How I Stopped Being a Jew by Shlomo Sand

Author:Shlomo Sand [Sand, Shlomo]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781781686140
Publisher: Verso Books
Published: 2014-10-07T00:00:00+00:00

1. An acronym for plugot machatz, or ‘shock troops’, a paramilitary organization predating the foundation of the State of Israel and the Tzahal, the Israeli Defense Forces.

CHAPTER 8

Remembering All the Victims

In April 1944, the poet Julian Tuwim published a manifesto entitled ‘We, Jews of Poland’, which reads, in part:

If I had to justify my nationality, or more precisely my national sentiment, I would say that I am Polish, and this for reasons that are very simple, almost primitive, most of them rational but some irrational, if without any ‘mystical’ ingredient. Being Polish is not an honour, a glory or a right.

It’s like breathing. I have never yet met a man who took pride in breathing. I am Polish because I was born and grew up in Poland, because I went to school and university there, because in Poland I have been happy and unhappy. Because I want to return from exile to Poland, even if I am promised the pleasures of paradise somewhere else.…

In reply to this, I hear a voice say: ‘All right, if you are Polish, then why this “We, Jews …”?’ And I am honoured to reply, ‘Because of blood.’ ‘In other words, a racial doctrine?’ No, not at all. Not a racial doctrine, but precisely the opposite. There are two kinds of blood, that which flows in the veins, and that which flows out from the veins.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.