity. He senses the oem were actually motivated to think about it "different" from the Gentile mankind among danger that those eternally suppressed might, ^'y when the South German Broadcasting Com­ which they live. "We Jews are different" sum­ within the whirlwind of political dilemmas, grow ply, whose initiative we have to thank for the marises the author Wolfgang Hildesheimer in his suppressors themselves. This, he feels, would in­ ^'lection, invited them to take part in a trans- ingenious deliberations. "We are more sensitive, deed be more appalling than every pogrom they jjjis&iojj on the subject. Over and over again these in our self-examination, we react more impressibly had to suffer. Even more moving is the avowal of Virginal Jews emphasize how little they know of to the sensations of our souls. We have to feel as the unfortunate Jean Amery who, from his ."•^ism, how distant they feel from it, how hope- outsiders". The same motif, Jews as the etemal physical and mental sufferings in concentration .^sly unimportant they regard it as an influence "outsiders", recurs in the essay of Professor Hans camps and their aftermath, has since drawn the iJ 'heir lives. Not a few remember the Christmas Mayer who has enlarged on it in a separate book dire consequence to take his own life. He denies J 'ebrations of their youth, but there are pretty of his. His article is probably the most contro­ that Judaism has ever become anything like an ^}^ who recall having observed Jewish holidays, versial. It shows distinct traces of self-hatred, e.g. existential basis of his life. "The only matter yJ:" the endearing exception of Isca Salzberger- when he distinguishes between those who "were which unites me with the majority of the Jews", , j'tenberg who, after all, is the daughter of our allowed" (sic) to "espouse the cause of the Swas­ he says, "is a solidarity, particularly a solidarity tika" and those for whom it was "expressly with the state of Israel". But he, too, continues: eioved Rabbi Salzberger, But then, after the forbidden for reasons of unclean origin". "Dis­ "Not that I would ever wish to live there. To feel inrf-*^' majority has enlarged on their initial turbed disturbers" Professor Robert Jungk calls solidarity with Israel means to me to remain loyal difference, they feel incited to confess to some the Jews. He attaches high value to the disturbance to my dead comrades." range discover\. Even if previously ignored, they are apt to create, to their vigilant non- Israel then—yes and no. Over and over again ^ fgouen, repressed—the question with which they conformism. In it he sees the fruit bome from does it show up as the common denominator in u,^ suddenly confronted makes them remember, their sufferings. Through their sufferings they have the wild variety of confessions. And yet, not as a ^/•ether there have been childhood memories, become more awake to the sufferings of others, contradiction but as some kind of indispensable ^^,, ^'her the ever-present si>ectre of antisemitism, for ever condemned to anticipate and to wam complement, there is just as much—if not even th ^^ ^^^ emergence of the State of Israel— against impending dangers. One of those who had more—ranphasis on the Diaspora as a Jewish way kinH ^^^ without a single exception regain some to depart from the farthest boundaries in order to of life, precarious perhaps, but equally legitimate sci "^ Jewish consciousness. At first dim, ob- find in herself any traces of Judaism is Lily Pincus, and rewarding. "It is the Diaspora to which co/*^' ^^'"'^'y noticeable, then clearer and more a social therapist. Eventually, she professes very Judaism owes its survival until today," suggests ()j|,°"rful—^ great variety of Jewish emotions gets pertinently: "Perhaps, to be a Jew means never to Professor Michael Landmaim; "Greeks and .^of them, demanding recognition. belong anywhere entirely", "except" she continues, Romans, the established settlers, they are extinct <)iffi however, is only the start. The actual "if one is able to be an Israeli". ^a H^''^ arising under the challenge of the awk- The people of the Diaspora, the Jews, kept their *ris l^^tion is that more often than not the "To be an Israeli"! For a great number of those identity." But "yes and no" also regarding the Wif^^"" defies rational definition. "The secret questioned Israel emerges as the haven into which Diaspora. In spite of his praise of its historical (jg^"*.*^' which my life would be poorer" is the their doubts and reasonings finally converge. This role he considers its present function exhausted. auth"*"'"" °^ Judaism by Jurek Becker, the needs no special emphasis where, as with Professor Zionism, he feels, arrived at the crucial time: K ""^ of the deeply moving novel "Jacob the Emst Simon and Schalom Ben-Chorin, their "There will be Israel or there will no longer be a hi^ 1 ^^ ''^ ^^ extermination camp which he Zionist convictions led logically to their settlement Jewish people". Max Fuerst, a returnee from Israel ^If survived. "To be a Jew means to-day to in Palestine/Israel. In spite or rather because of continued on page 2 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION July 1979 The Sublime Mystery NEWS FROM GERMANY continued from page 1 who died in Stuttgart some time ago, is equally GERMAN TV FILMS ON THE NAZI PAST sure that it was the Diaspora that saved the Jews NAZIS IN COURT from extinction. As early as during the period of The Federal Ministry of Justice has published a Two TV fihns, started before the impact of the the Temple in Jerusalem the Jewish settlements survey of 20 senteiKes recently pass^ on neo- American "Holocaust" transmission, by producei^ Nazis. They varied between small fines and two shocked at the ignorance of young GerrM^ outside Palestine were the guarantors of Jewish years' imprisonment for spreading Nazi propa­ students, have recently been shown on German i v survival.