The Denver Jewish news., 1920-05-12

IerkovitZ. The former was not per-
tackled as he reached the street. RoZsa
Immediately left the Budapest Opera
House and announced that he would
soon leave for America.
est chapter in Jewish history begins
The Christian church fell into
state of ambivalence. In its attitude
toward the Jews as Christ killers and
as refusing to acknowledge His Mess
ianic character, it looked upon them
as subjects for persecution and ex-
termination; but 1t adopted curious
restricting attitude in addition-that
the Jews, having been witnesses of the
Passion, must also witness the
Triumph. Therefore, they were to be
kept alive, but to lie made miserable,
kept from real living. To the relig-
ious basis for persecution we
add this--that with the down
fall of the Roman Empi,e. the Jews
and Arabs alone kept the torch of
culture and science lit. In other
words, the Jew was easily superior
in these matters to his uncouth. war
riorlike hosts. This superiority
lrought about "A jealousy. n fear of the
ability Of the Jew: fear that has
never been stilled. tho the culture of
the Western races has reached n very
high plane; fear that yet actuntcs
most of the hostile feeling of neigh
boring races.
Now the restrictions that arose from
this hostile attitude gradually increas-
ed in number and gradually narrowed
the activities of the Jew. For many
centuries. and especially in those coun-
tries where Christianity was late in
coming. as in Russia. many fields OF
activity We're open to him. He was
a handicraftsman. an ngriculturist. as
well as Il merchant. a peddler. etc. But
with TIM rise of guilds. with the rtsc
OF shopkeeping classes amongst the
GentiIes. and especially with the anal
gamation of church and State after the
CrlIsades. the Jew became excluded
from the soil. in which condition ne
remained down to our own day. ana
still remains in such countries as Rus-
sin, Poland and ROumania. where fhe
hulk of the Jews live. He was forbid
den to become hRndicraftsman.
tho, previous to his exclusion. In such
countries as Italy. he was the nam
liandicraftsman of the country. In
other words. he was excluded from all
occupations In the pursuit of which the
manual motor side of his nature might
find expression.
Because of the fact that he spoke
many languages. because the Jews were
scattered in small colonies. and be-
cause the Gentle looked down upon
mercantile life as sort of usury. tho
Jew shifted to mercantile life, and If
not the greatest factor in establishing
international banking. was at least ex-
ceedingly prominent AS time went on
with the rise of the kings into power
and the crumbling of the feudal sys-
TEN. the Jews became the tax collectors
Of Europe and thus. while exceedingly
useful to the kings. became their
scapegoats What wish to emphasize
in this is thnt here was factor thhf
tended to make n race of inferior physi-
uue. in that all those occupations that
tend to develop strength of body and
hardihood were forbidden. The Jew
became sort of sedentary adventurer
living by his wits. Having full share
of brains he was quick to see his ad'
vantage and to form a dislike for the
occupations from which he was eSclud-
ed
This brought about another factor In
the life history of the race and that
is its urban character. Until the nine-
teenth century became distinguished
by the great urban movement. all of
the races of Europe have been largely
| rural agriculturists and peasants. The
cities were small and inconspicuous.
comparati"ely speaking. and the vast
hulk of the people lived on the land
That urban life develops neurasthcnia
and the like conditions is an old story,
Any nervous organization that stands
country life may go to pieces when
nssailcd by the extraordinary stimuli
of the city. Now the Jews became ex-
clusively an urban people. They lived
in small towns. perhaps. hut in crowd
cd. dirty. disagreeahle towns. In this
urban life. not only was sedentarE
| life necessary. hut the race developed
Il curious antipathy to exercise ana
even TO play. For centuries the Jews
we're race that despised sports ana
discountenanced play. The Importance