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Henry J. Eisendrath
Flora L. Eisendrath
5402 Dorchester Avenue
Chicago
Illinois
U.S.A.
6 September 1933
To the Honourable
Paul von Hindenburg
President of Germany
Berlin
Germany
Dear Mr. President,
Because of my German ancestry, which goes back
many centuries, my concern and sense of justice, I appeal to you
today to help the German Jews who are being treated so miserably
by some political aspirants of your beloved country.
Among the present rulers of your country there are some who are
spreading hate propaganda (against the Jews). These men know exactly
what influence their malicious lies and inflammatory articles that
are directed against a small, innocent minority have. Through the
attack they are out to gain the trust of many people, particularly
young people, and thus obtain political influence.
This campaign is directed by people who hide their true character
and their vulgar machinations under the cloak of Christianity or
German patriotism. These people are an insult to both Christians
and German patriots none of whom are responsible for the insipid
and extremely dangerous and deceitful political clique. The world
has now understood this and if you do not help to remove this gross
injustice, you will lose the respect of other nations and all upright
people.
Honesty is the nobility
of a nation
I plead for the German people and especially now for the Germans
of the Jewish faith who are bearing the main burden of this condemnable
persecution. It is the result of political propaganda which is being
spread with the sole intention of strengthening a clique who, once
they are in power, will not hesitate to spread their tyranny to
the other groups in your country too and will force their unjust
and dishonest laws on freedom-loving people.
As a nation the Germans love fair behaviour and justice and are
fully aware of the outstanding qualities of the German Jews. As
a people the German Jews have always been anxious to serve their
homeland, they are hard-working and thrifty (the special qualities
for which the Germans are known) and make a great contribution to
art, science and industry. Philanthropy and a high social level
of humaneness are the foundations of the Jewish religion and there
are certainly no others which are higher or greater. Through the
simplicity of its belief in one immortal God, its hope in fraternity
among people and its exalted ideals which are based on the teachings
of the prophets, Judaism is indeed a beacon (signpost) for justice,
service (service to one’s neighbour) and humanity.
And may I remind you of the time after the war when German children
were in need and Julius Rosenwald from our town, inspired by the
religious teachings of a sense of justice and charity helped them
so much and supported them by making and guaranteeing generous donations
to the German children! Incidentally other people of the Jewish
faith in this country, who never forgot their ancestors in Germany,
did the same thing.
Would it not be a thousand times better if some of the current rulers
in Germany endeavoured to improve the economy, just as our President
Roosevelt is doing, something which would help all the people, instead
of wildly gesticulating in their attempt to correlate blond hair
and blue eyes and at the same time loudly making incoherent statements
or giving ridiculous explanations for the superiority of certain
races and spreading hostility all over the world by speaking maliciously
and insultingly about a section of the population who, on account
of their good qualities, should at least be acknowledged and not
treated with contempt.?
People of the Jewish faith are, of course, just as much a part of
the Germans as the Catholics or the Protestants. Political stupidity
and immoral propaganda which try to claim the contrary cannot change
this. In Germany there are no better Germans than the Germans of
the Jewish faith, if a comparison is to be made. We would like to
hope that in the German “flower garden” there will always
be Catholics, Protestants, Jews and people of other creeds and confessions
who will make their contribution to social welfare and prosperity.
Anything else would be the revocation of all religious teachings
(message).
Before I close, allow me to quote a great and famous American teacher
of Judaism and humanity, namely the German born Dr. Emil G. Hirsch
– blessed be his memory – to whose “Temple”
I had the privilege of belonging:
“Love of God knows only one interpretation: Those who do not
love their fellow human beings, cannot love God. So let us love
one another and God’s Kingdom will be in us…”
A nation which lends its name to injustice, cruelty, intolerance,
narrow mindedness and rashness will not be respected and is inevitably
doomed to decline and fall.
In the name of God and to save the honour of the German people I
request your strong support to put a stop to this great injustice
and cruelty. May God Almighty be with you and help you in the efforts
to serve humanity and give you strength in leading your beloved
country.
Yours faithfully,
(signed) Henry J. Eisendrath
(signed) Flora L. Eisendrath
(Mrs. Nathan Eisendrath)
Secretary of the Eisendrath Cousins Club, one of the biggest family
groups of Americans of German descent
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