Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-29
.CAL|SCH TELLS OF JEWS
IN CONFEDERATE ARMY
In Address at Beth Ahabah, Tribute
Is Paid to Fighting Quail
ties Of Race.
PROUD RECORD AS SOLDIERS
Gave Their Lives in Defense Of Home
and in Vindication of Of the Repu-
tation Of an Often Misunderstood
People.


The Jewish Confederate Soldier and
| His Successor To-day" was the theme
OF an address last night by Dr. Edward
y. Calisch at the Beth Ahabah Syna-
sosue. with the annual Confederate
Reunion only few days off, the
| speaker said. the mind OF every Vir-
ginian--of every Richmonder especial
Twas naturally turned to that
period in the South's history when
every true Southerner, regardless OF
creed or Of racial differences, gave un-
reservcdly of everything he held dear
in the defense of his home and fire.
side.
Tho Jew in that struggle was hight
ing for two-fOld cause. nc said. Pri-
marily he drew his sword to defend
his beloved Southland from the inva-
sion OF her enemies. Then the charge
OF ahenism and tho lack of patriotic
sentiment was hanging over him, and
! the bloody battle fields OF that ter
riblc. but unequal. conflict afforded him
a golden opportunity OF proving to the
| world that such a charge was with
out foundation. The cause for which
he consciously fought. said DR.. CAL
the cause for which he unconsciously
struggled was glor!ously helped.
THE SWORD BINDS AS
! WE'LL AS SEPARATES
DR.. Calisch's address was. in part, as
, follows:
The sword Is the arbiter of the
destinies Of men In more than one
sense. IT binds as we'll as separates
When tho war cloud appears upon the
horizon Of a nation. the conflicting or
antagonistic elements Of that nations
life are soOthtd and swung together
Differences disappear and feuds arc
! forgotten in tho face OF a common foe
This fact Was clearly demonstrated at
the outbreak OF the present European
conflict England. France. Germany,
Austria and Russia had all OF them
domestic difficulties and disscnsions
that seriously threatened the national
Integrity OF each. But the opening
every sound Of disc1rd, and every one
of the belligeren, nations is now an
undivided people.
During the war Between the States
a similar phenomenon was manifested.
Jcw and Christian had been At variance
for centuries even III this land of free
dom where both had found an equal
resting place. Though both had found
! "A place around the hearthstone Of the
fair Southland, and both were chill
dren Of her warm affections. yet the
differences between them we're not
healed. But when the trunpet's shril
note sounded the call to arms, they
sprang up together AS brothers indeed,
equal sons OF a beloved mother, ready
TO defend that mother in all things
unto death. side by side marched lew
and Christian. facing the same dangers.
enduring the same hardshps, tenting
under the same cover, animated by the
same hope. chcrishing the same patr!-
Otto ideals Differences OF faith were
forgotten. They had but one faith. an
undying love for the land that bore
them both.
NEITHER JEW NOR CHRISTIAN,
BUT SOLDIRERS AND PATRIOTS
In view of this fact it were. per-
haps. invidious TO speak OF the Jewish
Confederate soldier as such. When the
serried ranks of Lee. or Jackson, or
Johnston were gathered for the fray,
there was neither Jew nor Christian,
but patriots and soldiers, battling for
the Same cause. equally dear to both.
/ And as such those who answered the
last call should now rest. whether
within a Christian Acre OF God or
within a Jewish House OF Life
since the annthilation Of his own
national existence, the Jew has suf-
fered greatly from being misunder-
stood. In reality the hero OF history.
he Is looked upon as it's villain or its
victim. Possessed of the sublime cour-
age of endurance. he has been charged
with cowardice, which. until the last
century was unrefutcd, because no OPP
portunity had been given him to dis
prove IT, Denied the right OF home in
every land, he was charged with being
an alien: but with the beginning of
the nineteenth century there came a
revelation to humanity. The Jew. given
tho right OF citizenship. though only in
! partial measure, showed as keen a sense
Of responsibility for its duties as of
gratitude for It's blessings. On the bat
tie fields OF Europe in the first half OF
| the century he displayed heroism
| which the world had refused to credit
him, and which. even then, il was re-
luctant to recognize. Similarly, during
the fearful years of lS61-1S65, the Jew =
Christian brother in the display of
courage. of soldicrly qualities and self
sacrificing loyalty. In the furnace OF
the fiercest battles, in the madness OF
! the widest charge. in the trying patti
! ence of the direst siege in the toisome
drudEery OF the camp. in the benumb-
ing WEAKNESS of the longest march,
the Jewish Confederate soldier had his
place and played his part.
IMMIGRATION Of 4
MISUNDERSTOOD PEOPLE
at is not here meant to convey the
idea that the Jew was better than
his fellows. In the record that holds
! the memory of brave deeds, let there be
no comparisons or degrees. One life is
all that a man can give, and the Con-
federate soldier-Jew or Christian
! gave that life. spontaneously and
| freely. The tributes belong alike to
| the Jew and the Christian.
But the Jewish Confederate soldier
| stood for two things-his love for the
Southland and the vindication Of his
misunderstood people. 1t was in this
regard only that he differed from his
| Christian comrade The cause for
which he consciously fought was de-
stined not to be won: the cause for
WHICH he unconsciously struggled has
| been gloriously helped.
"A similar phenomenon is being mani
| tested in Europe to-day In every army
| engaged there are jewish soldiers. In
| the Russian army there are 100000 of
! them, per cent Of the total Jewish