JewishIdentityinShadowsandLight
Chanukah2016(5777)
“Thereistheoutsideofastory,andthereistheinsideofastory..”
TheMarriageofOpposites,AliceHoffman
“KolNidreistheprayerofpeoplenotfreetomaketheirowndecisions,
peopleforcedtosaywhattheydonotmean.Inrepeatingthisprayer,we
identifywiththeagonyofourforebearswhohadtosay‘yes’whentheymeant‘no.’”
GatesofRepentance,ReformMachzor,1978,1996
ItwasjustacasualquestionfromacousinataThanksgivingfamilygatheringinKalamazoo,Michigan10yearsago.
“Jean,”sheasked,“whenyouwereatHope,didyouknowPaulFried?”“Yes,”Ianswered,“well,actuallyIknewofhimbutdidn’t
reallygettoknowhimwellortakeanyclassesfromhim.”Ithoughtthatwasall.Butitwasn’t.“Justwondered,”continuedmy
cousin,Eileen,“HewasmyneighborinHollanduntilhediedlastyear.HewasJewish,youknow.”“No,Ididn’tknow,”I
respondedwhileinsideIwastellingmyself,“ButIshouldhave.Icouldhave.”
MycousinwasreferencingDr.PaulFried,ProfessorofEuropeanHistoryatHopeCollege,Holland,Michigan,wellliked
andrespectedbyhisstudentsandfounderin1956oftheCollege’sstillverypopularViennaSummerSchoolProgram.Sittingwith
mycousinthatThanksgivingday,herquestionevokedamemoryofthosecollegeyearsandmydailyrushthroughVanRaalte
Hall,runningpell-melltolab,clutchingmybiologyandchemistrytextbooks,oftencastingaquickglanceatDr.Fried’sopen
classroomdoor,seeingtheknotsofstudentsgatheredchattingwithhimafterclass,seeminglyloathetoleave.
Irememberaruefuldesiretotakeacoursefromhim—andthenquicklysurfacingquestions,asifasuddendartfromthe
pre-conscious:“Dr.Fried—isthataJewishname?GivenhisprobableageandcomingfromVienna,didhegothroughthe
Holocaust?Whatishishistory?And,ifso,what’shedoingteachingatacollegedominatedbyandsaturatedwith
Christian/CalvinisticthinkinginalittletownonLakeMichiganwithachurchoneverycorner?”Butjustasquicklythequestions
returnedtothepre-consciousfromwhencetheycame.Silenced.Quashed.Byme.
Untilacousinaskedaquestion.“Didyouknowhim?”Andso40yearslater,Ifinallyaskedabouthishistoryand
discoveredthat,yes,hewasJewishbutremainedverydistantfromhisJewishroots.HewasindeedfromVienna.Hisfather,a
journalistandmother,aphysician,hadreportedly“converted”toChristianity,but,saidEileen,“Hisfathersortofdidandhis
motherneverdid.”TheyhadopenlycriticizedNazithinking,werepickedupandarrestedalongwithhisbrothers,andeventually
executed.Paulwasarrestedandreleasedafter6months.“Hisfamilyallperished,”saidmycousin.“Hesurvived.Andthenhe
helpedasatranslatorattheNurembergtrials.”“SowhyliveandteachinHolland,ofallplaces?”Iasked.“Forawhilehefeared
retributionforparticipatingintheNurembergtrials,”sheresponded,“andbecausehefeltcomfortableinHollandandsafe.He
blendedinbecauseitwasexpedient.”
Sothereitwas.TheanswertothequestionsIhadneverallowedtoseethelightofdaythoseforty-oddyearsago.
PerhapstheCollegecouldbefaultedforitsveryflat,one-dimensionalversionofDr.Fried’slifestorywhichtheydidpublish,but
writtenwithahardslantinthedirectionofhismembershipintheChristiancommunitywithseeminglylittleevidenceofcuriosity
forthehowandwhyofthat—forthehowandwhyofthe“outsideofastoryandtheinsideofastory.”And,yes,theycouldbe
faultedfornotremainingtruetoaliberalartstradition,notconveyingamorebalancedpointofview—fornotsearchingbeneath
thesurfacetoaddresstheissueofforcedconversionsinthehistoryoftheJewishpeople.“Forthedeepertruthofwhatwas
actuallythere.”(AliceHoffman)OnequoteofDr.FriedwhichwasincludedintheCollege’spublicationwasthemosttelling.
Fromalettertoacolleague/friendinMay,1948,hestated:“ImustconfessIhaveneverbeentoaDPcamp;neitherhaveIvisited
anyoftheformerconcentrationcamps…Ihavefoughtfor10yearsnottohate,andIamafraidstill.Itistoopainfultobe
remindedofthepast,soIratherleaveitalone.”(HopeBeyondBorders,StephenI.Hemenway.)
ButthepersonIholdmostresponsibleismyself.Forshuttingdowncuriosity.Forsettlingforthestatusquoofthe
smug,surfaceassumptionsofthemajority.ForevenifanyquestionIhadaskedbackthenhadbeenrebuffedbyeitherDr.Fried
ortheCollege,Iwouldatleasthaveposedit.Becauseaquestionposedhasapowerfarbeyondtheanswersought;itisinthe
searchingthatdoorsareopenedtorecognitionof“theother,”theotherwayofthinking,toexpandedexplanations,thegreater
clarityofthedepthsofastoryofalife—inthiscaseoftheagonizingchoicesmadeinthethroesofJewishidentityinthecontext
oftheChristiananti-SemitismofEurope.Doorswhichwouldhaveopenedinmyownheadforme—hadIasked.Yes,forthat
one,Iholdmyselfresponsible.
Theyearshavecomeandgonesincethosecollegedaysofregrettedmissedopportunity.InthoseyearsIhavelearned
thatone’sconnectiontoJudaismcanappeartobecastaside,oftenthroughsocietalcoercion,buriedinlayersofdenialorlivedin
secretandinshadows,itslinesofdefinitionblurredorhardlydecipherable.ButIhavealsolearnedthatJewishvaluesdonot
experiencethesamefateandthattheyeithermaintaininenduringtermsorrisetothesurface—attimesinunexpectedways,by
unexpectedmeans—butalwaysinthelight.
ThispastsummerwelostElieWiesel.AJewwholivedinthelightbutnotwithoutaprice.WithGod’ssenseofmomentand
meaning,ElieWieselleftusduringFourthofJulyweekend.Wiesel,Holocaustsurvivorandhumanitarian,whoseeloquenceand
couragebroughtmeaningandpowerfulwitnesstothetragedyoftheHolocaust,wrotewordsinhisbook,Night,the
autobiographicalrenderingofhisconcentrationcampexperienceasateenagerthatparticularlysearedtheirwayintoourhearts:
“NevershallIforgetthoseflamesthatconsumedmyfaithforever.NevershallIforgetthenocturnalsilencethatdeprivedmeforall
eternityofthedesiretolive.NevershallIforgetthosemomentsthatmurderedmyGodandmysoulandturnedmydreamsto
ashes.”Onceliberatedin1945,hestruggledtogoon—refusingtowriteortalkfor10yearsabouthisconcentrationcamp
experiences.Finally,afterameetingwithFrenchauthor,FrancoisMauriac,camethewordsofNightandtheworldlearnedthe
extentofthewoundstothesouloftheteen-agerwhobarelylivedthroughtheHolocaust,endingupskinandbones—whichwould
eventuallyheal—butwithatraumatizedsoulandtragiceyeswhichwouldneverhealandwhichwouldforeverbetheconscienceof
anindifferentworld.
Andthatindifferenceoftheworldotherthanthephysicalcrueltiesofthecampswasthedeepestofwounds.Infact,the
firsttitleofNightwasAndTheWorldKeptSilent.WorldleadersturnedablindeyewhiletheJewishpeopleofEuropewerebeing
murdered.Anditwasthismessage—ofthecrueltyofindifference—whichElieWieselfirstputtowordsinabookandthenby
oratory—byspeakingtruthtopower.HespokewithpersuasiontoPresidentJimmyCartertofoundtheHolocaustMemorial
Museum.HespoketoPresidentBillClintonabouttheneedtodefendBosniaandKosovo.Hespokeoutaboutthemassacresin
RwandaandaboutthepoliticalandethnicconflictintheDarfurregionoftheSudan.Butveryprobablyhismosttouchingand
monumentalchallengetopowertookplaceonApril19,1985intheRooseveltRoomoftheWhiteHouse.
Theoccasionthatday:theawardoftheCongressionalGoldMedalofAchievementbyPresidentRonaldReaganto
Romanian-bornnovelistElieWiesel.Anticipatedtobeagreatmomentfortheaward,thehighestsuchbestowedonacivilianbythe
nd
AmericanCongress,itwastocoincidewiththe42 anniversaryofthePolishJews’anti-Naziuprising,theWarsawGhettoRevolt.
WhiteHousestrategistshadcarefullyplannedforthebigmomentofthemeetingof“..thestrapping,perpetually-jauntypresident
andthewispy,torturedwriter,aHolocaustrefugee,thankinghisPresidentandhisadoptednationforthechampioning[of]
freedom.”(GilTroy,TheDailyBeast,9-11-2016).Planningforaverysignificantmoment,WhiteHousestaffplacedthemeetingto
occurintheEastRoomoftheWhiteHousetoaccommodatemorethan300guests.
Unfortunatelyforallinvolved,thisceremonycoincidedwithastormthathaderuptedoverthePresident’supcomingvisit
toGermanyattheinvitationofGermanChancellorHelmutKohl.ChancellorKohlhadinvitedReagantovisitaGermanmilitary
th
cemeteryatBitburg,Germanytocelebratenormalizationofrelationsbetweenthetwocountriesonthe40 anniversaryoftheend
ofWWII.AndthusbeganoneofthemostacrimoniousconfrontationsbetweenanyU.S.administrationandtheAmericanJewish
community.ForChancellorKohlhadaskedPresidentReagantovisitacemeterywhere47SSofficerswereburied.Inaddition,
Reagan’striphadfirstdrawnfirewhenitwasannouncedonMarch21,1985thatitdidnotincludeastopatasiteofaNazi
concentrationcamp.ThenonApril11,theWhiteHouseannouncedthatthecemeteryatBitburgwasonReagan’sitineraryandthat
ReaganandKohlwouldlayawreaththere“inaspiritofreconciliation..offortyyearsofpeace.”(JewishVirtualLibrary).Major
JewishorganizationscalledReagan’sdecisiontovisitBitburgbutnotDachau“deeplyoffensive.”Fifty-threesenatorsand101
membersofCongresssignedbipartisanprotests.Protestsalsocamefrom“TheMoralMajority,”theNAACPandAFL-CIO.Andthus
wassetthescenefortheceremonyawardingtheCongressionalGoldMedalofAchievementtoElieWiesel8dayslater.
TheembarrassedWhiteHousemadeeffortstokeepMr.Wiesel’scommentsaslow-keyaspossibleandabruptlyshiftedthe
meetingfromtheEastRoomwhichcouldaccommodate300+totheRooseveltroomwhichcouldhold40guests.OnThursdaynight
priortotheevent,Mr.WieselsentanadvancecopyofhisremarkstoDonaldRegan,WhiteHouseChiefofStaff,topreparethe
Presidentforhisremarks.Onthenextday,thedayoftheevent,MarshallJ.Breger,WhiteHouseLiaisonforJewishAffairs,insisted
hekeepthespeechto3minutesandtobaranycriticismofPresidentReagan.Mr.Wieselthenthreatenedtoboycottifhecouldnot
speakfreely.Reagan’sChiefofStaff,DonaldReganthenreluctantlyassuredhimhecouldsaywhathewantedinwhatevertimehe
needed.
ElieWieseltoldfriendsthateventhoughhehadworkedonhisspeechthroughoutthenight,hewasuncertainifhewould
giveitorboycotttheceremony.ButinacrackingvoiceandwiththePresidentlisteningintently,hesaid,“Thereissadnessinmy
heartovertheeventsofthepastweek…WhatcanIdo?Iamamemberofatraumatizedgeneration.Astousandastoyou,
symbolsareimportant.Ourtraditioncommandsustospeaktruthtopower.Theissuehereisnotpolitics,butgoodandevil.And
wemustneverconfusethem.ForIhaveseentheSSatwork.AndIhaveseentheirvictims.Theyweremyfriends.Theyweremy
parents.Mr.President,therewasadegreeofsufferingintheconcentrationcampsthatdefiesimagination.”Declaringhis“respect
andadmiration”forMr.Reagan,headdedthat,“Iamconvinced,asyouhavetoldusearlierwhenwespoke,thatyouwerenot
awareofthepresenceofSSgravesintheBitburgcemetery.Ofcourseyoudidn’tknow.Butnowweallareaware.MayI,Mr.
President,ifit’spossibleatall,imploreyoutodosomethingelse,tofindaway,tofindanotherway,anothersite?Thatplace,Mr.
President,isnotyourplace.YourplaceiswiththevictimsoftheSS.”(TheNewYorkTimes).
PresidentReaganlistenedintentlytothe10-minutespeechandwasreportedtobe“deeplymoved”asweretheguests,
manyofwhomwereintears.GilTroy,writingforTheDailyBeast,commented,“Ratherthanbeingpleasedwithhimselffor
heroicallydefyingthepressurefromtheReaganitesandtheJewishcommunityworrywartstokeepquiet,ProfessorWiesellooked
terrible.HavingbeenborninfreedomasanAmerican,Ihadnotappreciatedthesuperhumancourageittookforthisconcentration
campsurvivor,thisEuropeanrefugee,thisnaturalizedAmerican,toconfrontthepopularAmericanPresident,inthePresident’s
ownhome,beforetheworld.”(TheDailyBeast).
PresidentReagandidnotcancelhistriptotheBitburgCemetery.ANewYorkTimeseditorialonMay6,1985wrotethat
Reagan’sdecisiontogothroughwiththeBitburgvisitwasa“blunder,oneofthefewtimesthathelostaconfrontationinthecourt
ofpublicopinion…theGermanchancellor’sattempttorehabilitatethereputationoftheWaffen-SShasalsofailed…Itwas,however,
regardedbymany..observersasoneofAmericanJewry’sfinestmomentswheninthewordsofWiesel,‘truthwasspokento
power.’”
Inaspontaneoussharingofinformation,RabbiDanielGoldberger(ofblessedmemory)spokewiththiswriteronone
occasionofastorytoldtohimbyRabbiManuelLaderman,alsoofblessedmemory,andrabbiattheHebrewEducationalAlliance
whenitwaslocatedonthewestsideofDenver.AsRabbiGoldbergerrelated,RabbiLadermansharedthatheoftenwasthe
recipientofvisitsinthe1960’sfromadistinguishedprofessorattheUniversityofDenver,identifiedasRomanCatholic,who
wouldcomeandchatwithhimaboutthingsJewish,Finally,afterseveralofthesevisits,RabbiLadermanquestionedtohimself,
“IthinkthatmanisJewish.HekeepscomingbacktotalktomeaboutJewishissues.”(Personalcommunication)
“Thatman”wasJosefKorbel,Czech-AmericandiplomatandpoliticalscientistattheUniversityofDenver,founderofits
JosefKorbelSchoolofInternationalStudies,professorofinternationalpoliticsandmentortoCondoleezzaRice,futureUnited
StatesNationalSecurityAdvisorandlaterSecretaryofState.In1939becauseofhisstatusasaJewandasadiplomatinpre-WW
IICzechoslovakia,JosefKorbelovaandhiswifewiththeirbabygirl,MarieJana,fledPragueandHitler,movingtoLondonwhere
theyconvertedtoCatholicism.Afterthewar,theyeventuallyimmigratedtotheUnitedStates.Theirdaughter,MarieJana,while
inprivateschoolinSwitzerland,changedhernametoMadeleine.AsMadeleineAlbright,shebecamethefirstwomanSecretary
ofStatefortheUnitedStates.WhenherappointmentwasannouncedbyPresidentBillClinton,theWashingtonPostpublished
anarticle(“Albright’sFamilyTragedyComestoLight,”WashingtonPost,February4,1997)aboutherlife,includingthehistoryof
herJudaism.ShecommentedthatsheneverknewuntilthatmomentthatshewasJewish.Untilthenshedidnotknowthat
mostofherrelativesinCzechoslovakiaperishedintheHolocaust,including3ofhergrandparents.
Jewishidentityisnosometimematter.Tomaintainithasbeentofightforitslifeinspiteofeffortsbytheworldtodestroy
itbyanymeanspossible—includingforcedconversions.Inspiteofall,thetraditionoftheJewishpeoplehasmaintaineditself—but
notwithouttimeswhenJewish-nesshasbeenpreservedinsecret.Preserved—notdestroyed.Whetherpreservedinsecret,in
shadowsorinthebrightlightofday,Jewishvalueshaveahabitofshowingthemselveswithveryobviousclarity—almostasifGodis
insistingthattherearemanypathwaystostandingonholyground.
IbelieveGodwaspresentintheRooseveltRoomoftheWhiteHouseoftheUnitedStateswhenaslight,RomanianJewish
immigrant,Holocaustsurvivorandworldhumanitarian,gatheredeverythreadofhiscourage,spokesoftlywithunsteadyvoice,in
heavily-accentedEnglishtothePresidentoftheUnitedStates,carefullychoosinghiswords,buttoldhimhewasdeadwrongtovisit
aGermancemeterytohonorthosewhohadmurderedhispeople—andhismother,hissisterandhisfather.Yes,Godwasthere.
ThatJewishimmigrantchosetostandinthelight,theharshlightofpoliticiansgoingaboutthebusinessofglad-handing,dealmakingandcemetery-visiting—and,intheircomplacencyandindifference,ignoringwhattheacronym,“SS”meant/meanstoJewish
people.Thatday,however,theygotreminded.SpeakingtruthtopowerisaJewishvalue.
IalsobelieveGodwaspresentinPaulFried’sofficeatHopeCollege,Holland,Michiganwhenhecouldnot“goback,”when
hefoughtsohard“nottohate,”butbroughtJewishvaluestotheforewhenheformulatedanideatoinitiateaViennaSummer
Schoolforstudentstobeexposedtoothercultures,art,musicandthesharingofideasandideologiesthatwouldtakethembeyond
thecitylimitsofHolland,Michigan.Wheremaybeastudentgavevoicetohis/hercuriosityandaskedthequestionsIavoided.And
maybesomemindswereopenedbecausePaulFriedhadanidea—toeducatebeyondborders—anideawhichcontinuesinthe
presentasthePaulFriedInternationalCenteronHopeCollege’scampus—“wherestudentshaveuseditasadoorwaytothe
world.”(WebsiteonViennaSummerSchool,HopeCollege.)EducationisaJewishvalue.QuestioningisalsoaJewishvalue.
AndIbelieveGodwasalsopresentinthestudyofarabbionthewestsideofDenver,Coloradowhenaverydistinguished
professor,callinghimselfRomanCatholic,keptcomingtotalktothatrabbiaboutonlyJewishmatters.Anddidthatrabbisensein
thosevisitsthelongingforapastofJewishconnection?WeretheeyesbrighterwhenJewishvalueswerediscussed;wastherethe
slightestofsmileswhentikkunolam,therepairoftheworld,wasreferenced?WasthereanuncommonalacritywithTalmudic
themes?Wastherethenarelaxingofthebody,aleaningforwardinthechair?Thebaresthintofeagerness?Wasthereasenseof
ruach,ofGod’sspirit?Yes,ofcoursetherewas,forGodknewthetwoofthemwereoncommonground.Welcomingthestranger,
eventhoughalandsmanindisguise,isaJewishvalue.
Blessedartthou,OLordourGod,RuleroftheUniverse,whohasmadeusinyourimageandwhohasgivenusthecapacity
ofinsightandperception.Mayweusethosegiftstoseebeyondmereappearances.Mayweberemindedofthedecisionssomeof
ourpeoplehavehadtomakethattheywouldrathernothavemade,decisionsmadeoutoffearandsocietalintolerance.Giveus
humilitywhenothersofourpeople,gatheringeverybitofcourage,havewalkedintheharshlighttospeaktruthtopowerina
shakingvoice.Teachusthatyouarepresentinallthoseplaces.Andletussay,“Amen.”
“Akinghadasonwhohadgoneastrayfromhimonajourneyofa
hundreddays.Hisfriendssaidtohim,‘Returntoyourfather.’He
said,‘Icannot.’Thenhisfathersentamessagetohimsaying,‘Return
asfarasyoucanandIwillcometherestofthewaytoyou.’”
PasiktaRabbati
“Entrancestoholinessareeverywhere.
Thepossibilityofascentisallthetime
evenatunlikelytimesandthroughunlikelyplaces.
Thereisnoplaceonearthwithoutthepresence.”
MishkanT’filah
HappyChanukah
JeanGuthery
WithappreciationtoEileenTalamantez:thecousinwhoaskedthequestion—J.G.