Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-08-26
As Mr., CULDMAN
SAW the JEWISH
LIFE IN EUROPE

1t is given to few men who left the
land of their birth at twenty, to be
able to view the same scenes more
than half a century later. That is an
experience which Mr. L. H. Guldman,
leading Jewish merchant of the inter-
mountain states, has twice been able
to enjoy since the war.
1t was not all enjoyment, however,
| discovered in a chat with Mr.. Guild
man regarding the European trip
from which he has just returned.
Fifty years have not dimmed his love
for the neighbors of his youth; and
the conditions he found among the
environs of his birthplace in Bavaria
were hardly those to gladden. the heart
of sympathetic observer.
Having in mind the readers of the
Jewish News, / was particularly inter-
ested in Mr. Guldman's reaction to
changes in the Jewish life of Middle
Europe.
Like every other group. the Jew
ish population is suffering from the
depreciation in the buying power Of
money. The savings they had are
worth practically nothing today. Fam
lilies that were regarded as rich are
uOWu outy lit SHdut Sul-
fers especially since purchasing is re-
strieted to the lowest possible
amount"
do the folks talk at all about emf
grati~~ and"
'Oh my, yes" was the immediate
response. | had intended to ask to
what country they talk of going. but
Mr.. Guldman anticipated my question
by remarking that it seemed as if
every other family was planning to
come to America. In fact the eager
ness to learn about America and to
get ther' was so great that he often
found it embarrassing to admit that
he came from this country.
"Why, even the chambermaids," he
assured me, "as soon as they learned
we were from the United States, sim
ply begged us to take them back with
us. They offered to work on any
terms at all when they got here, il
only we would take them alonp.
America appears to them as country
different from anything they have
known-where everybody is busy and
prosperous, and the troubles of living
don't exist. 1t is impossible to dis
Illusion them.
"The feeling in Germany agains,
Americans is still quite bitter. The
Germans cannot see why the United
States needed to have gone into the
war. Without the financial BACKING
of the Americans, the allies would
have had to make an earlier peace
under conditions that would enable
the Germans to recover their normal
life. As things are now, Germany
needs American relief as badly Ms any
country in Europe.
81 was surprised to find so few
Jews in Italy And it is not easy to
know who are and who are not Jews.
I'VE hear SO much about assimils
tion in Europe, Mr.. Guldman. Is il
really true that the Jewish people OF
Europe want to leave their faith?"
"fes, IT is true that there are q
great many intermarriages In one
community that | visited they told me
that seven out of twelve Austrian
Jews who were married durine the
past few years were assimilated into
Christian families. But that does not
mean that the fault is with the Jewish
faith. The troubles which the Jews
have undergone have turned their
minds. The anti-Semitism in some
communities has made life unbear.
able. They assimilate to escape their
misery. not because they are tired Of
the Jewish faith.
But you mustn't think, becaus,
you hear of assimilations, that the
Jewish communities are dying out. Ir
the larger cities, where the Jewish
communities run into large numbers
the Jewish life is as distinct as ever
1t is in the smaller communities
where the Jews are not sufficiently
strong in numbers, that they are los
ing ground. ! heard great dea
about anti-Semitism from the Jewisf
people, but it is kept below the sur
face. ! did not see any more of il
than ] did four years ago. And be.
sides"
But just then an attraction camr
into the room which left no chance
for mere interviewer. Mr.. Guild.
mans grandchildren took possession
Of their grandpa Just returned after
an absence Of eight months, and