Voices of Europe; Judaism after World War II

Places of Europe produced and recorded by Milton Mayer in cooperation with the University of Chicago under a grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters. And now Milton Mayer rabbi I eagerly felt ought to know about the Jews of Germany today. He was brought up in the city of Dusseldorf where his father was a merchant and while he was studying law at the universities of Heidelberg in Berkeley and he was also studying theology at the Hebrews theological seminaries of Frankfort and Berkeley in the first world war. He spent four years in the trenches in the German Army and was wounded twice resuming his legal studies after the war. He was admitted to the bar of the German court of appeals in 1922 but he never abandoned his tel music studies or his activities in

German Jewish life. And when at the end of 1933 he went with his family doing well. He completed his studies for the rabbinate there and combined his services in the property in London with Jewish community and social work. After the war rabbi really sick returned several times to his homeland on behalf of Jewish welfare groups. And in 1954 after twenty two years of exile he came to front for him where he is now chief rabbi of the state of Hessen rabbi would come any Jews are there in Germany today. The numbers being in are you speaking of West Germany. But I would like to and that the number is

not even more than how many Jews were there in all of Germany. Well 1933 I think about 500 to 600. Rabbi of the 20 or 25 thousand Jews in Germany who are here already for the beginning of what was to raise here was a kind of mild one of those

years because it was an area here where did the rest come from. You are from here. What are their professions and occupations or how do they compare proportionately to German jury of the

four doctors. Have their occupation has their occupational change from that German jury of the 4. Or more.

Is there a higher proportion of Jews in intellectual occupations as there was more here. We have said we have a few doctors lawyers in the other professions or I suppose it would be more or less purple or us to ask what became of the five or six hundred thousand German Jews of 1933 about

who actually in the U. No one knows the exact either one. Or both survive. For.

Twenty twenty thousand. What proportion of members are actually Jewish. A proportion from the fourth. Or for that much much past that is simply falling away from Has there been in Germany. How much was there before Hitler and how much

conversion from Judaism to Christianity in the world. Better to do or rather than the opposite. And this conversion this particular kind of conversion was really no religious or genuine. And those who were baptized for professional or social reasons. It was their fate any different from those Jews who remained in the

Jewish community or the Jews who were baptized before that time and who held high positions either in government or in professional circles or in business journalism. Because the come back from other

countries why did they come back. Were there other reasons for coming. Back.

What this normal for these back. And in Germany they wonder what kind of Germany the Jews came back for because we want some of this or that

or. The primary for the second. Point for me has a guess as to how the psychology

of the different 30 years or something. Certain. Political activity or the orientation of the German core. You come back 20 or 25

here reverently. You can legally. Use. Going out.

As far as actual legal rights are concerned these are completely become the role of the German jury. The German jury 30 years ago. That cannot be

long and far because you. Are more or less for that. They were 30 years ago. What about the Christianity the

religion of the German Christians today compare with the Christianity of German Christians 30 years ago or 20 years ago or 10 years ago. And you're all. Very very wrong leaving me. Not

now. Discussion of the Just problem as far as a problem.

After living in England for 20 years would you have. Again this is just the wildest sort of when you have a guess as to whether the Germans are or were a peculiarly religious people more or less as a whole. You know on a number of them. Why.

And then. Possibly question the question you are most often asked what if.

Whether. It comes to bring them back

for the. Last question or two related questions really one is if there is a change to be rocked in the Germans how is it to be. And finally I think related perhaps what is the future of the Jews in Europe. I do know that the men do something wrong

which has actually brought in all ideas and who. Dared to venture a guess yourself. That. In effect a German jury.

Thank you very much. Voices of Europe was produced and recorded in Europe by Milton Mayer in cooperation with the University of Chicago under a grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center. This program is distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This program has been introduced by Martin. This is the end of the radio net.