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The Grey Book by Johan M. Snoek
J >> Johan M. Snoek >> The Grey Book Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33
Uriel Tal
The Hebrew University, Jerusalem
PREFACE
Much has been published as to whether the Pope remained silent during the
persecution of the Jews in Europe, primarily as a reaction to Rolf
Hochhuth's play "The Representative" (Der Stellvertreter in German or in
Dutch "Plaatsbekleder"). Not so much, however, has been published about the
attitude of the non-Roman Catholic Churches. When there is a vacuum in
our knowledge, it is an excellent breeding place for myths. We should fill
a gap therefore as well as possible.
There exist certain myths, which die hard. Many people still believe that
it was Richard III who murdered the princes in the Tower, though this has
been shown to be false. The Dutch people for instance did not behave as
courageously during the Second World War as is generally believed, but
the myth seems to be firmly established; just as is the story that the King
of Denmark walked through the streets of Copenhagen wearing the yellow
badge in protest against the German measures concerning the Jews.
One should not lightly dismiss the existence of such historical untruths on
the assumption that there is always a grain of truth in every myth. Sometimes
a myth is completely false, as in the case of murdered princes. Moreover,
this type of myth is sometimes very harmful. We need only remind ourselves
of the infamous ritual-murder myth, suggesting that the Jews used the blood
of a Christian child for ritual purposes. <1>
It is undeniable that throughout the ages many Christians took an active
part in the persecution of Jews. [43] This fact has been officially and
repeatedly admitted by Christian bodies. Some of the statements in this
documentation unequivocally plead guilty in this respect. Small wonder,
then, that many Christians, as well as Jews, honestly believe that "there
was a complete and terrible silence on the part of the Church" [44].
In the process of creation of anti-Jewish myths, there is a tendency to
generalize: "The Jews have ..." We like to think in general terms because
stereotypes are so easy, whilst it costs us much more mental effort to
discriminate. Let us not commit the same offence against logic as the
anti-Semites have and let us remember that it is just as fallacious to
talk about "the Churches" as about "the Jews".
It is important for many reasons not to overrate the positive things the
Churches did and said. It is also important, again for many reasons, not
to belittle them.
We certainly must denounce acts of anti-Semitism, even when outstanding
leaders of the Church were the perpetrators, but this remains a negative.
We must also mention the positive, which is more encouraging.
I believe this is one of the underlying intentions of "Yad Vashem's"
competent Department in trying to seek out and honour the "righteous of all
Nations": non-Jews who helped Jews at the risk of their own lives. [45]
It seems far too early to come to a definite evaluation of many aspects of
the holocaust. Far be it from me, to claim that I can say the last word about
that one aspect under discussion here: the attitude <2>
of the non-Roman Catholic Churches. I can and must try to be objective, but
I cannot be detached, as probably none of our generation can: we were all
involved, in one way or another. [46] But I am convinced that our generation
can and must do the groundwork. It must collect the material that may
otherwise be completely lost or forgotten, and investigate it before even
more people, who were personally involved, have passed away.
Collecting these documents was like trying to make a jigsaw puzzle from
which many pieces are missing, the difference being that in this case one
often does not even know that something is missing. However, the lack of
other pieces is known. [47] As regards my own country (the Netherlands),
I am fairly sure that the collection of documents is well-nigh complete.
Some statements issued by Churches were published in Bulgarian or Slovak,
etc., but not in English. Even such documents as were available in English
were not generally known. Most of the material in this book had to be
translated from Hebrew, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish,
Slovak, Hungarian, Bulgarian or Greek.
Initially, I sent a circular letter to the heads of Churches in Eastern
Europe asking for information and I received some replies, though not many.
Some replies stated that no documents were available because everything
had been destroyed during the war. This seems quite possible, and perhaps
we must give the Churches in question the benefit of the doubt. Moreover,
it was not advisable, for security reasons, to keep certain documents. Thus,
for instance, all documents of the World Council of Churches and its
preceding organizations, which might incriminate Christian leaders in
Germany, were destroyed when, in 1940, it was feared that Germany would
invade Switzerland. [48]
<3>
Yet, some Churches, which probably could have sent material, and which in
some cases as, for example, the Churches in Bulgaria and Greece, had a
good record of resistance against anti-Semitism, failed to do so. It would
appear that Church archives are sometimes the safest place in the world for
documents not to be found.
The Library and Archives of "Yad Vashem", in Jerusalem, had much material.
I was also able to spend some days in the Wiener Library, in London, and
in the Library of the World Council of Churches, at Geneva.
I could never have succeeded in finding the material and having it translated
without the help of many interested friends, Jews as well as Christians,
to whom I am deeply indebted. It would be difficult to mention all their
names, but I should like at least to express here my indebtedness to the
late Director of "Yad Vashem", Dr. Arjeh Leon Kubovy, of blessed memory;
and to Dr. Shaul Esh, of blessed memory, who made valuable suggestions for
the chapters on Germany. I am also especially indebted to Dr. J. Robinson,
of New York, and Prof. Dr. C. Augustijn, of Amsterdam, who read the
manuscript and suggested many improvements. Of course the responsibility
for any eventual mistakes solely rests on me. I am deeply grateful for all
the kind help rendered to me by the Chief Librarian of "Yad Vashem", Miss
Ora Alcalay, and her assistants.
Most of the chapters in Part III (During the War) have some particulars
about anti-Semitic measures taken by the Germans: I wanted to give some
historical background for the statements issued by Churches. For the
background of statements issued in the different countries before the
Second World War, the historical survey and the chapter on Germany in
part II should be consulted. One can never have too much knowledge of
the situation and background in the countries concerned, if one is to
see facts clearly in their historical context and interpret them correctly.
Thus, more publications are mentioned in the notes for further study.
Some figures concerning the membership of Churches are given in Appendix II,
though they are of limited value. Many territorial changes took place in
Central and Eastern Europe. Some Churches count as members all who were
baptized, whether they ever attended services or not; others count <4>
"communicants"; the Baptists do not count the children. But one will at
least acquire a conception of the numerical strength of a certain Church.
An investigation into the question whether the non-Roman Catholic Churches
kept silent, must necessarily have certain limitations.
Firstly, no statement issued by a Church under the authority of the Pope
are recorded in this book, with the exception, of course, of joint statements
issued by Protestants and Roman Catholics, as was the case in the Netherlands.
Thus I have recorded nothing from the Polish Greek Catholic Metropolitan
Sheptitsky, or from the Maronite Patriarch of Syria, Mgr. Arida. [49]
Secondly, this investigation is not concerned with the acts of individual
Christians, unless they were leaders of the Church and clearly spoke in the
name of their Church. [50]
Thirdly, I have not recorded the contents of protests issued solely against
the treatment of Christians of Jewish origin. It was certainly the duty of
the Churches to do all in their power to protect those Christians, but this
is not my subject. I am interested in what manner the Churches acted or
failed to act on behalf of the Jews in general.
This book is first of all an attempt to draw up an inventory, rather than
to draw up the balance-sheet. However, the fact that I have often had the
privilege of lecturing on the subject to Jewish, Christian or mixed
audiences, always followed by brisk discussion, encourages me to feel that
I have correctly understood some of the problems and questions which arise.
The Introduction arrived only just in time to be printed. I am particularly
grateful to Dr. Uriel Tal for his penetrating comment and questions. It
stands to reason that our views need not agree in every detail, but <5>
Christians should know that such questions as are raised in the
Introduction are asked by many Jews. It is of the utmost importance
for Jewish-Christian relations to discuss them as frankly as Dr. Tal did.
<6>
I
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
1 PROBLEMS OF EVALUATION
Commentators on the attitude of the Churches in certain lands frequently
contradict one another. Some Christians, such as Rev. Niemoeller [51] and Rev.
Buskes [52] for instance, pass a severe verdict on the Churches and include
themselves also. It seems to me that at least one Jewish commentator gives
too positive a picture about the attitude of the population in his country,
Greece.[53] He may, consciously or unconsciously, have tried not to embarrass
the people amongst whom he still lived when he wrote his book. But also the
opinion of a Christian that "the hundreds of thousands of Jews that escaped
the doom decreed for them owed their survival more to the rescue activities
of individuals and private groups, above all the Churches, than to
governmental resistance policy" [54], seems to me too favourable.
It must be difficult for Jews who know of anti-Semitic actions perpetrated
by Church leaders throughout the centuries, and who personally suffered and
lost their relatives in the holocaust, to believe that not merely a few
"righteous of all Nations" but also Churches publicly and unequivocally
spoke out against Hitler's murderous anti-Semitism. On the other hand,
Christians are in danger of trying to whitewash the Church and ignoring
the many instances when the Church failed. We all tend to forget our
failures and to remember our victories.
Some commentators tend to forget how the actual situation was in those
days. Indeed, it is difficult even for people who themselves lived through
it, to project themselves back into the time when Hitler seemed all-powerful.
Moreover, we now have the benefit of living after the events, and thus we
know many facts, which were not generally known in those days. <9>
It seems unbelievable now, but in the summer of 1940, when some people
somewhere in the Netherlands formed a resistance group, their leader
stated that the British would not liberate us before Christmas 1940, and
everybody present felt sorely disappointed. This kind of unwarranted optimism
was fostered by many people throughout the war, and thus they underestimated
the danger to the Jews and believed that, if German action against them could
be delayed by some kind of compromise, much, and perhaps all, would be won.
Many people in occupied Europe, in Great Britain and in the United States
thought, that the information about the gas-chambers was "atrocity propaganda".
The President of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
stated, on May 1, 1943: "What is happening to the Jews on the Continent of
Europe is so horrible that we are in danger of assuming that it is
exaggerated" [55]. We quote the following from "Unity in Dispersion":
"The undertaking was so staggering that, until the revelation about the
Maidanek camp, a majority of the people in the United States as well as
in England dismissed the facts of extermination as 'atrocity mongering'...
It should be conceded, as extenuating circumstances, that never before
in history had states descended to such depths of bad faith, deceit, and
treachery as did Germany and some of her satellites in their resolve to
murder. In 1942, tens of thousands of Polish Jews volunteered for cunningly
disguised 'resettlement' and agricultural work in the territories recently
conquered by the Germans in the East, and thus entered of their own accord
on a road at the end of which destruction awaited them." [56]
The Germans tried to deceive the victims about their aims as well as the
people amongst whom these victims lived, and they succeeded in this to a
considerable extent. [57] <10>
They had, in occupied Europe, all the instruments of mass communication,
such as press and radio, at their disposal. All these and other factors are
mentioned in "Unity in Dispersion" [58] in order to explain to some extent
"the failure of organized Jewry to halt or even to slow down the most
terrible catastrophe in Jewish history". Much of it is, mutatis mutandis,
also applicable to "organized Christianity".
On the other hand, when the true facts became known, there was danger
mentioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury: "It is one of the most terrible
consequences of war that the sensitiveness of people tends to become
hardened... There is a great moral danger in the paralysis of feeling
that is liable to be brought about." [59]
We now are in danger of forgetting that so many other problems burdened
people in those days. The British people were fighting their life-and-death
struggle against the Third Reich, but were free. In the occupied countries,
many young people were sent to Germany for compulsory labour; food was
rationed and became more and more scarce. People went out in the night to
cut wood illegally as there was hardly any fuel.
One cannot understand what happened in occupied Europe without remembering
these things; neither can one understand, without realising the power of
human egoism and the will to survive. No one who has never really been
hungry, nor has been deprived of his liberty, can understand what it meant
in practice to "love one's neighbour" during the Second World War.
The persecution of the Jews was not the only challenge confronting the
Churches in those days, though we only now can perceive better that it
was the most important one. The list of steps taken by the Churches in
the Netherlands shows the type of problems which faced the Churches:
intercession in church services for the Queen; arrest of pastors;
suppression of the Church press; compulsory labour for youth; requisition
of church bells; deportation of labourers to Germany; closing down of the
Bible Society; ban on Church conferences; death sentences: plea for mercy;
deportation of students, and national-socialist education in Christian
schools. [60] <11>
We tend now to underestimate the power of the Hitlerite terror. It has been
said that all the Dutch should have blocked the railways with their own
bodies, thus preventing the deportation of the Jews, because Hitler could
not have murdered the entire Dutch population. I do not doubt that he could
have and he would have done precisely that. [61]
It is not surprising then that many lay members of the Church and Church
leaders were afraid, and therefore failed to fulfil their duties. Gerstein
said, in Rolf Hochhuth's play: "A Christian in these days cannot survive
if he is truly Christian". [62] Dr. Banning said: "If the Church had fully
exercised the obedience of faith, no pastor or priest would have come out
alive. [63]
But the greatness of the risks matched the appalling need to help: the
Germans committed genocide. Whenever the Church remained silent in view
of the holocaust, it was guilty. "Nevertheless a crime of such magnitude
falls in no small measure to the responsibility of those witnesses who
never cried out against it - whatever the reason for their silence." [64]
Therefore, all the considerations mentioned above cannot exempt Churches,
Christians or non-Christians, though they can help us to be fairer in our
judgment.
One is sometimes in danger of becoming irritated by people who did not
stand the test themselves, and yet claim to know exactly what should have
been said and done. There recently appeared a book [65] in which the author
sharply criticizes much what was done, or was not done, during the German
occupation of the Netherlands. <12>
He himself took a very active part in the struggle. Perhaps that is the
reason why his criticism is not without compassion, and that it is to a
large extent self-criticism. In order to understand how difficult it was to
risk one's life or even freedom on behalf of others, one had to have been
in it oneself.
I, who am now living in Israel, have sometimes, when lecturing on the subject,
invited my audience to imagine for a moment that (God forbid!) some foreign
power should occupy the land of Israel, say in the year 1980; and that this
foreign power should deport many Jews for compulsory labour abroad, and also
ration all food supplies, but that the Jewish part of the population should
not risk their lives when complying with the demands of the enemy; that,
however, the Christian minority in Israel should be deported and exterminated;
that they should be deprived of their ration cards, that their identity
cards should be stamped with a C, and that they must wear a yellow badge
in the form of a cross, in order to distinguish them as Christians.
I then asked the question: "would you be willing, in such a situation, to
hide my wife, one of my children or me, who all look very "Aryan", though
you knew that, as in every community, you were in danger of being betrayed
and in even greater danger of being given away by careless talk of other
people? Or would you, if you were the Chief Rabbi, be prepared to denounce
the anti-Christian measures publicly and unequivocally?"
2 FACTORS LEADING TO PUBLIC PROTESTS
There were many factors that led Churches to protest publicly. One of them
is mentioned by the Executive Council of the Federal Council of Churches in
the U.S.A. in 1941:
"No true Christian Can be anti-Semitic in thought, word or deed without
being untrue to his own Christian heritance." [66]
But how often true Christians were untrue... <13>
The National Council of the Reformed Church in France made a similar
statement, in September, 1942, declaring:
"A Christian Church would lose its soul and the reason for its existence,
were it not to maintain... the Divine law above human contingencies." [67]
The Bible (the Old as well as the New Testament) was frequently cited in
the protests. This may appear strange to people who only knew that the New
Testament was used as a source of anti-Semitic influence. The same applies,
by the way, to the Old Testament. [68] In my opinion, this use is quite
indefensible. We list some of the texts cited in the protests:
"Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to
destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the
poor and the needy. (Proverbs 31, 8-9).
Indirect reference, particularly in Switzerland and Germany, was made to
Ezekiel 33, when the Church's office as Watchman is mentioned.
"When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man
of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: if when he seeth the sword
come upon the land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people; then whosoever
heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come,
and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head...
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the
people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them,
he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the
watchman's hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the
house of Israel..." (Ezekiel 33, 2-4, 6-7).
"With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matthew 7, 1).
"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25, 40).
"We ought to obey God rather than man." (Acts 5, 29).
"...and (God) hath made of one blood all the nations of men..." (Acts 17, 26).
"There is neither Jew nor Greek...: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Galatians 3, 28). <14>
In addition to this, the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10, 30 - 37)
was quoted. It was frequently pointed out, though the wordings differ, that
Jesus was born a Jew.
With regard to the Churches in the Netherlands, it has been stated that
"the moral implications of Christian doctrine motivated the resistance of
the Churches". [69] Such a statement seems to me to oversimplify matters.
I believe that the Christian doctrine (or rather: the teachings of the
Bible) demanded the resistance of the Churches, but it is always possible
to find convenient excuses to escape a challenge, as for example the opinion
that the Church should not interfere in political matters.
I once tried to convince a devout Protestant (he was an elder of the Church)
that he should hide a Jewish child, by reminding him that one day he would
have to give account of his deeds to the Supreme Judge. The man, who
certainly could have hidden that child (he had a large farm) flatly
refused, not because he denied that he would have to give account of his
deeds, but because he was afraid, - too afraid to hide the child. I pointed
out to him that he should rather fear God and not man, but my words simply
had no effect.
Christian teaching did not work in this case, though that does not mean
that it did not work in other cases. Chief Rabbi Safran spoke to the Rumanian
Patriarch Nicodemus of the terrible responsibility he was taking upon
his conscience in the eyes of the Supreme Judge [70], and in this case it
worked, though there were probably other motivations as well.
Everybody's decisions are also motivated by the principles to which he
adheres, and thus a Christian's decisions are influenced by Christian
principles, though it must be admitted that mostly there are many other
influences and motivations, probably more than the person who makes
a decision, realizes.
<15>
The whole matter of the attitude of the Churches during the war was once
discussed at a conference, and one of the speakers began by expressing as
his opinion that Hitler and Eichmann were Christians, but later on he said
that Mr. Johannes Bogaard, one of the "righteous of all Nations" who saved
many Jews and whose father, brother and son were murdered by the Germans,
was "just a courageous Dutchman".
I happen to know Mr. Bogaard very well and I am convinced that he acted as
he did during the war, primarily because he is a committed Christian. Of
course this does not alter the fact that many Christians did not do very
much, if anything, on behalf of their neighbours, the Jews; nor should it
be denied that many non-Christians did do what they could, out of national,
socialist, humanist or communist convictions.
The same applies to the attitudes of a community.
A member of a left wing kibbutz stated his views very clearly to me, and
I know that many people hold views similar to his:
"Allow me to express my position which is based on dialectical materialism.
The Protestant Churches were active everywhere according to the local
circumstances, first of all according to the nature of the people amongst
whom they lived. The Churches did not act in a vacuum.
For instance, in the countries of Western-Europe, such as Holland, Norway
and Denmark, where the 'final solution' met with the resistance of all
sections of the population, the courageous stand of those nations found
its vehement expression in the attitude of the different Churches.
The non-Roman Catholic Churches merely reflected the opinion and reactions
of the people."
It seems to me that there is more than a grain of truth in such a view and
certainly no Church ever acted in a vacuum. Much in the protests issued by
Churches in countries such as Bulgaria and Greece, points to nationalist
rather than to spiritual-Christian considerations. Reading and analysing
the contents of the statements may be of some help when assessing the
motivations of Christians and groups of Christians who resisted the
persecution of Jews. <16>
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