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The Southern Israelite
Page 7
We present herewith, by
special arrangement with the
MacMillan Company, this
significant article by the fa
ther of the theory of relativ
ity. His pungent and fearless
views are contained in a
forthcoming hook entitled
"About Zionism.”
—The Editor.
Before we can effectively combat
anti-Semitism we must first of all edu
cate ourselves out of it and out of the
-lave-mentality which it betokens. We
must have more dignity, more inde
pendence, in our own ranks. Only
when we have the courage to regard
ourselves as a nation, only when vve
respect ourselves, can we win the re
spect of others; or, rather, the respect
of others will then come of itself.
Anti-Semitism as a psychological
phenomenon will always be with us so
long as Jews and non-Jews are thrown
together. But where is the harm? It
may be thanks to anti-Semitism that
we are able to preserve our existence
as a race; that at any rate is my be
in'.
When I come across the phrase
"bermati Citizens of the Jewish Per-
-uasion” I cannot avoid a melancholy
•anile. What does this highfalutin
description really mean? What is this
Jewish persuasion”? Is there, then,
a kind of non-persuasion by virtue of
which one ceases to be a Jew? There
is not. \\ hat the description really
means is that our beaux esprits arc pro-
i laintmg tivo things:
hirst, I wish to have nothing to do
with my poor (Hast European) Jewish
brethren;
Secondly, I wish to be regarded not
as a son of my people, but only as a
member of a religious community.
Is this honest? Can an “Aryan”
respect such dissemblers? I am not a
German citizen, nor is there anything
about me that can be described as
"Jewish persuasion.” But I am a Jew,
and 1 am glad to belong to the Jewish
people, though I do not regard it as
Let us just leave anti-
Semitism to the non-Jews, and keep
our own hearts warm for our kith and
kin.
* *
{ ntil about a generation ago the
Jews in Germany did not regard them
selves as belonging to the Jewish
They felt themselves only
umbers of a religious community, and
any of them still hold this point of
' u They are, in fact, much more
simulated than the Russian Jews.
1 ie - v have been to mixed schools, and
a\e thus adapted themselves to Ger-
national and cultural life. Never-
' 1 and in spite of the equal politi-
rights which they have secured,
vre exists in Germany a strong move-
t of social anti-Semitism. And it
ti>t the educated circles who have
themselves up as carriers of this
-Semitic disease. They have built
tor themselves a “culture” of anti-
uism. while the educated Russians,
ast before the war, were on the
e philo-Semitic, and made frequent
honest endeavors to fight the anti-
itic movement.
is phenomenon in Germany is due
vt-ral causes. Partly it originates
e fact that Jews there exercise an
nee over the intellectual life of
f Vhy I Am A few
About Assimilation and Nationalism
By ALBERT EINSTEIN
the German people altogether out of
proportion to their numbers. While, in
my opinion, the economic position of
the German. Jews is very much over
rated, the influence of Jews on the
p.rcss, in literature and in science in
Germany is very marked, as must be
apparent to even the most superficial
observer. This accounts for the fact
that there are many anti-Semities there
whose anti-Semitism is not just hatred
of the Jews, but is based on arguments
in which they honestly believe. They
regard Jews as of a nationality differ
ent from the German, and therefore
are alarmed at the increasing Jewish
influence on their national life. Al
though perhaps the percentage of Jews
in England is not much less than in
Germany English Jews certainly do not
exercise the influence on English soci
ety that German Jews do in Germany.
This notwithstanding that the highest
professional positions are accessible to
them, and a Jew can become Lord
Chief Justice or Viceroy of India,
whereas in Germany the attainment of
such positions by a Jew is unthinkable.
In many instances anti-Semitism may
be determined by political considera
tions. It often depends, in other words,
on the political party to which a man
belongs whether he becomes a pro
fessed anti-Semite. A Socialist, for
instance, even if be is an anti-Semite by
conviction, will not proclaim bis creed
or act up to it, because it is not in the
program of his party. Among Con
servatives, however, it is different.
Anti-Semitism in their case arises from
a desire to exacerbate for their party
purposes the ill-feeling inherent in the
populace. In a country like England
this influence is smaller than in many
others, while the existence of old and
deep-rooted liberal traditions binders
the rapid growth of anti-Semitism. I
say this without any personal knowl
edge ot the country. I have been in
England very little. That, I would add
m parenthesis, perhaps accounts for the
enthusiasm with which my theories
\\ere received here. But in Germany
the judgment of my theories depended
on the party politics of the press, while
English science did not allow its sense
oi objectivity to be disturbed by politi
cal views. I be English people have
bad a great influence on the develop
ment of science, and so have talked
the examination of the theory of
relativity with particular energy and
particular success. Whilst in America,
again, anti-Semitism knows only social
forms, in Germany communal anti-
Semitism is much stronger even than
social. As I view the matter, the fact
of the racial peculiarities of Jews is
bound to have an influence on their
social intercourse. I believe that Ger
man Judaism is thus being influenced
# a great extent by anti-Semitism.
\\ ith increasing wealth and increasing
education the religious customs which
formerly prevented the mixing of Jews
with Gentiles have tended to disappear
There was thus nothing but the
antithesis which Jews represent, and
which is called anti-Semitism, to pre
serve Jewish separateness. Without
this antithesis assimilation in Germany
would have been complete long ago.
I have noticed this sort of thing in
myself. When I lived in Switzerland
I did not realize my Judaism. There
was nothing that called forth any Jew
ish sentiments in me. When I moved
to Berlin all that changed. There I
At Distinguished Group
EINSTEIN FETED BY JEWISH LEADERS
New York:—Professor Albert Einstein’s last public function before leaving these shores
after a visit of almost three months was a banquet tendered him by the American
Palestine campaign. This picture shows American Zionist leaders grouped about Professor
and Mrs. Einstein. From left to right, seated: Felix M. Warburg, Dr. Einstein, Mrs
Einstein; from left to right, standing: Robert Szold, Morris Rothenberg, Rabbi Stephen
S. Wise, Jefferson Seligman.
realized the difficulties with which
many young Jews were confronted. I
saw how, amid anti-Semitic .surround
ings systematic study, and with it the
road to a safe existence, was made im
possible for them. This refers specially
to the Eastern-born Jews in Germany,
who were continually exposed to provo
cation. I do not believe that their num-
ber is large in Germany as a whole.
( nly in Berlin arc they at all numcr-
J • Nevertheless their presence has
become a public question. At meetings
and conferences and in the press there
,s . a . movement for disposing of them
•juickly or interning them. Housing
difficulties and the economic depression
are used as arguments for these harsh
measures Facts are deliberately ex
aggerated in order to influence public
opinion. 1 hese Eastern-born Jews are
made the scapegoat of all the ills of
present-day German political life and
all the after-effects of the war. Incite
ment against these unfortunate fugi
tives. who have only just saved them
selves from the hell which Eastern
Europe means for them to-day has
become an effective political weapon,
employed with success by every dema
gogue. \\ hen the Government con
templated the expulsion of these Jews
I stood up for them and pointed out in
tlie Berliner Tagcblatt the inhumanity
and the folly of such a measure. To
gether with some colleagues, Jews and
non-Jews, I started University courses
for these Eastern-born Jews, and I
must add that in this matter we enjoyed
official recognition and considerable
assistance from the Ministry of Educa
tion.
I hese and similar happenings have
awakened in me the Jewish national
sentiment. I am a national Jew in the
sense that 1 demand the preservation
of the Jewish nationality as of every
other I look upon Jewish nationality
as ,i fact, and I think that every Jew
oughi to come to definite conclusions
° n Jewish questions on the basis of this
fact. I regard the growth of Jewish
self-assertion as being in the interests
of non-Jews as well as of Jews. That
was the main motive of my joining the
Zionist movement. For me Zionism is
not merely a question of colonization.
I lie Jewish nation is a living thing, and
the sentiment of Jewish nationalism
must be developed both in Palestine
and everywhere else. To deny the
Jews nationality in the Diaspora is,
indeed, deplorable. If one adopts the
point of view of confining Jewish ethnic
nationalism to Palestine then to all in
tents and purposes one denies the exist
ence of a Jewish people. In that case
one should have the courage to carry
through assimilation as quickly and as
completely as possible.
We live in a time of intense and per
haps exaggerated nationalism. But my
Zionism does not exclude cosmopolitan
views I believe in the actuality of
Jewish nationality, and I believe that
every Jew has duties toward his
Coreligionists. The meaning of Zionism
is thus many-sided. To Jews who de
spair in the Ukrainian hell or in Poland
it opens out hopes of a more human
existence. Through the return of Jews
I alestine, and so to a normal and
healthy economic life, Zionist involves
a creative function, which should en
rich mankind at large. But the main
point is that Zionism most tend to
enhance the dignity and self-respect of
the Jews in the Diaspora, I have al-
(Continued on Page 11)
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