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Pile Tkree
Friday, June 5, 1964
THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
OFF THE RECORD by Nathan Ziprin
MESSIANIC CLIMATE
self was sent to the flames in the ly during the Civil War and the Re-
Inquisition. If he could convert to
Christianity, his life would have
been spared, but he refused to give
up his faith.
Simonhoff is a respected member
construction era. This is his first at
tempt at fiction, and a most suc
cessful one. As historian he tells the
facts, but their telling is done in
the magic of words that are gen-
When will Messiah come?
Generations upon generations of
Jews have been asking this still
unanswered question in a real sense.
Surely Messiah would come and he
would bring redemption from humil
iation, from persecution and from
the mundane earthly burdens. At
times he came, it seemed, but al
ways his signs proved false and he
would bring desjuair, disillusionment,
confusion and even straying from
path. Always t he false Messiahs
would come in the darkest moments
of Jewish history, when the people
were so troubled that they could
not distinguish between the magi
cian’s rod and the wand of Moses.
Yet they never despaired of his
owning.
And after centuries of waiting they
still look forward to his coming.
When will Messiah come?
He will come, say the believers,
when the world is worthy of his
owning.
A chassidie rabbi who was once
asked when the Messiah would come
replied that those to whom the secret
has been revealed were pledged to
keep it secret.
Another rabbi is said to have kept
his walking cane at his bedside to
make sure he was ready to embark
on the path if Messiah made a noc
turnal visit.
However, preoccupation with Mes
sianic speculation was not limited to
Jews alone. It is said of Sir Isaac
Newton, discoverer of the law of
gravity, that he spent a good deal
of time trying to figure out Mes
siah's coming from the Book of Dan
iel. That the world’s greatest math
ematician failed is now history.
One of the most dramtio stories in
connect ion with Messianic prognos
tications is the theme of Harry
Simonhoff’s intriguing historical
novel, "The Chosen One,” a Yose-
loff publication.
The story begins in 1524 in Por-
tgal, more than three decades after
the expulsion of the Jews from
Spam in 1492, and centers around
Shlomo Molcho, who never knew he
was a Jew until his mother revealed
the secret on her deathbed. As
Diego Piroz, the young man seemed
hooded for importance if not for
greatness. He was secretary of the
Chief Justice and was being pursued
by Tullia D’Aragaons, a cultured
Florentine widow of great culture
and exotic beauty.
Suddenly this Catholic-raised young
GRANTS FOR
JEWISH CULTURE
NEW YORK, fJTAi—Grants to
20 graduate students and scholars
for the next academic year were
awarded by the National Founda
tion for Jewish Culture at a meet
ing here this weekend. The students
are working toward degrees at
Brandeis University, Columbia Uni
versity, the University of California,
the University of Pennsylvania, the
University of Minnesota, New York
University, Yale University, and
Yeshiva University.
IMPRESSIVE UAR
PAVILION BELIES
HOME SITUATION
WORLD’S FAIR (WUP)-A visit
to th UAR Pavilion here gives the
observer the imprssion that Egypt
is one of the most progressive and
industrially-minded countries in the
world.
Judging by the elaborate exhibits
—machinery, fashions, food prod
ucts, tires, automobiles, publications,
etc —one might think that Egypt
has no poverty, no illiteracy and
that there is an abundance of every
thing. The average visitor, however,
Is unaware of the true situation exist
ing within the UAR where poverty
and disease are still battles to be
won.
One of the more well-informed vis
itors, touring tlie Pavilion, was
hoard remarking about the propa
ganda value of the exhibit against
the absence at the Fair of a truly
representative Israeli Pavilion show
ing the phenomenal development of
the Jewish State in every field of
endeavor. "The Arabs certainly have
gotten the jump on Israel here,” he
was heard saying.
man learns from his dying mother
that he is born of Jewish parents.
The revelation stuns him, searing
fiis being, but it also makes him
think and he reverts to his faith
through self-circumcision and is
drawn into the company of the Mo-
rannos, as the hidden Jews were
called.
At this point fate brings him to
gether with David Iteubeni, a Jewish
prince from the Orient who had
come to Portugal as ambassador for
his brother King David, ruler of the
kingdom of Ohibaar and Tabor. Im
pressed by Reubeni’s recitations,
young Diego unfolds his transforma
tion to Reubeni, whose presence is
given mystic significance by the
Morannos. Reubeni advises Diego to
go to Safad in the Holy Land.
Now the long journey begins for
Diego. He first goes to Salonika,
where he is admitted to the faith
in the synagogue and where he has
his name changed to Shlomo Molcho.
In Safad, area of cabillism and mys-
tiscism, he gains repute for piety,
learning and qualities of personality
that are associated with the un
worldly.
In the course of his peregrinations,
Shlomo Molcho meets some of the
most prominent Jewish figures of
the day, attracts many followers but
also makes many enemies.
The events of the time were prop
itious for messianic need, for mes
sianic speculation—and when David
Reubeni appeared on the scene, he
made a deep impression on the Jews.
To young Diego he seemed an omen
of the imminent coming of Messiah.
He figured the Meshiach would come
about 1540 and set about to Lay plans
for the return of the Jews to the
Promised Land. He was a persuasive
speaker and Jews listened to him
with enthusiasm, even as many non-
Jews did. He had hopes of winning
the Pope over to his plan for the re
turn of the Jews. The first at first h
turn of the Jews. The Pope at first
had given some indications of leaning
in Moloho’s favor and doing what he
could to aid the Jewish return, but
later, under pressure, Shlomo him-
of the community of Jewish histor- erally alien to the historian. It is
ians in America and is the author not often that the historian proves
of a number of works dealing with also a good novelist, but “The
American Jewish history, particular- Chosen One” proves it can be done.
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