Anti-semitism, a Healthy Influence
As told to David Ewen
Arthur Schnitzler, the world-famous Jewish
novelist and dramatist, presents some interesting views of the moot question of
anti-Semitism. . . Himself touched by the hand
of bigotry, Schnitzler has some unique ideas on the problem and how best to
solve it. – Ed. Note.
More than once during the course of my life have
I come into contact with anti-Semitism. The first time I stumbled against it, I
remember today very clearly; evidently it had made a very profound impression on me
at the time. I was then a medical student at the University, here in Vienna, and a few of
us were banded together into a sort of philanthropic society
whose mission was to give charity to needy students – not very much, just a few
shillings to help them somewhat. Before the society was very many months old, discrimination set in. When a man was suggested for help, and his name was
unmistakably Jewish, immediately he was subtly removed from every consideration. I
was so struck by this unfair treatment that poor Jewish students received, that for a long while I fought bitterly against it. It was a
hopeless fight, as I soon realized – and before long I was compelled to resign from
the society. But after my graduation from the University, I was to learn that anti-Semitism was an everyday problem. As a
physician I personally encountered so much of it that this, I am sure, more than
anything else served to bring me sharply to Judaism and to an understanding of and
a
sympathy for its problems.
However, – although when I first encountered it, I was alarmed and infuriated at all
anti-Semitism, however slight it might have been – I am not one of those who today
look upon it as a very grave problem. Not that I deny the existence of anti-Semitism
everywhere, but, frankly, I do not think it is a very important problem. As a matter
of fact, I look upon anti-Semitism as a healthy influence in| the life of the
Jew. Every once in a while a Jew will come to me, his face red with anger, his eyes
flaming and desperate, and he will tell me how he has been the object of some
anti-Semite’s obvious discrimination. I always try to calm such infuriated Jews and
to tell them that they should not, after all, take such discrimination very
seriously. It is just such discrimination – more than all the legends and religious
worship – I tell them, which has kept Judaism palpitantly alive through the ages.
And
it is true. At least, I am convinced of it. Religion, that is strict religious
beliefs according to age-old customs and traditions, has with each passing century
become a weaker and weaker influence in the life of the ordinary Jew. We all see,
each day, how little it plays a part in the everyday life of you and me, who,
notwithstanding our disregard of the laws, still remain good Jews at heart. But
though religious worship is becoming a weaker influence, racial patriotism persists
tenaciously in the heart of every Jew, and as strongly as ever before. And the reason
it does so, is because the average Jew well realizes that he is envied, abused, the
object of the Christian world’s scorn and contempt. I do not, for example, believe
that Jews were ever so radically patriotic as in these sordid years, of the past
century, when they suffered the lash of persecution.
Persecution, fortunately, has died out. Its legitimate offspring is anti-Semitism.
And this anti-Semitism, I say, is serving a very useful purpose in constantly
reminding the Jew that he is, after all, very individual; that he is, after all, very
different from his Christian neighbour; that his only salvation in this world is to
recognize this difference and to openly acknowledge it. Anti-Semitism, I feel, is
constantly serving the healthy purpose of bringing into the heart of every Jew, far
more forcefully than any other influence, I know of at the present moment, a
patriotism for his race, and a love for his brother-Jews. That is why I say that
anti-Semitism is a healthy influence.
And then, why should we not reconcile ourselves gracefully to something that is so
obviously inevitable as anti-Semitism is? Nothing that we can do can possibly
overcome and put an end to anti-Semitism; it is simply out of the question.
Anti-Semitism is a perfectly human failing of a perfectly human society. When a group
of people is different from the vast majority, that group of people is certain to
be
scorned and held in contempt. And when that group, though in a minority, succeeds
in
forging to the front – in the world of art and industry and finance – envy is almost
certain to light up the contempt of the majority into the mighty flame of hate.
Realizing this, namely that anti-Semitism is inevitable in a human society, the Jew
can do either of two things. He can either eliminate anti-Semitism by eliminating
that which causes it. Or, in other words, he can surrender his race and its heritage.
An absurd solution, to be sure! The other, and far more sensible, plan is simply to
tolerate anti-Semitism as the fate that inevitably belongs to the Jew, a fate which
cannot be changed. Spinoza once wrote that an
evil which is inevitable ceases to be an evil. For example, we die – certainly one
of
the most colossal tragedies in the life of the human-being (can anything be more evil
than death?). Yet, do we ever stop to worry over it? No. The fact that it is inevitable
simply eliminates it as an evil; we accept it as a fact. Just so, should
anti-Semitism be accepted. To fight against it is useless and merely serves to
augment anti-Semitism, and not to diminish it. One cannot expect human-beings to be
anything but human. Their shortcoming, however painful they may be sometimes, simply
have to be understood – and tolerated.
I am often asked if I believe that anti-Semitism will ever die. All things die in
this world, and some day, in some way that I cannot for the moment foresee,
anti-Semitism will go the way of all flesh. But that day is far, far off.
Anti-Semitism is destined to linger as long as Jews remain Jews. For one thing, the
causes of anti-Semitism can never be eliminated. Jews will always be different; Jews
will always, I am sure, continue to be at the front of human activity; Jews must
always be in a minority. Jews therefore will inevitably always be hated. And then,
anti-Semitism is such a convenient thing! It is so convenient to discriminate, when
discrimination is necessary. If, for example, a university is crowded, isn’t it
convenient to put a ban against Jews? And in the case of our little philanthropic
society, wasn’t discrimination against the Jew started because it was convenient –
namely, more of the money could go to Christian students? Why, then, should society
abandon anything so convenient? Especially since there is cause, from their point
of
view, for their discrimination? No. Some day perhaps a race of Supermen will appear
in this world, in whom envy, hate, malice and contempt will be altogether foreign.
But until such a time comes, the Jew is destined to suffer the stings and arrows of
anti-Semitism.
However, as I have already said, the Jews should not feel too deeply against –
anti-Semitism. Strange to say, anti-Semitism is an evil which gives fruit to good.
The Christians hope to annihilate us with their contempt; their contempt really makes
us flourish. For never are we Jews more truly conscious of our race as when we
realize that we are hated.
