Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-11-09
The Jews in the War Zone

Inc Jews IN the war Zone
Herman Bsrnstsin. ----------
81. ip Of inSs.tSstssn IN sSsops reports his
finaings 20 the American Jewish Relief COM
Wy HEREvER I went In blood-drenched Europe
w In England, France. Italy. Switzerland, Ger
many. Austria and Holand--the Jewish leaders
and the Jewish rank and file have asked me to trans
init their message TO the Jews Of America The
OF the European powers has made It impossible for
the Jews 70 speak IN the terms in their appeals
to their brethren for their brethren Divided by their
sympatheB by their patriotism though united by the
sufferings and the msrtyrdom OF the Jewish people
in the war-stricken lands they have to be diplomats
when they bread for the living and shrouds
for the dead"
All eyes Of the Jewish people abroad are, turned
to American Israel. all hands stretched out TO
the great Jewish center in the new world, waiting
for help. They. hopeful that the great American
Jewish center will surely act quickly, generously and
theoretically and help in saving the Jewish centers
that being destroyed now. the mothers and chill
dren who dying Of hunger and OF cold driven from
town TO town, like cattle yet without the care &C
corded 10 cattle They hopeful that the Jews OF
America win be aroused to realization of their fun
duty to their brethren the Jewish people which is
becoming people Of starving wanderers
II is not Of the Jewish soldiers who have fallen
that I wrtta. Nor OF the Jewish officers who have
bravey given their lives upon the battefields. In
Austria alone upwards of 1900 Jewish officers have
already died the battlefield in this The jews
everywhere have furnished proportionately larger
share to the armies than the other elements Of the
populations and their blood has been shed on all
battlefield II r. not Of these victims Of the war
that write The Jews have given their lives
a the other nations have given them in this most
useless most terrible Of In history. But IT is
Of the people they have left behind that write, of
their fathers their mothers their sisters their wives
and their children who starving OF Jewish com
munities of ancient Jewish centers OF culture and
learning that have been uprooted. Millions Of Jews
In Russia and Galica have been utterly ruined they
are now homeless. hopeless, starving. Thousands OF
thousands actually dying Of hunger. They are
starving in Russia, they starving in Gacia and
they starving in the Polish provinces occupied by
the German forces. Yes they dying OF hunger In
L6dz and in Warsaw, and in countless other places
II IL not Of equal rights, of emancipation that
wish to write just now; II is OF bread Of shelter
for the hundreds of thousands who have been torn
away from their homes. driven to the mercy OF the
cold winds They cannot even utter cries for help
Tho censor r. suppressing these cries everywhere The
refugees crying In vain In the wilderness but their
hopes directed TO the Jews OF America. When
people starving when the Jewish question is be-
ing solved In certain places through humiliation when
Jewish communities and Jewish centers Of culture
being wiped out will American Jews turn deaf ear
to the cali Of despair VIII thoy remain siIent7 VIII
they withhold their generous aidf Can they minimize
the tragedy by speaking Of It's enormity the i'm
POSSIBILITY OF meetinB the proplemb aoeQuatelyT
have the Jewish victims of the Indeed
the Jewish people Is the tragic victim OF the
have tins nation Of in mourning plunged
into the depths Of grief 300
have seen Jews who have gone insane from the
horrors that have come upon the Jewish people in
Europe / OF these victims In Switzerland.
He had come from Russia Some of his relatives
died ON the battlefield Others tortured by pog-
om-rnakers-plaged, violated, hanged. He has seen
children tortured violated and old put
to death, and the Holy Scrolls desecrated This has
driven him insane. and his mania" expresses itself
In a peculiar form. Wherever he he shouts about
the terrors he has witnessed about the crueties
against the Jewish people All day long he sits in his
little room and whites hystercai and heartrending
letters appeals to the rulers and potentaes OF
nations relating his experiences and beggng them
make end to the persecution and sufferings of
the Jews
There are many such unfortunates in the Russian
and Polish provinces where the Jews starving
today
When the whole story OF Isreeis tragedy in this
war win be told the world will shudder