The Maccabaean

A Jew of my acquaintance takes a seat next to me on one of the benches in Kraschinke's Park, and asks why I am so sad.

"Graetz has died," I replied to him.

"Blessed be the True Judge," says my friend; "is he one of our citizens?"

This question, which ninety per cent. of all Jews would have asked in his place, is the best measure of the depths to which we have fallen. Whom does Jewish Warsaw not know? Who does not occupy a place in its thoughts? Who is not upon its tongue and constantly being discussed?

In order that Warsaw should ring with one's name it is not necessary to gamble away all one's possessions or to climb up on a steeple; it is sufficient to be a hack- horse and to fall on the car-tracks.

Yet it is not enough to have been a Graetz, to have written the history of the Jewish people!

And when my neighbor learns from me what Graetz has written, he exclaims: "Ah, history!" and there is something in his tone to suggest that he is admiring one who might have devoured twelve hard-boiled eggs at one sitting.

And while I can scarcely contain myself, he asks naively: "And what gooddoes history do?"

“You are a Jew?” I ask him.

“I think so,” he smiles; as if to say, “more than you are, that’s certain.”

"Do you love the Jews?"

"Do you think I hate them?"

"Do you know that Alexander of Macedonia, returning from a series of victor-

ies, came upon an entire country inhabited by women only?"

"What a question! That is told, I believe, in 'Eni Jankov,' or else the 'rebbe' told it to me in the 'cheder.'"

"Do you know when the kingdom of the House of David and the Kingdom of Israel separated? When from one Jewish nation there were formed two?"

"When? Why should I care to know when? The story is told in Scriptures."

"And what became of the people of Israel?"

"The people of Israel, tradition tells us, are on the other side of the Sambatyon."

"And what became of the Jews who were driven out of Spain?"

"They were scattered to the four corners of the earth."

"And those that were twice expelled from France?"

"Where should they be? A small part must have gone somewhere, and the rest have stolen their way in again. The Jews are a bad lot to deal with.”

“Do you know what the Jews have suffered and are still suffering to this day in Persia, Roumania................?”

“In Persia, I don't know; but the reports about Roumania I always hear read at the .synagogue, from 'Hazefirah.' It makes one's hair stand on end.”

“And do you know anything about the Jews in Morocco?”

“Morocco? No, never heard anything.”

"But would you care to know?"

“Bah! care to know! And what have they there? Another style of suffering? Do they do things differently? Believe me, it’s the same world everywhere. I