March 18, 2011
100 Years Ago in the forward
The Philadelphia Jewish community is up in arms since Rabbi Landman of Temple Knesset Israel gave a sermon in which he said that all Russian Jews are swindlers, fakers, liars, crooks, conspirators, thieves, robbers and murderers. It would be one thing if a Christian or a convert had cast such aspersions, but a Jew who preaches honesty and love to all? The sermon has produced a great brouhaha in the City of Brotherly Love, with many members of Landman’s own congregation dissenting. One of them sent us a letter decrying the sermon and admitting that some of the congregation even applauded after Landman called Russian Jews criminals.
75 Years Ago in the forward
A wave of pogroms continues to sweep over Poland. Random attacks on Jews occurred in Lodz; a synagogue was bombed near the end of Sabbath prayers in Sosnowiec, and many other attacks occurred throughout the country. Eighty Jews were killed, and more than 400 were wounded. As a result of these pogroms, all Jewish workers have gone on strike. The only ray of hope is that a number of Polish unions have joined them. In addition to the physical attacks, the anti-Semitic Polish National Democrats published a demand that Jews who plan on emigrating from Poland will not be permitted to take any of their capital with them. Polish anti-Semites are continuing to threaten Jews all over the country with violence.
50 Years Ago in the forward
A new scandal has erupted in Tel Aviv in connection to the Sheraton Hotel that opened recently, to great fanfare. The scandalous issue has to do with the reading material the hotel placed in the guestrooms. As is typical, an English-language Bible was made available to guests. In addition, the autobiography of Ernest Henderson, president of the Sheraton Corporation of America, was placed in the rooms. In his autobiography, Henderson apparently blames World War II on President Franklin D. Roosevelt and excuses the Nazis for their actions. “Nazi leaders had to do what they did in order to fight the dangers of communism in Germany in 1933” is one of Henderson’s opinions. Commenting from Boston, Henderson said the Israelis must have misunderstood what he wrote.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
