TR-3820 Transcription Friedman, Herbert A. Address to ...collections.americanjewisharchives.org/ms/ms0763/tr3820.pdf · Everybody failed. And that’s how six ... Donn’t gete me

TR-3820 Transcription

Friedman, Herbert A. Address to United Jewish Appeal Student

Mission trip. 24 December 1975.

Herbert A. Friedman: [0:00:01] The western democracies failed.

The Christian Church failed. The Jews of America failed.

Everybody failed. And that’s how six million of us wound up in

the oven. The saga and the story of the failure of the western

democracies you should learn and study. Soon, most papers are

becoming declassified after twenty-five, thirty years, the

papers even of presidents of kings. The papers of Winston

Churchill are now beginning to be made public, and you can go

into the library and get them and start to read them.

There’s one book now called While Six Million Died, which

describes the failures of the State Department and of President

Roosevelt [0:01:00]. Bloody awful hypocrite, by the way.

Terrible man in regard to this whole Jewish question. Dreadful.

My father and mother, like every Jew in America of that

generation, adored him, revered him. The Jews loved him. He was

a bloody hypocrite. He sold us down the river. Read the book

While Six Million Died. Tells you the bankruptcy of American

policy in the thirties and forties.

Tell you just one point. How many times England and America

were asked by Jewish leaders to go in and send bombers from the

Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman Collection, TR-3820. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1

ailed. And that’s howw ssix million of us wou

he sagaga aand tthehe storrry ooof thhee failururee of the

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0:01:000000].].]. Bloody awfuuull hypocrite, bbby yy ttthe wa

n in regagagardrdd ttto oo thisiss wholelele Jewisisish h quququestion.

nd mother, lililikekeke eveveveryryry JJJewee iiin nn AmAmAmerica of tha

adored him, revererered d d hihihim.m.m. The Jews loved hi

American bases in Italy over to southern Poland, not as far away

even as the bombers were going into Romania [0:02:00] to bomb

the oilfields that were feeding the German war machine. And we

sacrificed many bombers and many crews to bomb out the fields at

Ploesti. We asked for bombers to go in and bomb out the camp at

Auschwitz. And yes, if you bombed it well, you might kill the

20,000 or 30,000 people who were in it at that moment. But you

would then destroy it, and it could never be rebuilt. And now in

retrospect, as we look back, maybe about two million people

would have been saved.

And we got these lousy, hypocritical answers that neither

the American Air Force or the British Air Force was willing to

risk planes or crews to go in to bomb a camp out, because it

wasn’t the military objective. No, it wasn’t the [0:03:00]

military objective. It was just a Jewish crematorium.

The failure of the church -- the failure of the church

begins in 1938, when the Pope made a concordat with Hitler. I

won’t say anything against you, so long as you don’t touch the

Catholics in Germany. That’s morality, isn’t it? That’s high

religious ethics, isn’t it?

I think, and here I give you just my own personal opinion,

I think this bankruptcy, this moral and ethical bankruptcy on

the part of the church in the twentieth century, is going to


0,00000 people who wewereee in n it at that momenent.

destroy it, and it cooouluuldd d never be rebuilt.

as wwweee lololookokok bbbacacack,k,k, mmmayayaybebebe aboboboututut tttwowowo mmmilililllion p

been sasasavev d.d.d.

got thessseee loloousuu y,y,y, hypppooocritititicaalll annnssswers that

n Air Forororcecece orr r thththeee BrBrBritititissshhh AiAiAir FoFoForccce was wi

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milllitary obbbjejejectcc ivivive.ee NNNo,oo iittt waaasnsnsn’’’t the [00:0:03

jectitiive... It was jjjusususttt aaa JeJeJewiiish cremaaatototoriririum.

ilure ooof ff thththeee church ----- the failurrre ofofof the c

938, when ttthehehe PPPopoo e madde a ccconononcococordrdrdat with Hi

nything againststt yyyououou,,, sososo lonnnggg as you don’t t

n Germany That’s morality isn’t it? That’

cause its death. And we won’t live long enough to know

[0:04:00]. But if you ever have any way, depending on how

science fiction works, of taking a look back along about the

twenty-second or the twenty-third century, to see the state of

affairs of the Christian Church of the world, and if it is

indeed by that time, as I suspect it will be, an irrelevant

institution, and you look back at the beginnings of its weakness

and the origins of its death, you’ll find them in the middle of

the twentieth century, in my opinion. The Pope was a bloody

hypocrite.

American Jews? Don’t get me started. Just don’t get me

started. If I asked you where were most of your fathers when

this was going on, you will tell me, quite rightly, that they

were fighting in the army in World War II [0:05:00]. That would

be about the right timing, I would think, plus, minus. If I were

to ask you what were your grandfathers doing, they were probably

sixty or sixty-five years old at that time. If any of them are

still alive so you can ask them, you go back home and ask them

what they did in America in the 1930s and 1940s, earlier

forties, to protest and to try to break Hitler, and to try to

save Jews in Europe. I think the record is going to turn out to

be just as dismal as I know it to be, but maybe you don’t know

it, because you haven’t asked anybody. But you go ask.


, aandn you look backck aaattt ththe beginnings off it

gins of its death, yooou’uu’llll find them in the

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inngng on, yyyouuu wwwillll tetetellllll mmme,e,e, quuuittet riigi htly, th

ng in the aaarmrmrmy yy ininin WWWorororldldld WWWararar IIIIII [[[0:05:00]].]. T

e rigigght tttiming, I wouououldldld ttthiiink, plusss,,, mimiminus.

what weweererere yyyouoo r grandfdfdfatatathers doinggg, thththey wer

xty-five yeyeyearararsss oloo d dd tat tthhatt tititimememe. IfI any of

so you can askskk ttthehehem,m,m, yyyou gggooo back home and

id in America in the 1930s and 1940s earli

Okay, I’d like [0:06:00] to finish, just by making the last

point. If we understand Hitler’s methods, and if we understand

that the Jews couldn’t do anything about it, because once you’re

trapped, you’re trapped, and if we understand that the rest of

the world didn’t do anything about it, and the whole hideous

thing came to its end, then the last question that’s left for

you to put to me is, “Okay, what shall we do about it from now

on?” The past is the past. It’s over. It’s happened. What should

our posture and our position be now?

I’d like to suggest just two or three things [0:06:59]. I

never can think of more than two or three answers to any

question. Everything is one, two, three, and that’s enough.

Number one, the lessons. The lessons that we are to learn out of

this thing, the attitudes we are to develop, number one,

remember what happened. Study it. Learn it. Never forget it.

Teach it to your children from generation to generation until

the end of time. The motto of this place is in a little one-word

Hebrew -- it’s in a pin which they put on you for twenty agaot.

The word is zaho, which in Hebrew means remember. And every

single one of you ought to be sure to get a pin and put it on.

The UJA can afford to spend twenty agaot on each one of you and

buy you a pin. Zaho.


to mem is, “Okay, whwhatatt shahall we do about iit

st is the past. It’s ooover. It’s happened. W

and ououour r r popoposisisitititiononon bbbeee nononow?

ke too sususuggggesesest jjuj st tttwowwo ooorr thhhrereree thththinnngsgsgs [0:0

hink of mmmoroo ee thtt ananan twooo or thththreeeee annnssswers to a

veeerythingngng iiisss onononeee, twowowo, thhhrereree,e,e, aaandndnd ttthat’s en

ttht e lessssonnns... TTTheee lllesesessososonsss thhhattt wwwe are to le

thhhe attituuudededesss wewewe aarerere tttooo dededeveeelololoppp, numberrr on

at hahaappenenened. Stttudududy yy ititit. LeLeLearararn it. Neeevevever r r forg

your ccchihihildldldrerr n from gggeneneneration tooo gggeneneneratio

time. The mmmototottototo of ff ththiis plalaacecece iiisss ini a littl

t’s in a pin whwhhicicich hh thththeyeyey puttt oon you for twen

zaho which in Hebrew means remember And

Remember what happened. If [0:08:00] you don’t know what

happened, learn it. Once you learn it, don’t forget it.

Ignorance is an unforgivable sin in regard to this subject.

Indifference is an unforgettable sin. The cheap argument that I

don’t want to hear about it, it’s too ugly, uh-duh-wuh-wa.

That’s disgusting. Any Jew who says that ought to get out of the

Jewish people. It happened to you! The same thing that you read

in the Haggadah about every Jew, when you read the Pesach story,

it’s as though you left Egypt! Learn it, remember it, don’t

ignore it. Don’t say it’s too evil or too hard to stomach.

Stomach it. Puke over it if you have to, and stomach it, and

learn it, and remember it.

Number two [0:09:00], don’t waste time on revenge. That’s a

negative, wasteful emotion. I think it’s stupid for Jews to

ventilate their feelings on the Holocaust by saying, “Boy, you

never see me buying a German car.” What the hell is the

difference? You know when the time was not to buy a German car?

When Stephen Wise tried to organize a boycott against Germany in

1935, and to break Germany, economically. But the Jews of

America wouldn’t go along with it, because they didn’t want to

get into a big hassle. Nineteen-thirty-five, if you didn’t buy a

German car, you were doing a good deed. Nineteen-seventy-five,

if you don’t buy a German car, what’s the difference? You can’t


le. It happened too yooou!uu TThe same thing ththat

adah about every Jew, hwhhen you read the Pes

ugh yyyououou lllefefefttt EgEgEgypypypt!t!t! LLLeaeaearn iiit,t,t, rrremememememembebeberr it,

Don’tt sssay iiittt’sss too eveveviil oor tototoooo hahahardrr tttooo stom

Puke oveeerrr ititt ifff you hahh ve ttto, aaanddd stomach i

nddd remembmbmbererer iit.t.t

tttwo [0:0090 :0:: 00]0 ,,, dododon’n’n’ttt wwawaststste tiiimeee ooon revennnge

asttteful emoootititionoo . III thththinininkkk ititit’sss sstttupid forrr Je

heir r feelelelings onnn thththeee HoHoHolololocacacaust by sssayayayininng, “

e buyininng g g aaa GeGG rman cararar.”” What the heeellllll is th

You know wwwhehehen nn thtt e titime wasss nnnototot ttto buy a Ge

n Wise tried totoo ooorgrgrganananizizize a boboboycott against

o break Germany economically But the Jews

break Germany economically anymore. And the people from whom you

don’t want to buy [0:10:00] the car are not even guilty of the

crime forty years ago, so forget it. This is a stupid

ventilation.

Look, I understand it from one point of view. It’s just

pure emotion. I’m never going to set foot on German soil. I’m

not going to talk the German language. I won’t buy German

products. I won’t have anything to do with Germans. I won’t

listen to German music. Look, come on, if you get your kicks out

of that, that’s okay by me, but that’s a totally useless --

that’s negative. It’s not a constructive attitude. Isn’t going

to help us.

Number one, you learn the story and remember it. Number

two, don’t waste your time on revenge. Number three, the main

thing -- the main thing -- you learn the lesson that Jews can

rely only upon themselves, and that Jews have to have a center

[0:11:00] of power and independent force to protect themselves

with, if they have to rely on themselves and if nobody else is

going to help them.

We are creating such a center of power and an independent

force for the protection of Jews and, I hope, Judaism here in

Israel. You do the same in America. Build your American

communities into power centers of independent Jewish force. And


o ttala k the German llannngugg agage. I won’t buyy GGer

won’t have anything totto do with Germans. I

ermannn mmmusususicicic... LoLoLookokok,,, cococomememe on,n,n, iiifff yoyoyou u u gegegett your

at’s okokokay bbbyyy mememe, buuuttt tthataat’s aaa totototalaa lylyly usele

tive. It’’’sss nononot tt aaa conssstttructititivee aaattttitii ude. Isn

ooone, youuu lell aaarnnn thththe e stststoororyyy annnd reeemeeember itt.t

wassste your tititimemm ooon nn rererevevevengngnge.e.e. NNNumumumbbber threeee, t

e maiaiin thththing -- yyyououou llleaeaearrn ttthhhe lessooonnn thththat J

pon theheemsmsmselelelvevv s, and ttthahahat Jews havvve tototo have

f power andndnd iiindndndeepe endde tnt fforrrcecece tttooo protect th

ey have to relylyy ooonnn thththemememselvvveeses and if nobody

lp them

Jewish force is definable in many ways. Here in Israel, it

includes carrying a gun. I don’t know whether in Des Moines,

Iowa, you can make it in through carrying a gun or not, or

whether you think you have to or not [0:11:59]. But if it

doesn’t mean carrying a gun, it certainly does mean teaching

your kids Hebrew, because that’s a source of power and force.

Because that means if you get in trouble in Des Moines, Iowa,

and you haven’t got a gun, you’ve got the next-best thing with

which to defend yourself, which is the language which will

enable you to jump here, blend in here, and pick up a gun here.

Interruption: Nineteen forty-eight, people coming here out

of the camps in Germany and off the camp in Cyprus in the month

of July, six weeks after independence, being given guns in their

hands to go and take part in the battle to liberate the road up

to Jerusalem [0:13:00]. Being stopped at that police station at

that police station at Latrun, which battle we lost. That’s why

we never had the road to Jerusalem for the next nineteen years.

And one of the reasons for the failure of the battle at Latrun

was A, that they were inexperienced in the use of weapons. Okay,

you can’t blame them for that.

But the second thing is they didn’t understand the commands

of the commanders. And the tragedies that took place because

there was no communication between these hundreds and thousands


t mmeae ns if you gett ininn trorouble in Des Moinines

en’t got a gun, you’v’vveee got the next-best th

fend yoyoyourururseseselflflf,,, whwhwhicicichhh isisis thehehe lllanananguguguagagageee wwhich

to juuumpmpmp hererereee, bbblenddd iiinn hehhere,,, aaanddd pipp ckckck up a

uption: NiNiNineeteteteennn fortytyty-eiggghthh , pepp opopople coming

s in Germrmrmanananyyy anananddd ofoo fff thththe cacacampmpmp iiinnn CyCyCyprus iin

x weeks aaafttterrr iiindddepepepenenendededenccceee, beeie nnng given gggun

annnd take pppararart tt ininin ttthehehe bbbatatattltltle tototo liberateee th

m [0:0::13:0:0:00]. Beinii g gg stststopopoppepeped d at that popopoliliice s

statioioon nn atatat Latrun, wwwhihihich battle weee lllost. T

d the road dd tototo JJJeere us lalem fforrr ttthehehe nnnext ninete

the reasons forrr ttthehehe fffaiaiailureee oof the battle a

they were inexperienced in the use of weap

of eager guys who, for the first time, were able to fight for

themselves, but it was Tower of Babel. The battlefield was

carnage with hundreds of dead, because people were going right,

and people were going left, and people didn’t know where to go.)

Tower of Babel is something we shouldn’t have today in this

world. Strong community in America [0:13:59]. Build your day

schools. Build your educational institutions. That’s also a form

of defense. Education is defense. And if you people are going to

be leaders of the American communities in the future, then

you’ve got to know where the priorities are, and they are not

with such things as hospitals, and maybe even not with community

centers. But defense is with education, and don’t you ever

forget it.

Okay, those are the lessons. Learn what happened, don’t

bother to take any revenge on anybody. Just make damn sure that

in the future, we are stronger and able to rely on ourselves

than we were before. Okay, it’s 9:30. Let’s take a few minutes

for questions, and then we’ll take a few minutes for the film,

and then we’ll be okay [0:15:00]. Questions. Yeah, okay, from

the back, number one here in the middle, number two, number

three. Shoot.


ildd your educationanal inini ststitutions. That’s’s a

Education is defenseee... AAnA d if you people ar

of thhheee AmAmAmererericicicananan cccomomommumumunininitieseses iiinnn thththe e e fufufutture,

to knowowow wheheherrre ttthe pppriririoorititiesss aaare,e,e, andndnd they

hings as hohh spsppitii alalals, aaandnn mayayaybee eeeveeen nn not with

t defensesese iiisss wiwiwiththth edududucacacatiiiononon,,, annnd d d dododon’t yoou

thooose are thththeee leeessssssononnsss. LLLeaeaarrrn wwwhahahat happennned,

ake aaany rrrevenge on anananybybybododody.y.y. Just maaakekeke dddamn

re, we ararareee stss ronger aaandndnd able to rrrelllyy y on our

e before. OOOkakakay,y,y, it’t’t s 99:3030. LeLeLet’t’t’sss tat ke a few

ns, and then weee’l’l’llll tatatakekeke a fffeewew minutes for t

’ll be okay [0:15:00] Questions Yeah oka

M: One of the things you just kept on saying was no revenge,

and as far as [inaudible] is concerned --

Herbert A. Friedman: As far as what?

M: As far as that is concerned, as far as all of this is

concerned, that added to -- I can see the graphical, but in my

opinion, [inaudible] prevalent. We have a large concentration of

the Neo-Nazi movement, and I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Herbert A. Friedman: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, large contingent of

Neo-Nazism.

M: Right. And lately, they’ve been getting their kicks

vandalizing synagogues, and bumper stickers, and putting booths

up in fairs and local conventions, and things like that

[0:16:00]. And we’ve been trying to get a coalition started of

various organizations.

Herbert A. Friedman: You’ve been trying to do what?

M: We’re organizing a coalition --


thaat t added to -- II caaannn sesee the graphical,l, b

naudible] prevalentt. WeWWe have a large concen

i movvvemememenenent,t,t, aaandndnd III’m’m’m fffrororom MiMiMilwlwlwauauaukekekee,e,e, WWWiiscons

Friedman::: Milwlwlwauuukekk e, WWWiscooonnnsinnn,,, lalalarge conti

Anndn lately,y,y, tttheeey’yy veveve bbbeeeeeen gggettttttinining their kic

synanaagogugugues, and dd bububumpmpmpererer stititickers, aaandndnd ppputti

and loloocacacalll cocc nventiononons,s,s and thingggs lililike tha

And we’ve bbbeeeeeen nn trtt yiing tto gegegettt aaa cococoalition st

anizations.

Herbert A. Friedman: Coalition.

M: -- of all the various Jewish organizations on -- student

organizations and the ZOA and [inaudible]. I was wondering about

your reaction to that as far as dealing with that kind of

situation.

Herbert A. Friedman: I think you have to do every legal means to

put them out of business. And then, let’s not get to the next

question of what to do if legal means don’t work. Hold that,

until you have exhausted all legal means. Legal means include

picketing. Legal means include legally getting a license to

obstruct something that they’re doing. Legal. Everything

legally. If they’re setting up a booth [0:17:00] and you want to

run a demonstration in front of that booth to smother it, get a

police permit to have a demonstration and bring 1,000 people

there, and smother that booth, legally.

What disturbs me was your last sentence, because it was

reminiscent of something which is so crucial in this whole

business. You said, “We’re trying to get a coalition together of

all the Jewish organizations.” And while you were saying those

words, what flashed through my mind was Warsaw Ghetto, 1943, and

how it took months and months and months for the Jewish


Friedman: I think youuu hhave to do every lega

t of bububusisisinenenessssss... AnAnAnd dd thththenenen, lelelet’t’t’sss nononot t t gegegett to t

whatt ttto dododo ifff legaaalll mmeanaans dododonnn’ttt woww rkrkrk.. Hold

ave exhauuustss ededd allllll legggalaa meaeaeans. Leeegagagal means

Leeegal meaeaeansnsns iincncnclululudedd lllegegegallllylyly gggetetettititingngng a liccen

meete hing ttthaaat thhheyyy’r’r’reee dododoinininggg. Leeegalalal.. Everyttthi

thhhey’re seeettttttinii ggg upupup aaa bbbooooooththth [[0:0:0:1117:00] anndnd y

stratattion nn in frontntnt oofff thththatatat bbbooth to smsmsmototother

it to hhhavavaveee aaa demonstrtrtratatation and brrrinnnggg 1,000

smother thahahattt bobobootoo h,hh lleg lallylyly...

isturbs me was yoyoyoururur lllasasast seeentntntence, because

of something which is so crucial in this w

organizations inside the Warsaw Ghetto -- inside the ghetto!

They were already in prison! How it took months for them to try

to work out their differences [0:18:00] in order to create a

Jewish fighting organization against the Nazis. And when did

they finally get it created? The last month.

Five hundred thousand people were packed into the ghetto.

You know who created the fighting organization finally? The last

50,000. It took 450,000 dead bodies to convince Zionists and

Bundists and religionists and secularists all to get together in

a coalition. Boy, oh boy, if you want to make a coalition, make

it in fifteen minutes, and anybody that doesn’t want to join,

you forget it and go fight with what you’ve got! Okay, sorry for

the explosion, but that’s always a dreadful thing, that goddamn

Jewish business of trying to get everybody to agree [0:19:00].

Yeah.

M2: I was just curious about the statement you made about the

man [inaudible] carry a gun. I was just curious, what is your

personal opinion of Rabbi [Hanan’s?] thesis that there could be

a Holocaust in the United States? What is your personal opinion

about that?


o ccrer ated the fighthtininng gg ororganization finalally

took 450,000 dead bbbododdieiies to convince Zionis

d rellligigigioioionininistststsss ananand dd sesesecucuculaririristststsss alalallll tototo get t

. Boyyy,,, oho bbboooy,,, if yyyououou wanaant tototo makakake ee aaa cocc alit

en minuteees,ss aaandnn aaanybooodydd thahahat dododoesssn’nn t want t

ittt and gogogo fffigiighththt wwwitii hhh whwhwhattt yyyououou’v’v’vee gogogot! Okaay,

onn,n, but ttthaaat’’’s alllwawawaysysys aaa dddrrreaaadffuf lll ttht ing, tttha

nessss of tryyyinining gg tototo ggetetet eeeveveveryryrybooodydydy to agreeee [0

just curiououousss abababouoo ttt ththe tstatattemememenenenttt you made a

ble] carry a gununun. III wawawasss juststst curious, what

inion of Rabbi [Hanan’s?] thesis that there

Herbert A. Friedman: First of all, I don’t know that he said

that, that there could be a Holocaust in the United States. But

if he did, okay, maybe I just missed it somewhere.

My personal opinion of that is that I don’t agree with it.

I don’t think there could be a Holocaust in the United States.

Holocaust means genocide, means destruction. If you choose in

the United States -- six million of you allow yourselves to be

rounded up again and be led to the pen again, I think I would go

out of my mind in insanity. I do not think that a Holocaust in

America is possible, because I think that you have learned the

lessons of the first Holocaust and would not permit a second one

to take [0:20:00] place, A.

B, we wouldn’t, either. And if there were a dictator in

America who were attempting to create genocide among you and you

were not organizing yourselves to fight back, we would have to

try to figure out how some of us could go over there and fight

back for you, or with you. I think the possibilities of another

genocide, another Holocaust, are not realistic.

If you’re asking me, is there the possibly of a Hitler

developing in the United States, that’s a whole, complicated,

political question and we haven’t got the time to go into it

now. If you guys have got any more time left on your itinerary -

- and I’m not fudging now -- but that’s a political question


Staatet s -- six millilionnn of f you allow yourseselv

again and be led to ttthehhe pen again, I think

ind iiinnn inininsasasanininitytyty. III dododo nnnot ttthihihinknknk ttthahahattt aa Holo

possiblblble, bbbeeecauauause III ttthhinknnk thahahattt yoyoyou uu hahahavevv lea

the firsttt Holololocoo auauaust aaandnn wouououlddd nnnottt permit a

2000:00] plplplacacaceee, AAA.

wooouldn’t,,, eeeitttheeer. AAAndndnd iiifff tttheeereee wwwerrre a dicccta

weeere attemmmptptptinii ggg tototo cccrerereatatateee geeenononocccide amonnng y

ganizizzing gg yourselvlvl eseses tttooo fififighghghttt back, wewewe wwwould

re out hohohowww soss me of ususus cccould go ovvverrr ttthere a

u, or withhh yoyoyou.u.u. I tthihi knk tthehehe pppososossisisibib lities o

nother Holocaussst,t,t, aaarerere nnnot rrreeaealistic.

’re asking me is there the possibly of a H

which I would like to try to answer. We can’t do it this

morning. If you guys got any more time on your itinerary and you

want to have me spend another hour or two with you, I’d be glad

to come any time that your organizers [0:21:00] can organize it,

and we’ll go into questions like that.

Yes.

M3: You mentioned the failure of the western democracies and

the church, and then the Holocaust. But I don’t remember

catching anything about the European Jewry during the Holocaust.

Why did you --

Herbert A. Friedman: European Jewry? They were the victims.

M3: Yeah, but they had all of the 1930s to do something about

it. They were very in very influential positions in Germany.

(Inaudible) --

Herbert A. Friedman: Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa, excuse me. No,

you’re shifting ground. I’ve got to insist on definition.

European Jewry didn’t do anything about it, and then suddenly,

you said, “German Jews were in very influential positions.”

Separate the problems. Separate the problems.


ntioned the failure ooofff ttthe western democrac

and thththenenen ttthehehe HHHolololocococauauauststst. BuBuButtt III dododon’n’n’ttt rrememb

ythinggg aba ouououttt thththe Euuurororoppeanaan JJewewewry ddduruu inining gg the

--

Frrir edman::: EEEurrropppeananan JJJewewewryryry??? Thhheyyy wwwerrre the vviv c

but thtt eyyy had allllll offf thththeee 1119303030s to dooo sosommem thi

re veryyy iiinnn vevv ry influluluenenential positttiooonsnsns in Ge

--

Friedman: Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa excuse

German Jews were in influential positions. There were

600,000 German Jews out of about 80 million Germans. They were

less than 1 percent of the population. You are about 3 percent

in the American population, so you know what I’m talking about,

relative weight [0:22:00]. The German Jews indeed did not. Some

few spiritual leaders did. Rabbi Leo Baeck, whose name is known

to you, I’m sure. Few others. Most of the German Jews temporized

at the beginning. From the middle twenties until the early

thirties -- Hitler came into power in ’33, but he made his first

push in ’23. So for ten years, they knew he was on the horizon.

Thirty-three he came in. The war didn’t start until ’39, so they

still had even six more years after he was in power.

What happened was half of those 600,000 left the country.

Half of German Jewry left Germany. Got out. Escaped. Where did

they go? Large numbers went to England, where they were put in

alien camps because they were German citizens, even though they

were Jews. Went to England, went to the United States. Large

numbers went to the United States [0:23:00].

I have two brothers. There were three boys of us in the

family. We were very, very poor. We’re talking about the

Depression in America in the middle thirties, if you remember

it. My father had no work. We had no bread in the house. My

father signed an affidavit for three young German refugee boys,


suurer . Few others. MoMoostss oof the German Jewews

nning. From the middddldlleee ttwt enties until the e

Hitlllererer cccamamameee ininintototo pppowowowererer innn ’3’3’33,3,3, bbbututut hhhee made

. So fofofor tetetennn yeyeyears,,, ttthheyyy knewewew heee waww sss onoo the

e he cameee in.n.n. Thehehe warrr didn’n’n’t stststarrrt tt until ’3

veeen six mmmorororeee yeyeyearararsss afafafteteter hehehe wwwasss iiin power..

apppppened wwwasss hhhalllf ofofof ttthohohoseee 60000,,0, 000000 left thhhe

mannn Jewry lllefefeft tt GeGeGermrmrmananany.yy GGGototot oooututut. Escapedd.d. W

rge nnnumbebebers wenttt tototo EEEngngnglalalandndnd, where thththeyeyey wer

becaussseee thththeyee were GeGeGermrmrman citizennns, eeven th

Went to Engngnglalalandndnd,,, we tnt tto ththheee UnUnUnititited States.

t to the Unitededd SSStatatatetetesss [0:2223:3:3:00].

two brothers There were three boys of us

and so instead of becoming three of us, there were six of us.

And my mother tried to find bread for six of us, instead of

three of us. So that there were lower-middle class, and poor

Jews in America who rallied to the cause of bringing into the

United States by signing affidavits around 100,000 or 150,000

German Jews in 1933, ’34, ’35, ’36, ’37. My family saved three,

because we were three. That’s as much as she thought she could

do. I think it was pretty damn good.

So that [0:23:59] the German Jews didn’t do anything to

stop Hitler. The rest of European Jews there was no power. Okay,

listen, hey, hey, hey, time. There was a -- yeah, you and then I

saw a hand in the back -- you -- and that’s it.

F: You made the point that [inaudible] disgusted at talking

about it as too emotional. I think another problem that we

should talk about is a present-day problem of Jews who are still

prisoners -- Jews in the Soviet Union, Syrian Jews. We’re

forgetting about them.

Herbert A. Friedman: No, we’re not forgetting about them. You

can’t talk about everything at once.


werre e three. That’ss asss mucuch as she thougghtht s

it was pretty damn gggoooodd.d

t [0:232323:5:5:59]9]9] ttthehehe GGGererermamamannn Jewswsws dddidididn’n’n’t t t dododo anyth

. Thee rrresttt ooof EEEuropppeaeaeann JeJJews ttthhhererere wasasas no po

, hey, heeeyy,y tttimii e.e.e. Theeerrre wasasas aa -- yeyeyeah, you

innn the bababackckck ---- yoyoyou uu ---- aaanddd ttthahahat’t’t’s ititt.

de the pointntnt ttthaaattt [i[i[inananaudududibibibllle] dddiiisgusted at

too emotototional. I ttthihihinknknk anononottther proooblblblememem tha

about isisis aaa present-d-d-dayayay problem ooof JeJeJews who

- Jews in ttthehehe SSSovoo ieii tt UUniion,n,n, SSSyryryriaiaian Jews. We

about them.

F: I know. I know that, but I’m saying in the States as a

whole, particularly in the school that I’m in in Chicago,

there’s nothing going on.

Herbert A. Friedman: Start it.

F: We are.

Herbert A. Friedman: Okay.

F: I just wanted to say that [inaudible].

Herbert A. Friedman: I think that you shouldn’t just pass this

issue off with one sentence like this, see. I don’t know how

many days [0:24:59] you’re going to be here, and I don’t know

how much time you’re going to have to get into discussions of

what you should do when you get back to America. But you ought

to spend some time on that. I would really beg your organizers

to give you some time. And I repeat, if you want me to come

back, I’m going to be here until the thirtieth. The morning of

the thirtieth, next whatever it is, Tuesday, Wednesday, I’ve got

to go to America. But I’ll be here until then, and if you want


.

Friedddmamamannn::: OkOkOkayayay.

wanted tttooo saaay yy thththat [i[i[inaudddibii lelee]]].

Frrir edman::: III thththiiink kk thththatatat yyyououou ssshohohoullldndndn’t justtt p

ithhh one sennntetetencnn ee lililikekeke ttthihihis,s,s, ssseeeeee. I don’ttt kn

0:24:4::59] you’re gggoioioingngng tttoo bebebe here, aaandndnd III don

me you’u’’rerere gggoioo ng to hahahaveveve to get innntooo dddiscuss

ould do whehehennn yoyoyouuu gett bba kck tttooo AmAmAmerererici a. But y

me time on thatatt... III wowowoulululd reeealalally beg your or

some time And I repeat if you want me to

me to come and join you on any discussion on that or any other

subject, I’ll be glad to. You should take it up, yes.

Yes. Last question.

M4: [inaudible] my question, I would make the statement about

[inaudible] learning [inaudible] not everyone has forgotten.

Could you reminisce a little bit on the death of Dr. Arendt?

Herbert A. Friedman: Hannah Arendt? Rather not talk about her.

Bad woman, in my book. For one very simple [0:26:00] statement

that she made. She says the Jews were slaughtered, and they

themselves agreed with the slaughter. Now, that’s nuts, as far

as I’m concerned. Her description of them as being willing

victims by their non-resistance, I mean, it just flies in the

face of reality. It’s the kind of German psychoanalysis that

causes me to vomit. I can’t stand it. I think she was a self-

hating Jew, period, full stop.

And if that’s not a satisfactory answer to you, I’m really

sorry, but I can’t stand those who blame the victims. It’s just

too cheap and easy a way out [0:27:00]. Blame the people who are

to blame. The most you can say about the victims is that they

maybe didn’t fight back enough -- enough! Although they even

fought back without weapons. They fought in the partisan units.


emiminin sce a little bbititt on n the death of Dr.r. A

Friedddmamamannn::: HaHaHannnnnnahahah AAArererendndndttt? RRRatatatheheherrr nononottt tatatalk ab

in myyy bbbook.k.k. Fororor oneee vvveeryyy simpmpmpllle [[0:00 262626:0: 0] s

de. She sssayaa s thtt eee Jewsss wereee slauauaughhhtett red, and

agggreed wiwiwiththth ttthehehe ssslall ugugughththterrr. NoNoNow,,, ttthahahat’s nuuts

errrned. Heeer deeescccriiiptptptioioionnn ofofof thhhemmm aaas being wwwil

theeeir non-rrresesesisii tatatancncnceee, III mmmeaeaean, iiittt just fllilies

lity.y.. It’t’t’s the kikk ndndnd ooofff GeGeGermmman psychhhoaoaoanananalysi

o vomititt. III cacc n’t stananand dd it. I thinnnk shshshe was

period, fufufullllll ssstott p.

that’s not a sasasatititisfsfsfacacactott ryyy aaansn wer to you, I

I can’t stand those who blame the victims

They fought in the underground units. They fought -- the largest

number of people in the Maquis were Jews in France, in the

underground against the Nazis.

But I’ll finish the point by saying this, and you can think

about this in terms of Des Moines, Iowa. The point at which a

Nazi soldier in uniform bangs on the front door of your house

and tells you to get outside and get in the truck is the point

at which you have to decide whether to go into the kitchen and

grab a knife and try to stab him [0:28:00]. Because no, that’s

your last chance. Maybe you should have done it five years

earlier, or ten years earlier, but leave that alone for the

moment. If you don’t do it then, you certainly are late, because

you never have another chance. And nobody did it then. Because

why don’t you do it then? Because you figure while there’s life,

there’s hope. And you don’t know what will happen, and maybe you

can jump off the truck. And anyway, if you stab him, all that

he’ll do is shoot your wife and kids right there in the kitchen

in front of you, and so that finishes the whole ball game. And

everybody thinks of it in personal terms.

But perhaps if 1,000 people did that in some big town, then

maybe the Nazis wouldn’t have been able to round up everybody in

that town. It’s always the difference between the [pratte?] and

the [cloud?]. You never know how to balance it between the


ou tot get outside aandndd getet in the truck isis t

u have to decide whhhetetthehher to go into the kit

e anddd tttryryry tttooo stststababab hhhimimim [[[0:282828:0:0:00]0]0]. BeBeBecacacauuse no

hancee... MaMM ybybybeee yoyoyou shhhouououlld hhaveee dddonenene ittt fiff ve y

ten yearrrsss eaeaarlrr ieieier, bbbutuu leaeaeavee ttthaaat tt alone fo

yooou don’t’t’t dddooo ititit ttthehh n,n,n, yyyouuu cccererertatataininnlylyly are llat

avvve anothhherrr ccchaaanccce.e.e. AAAndndnd nnnooobooodyyy didididd d it theeen.

ou do it thhhenenen??? BeBeBecacacausususeee yoyoyouuu fiiigugugurrre while the

e. AnAnAnd yoyoyou don’’ttt knkk owowow wwwhahahatt will happppepepen,n,n, and

f the tttrururuckckck. And anywywywayayay, if you ssstaaabbb him, a

shoot yoururur wwwifififeee andd kikidds rrrigigighththt tttheh re in th

you, and so ththhatatat fffinininisisishes thththe whole ball g

hinks of it in personal terms

[0:29:00] private individual and the whole community. So the

most, the most you can accuse anybody of is to say he didn’t

resist at the moment of capture. And I think that accusation is

unfair, because it goes against human nature.

But for her to make the general accusation that she does,

that the Jews somehow by their nature and their inner

psychological convulsions, and all the other garbage that she’s

talking about, were really willing co-conspirators with the

murders, ugh, don’t get me started.

Listen, I didn’t say one word about the UJA. [laughter and

applause]. All I want to tell you is that [0:30:00] for the rest

of your life, you never have to use that word so long as you

agree with two things. The Jewish people is a united people, and

we’re all responsible for each other, and you and I are

responsible for those six million. And so long as you say the

second thing, that the Jewish people has created a vehicle for

itself in the middle of the twentieth century, this state of

Israel, and that also belongs to all of us, you and me. And you

can do everything you can to try to keep that strong. So if you

just have those two basic premises, you never have to utter

those three ugly initials until the day you die. I don’t care,

because you’ll act, you’ll act in accordance with those two

principles, and you will become [0:31:00] the defenders of the


al coc nvulsions, andnd aaallll tthe other garbagege t

ut, were really williliinnng co-conspirators wit

h, dooon’n’n’ttt gegegettt mememe ssstatatartrtrtededed.

, I didididndndn’ttt sssayyy one wwworoord aabouuut t t thhheee UJJJA.A.A. [lau

All I wannnttt tototo telelell yooouuu is ttthaattt [000::3: 0:00] fo

e, you neneneveveverrr hahahaveveve tooo usususe thththatatat wwworororddd so lonng

twwwo thingggs... TTTheee JJJewewewisisish hh pepepeooopllle isss aaa uniteddd p

esppponsible fofofor rr eaeaachchch ooothththererer,,, annnddd yyyou and III ar

for r thososose six mimm llllllioioion.nn AAAndndnd so longgg aaasss you

g, thattt ttthehehe Jewish pepepeopopople has creeeatttededed a veh

he middle ooofff thththeee twtt entiti tethhh cececentntntururury, this st

that also beloloongngngsss tototo aaall ooofff us, you and me

ything you can to try to keep that strong

Jewish people and the Jewish nation and the Jewish religion, and

that’s really what we’re asking you to do. Thank you very much.

[applause]

END OF AUDIO FILE [31:14]


Documents

TR-3820 Transcription Friedman, Herbert A. Address to ...collections.americanjewisharchives.org/ms/ms0763/tr3820.pdf · Everybody failed. And that’s how six ... Donn’t gete me