The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-02-12
technology Of the JelOs.

always a minority-the world did not
recognize It. All around were hostile
people and the chosen tribes formed
only q little island in the midst of a
surging sea OF barbarism. They strove
towards the realization OF the ideal,
but In vain. The present was at a
variance. Throughout their history In
the Holy LAND they were on the de-
fenstye, and thus the struggle begins.
Israel's sou "a always torn between
the ideal future and the real present
the struggle assumed q still fercer
form In the exile In the long 1000
years period all energies Of the Jews,
all activities were centered on that
particular point, how to escape death.
that the spirit OF the Jew attained It's
steel hardness, together with rubber
k iexibility. But ever then the Jew
entertained the dream OF the ideal fu-
ture, and II Is due to the constant
swaying between two forces that the
character arose. .. ISL. ~
The Primal Trait.
The primal trait in. the Jewish racial
character Is SUFFICIENTLY, self-centered.
1t is attested by their religion, a
guage and belief in themselves as a
chosen people, n in the form OF their
literature and poetry. which is lyric,
internal. But their life forced them
to adopt a different attitude. In the
exile. IL the Jew wanted to live, he
had to acquire the character Of q e
and bend TO whatever side the wind
blew. He had to observe ali external
incidents. desire and wills OF others, so
he became objective. hence the con-
trasts in the Jewish character. You
win find In him idealism n material
ism, looking into the future n tak1ng
exceptional care for the present, self
conferred and observant OF others ac-
lions at the anne time.
Summarizing the effects of ace and
history ON the mental and spiritual
character OF the Jews, we find them
first Of all p~redominating In In
tellectuality. Their mind possesses
lucidity. dts~tinctiveness, agility and
swiftness Of thought. This arises
partly from the inherent subjectivity
Of the people but is mostly to their
life. In the exile the only weapon or
the Jews was the intellect. 1t was
through 1t that he succeeded TO sur
vive. 1t Is there where situations nae
to be weighed, circumstances UNDER
stood, n characters appreciated that
the Jewish mind acquired the nimple-
ness and the accuracy and agility. II
is there that he acquired the objective
external quality Of mind. Hence II is
that the Jew, though by nature self
conferred, is yet able to adapt himself
to every culture with ease, and esti-
civilization. 1t Is the Jew Brandes who
appreciates and most accurately the
national spirit Of various ltteratures.
The distribution of Jewish ability is
wide, On the whole the Jew possess
less genius but a great distribution OF
talent. The curve for Jewish skill, J..
O., the amount OF skilled and talented
man mar 'rnUQrU saE1 n00 IaWQ- aX-
coed that of E~nglishmen and Scotch
men. The fields are various. There
Is superiority OF the Jews as physicians,
mathematicians, chess players,
philosophers, astronomers, scientists,
and especially philologtsts: There 10
talent, which has been claimeG for the
Jews. Business ability is only a part
of general ability, and II the Jew by
the long process Of selection has a
higher rate OF intellectually he nay
also have a higher rate Of business
ability.
On the emotional side the Jewish
characteristics are distinct. The Jew
Is very emotional, but this emotion is,
mostly OF ar inner nature, due to his
long life In the exile. He r. therefore
specially adopted to lyric poetry and
music. In the ghetto what better mode
Of expression could a Jew find to the
ueep aBOnleS OF the soul IMAM music,
the most vibrating and touching Of all
art. Another emotional trait Of the
Jews Is their aptitude for acting in
general, and tragedy in particular. The
great v strain, the intensity of
emotion to which the Jew was sub
Jected through his life history has de-
veloped a power OF response with
bodily movements to internal stimuli
OF emotion; hence his susceptibility to
acting. AS for tragedy he should have
q special liking for 1t, since his life
was more or less one.
Marked by Will Power.
The volitional trsk. of the Jews is
very marked. TIE Jews have always
shown a strong will power. In bible
times they were called q stiffnecked
people. They have a high sense Of in
dividuality and ali through history
they strove to express their will to live
under very adverse circumstances, so
that by long struggle their will is
strong. 1t is this strait that accounts
for SO many self made men among the
Jews, as h R~othschiids, Beaconsfield,
Gombetta, and many others. These are
the traits that characterize the Jew.
They show him In his special light.
and knowledge of them does conduce
towards a better understanding and
appreciation of this people, remarkable
in its life and history.
Signed: Rabbie M. Waxman.