History of the Jews in Russia and Poland, Volume 2 [of 3]: From the Death of Alexander I until the Death of Alexander III (1825-1894)Dubnow, Simon
Religion
History of the Jews in Russia and Poland, Volume 2 [of 3]: From the Death of Alexander I until the Death of Alexander III (1825-1894)
Dubnow, Simon
Jews -- Poland -- History; Jews -- Russia -- History; Poland -- History; Russia -- History
When the "aristocratic revolution," having failed to obtain the support
of the disinherited masses, had met with disaster, the revolutionary
leaders, who saved themselves by fleeing abroad, indulged in remorseful
reflections. The Polish historian Lelevel, who lived in Paris as a
refugee, issued in 1832 a "Manifesto to the Israelitish Nation," calling
upon the Jews to forget the insults inflicted upon them by present-day
Poland for the sake of the sweet reminiscences of the Polish Republic in
days gone by and of the hopes inspired by a free Poland in days to come.
He compares the flourishing condition of the Jews in the ancient Polish
commonwealth with their present status on the same territory, under the
yoke of "the Viennese Pharaohs," [1] or in the land "dominated by the
Northern Nebuchadnezzar," [2] where the terror of conscription reigns
supreme, where "little children, wrenched from the embraces of their
mothers, are hurled into the ranks of a debased soldiery," "doomed to
become traitors to their religion and nation."
[Footnote 1: Referring to Galicia.]
[Footnote 2: Nicholas I.]
The reign of nations--exclaims Lelevel--is drawing nigh. All peoples
will be merged into one, acknowledging the one God Adonai. The rulers
have fed the Jews on false promises; the nations will grant them
liberty. Soon Poland will rise from the dust. Let then the Jews living
on her soil go hand in hand with their brother-Poles. The Jews will then
be sure to obtain their rights. Should they insist on returning to
Palestine, the Poles will assist them in realizing this consummation.
Similar utterances could be heard a little later in the mystic circle of
Tovyanski and Mitzkevitch in Paris, [1] in which the historic destiny of
the two martyr nations, the Poles and the Jews, and their universal
Messianic calling were favorite topics of discussion. But alongside of
these flights of "imprisoned thought" one could frequently catch in the
very same circle the sounds of the old anti-Semitic slogans. The
Parisian organ of the Polish refugees, _Nowa Polska_, "New Poland,"
occasionally indulged in anti-Semitic sallies, calling forth a
passionate rebuttal from Hernish, [2] an exiled journalist, who reminded
his fellow-journalists that it was mean to hunt down people who were the
"slaves of slaves." Two other Polish-Jewish revolutionaries, Lubliner
and Hollaenderski, shared all the miseries of the refugees and, while in
exile, indulged in reflections concerning the destiny of their brethren
at home. [3]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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