Newspaper Page Text
rEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR
(Continued from page 9)
Paul Fortheim-Cohen
Hr has distilled the spirit of countries
and digested the history of centuries.
mergence of several novels dealing with
American Jewish life. But they are so
stereotyped, so superficial as to cause em-
I'arrasMnent to any intelligent Jew who
knows of their existence.
"Solal” is the visualization of the
doubts within every Jew. It reveals a
CTOS'.-sect ion of the complexes and the
motives which dominate the action of
the modern Jew. Solal, the Greek Jewish
»on of a patriarchal rabbi, is a perma
nent part of literature. He is not merely
an individual who finds his counterpart
among Christians as well as Jews. He is
authentic, typical, recognizable. Albert
("hen may be compared to his fellow-
countrymen and co-religionists, Jean
Richard-Bloch, who covered almost the
*ame territory, though not with quite as
much imagination, in his “— & Co.”
1 he nearest approach to Cohen that
America has produced is Ludwig Lewi-
H>hn. although even the latter’s Jewish
emancipation occurred in France and not
in the Cnited States. Devoting himself
10 the study of Hebrew in all its phases
and delving into the historic lore of the
Jewish folk, Lew'isohn has equipped him-
' f;t with a Jewish background that is
m °re extensive than that of any of his
contemporaries, although at times Jiis
real iusness exceeds discretion.
1 his People,” a collection of short
• ones is not of a quality with Lewisohn’s
mger Jewish novels. But these novel-
ettfs marred occasionally by naivete and
Prudishness, approach Jewish problems, of
the race and the individual, with feel-
:i K and understanding. His study of the
f w;sh Bolshevik, although written before
Ibtl* r came to power in Germany, is
larkable commentary on the self-
veness of the German Jew, even as
a brilliant biography of the mis-
n » pauperized Jew w'ho seeks salva-
rom his bitter obscurity in strange
al doctrines. Lewisohn may have
Jewish” with a vengeance, but
he treats of Jewish life he hides
none of its garnishness, its vulgar
is self-destructiveness,
most important book of the year,
non-fiction field, is Josef Kastein’s
>r y and Destiny of the Jews.” Is-
'cveral years ago in Germany, it
*traordinary timeliness in view of
evolution in the Reich. One must
hvastein as a Jew and not merely
a
delu
it i.
'ha;
tion
poli
l?on
fro:
itv
T
in r
“H
sue
has
the
re a
THS
SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
a
as a literary scalpelist. Kastein writes
as a Jew rather than as an historian. It
cannot be said, however, that he has
ever sacrificed historiography to his Jew
ishness. As he interprets the record of
Jewish people, his conclusions are jus
tified, inevitable. His book is that of an
interpreter rather than a narrator. The
mere chronicle is unimportant; the les
sons to be learned from the facts are
significant, as far as he is concerned.
In view of what is happening in Ger
many today, that method of judging his
tory is logical and necessary. Kastein
feels that the history of the Jews, a
model of eternal recurrence, indicates that
survival is possible only through empha
sis on those characteristics which inten
sify rather than dilute Jewishness. As
similation has been discredited. Even in
difference has been repudiated. Without
intending to, Kastein has written a hom
ily that is the most reasonable and con
vincing that has ever issued from a mod
ern Jewish historian.
The other five books that stand out in
the non-fiction field are: ‘‘History of the
Russian Revolution” (Volume II and III),
by Leon Trotzky; “A World Passed By,”
by Marvin Lowenthal; “The Discovery
of Europe,” by Paul Portheim-Cohen;
‘‘Marie Antoinette," by Stefan Zweig, and
“Arctic Village,” by Robert Marshall.
The two concluding columns of Trot-
zky’s account of the origin and events
of the Russian revolution constitute the
most impressive account of the over
throw of the Czar. A participant in the
actual events, the former Russian War
Lord has not overemphasized his share in
the proceedings. Being an historian, he
has, for the most part, judged the ac
tivity of others objectively. No one who
has yet described the greatest social over
turn in history compares with Trotzky
in the vividness and authenticity of his
account. No one can pretend to know
modern Russia without reading Trotzky.
“A World Passed By” brings within
the covers of a book many parts of the
running narrative which Marvin Lowen-
thal used to contribute to the Menorah
Journal, in the days when he preferred
anonymity under the cloak of Ben-
Shahar. Lowenthal is, in a sense, Amer
ica’s Nahum Slousch. But Lowenthal has
imagination and poetic gifts where
Slousch has only the equipment of an or
dinary observer. But Lowenthal'* de
scription of the departed Jew in Europe
and North Africa is more than enter
taining; it is historically important. Not
particularly because he has done original
research work, but because he has trans
formed the work of others into a docu
ment of enduring interest. Lowenthal’*
flair for the curious and the bizarre has
enabled him to see what the casual tour
ist unfailingly overlooks. Reading “A
World Passed By” is not solely an ad
venture in travel; it should become a re
quirement for Jewish historical research.
“A World Passed By” is written with
that easy informality which has made
Marvin Lowenthal one of the very few
who write intelligibly and entertainingly
on Jewish subjects.
In “The Discovery of Europe,” Paul
Portheim-Cohen has done for the Con
tinent what he did for "England, the In-
known Isle.” He has distilled the spirit
of countries and digested the history of
centuries. Political institutions, literary
prejudices, social manners, artistic schools
are summarized and intepreted with clar
ity and conciseness by this Austrian Jew
who was imprisoned during the VV ar in a
British internment camp and there began
(Please turn to page 16)