Table Of Content

You Gentiles By Maurice Samuel Auihor of * the Outeder.” "Whaceer tines” Contents ‘The Question Gade rapt Leyalty ised "Te Redkouing Bul a Mesorns We, the Destroyers ‘ThE Games uf Sehace The Masses Selution und Discusion The Mechanism of Diswiusion Is There Avy Hp A Lust Word 197 ud saa 258 ur 8s 198 ‘Tass lus! Wen years and more [hava been asking myself, with increasing urgency, a musuber of questions: Ts there any special significance in the cise tinetion T have so long cherished.-the dis- finction of “Jew-gentilu" not lo he foud in the cliss of dielmetions implied in “Amorican-Foreigner" or “Englishunan-For- etgnec”® Is there, between us Jews und you gonliles, that is between the Jew on the une and and the Englishman, che Wrenchman, the American on the other band, that which franacends all the differences which exist among yourselves, s0 that, in relation to us, you ate gentiles first, and afverwaeds (and ‘without particnlar relovance im this connce- tion) Englishmen, Frenchmen, Ameticara? 7 _ sere nazar cnc You Gentiles O: is 1here wothing mars implied in chat ddisinclion, Jew-gentZle, than Gin a general wey} in the distinctions Jew-American, Amer ieon-Fnglisbraa, Englishman-Vrenchtnen? Jn osher wards, ave we Jers but part of the gentiies, Armerieans, Inglishmen, Jows, imma, ur 's there 2 d2ener cleavage he- becom us? Ts this Western word divided prie Is into two parts you yentiles; we Urom the uutsee T shall be asker: “Even Hf pou euspect the existence of such a pritral clewwage, beyonl the reach of erdinazy valisnal or racial claasiivat pore can you have in aging it epon the ale lention of dke world? Has ic uny practical apzlication? Dyes it in any fastion clatify the status of the Jew, or pive yrenter rogowy (o sued rlaions of Ids us are still ursatistied 2” queelion ¥6It he gall of me by mung Jews hut in particular if ill be asked with thw utmost iasistence by these ows who have er jonal tights, nativasi pee fr nat E “The: Question equalicy, precisely on this asumption that we Jews are a youl like sll ether peoples, similar in needs aad ionpolsee: thal we ate Jews, you are Cnylishmer, you ave Italians, ut ace Americans; that we, tine worlds races ‘or peaples, sce all of us similar in our difere Leaving on sn side those who deny the existexce of any distinetions at all, thove, chat is, whe say Ut the Jew ty either & French man, an American aran Fnglishmas arcana ing te the place nf hie bith, I weul ant “For me tae ordinury nationilist er racial lsseilivation has not sulficed." TT hase long ponilered his question of Jew and gentile itis becouse T srpected fran th Exst dawning of Jewish sel-eonscionsnes that, Jew and gentile are tio worlds, chat Dbevwicen you gentiles smd us Jews there Lies an auibeldgcabie galt, Gide by sie with this belied grew another, which is related to the raviical sspesl of the distinction. T do not believe that, situated ss we atc 9 You Geutiles in yout enidst, seartored among you fram une nl oi the Westen, world to the oth, we have the riyil Ws retain one identity Hf we ice hur anther addition a the gevlile pea ples. (Nur, by the way, do T believe Phat vee vault hove colnined {4 su long ad th been ple ak wwe.) Tf we are hut one more peo- to the Mang roster of peoples, liviog und dead, we have no claim wortiy while, der disse ciecamstances, ta continuity of supscale conseimenres, Suele a clvius could unver have arisen had we remained seeme, bel os ow would have, ec cur tacit birtright, But as it is, aur existence is seeured at an feBnile expense of ui found ial effort 0a var part, sod of pecudi comiear ta yew. Wherecer the Jew fe is prub a somes af onbaypiness to Limself ans} to those aseurd Tim. Ever since fie bas been scattered ia your midst tre fas lad to maintais a ewntincigus straggle for the conservation ef ls identity. Ts it worth wale, im she face of this dimble burden, aur ow woud yours, ta perpetuate whul may be, iC Phe Qnestion after all, an addition of one unit to. scores ff similar writs? Wore these centuries of alternate torture and respite nol a dito igh ptice for Ue right to in purtionalely test by one page the already overburdened records of the nations? Wer & my belief, ae ic is, at least in ex: presion, the belief of many fellow-Jews, Haat out tight to oxiat i¢ feunded on our givvilarity te other perples, that where Auerisan oF Releian or Iatan has a right to hummeland, tnkure, history, palierenn, we Jews have tke game right, for the same reasons, and for no ether reasuns- were this py belief, T could rot find the heart to contine the straygle ot to urge the surngele upon others. ye effort ig $90 sever; the price is ton Teh’ the guerdon is insiynifeant. Were we Wke olker peapks we ought to have done what at chreumstat:ees, other peoples, under spould uo? & pénple deiven from its hoaekand, fa poople gronmu “mio dust and carried by vind of misfortune inte every cumer of the word, has no right £9 jaltict ix woes and u You Gestiles longings on others. Tt it sh lonld cease tn exist ould vid che world of its insportnate reser, Surl: would de say belief if T saw in our selva only av replica, with dhe proper vari lions, af the vest af the world, But thi aot ay beiel, tor L utheraize. Yeues Bf absarestina and chought have given ine creasing strength lo the beijei that we Jems ater art from yor gy antes, thet & print ually breaks the humanity T know nto two Gistinct parts; Lust this duality is a fonda recutal, aut tbat all difererect som yuu gentifes are afvialites compared! with thar which divides all of your feo ws Tam avtare that. isis «eats which ean ‘not be supposted by diagrarne, tables. amd logaritues, It cannot even be urged wich the apparent hall-compalsion of social ard ecenomic laws, ‘The cogeney of wi to say duce oot depen wat T anve om roference to vo viave a? instuctable laws, natural proces acknowl F968 and accepted. Tum alvo aware that the weixltt of what is called learned opin 12 ‘Vhe Question fon will be thrown against me, taal ey con teation wil muot with the ridicule of facile cenramon sense an of tbatership. Neverthe Tess Lavi it dawn cloaty that in Gils Western sworkd there ure essentially to peoples as spirtuab forces, emly two tirnan sections Wit esunltal meaning—few and gentile. But ar leasl what credentials hava 1 to oifer—sinoc the presentation of eruentials ual always precede Ue presemtation oi the Ukesis? What claire have Lom Gee atlontlon ei the world? 1 can only answer thar dds ‘book, being w satious boul, most cary its ov exedentixs and does rot alrempt to bor tow iporlance izewe outside sources. T offer payer only as a Jesr wo i lived, observed and @hought: my experiences and contests hhave hoen somewhat more wasted shaa those of most men, bat this has Tete 10. do with my views. ‘Lhe truth which is spread over ‘he whole warld is also contained in ary part of it, Phe Las of gravitation are implied as cormpletely in the falling cf # pebule to earth as in the rush of the sun agaiost the 8 You Gentiles counter.tash of is qompanion stare, ‘The law (of Pivsteia works no less Lely in (he eral- ing of a soail than in the dizzy vibration of the fastest atomic szzamit, “Trese hus are more exsily observed ir the ame set of cases than in thy athers tha is al If T have touched the aut it bas hose primarily through contact with iis and 1 havo rogarded books as but a cles of Living to be observed and interpreted and pheod ia their serting, “ile itself, sbserea. tion of men and seinen, singly aad in masses, a ngwledke uf their works (amoug which books ave imporlané}, a feeling for their de eS, peicoptian ol their intent. in cities, law, theaters, games, wars, all rhis has roughtne to the eececptinn I shail set fozth. All schulership—particularly that scholarship which deels with the menifestatinne of cnan’s desites aad fears—eonsiste 9f oauthesitalve ‘marginal woles, which ure af interest chielly 28 giving us sence insighl into dhe nature of those win jetted thom dowe, It docs no farin ta know the history that 4 “Whe Question 4s in books; but the only aullentic history is around ws. made daily m aewspapers, theaters, meetings, election campaigns, And is it less valudble to know what he waiter id at the Simplivissimas cabaret in Vicuma, wher. 1 yas there throe years ayo Gian to know what Teron reports a clave to have sairl in Rorre when tie was bere two thou sand years ayo? What iE ray ncighhor, the Professor, rede Grech ralher kes Ouentiy than ddl « certain thick-witted Athenian cfti- ven wo “ived in the Lime of Perieles and by rnp ancans us well as Tad Knglish? 1s cho proo! of sekidom or undestiading? And sapposing mg neighbor on shy alher side, the fanions profeser af History, knows rather Jess shout the Pelasonnesian war than the intelligent. college student knows about the World War—is thal Professor therefore wiser than mast mm, is his opinion on life more valusble? And supposing another scholar purports t@ Ul us what the sncieal Heep tins believed, and irom his account of this ead religion pretends to teach the socrees i You Gentiles of Iaith, Can he fell we what John Doc or Issac Levy believes? one Jahn Toon r= lieve that Christ rare froma the dene? Resi? believe thar, ag a pilin (ruth, as te wold be liove H if bis mocher, whoa he buried fve . show sudden ef away and clud in her tattered coxcmnents—hcliee % #8 simplyanl bly? And does Issac Levy believe thal tie waters of tae Red Sea were divided, i iT one day, alow che esburg Beidge, he were to see che vwa.ore splil, seus, wad fall ayia? And if either John Toe nor Tene Tavy heliovee ns covently us this, chen what do they realy helio, 1F they believe anytbing at a? Azul ifthe professar cannot answer these quo tions, waat docs “xe mean when he says that the Byyptians believed that Ostris rose fram he dead? And what do his reports matter? ‘There fs: ne test ot gevauntee of a muo’s swisloie or of Lis reliabilily beyond what. be says about life itself. Life is the touchstone hooks smust be read and urderslood in order 6 came walking ‘The Question that we may compare our experience in Tiér with the sncere eepurl of the expecicnes of oihers, Bat suck and such a one, sho has reud ull dbo baoks extant on ‘history and art, ei ne consequence unless thess: are to him an infirect commentary on what he feels around hist Honee, if E have dvawa chiefly an experi enre end cyntemplation ane Tite am baoks swbich others will 'scoger without my aduvs- sion—this Socs nat affect ny cumpctency, hich niust he judged ly standauds jufnitely pplication, (8 is not 80 aure gifeule a: Simple thet you ran text @ man’s nramess a vallege examination to trata by giviag Sich cxamingtluns are mere games—they: jan U9 realily, You may desire rome such easy standard by which yon cam judge whether or not a can fe reliable: Ines he know much bislory? Much biology? “Much psychology? Tf not, be is not wartl, listening to, Truc ft ds part of the fivality of bur gudonk to reduce life Lo a set of relee, ny oF con ‘awe wo rel and thus save oucselve® the "7 You Gentiles stant reference tu frst princig'es, Nu: stond= andize! knortelye is a0 guarantee of truck, Put dewn a single question—a Tivizy, question, ike tnis; “Should A. have killed) 7” ask if af ten fouls: ive will zay “Ves," ve will say Noe" ASK HL of ter intel five wil say ©¥is," ve wil say ©No.” Ask it of ten seholarst live will say °Y: Jive will gay "No." “The tools will hayes 0 veasons for ‘rir decision: the inteliigent men wil have 8 Tew rrxsons for eal as way agains; the scholars wil have mpre teasins for and aguinst, But whete dous the trulh lier What, then, shall be the criterion of a aun’ reliability? There ig nose, Vou eannae evade your re- sponsibility thus by enérusticg your s into the hands uf 2 prieslspccialist. A gin platon may bring you salvation and a great Pailusopher may coafound yu And s0 10 life direct, as | have geen it working fn oflers and fein within myself, Li refer the trath of what I say, And to 18 The Question Drinks 1 rela only iu so far as they are mani- le: ations of lile. But another questiva, 1aore subtle und dis lerbing, wousl 2¢ faced. ¥ have said, “These ate tw life corces in the wuld Llenow: Jew- ish acd gentile, ours and yorrs.” Lf this be a uuth, we must wat be driver ircta it il, lilte many eller tru vis; iL fe overlaid ara ab: ved [ny Uhe irtelevancies ei life, by the ie- tersection and cunfusiva of ccrrents, Here is the guot'le lie-force: here is the Jewish We-iowce, What their origin was T cunvol yy Lean only surmise limy what ch slanses, rene! ing poo what aciyinal finp produced the Jewizh life-furce and the gentile Tife-furce, 1 cau only atinea--to the Jews, im the main, belongs Une Jewish life-torce, a ve, a direction ir consistent and eoiwereni fuman thought and reaction, Te you others ‘pelongs the ventiie life-Force, a mode of Hite and Gioupll distinct Nom ours. Bul the bor 8 You Gentile sier Ih ropiresantative 6 ee nat clear. Net all of ws Jows aro Lae Jewish Jife-dorce: nat are alzagether aiieu to ail of yo: gens We have lived for many canaries in ase contigily, if not an iatizazey. One prophetic books, cur mast charactovistic ‘nuerea, have tusn ccad to you for many hundreds of years, Something Ta uhese bunks fas devcloved Sexe and there, among yu, a latent frl'eiéal ir 2 to our Jewish way vf life and thought. Essendlaily our prap aati berks ennuol change yuur gentile nate: but in stray, predler neg hearts they bricg Forth fruit, Your outloak om hte, your dersinant. v2 the satne tovlay 23 they were twa seers age. All that hes changed is tbe fo strument of expression, You five the seine life under different faiths, But son:ething coms, urs sand eilngs to you hore and there reseinbling the inal form of the faith we gave you. Here iti there our scinber earnestness breaks aut ca the dazzling kaleidoscope of your history. And we. {er al? our segregation have caught, The Question patticelur'y of lute, something of your way nf file, Ae a tee gentile: baw gpuken in Jewiss tones, sa more than one Jew speaks the Jangosse oF Lae gernile, Joss live « sea tie Ite Reve and there, while gentile liv give expression Lo Jewish emnatia Yet the rleavage fr there, abysmal and ua denish'e, In the wain, we aco forever ol net. Ques iz one Tile, yours is anuther. wh accidental cunfusions as nmke some Northerners darker tian Southemare does nat fect the Taw rut the Southerner ie darker- skinned, ‘he Jaw bolds rone the less for acriflental ané concradictory cases. ‘You may evm have Jows in your mid soho did mol learn thele way of life from us, and Cid nog inherit it (rom a Juw'sh forbear. We may have eutlentic. genciles in our avidet these single protests arc of ng account: they are extreme and irrelevant. variasion: And of as liltle account are the occasional transterences af custovis andl conventions taken over ip the mass, We may have cn: toms ane conventions of yours Imposed on 21