November 24, 2006

100 Years Ago in the Forward

An uproar occurred this week in Russia when a reactionary newspaper printed that Prime Minister Stolipin is descended from a Jewish family. Stolipin’s grandparents were known to have been born in Galitsia, and it has definitely been determined that his great grandfather was a Jewish feldsher (medical assistant). Stolipin, antisemite that he is, has declared that the documents that exposed his family’s Jewish past are false and not believable. This news has created a ruckus in both the Jewish and non-Jewish presses in Russia.

75 Years Ago in the Forward

If it weren’t for Jews, according to famous and often vitriolic columnist H.L. Mencken, there would be no liberalism in American politics at all. In an article in Columbia University’s Spectator, Mencken added that most Americans have no concept of what liberal or radical politics even is. The columnist, who caused a sensation awhile back after writing that he didn’t like “professional” Jews, argued that liberalism only exists in America thanks to the waves of immigrants who came and brought it with them from Europe. Among Mencken’s other complaints were that colleges allow the entrance of too many students and that the right to vote should be given only to people who understand what they’re voting for.

50 Years Ago in the Forward

In the wake of the conflagration that occurred between Egypt and Israel over the past few weeks, conditions have worsened considerably for some 50,000 Jews living in Egypt. A group of 200 Egyptian Jews escaped to Switzerland, and these Jews are telling stories of extreme pain and suffering. They have said that Nasser wants to make Egypt “Judenrein.” Most of Egypt’s Jews are attempting to leave the country immediately. In Port Said, hundreds of Jews attempted to board a French medical ship, many of them begging for space. Room was found for only 90 of them. It is also being reported that the Egyptian government is arresting large numbers of Jews on a variety of charges.

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