From Our Archives

"The Jewish People Cannot Be Broken" -- Why Not?

by Mordecai Plaut

An essay that is timely given the theme of this year's Agudah Convention.

"Our enemies have yet to understand that the Jewish people cannot be broken," Prime Minister Sharon said in speaking to American philanthropists gathered in Jerusalem for their annual convention (the United Jewish Communities (UJC) General Assembly). "Can't be broken and will never be broken."

This statement is true, but unfortunately, many of those who consider themselves our friends -- like the prime minister himself -- while they accept the fact, do not understand it either. Until they do understand why this is so, until they know what the true source of the strength of the Jewish people is and why (as the prime minister said) "despite repeated attempts to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of the earth" we are still here, they will be unable to convince anyone else, including especially our enemies, that this is so.

The Story of Frankfurt

by Avrohom Stimler

For centuries, Frankfurt's tiny -- by modern standards -- Jewish community (only 3,000 Jews by the 18th century) was world famous as "the place where even the night watchman is a godol beTorah."

"Es geht mir nicht in den kopf hinein! Wie kann ein mensch nicht von Frankfurt zein?" proud Frankfurt Jews would exclaim. "I can't get in my head! How can anyone not come from Frankfurt?"

Early Roots

LEST WE FORGET: 65 Years After Kristallnacht

by H. J. Lobenstein MBE zt"l

Note: This article first appeared 26 (NOTE: Now 43) years ago to commemorate the beginning of Churban Ashkenaz, when 400 synagogues were burnt to the ground, 100 Jews lost their lives during one night, 3,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps and 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses were demolished.

I am racking my brains as to how I can conceal from my readers -- at any rate at this early stage -- the reason for writing this article and the actual subject matter about which I feel very deeply.

For if I were to divulge my intentions right now, I feel that most readers -- particularly those under the age of 50 - - would immediately turn to a more popular feature -- indeed to any page, only so as not to be reminded of an anniversary date which recalls one of the darkest hours of the human race and which the world at large -- even the Jewish world -- for some inexplicable reason desperately wants to forget.

65 years ago, on 9th November 1938, an event took place in Hitler's Germany which triggered off the physical persecution of European Jewry, culminating in the destruction of 6 million Jews only a few years later.