World Culture and the Jews
Daily Jewish Courier, Mar. 6, 1914
Some time ago the great German sociologist Zambert declared that the Jews have developed modern capitalism throughout the world and that complete economic progress was made possible on account of Jewish influence. In a recent article, Israel Cohen points out that the Jewish race has played and still plays the most significant role in all branches of world culture and progress; that never have the Jews ceased throwing spiritual light upon the world; that even in the Dark Ages, when everything was covered by an obscure cloud, the Jews dispersed enlightenment and science throughout Europe, distinguishing themselves on the fields of philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and invention.
During the Middle Ages, the Jews took an active part in scholastic philosophy and founded medical schools in Montpellier and Salerno, and up to the 16th century the greatest doctors of those times came from these schools. The Jews had discovered, long before Copernicus, the reasons why we have day and night. The Jews not only 2aided Columbus in the discovery of America, with financial means and men, but also played an important role in the discovery of the East Indies. They traveled also over the entire world of the Middle Ages.
The Jews had just begun to play the greatest role in world culture when they were allowed to become citizens in Europe and step into the temples of modern education and science. Beginning with the 19th century down to the present, Jews have prevailed on all fields of cultural life through their ingenuity and erudition. We can hardly find a branch of intellectual creation in which the Jews did not reach the zenith. We find Jewish scholars in philosophy, literature, music, painting, science, drama, journalism, medicine, and other fields. Jews occupy a prominent place in the technical as well as in the general sociological world. We see how they work hand in hand with other nationalities to maintain peace in this world, and how they are always willing to sacrifice themselves for an ideal.
Though the Jew is somewhat segregated from other groups, it is a fact, 3however, that the best Jewish energies go toward secular culture and progress. The greatest Jewish geniuses have flourished in foreign grounds, and as a result credit to the Jews for their work has been given sparingly. This condition will exist as long as there are no elements within the Jewish race willing to consider the reconstruction of the entire Jewish race on an independent basis. The role of Jewry is vigorously manifested in world culture. When comparing Jewish achievements with Jewish population, we see that the spirit of Israel prevails everywhere. And if there are such writers as Huston Chamberlain, who doubts whether Jews in general possess any ingenuity and creative power, it is sufficient to mention the four Jewish solstices; the solstice of the prophets; the solstice of creating world religion; the solstice of philosophy, and the solstice of socialism. That they should comprehend the great Jewish intellectual contributions, we need only mention such famous men as Heine, Mendelssohn, Bertholdi, Israels, Ehrlich, and Bergson, who have glorified and made world progress richer by their fine gold-interwoven thoughts.
The first step the Jews have taken to bring their spiritual values before the 4world was introducing their literature in the form of poetry, novels, philosophy, historical documents, and satires.
The deep yearning and the sublime fantasy of Jews, which have been carried off to the distant Zion, upon which their hearts are bent, have incorporated the mode of living from their surrounding neighbors and illumined it with the rays of their own deep souls.
At the close of the 18th century and in the beginning of the 19th, a period during which German culture began to grow, the Jewish women, Henrietta Hertz, Rachel Lavin, Dvora and Henrietta Mendelssohn, distinguished themselves by their outstanding personalities and originality. In Germany, more than elsewhere, the Jews have imparted their best energies to the creation of German national literature....
Here in America the Jews take a very important part in cultural life. We find prominent Jewish actors, Jewish impresarios and Jewish playwrights on the American stage.
5Although Wagner accused the Jews of having no taste for music, we nevertheless find among Jews such composers as Mendelssohn, Bertholdi, Meyerbeer, Aufenbauch, Goldmark, Halvi, Frederick Cowen, and such musicians as Yosef Yachim, Mark Hamburg, Mischa Elman, Ephraim Zimbalist, and others.
In philosophy the Jewish spirit has probably prevailed in a greater degree than it has in literature, because the Jews have tread upon the domains of philosophy as early as the beginning of the Middle Ages, when the philosopher Philo proved that the Torah has in it all the thoughts that were enunciated by Plato.
Yet, it is hoped that there will come a day when all these great cultural values, which were contributed to the world by Jews will be collected in one group and transplanted to Jewish grounds, thereby enabling our own Jewish stars to light up into blazing suns and erect an eternal bright day on earth.