Читать книгу A Jewish Journey - Sheldon Cohen - Страница 29

A new Minister of the Interior, N.P. Ignat’ev, continued to whip up sentiment against the Jews. He included the Poles in his attacks and blamed Russia’s troubles on this double element. He went so far as to suggest that the Jews and Poles were involved in an attempt to overthrow the government from within, This opinion was not shared by all in the Russian heirarchy, but the minister’s view prevailed. As a result the new Czar, Alexander III, enacted the May Laws.

These laws stated:

1.The Jew could not leave the towns in the Pale. They could not settle anywhere else outside of the towns.

2.Jews could not own land outside of towns.

3.Jews could not carry on any business activity on Sundays or Christian holidays.

It was only due to a world outcry, plus some liberal elements within the Russian government that measures such as banishing all Jews to Asia did not become law. There were Jewish quotas enforced in higher education and Jews could not vote.

In 1882, Moritz was 16-years-old. He moved to Kishinev where he joined one of his older cousins who was involved in the garment industry. Moritz’s father, Jacob, and his mother, Rachel, remained in Yelizavetegrad where Jacob officiated at the synagogue.

Moritz was quick to enter and master the garment trade. At age nineteen, he married Hannah, a seventeen year old. She was the sister of a well-respected Kishinev physician, Label Kalish.

Moritz and his cousin prospered. Moritz and Rachel’s son, Samuel, was born in 1885.

The Jewish population of Kishinev continued to grow. There were 45,000 Jews living there—almost half of the population. They owned most of the manufacturing industry, mills and factories. However, the great majority of the Jews were destitute and subsisted on welfare. Moritz’s cousin was active in assisting fellow Jews. He taught Moritz the satisfaction of tzedakah.

Label Kalish had practiced medicine in Kishinev for twenty years. He was born in Russia but took his medical training in Germany and Austria. At the time, these two countries were the world leaders in medicine. Physicians from all over the world came for training. Doctor Kalish trained under Theodor Billroth, who was a pioneering surgeon at the University of Vienna, and who used antiseptic techniques, which made it possible for him to do surgery never before possible. Billroth was the father of abdominal surgery. Dr. Kalish spent two years with Doctor Billroth, and, as a result, he brought these advanced surgical techniques to Russia.

He spoke fluent German as well as his native Russian. He taught his family the language. Moritz’s wife, Hannah also spoke perfect German and she taught the language to Moritz and their growing son, Samuel.

A Christian child entered Doctor Kalish’s hospital unconscious from several knife wounds in the abdomen. The child exhibited marked pallor indicating massive blood loss. Doctor Kalish made a valiant effort to save the boy’s life, but to no avail. The same day a young Christian woman patient committed suicide in the hospital. The Christian community thought these two tragic medical events related and due to the blood libel. Near riots occurred. Their anger knew no bounds and as Doctor Kalish left the hospital one day, the mob threw stones at him. He sustained some minor wounds until the police rescued him and dispersed the mob. It turned out that relatives murdered the child and that the suicide bore no relationship to the murdered child or the Jews. This episode was a reflection of the hatred the Christian community felt.

It was during this time that “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” entered the picture. This document, or rather a hodge-podge of documents, was a definite forgery by the Russian Ochrana (secret police), for diverting the minds of the Russian peasants from their own misery.

The document had as its main theme the fact that the Jews, through a top-secret cabal, were planning the overthrow of world governments, especially the Russian government. The Jewish intent was to install an anti-Christ type of dictatorship directed by the cabal. The document tried to explain two thousand years of history based upon this world Jewish conspiracy theory. It was a worldwide paranoid explanation of all the difficulties that befell man and humankind throughout history. The protocols postulated that the clever Jewish cabal would use people and governments like pawns in a world chess game in which the cabal was maneuvering the world to checkmate.

Jewish enemies also thought that the Jews had some help from the Freemasons. This was an organization that had its origin in the seventeenth century and was an association of craftsmen who were stonemasons.

Freemason lodges spread, and their doctrine allowed for the admission of anyone, regardless of religious belief. They declared religious tolerance as their byword, and Jews could become members even though there was considerable Christian content in their constitution. There were Freemason groups that allowed Jews and there were groups that did not. All religious groups viewed with suspicion these all-encompassing efforts to unify man. None of this mattered as the Freemasons were being cast into the paranoid net, and it wasn’t long before the world conspiracy for control was called a Jewish and Freemason plot.

Pamphlets appeared in Russia blaming the countries ills on the Jews, suggesting that the Jews had formed an alliance to destroy the Russian nation. Therefore, whenever anyone saw one of these Christ betrayers, he could kill the Jew.

In this poisonous atmosphere, and with the suspicions aroused by the childhood knifing and the suicide of the young Christian girl, the Russian peasants struck all over the country. In 1903, pogroms started in many towns including Kishinev, which suffered one of the severest attacks. Forty-five Jews lost their lives and hundreds suffered wounds. Hundreds of homes, shops, and businesses looted, left many Jews homeless. Moritz, horrified at what was taking place, took action and was responsible for organizing a small cadre of Jews to defend themselves. They fought back with fists, clubs and stones, but their effort suffered from lack of numbers and insufficient training. In some instances they turned back the looters, but they made little impact on the overall pogrom. Two of them died in the attempt.

There were 5,000 Russian soldiers stationed in Kishinev at the time; and they could have disrupted the attacks at their origins, but they did not attempt to do so.

These events did not go unnoticed in the outside world, where protest meetings were organized. President Theodore Roosevelt sent a letter of concern to the Czar. He refused to accept it. Even in Russia, there was protest. This caused the government to make a half-hearted effort to bring the perpetrators to justice, but sentences were meted out that were very lenient in relation to the death and destruction caused, so the pogroms continued.

For three years, a wave of violence swept Russia. Its targets were Jews, who died in ever-increasing numbers.

After the first pogrom in Kishinev in 1903, all the members of the family got together in Doctor Kalish’s house. There was Moritz and his wife and their son Samuel, who was now eighteen years old. Moritz’s cousin and his family and Doctor Kalish and his wife were there.

Doctor Kalish started the discussion. His face was serious and grim. His dark brown eyes lacked luster. He knew danger and was used to working under pressure, and he spoke in the same firm, calm voice that he used when in the operating room.

“My career in Russia has been a good one, but the problems we are facing now outweigh the benefits of my staying. I’ve no choice but to leave Russia. The danger to our lives is too great. Yes, I’ve had a wonderful career, but that was coming to an end because I’m nearing the age of retirement, and my practice is decreasing. I’ve made up my mind to go to Germany where I speak the language and still have contacts in the medical profession. Also, my wonderful nephew Samuel who wants to be a doctor will have no opportunity in Russia. His German is excellent, so I appeal to you all, we should move to Germany, and we should do it as a family.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but how do we leave our business?” asked Moritz, turning to look at his business partner and cousin who was silent and listening to the discussion.