The Denver Jewish news., 1920-01-21
Brotherly Condescension
BY RABBI MAN HELLER.

1 attitude towards our Russian core
I ligionists, she promptly defended her.
self by assuring me thar she had some
very good friends among them. The
I rrtort to that method Of defense was
obvious l reminded her that she was
using exactly the same language which
the Gentle spell-binder employs in his
patronizing mood, when he wishes to
reassure his Jewish hearers as to the
kindly condescension with which he
,olerates their existence. 1 told her the
story of the well-ncaning Gentle who
/, wished to break, just once, thru the
iron-clad ostraclsm by which his club
from membership; his particular Jew
ish friend was so utterly unobjection-
able, so altogether genial and refined;
why not just make the one exception!
NNhereupon dozen other members
rose to say that each OF them had one
or Two such Jewish friends to whoni
no earthly objection could possibly be
raised; that if they once started rec
ognizing white Jews the club would
he swamped with them, i'll less than no
time.
1t is just here that the exception
not only proves, but underscores and
reinforccs its rule. In the same spirit
the German government which man
aged so effectually by way of ad
ministration' (auf Adininistra'o oiis-
wege) to nullify the legal rights of
its Jewish citizens to public office,
in the same way Prussianism had its
'Paradc-Iuden' (Jews for parading
purposcs) who stood out rs uscfully
conspicuous exceptions, to be trium
phantly exhibited in confutatiOn of
mounting grievances.
To have friends amoLg n class, in
ether words, to admit that there may
bc good people in that class. is far
from proving that one views the class
as Il whole with n judicious mind u
mind imprisoned by preconccptions,
Jrcjudiccs. avcrsions and dislikes.
may have hard flavor of haughti-
MISS, supercilioujness, or patronage.
Tho charity which we dole out to the
needy brother may be embittered to
him hy the GOODNESS, the contempt.
the impatience or the distrust with
which il is dispenscI:: the brotherly
word may be given the lie by its un-
hrotherly tone. have known Jewish
employers to complain of the 'ingrati-
tudo' OF the 'cantankerOusncss' of their
russian Jewish workmen, because the
men had either failed to appreciate
Tie favor of being employed ut starva-
lion wages or had had the audacity
70 ask for the market value of their
labor.
1t is subject for humorous treat
Incnt which has not yet found its
master pen. How similar is the mutual
attitude of AmericaniZed and half-as-
simulated Jew to that which prevails
between Christian and Jew. When
the high-toned, fashionable Christian
deigns to visit, for brief glimpse.
some Jewish wedding or Jewish re-
ception, all is Difference and smiling
attention: ones friends are compli-
mcnted by an introduction the dis
tinguished guests are the center of
! aved contemplation and flattered de-
light. The scene repeats itself. al
most idcnticaily, when the fashionable
Reform Jew condescends to ining!t
with the orthodox throng ii is cx-
nctly the same air of an angel visit
from. celestial realms, blessing the
creatures of coarser clay with the ex-
altation of its semi-divinc presence.
From the other approach. all of
us know thd aspiring ooreligionist.
who. indeed, does not deny being IL
Jew, but prefers not to discuss it. not
even to mention it, who likes to eN-
change his too Semitic family name
of Levi, Cohen o. Israei for something
more modern, who, at the very least,
when selecting first names for his chill
dren, carefully eschews all Biblical re-
niiiders, who is flattered when told
That no one would take him for a jew,
/ shocked at the yulgarity of Jewish
gesture or Jewish phrase, always ready
! 10 blame his own as deserving what
ever ill-treatment may befall them, uii-
comfortable in an all-Jewish gathering,
hut in the seventh heaven when
thrown "A bait of recognition from so
ciety.-if pranks like these are tamil
lar to us, they find their close coiin-
terparts in the self-disdafn of the Rus
sian jew as regards his Russian tie
rivation. He will hardly ever volun-
tcer information about his Russian
birth. if the evidence Of 1t is not
apparent his Russian name Will ofteli