First:

I am still reading through my collection of Penguins, and have just finished a very interesting (and well written) book, “The Jewish Problem” by Louis Golding. The book was published in 1938 and written before Kristallnacht that November and, obviously, before the start of World War II in 1939. It describes in some detail the position of the Jews in Germany and, more recently Austria after the German takeover, a subject that most of us know only too well. He spent a lot of time talking about European countries where the condition of the Jews was deteriorating – such as Poland, Romania and Hungary, and discussed the effect of the Nazi success in Germany on influencing these other countries. He discussed the effects of Nazi propaganda and Nazi-inspired movements in Western Europe (he is English), the United States, Canada, Australia and (what he considered a lost cause) South Africa. He did not seem to think that the propaganda in any of these western countries (other than the Union of South Africa) could turn them into Nazi states, but he describes extensive activity and some Nazi successes everywhere. He talked about the USSR as one country offering safety to Jews, but only at the expense of their Judaism. He then talks about Zionism and Palestine, and the support given to Jewish settlement in Palestine by the British, which had been adopted by the allies after WWII, and led to giving the British a mandate after the defeat of the Ottoman empire. He acknowledges that the British forces didn’t know what to make of the Jews in Palestine (who were not, like others that Britain had been dealing with elsewhere, acting like colonial subjects), and stated that Britain needed to maintain control in Palestine for other strategic reasons.

I found the book very interesting for another reason. Again, this book was written before Kristallnacht (so he could not know that the Nazi regime would clamp down on the Jews so much more, and so soon), and before the beginning of the war (he does not speculate on whether there will be any war involving Britain or, say, France or the U.S.). And obviously he doesn’t mention the then unthinkable prospect of a Final Solution.

Or does he? One of the things he talks about is the inability of other nations to take in the Jews that Germany would like to expel. Not only their unwillingness, but their inability in the middle of a world wide depression already straining the resources of virtually every country. And he assumes that not only do the Jews of Germany and Austria need a place to go, but the 3,000,000 in Poland, the 900,000 in Romania and the almost 500,000 in Hungary also need refuge. He talks about previous mass movement against the Jews. After the Romans destroyed the Temple and ended the semi-autonomous Jewish state, the Jews could immigrate anywhere within the Roman empire. The Jews kicked out of England could go to France. The Ottoman empire opened its doors to the Jews kicked out of Spain in 1492. And so forth.

But this time, there is no place to go. He makes this point emphatically. But he really does not go any further. What did he expect would happen? He must have thought about it. And it looks like perhaps he was afraid to write about it. Hard to say, but the missing conclusion is notable.

By the way, the other Jewish Penguins I have read include “Judaism” by Isidore Epstein (which I thought a really good capsule, but somewhat detailed, history of Jews from Torah time onward), published in 1959; “An Enemy of the People: Antisemitism” by James Parkes (another good book written by an Anglican philosemite, several of whose books I have read over the years), published in 1945; “The Jews of Our Time” by Norman Bentwich (a fact filled account of Jews in post-war times) published in 1960; and “Zionism and Palestine” by Sir Ronald Storrs (a defense of the British mandate and its need to maintain impartiality) first published in 1937.

Second:

From the comfort of our family room, we watched the Nats beat the Colorado Rockies, 7-6. The Nats’ hitting hero was Stone Garrett, recently called up from Rochester. He got four hits and drove in five runs.

We saw Stone Garrett in Spring Training and he looked good. Where else has he played? Other than a short time with Arizona, here goes:

(1) Batavia Muckdogs

(2) Greensboro Grasshoppers

(3) Jupiter Hammerheads

(4) Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

And I always thought my favorite team was the Macon WhoopiesTe.

Team naming is a tough thing. And it’s a thing that everyone thinks they can do without professional help. But in the corporate world, it’s different. They go to the expert branding company with the catchy name….Lippincott and Margulies. Without Lippincott and Margulies, how would Pepsi Cola Company ever thought of Pepsico, just to name one.

Well, the Redskins are now the Commanders and the Indians the Guardians. What will the George Washington University Colonials become? They have narrowed down their choices to four that I find hardly acceptable: Catalysts, Fireworks, Independents, and Monumentals. They have apparently rejected my suggestions:

The George Washington University Slaveholders.

The George Washington University Cherry Trees.

The George Washington Carvers.

The George Washington Powdered Wigs.

Your thoughts?