Rabbi Loeb Tells Additional Historical Facts Concerning American History on Race

Julius T. Loeb, “Rabbi Loeb Tells Additional Historical Facts Concerning American History on Race,” Birminham News (Birmingham, AL), April 6, 1913.

EMINENT RABBI PRAISES ARTICLE IN NEWS ON JEWS

Rabbi Loeb Tells Additional Historical Facts Concerning American History of Race.

BY RABBI JULIUS T. LOEB

    For the article on the “Jews in America,” printed in its last Sunday’s issue, The Birmingham News deserves praise and commendation. An article of this kind and character cannot fail to reach the hearts and evoke the better sentiments of mankind generally. 

    Written as it is in a fair and friendly strain, with justice toward everybody and malice toward none, setting forth a few of the actual facts concerning the public service and usefulness of the Jew, the article is a masterpiece of its kind, and a most wonderful plea in behalf of a much-misunderstood and maligned people.

    While the article is certainly not intended to stir up public sentiment, nor to call forth any unnecessary and undesired discussion concerning the Jews, still the facts as they appear in the public prints do speak volumes for themselves, and many a person on the perusal of such articles as this may perchance be induced to pause and ponder upon the situation, and to realize that the claim of the Jew to be an American is a justifiable claim; that the Jew has always contributed his quota to the public cause, and that at all times and under all conditions, he was, and is, ready to give to his brain and brawn, his toil and energy, his substance and his life itself, if needs be, in defense of the American Constitution, which is to remain forever the Godly pledge for human liberty and happiness. 

    More and plentiful newspaper articles of this kind are necessary, for to a large majority of people the live facts cited in this article are like a sealed book. To many, alas, the Jew is still an intruder, who comes  “to dance upon a strange wedding,” to enjoy privileges not of his own, to reap the benefits of the toils and labors of others besides himself.

    Indeed, how many or rather how few, are aware of the historical fact that the first white man to set foot upon American soil was a Jew, and that “not jewels but Jews were the cause of Columbus’s first expedition?”

    How many Southerners are there to cherish the memory and appreciate the worth and valor of their own hero, Judah P. Benjamin? Or how many do remember the generosities of a great benefactor such as Judah Touro? How many are there that have any knowledge of the notable sacrifices made by men of the Hebrew race in the cause of liberty? How many are there to acknowledge the numerous acts of bravery and patriotism exhibited by Jews in the Revolutionary War, in the Civil War, as in the late Spanish-American War (in which It fell to the lot of a Jew to be the first man to give his life under the American flag.)

    How many do know of a Hyam Solomon, that saved the cause of the American Revolution by his wonderful generosity and self-devotion, or of a Benjamin Levy, who by his signature had indorsed the first bonds issued under the newly formed Republic in the year, 1776, when none of the American financiers ventured to sign such bills for fear lest the patriot cause be lost and their money be forfeited. And then a Benjamin Jacobs and Samuel Lyons, of New York, who signed similar bills in 1779, and Isaac Moses and Hyman Levy, who gave large sums of money without reckoning whatever, and a host of other Jewish patriots that contributed toward the maintenance of the American Army. Also in the field of battle the many Jewish heroes and martyrs who with their life-blood had helped in purchasing American Independence, and in rearing up this grand republic. A manual [sic] Mordecai Noah and a Jacob Cohen, who were officers on the staff of Generals Washington and Lafayette. A Major Noines, Captain Jacob De La Motta and Jacob De Leon under General DeKalb, and many other Jewish compatriots in the cause of the American Revolution.

    How little mention is made of them at any time that other people are exalted in their proud ancestry and prerogative, which the Jew is branded an “alien” in every land and clime. 

    How very little is said and spoken of the many noble deeds of Jews in connection with the making of history and the word’s progress.

    Not that the people are lacking in their knowledge of history, but that secular history is so sadly deficient in the facts and figures concerning the public services of the Jew. 

    The shortcomings of the Jew, real or imaginary, are always thrown back to him, but his virtues are rarely mentioned, while the populace here, as elsewhere would always feign ignorance of any public benefits in connection with the Jewish name and character. 

    With bated breath the world today awaits the results of the experiments of Dr. Friedrich F. Friedmann, which, if successful, would mark him out as a savior of mankind. Had this man, Friedmann, proven to be a sort of rascal you can rest assured that you would read his ancestry and his family associations from the glowing headlines in the columns of hundreds of newspapers, which would run something like this: “The culprit is a son of Russian Polish Jews, who had emigrated from Galicia, had settled on the East Side,” etc. As it is Dr. Friedmann merely passes as a “German physician,” and surely not one out of a hundred readers of newspapers in this country knows, or would be willing to grant, that this possible discoverer of a world-saving object is a Jew.

    Dr. Ehrlich is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest benefactors of humanity today for his discovery of “606.” And who speaks of him as a Jew?

    It is a fact, sad but true, that it is almost an impossible task for a Jew to be recognized by the world, or reach out toward fame and position, unless he be forced to either obliterate entirely, or at least hide away, his identity as a Jew.

    Prof. Henri Bergson is today known as a pathfinder in the field of philosophic and physical research. He is lauded as a new figure in the world of thought. His theories are said to be strictly original, although the true Hebrew scholar, who is more or less familiar with the thoughts of the Jewish mater-minds of old, cannot but find in Bergson the product of the Jewish genius and Jewish idealism. Yet to the world at large Prof. Henri Bergson is the French scientist, and none else. 

    Let one, for instance, try to find the name of Meyerbeer in the dictionary of the world’s great artists, and right by the side of the name there will be found “German composer,” nothing else. 

    A Dr. Zamenhoff, of Esperanto fame, is usually styled a “Polish physician.” The late Dr. John De Bloch, originator of The Hague Peace Conference, was known as a Russian; Professor Metchnicoff, a Russian-Frenchman; Professor Lombroso, an Italian-Frenchman; Luzatti, an Italian, and so on, ad libitum. 

    What, then, is left for the Jew? Absolutely nothing.

    Hence the charges laid at the door of the Jew, that he has done nothing for the world; that he has nothing original in his make-up, but that he is continually following in the wake of the Aryan and the Teuton.

    This last theory may be true. In one sense, in so far as land and territory are concerned. Jacob is always following upon the heels of Esau. Esau took possession of the land, but it came to the lot of Jacob to wander away from home and utility, thus following the example of his fathers, and foreshadowing the deeds of his descendants after him through succeeding generations.

    And thus the descendants of Jacob are seen in the many lands of their wandering and dispersion—a blessing to all the families of the earth.

    For in all that concerns human progless [sic] and civilization, in all that would tend to the advancement of the goodness and happiness of mankind, the Jew is always to be found in the forefront.

    For the circumstance of his migration and continuous wandering the Jew certainly could not be held accountable, as it is not by his own volition and choosing that he is made to wander from land to land, as did his forefathers of yore. 

    For even in his commercial pursuits the Jew is destined to imitate the example of the noble patriarchs, who by themselves also were travelers and tradesmen. The Jew, by his business activities, has done perhaps more than anyone else to bring many nations and creeds into mutual relationship and friendly intercourse, into a mutual understanding and appreciation of each other’s character, thus helping to bring about the great end of making the whole world akin. 

    The Jew is undoubtedly a pacemaker, [sic] an original, independent force, designed by an all-wise Providence to live and work for and among the nations of the earth for an all glorious purpose.