Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site mhuxv.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!harvard!wjh12!genrad!decvax!mcnc!akgua!whuxle!spuxll!abnjh!u1100a!pyuxn!pyuxww!gamma!ulysses!mhuxj!mhuxm!mhuxv!segs 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 Lines: 38 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 mhuxv!segs -- mhuxv!segs