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From: segs@mhuxv.UUCP (slusky)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Re: Who is a Jew (Mr. Martillo's bark worse than his bite!)
Message-ID: <183@mhuxv.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 2-Oct-84 09:58:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxv.183
Posted: Tue Oct  2 09:58:28 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Oct-84 02:46:49 EDT
References: <1438@ittvax.UUCP>, <223@fisher.UUCP> <225@mit-athena.ARPA>, <253@fisher.UUCP> <255@mit-athena.ARPA>Re: Who is a Jew (Mr. MartilTue, 2-Oct-84 09:58:28 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
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From Yaqim Martillo:
> These  Ashkenazim genuinely wanted to assimilate into Slavic society but
> could not bring themselves to convert to Christianity.  Therefore,  they
> converted  to  Marxism  or  some other leftist movement which gave these
> Jews entry to a segment of non-Jewish society without the  psychological
> trauma of conversion.
> 
> Granted this segment was a minority, but there were so few Jews in these
> countries that numerically there were more non-Jews who would approve of
> this break with traditional Jewish society by conversion to Marxism than
> there were Jews who could give encouragement and support to  a  Jew  who
> wished to uphold the tradition.
> 
Somewhat off the topic (I'm getting bored with the topic)
It was my impression that Eastern Europe had a great many Jews at the turn
of the century. I believe that the old Jewish Encyclopedia (not the 
Encyclopedia Judaica, but the one published around 1915) quotes an
1890's census showing Poland to be 35-40% Jewish. Can anyone corroberate?
I don't have a copy of that encyclopedia available to check.

I usually find your historical fact to be quite accurate, Yaqim. That's
why I'm surprised at the "so few Jews in these countries" statement.
On the other hand if you're picking and choosing among Jews in 1890
Poland in the same way that you pick and choose among 1984 American
Jews, (which is what started this whole line of articles, isn't it)
I suppose you could come up with a significantly smaller proportion
of "real" Jews.

And speaking of history, I hope you're all watching "Civilization and the
Jews," a series narrated by Abba Eban. Yesterday was the first episode.
Lots of great photography of the Sinai. The second episode will be aired
tonight. It will start from the building of the Second Temple. (The first
started from Sumer) It's on PBS.

					Susan Slusky
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