The New York herald., 1921-01-09
Paris Finds To-day's Goncourts
In Jerome and Jean Tharaud

Yes. there are dogs. even In the holy
community. But they are OF so strange
breed that one could not give them
that good name OF dog which ex-
presses fidelity. courage. a Joyous leap
ing and the affectionste caress. In
bands OF thirty or forty twice a day
they may be seen coming from the
nearby wood into the main street.
where they devour the rejected parts
OF meat and fowls which the law OF
Israel forbids -the faithful 10 eat.
Skeleton-like. with duh hair. pointed
ears like wolves, they creep I'm silently.
with the footsteps OF a ghost. care
fully avoiding the Gentle village.
where in all the courtyards. before all
doors. dogs. true comrades OF men
bark in their joyous rage and without
anything to bark at.
The dogs OF the Jews never bark
They seem to have lost their voices
lost them forever. You may strike
them, never a cry. a growl. n bark
never a motion Of protest or anger
never even the lips raised upon their
white teeth. For centuries they have
been so accustomed to receiving kicks
given in passing--not indeed In bru-
tality, for by nature the Jew Is not
cruel. but simply by habit, I'm doctrinaI
disdain, for disgust of the unclean
beast-they are, I say. so used to re-
ceiving through centuries these spurn-
ings of the unfriendly foot that they
are no longer astonished, they bark
no more. they bite no more. Well
they know from time immemoriai that
things must be,so; they accept the sit
uation and that is the end OF It,"
One is tempted to quote the whole
book, which has not mediocre pagel
But, that being impossible, at least we
must not leave out the portraits Of
Ghetto types. Their salient features
are thus traced:
They never doubted for an instant
that the Lord gave special attention
to their affairs. For them He lighted
the sun, He brought forth moon and
stars in order to illumine their way
as they left the synagogue. For them
He made the rain fall upon the public
land. for them He brought fine weather
to favor their market days.
Even after they Had abandoned
ehOAi iChiOeV dAtu tCkl Dc-
hind their old beliefs of other days, the
feeling that they were chosen, set
apart, privileged beings outlived all
else. upheld them, inspired them. gave
them that boldness, that self conf
dence which will always astonish us.
Every Jew has the sure conviction
that over him burns star"
These mortals, fortunate In their
assurance, are, minutely observed.
Nothing in costume or physiognomy
escapes the reader; nor does their
nonchalance in their work, nor their
inevitable skill in conducting a matter
of business. The whole psychology Of
the Oriental Jew is set forth in strong
light by these prodigious painters of
powerful and incisive touch, Jerome
and Jean Tharaud.
One episode among many seems to
me specially amusing and instructive.
For holidays 1t is the custom to pre-
pare carp, which are served at the
beginning of a sacred feast. And here
we have Sarah, the first of the rabbits
servants. committing a crime of Iese-
Cuisine sdcree. She dropped full cup
of melted butter upon the fish!
Now to mix milk and meat is one Of
the worst offences against the Mosaic
ordinance. On the other hand, a for
NAL repast without carp Is inconceiv-
able. What could they do? The ac-
cident is an omen OF dark significance.
All eyes look to the rabbi for guidance
The fish are on the table in all their
exhaling delicious odor
The rabbi extends his hand toward
the dish and takes a portion OF carp.
which he raises to his mouth. The
crisis is past! The carp are pure. the
carp are holy, the feast may go on.
And thus many things In the life of
the good people of schwarze-Teme are
explained. This or that act Is com
monty forbidden. But II prevailing
prayer absolve them, or II a master
ordain il, why not?
The character study of the brothers
Tharaud is an authoritative utterance
of sustained interest, heightened by
the quality of style. always rich and
harmonious. The book is marked by
a curious originality whose ironical wit
never swerves from the truth.