Life, 1919-06-26 · page 28 of 43
Life — June 26, 1919 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page attacks Rabbi Nowak of Boston, who claimed no Jew could be a Bolshevik because Bolshevism contradicts Jewish doctrine. The article sarcastically refutes him, arguing that Russian Bolshevism *is* Jewish-led: twelve of thirteen early Bolshevik executive committee members were Russian Jews (naming figures like Trotsky and Zinoviev). The cartoons mock the rabbi's naïveté. The top cartoon shows a doctor frustrated collecting payment—implying the rabbi is oblivious to obvious realities, like unpaid bills. This reflects 1920s American antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Jews for Bolshevism and communism. The text, dripping with sarcasm, weaponizes Bolshevik violence ("chopped into mincemeat by the Red Guard") against the rabbi's statement, suggesting he's dangerous if followed. The satire is deeply bigoted, using antisemitic tropes to discredit both the rabbi and Jewish-Bolshevik associations.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
WHY THE DOCTOR HAD A FEELING HE Rabbi Nowak Goes Astray Rabbi Nowak, at Temple Ohabei Shalom, Union Park Street, preaching on “ Americanism 7s, Bolshe vism,” said no Jew could also be a Bolshevist. He said that Bolshevik doctrines are a direct contradic tion of all that Judaism has stood for for two thou sand years.—The Boston Post. UCH twaddle has been emitted to the effect that the Russian people have expressed their wills in Bolshe- vism. If Bolshevist leaders show whose will is being ex- pressed, Bolshevism is an expression of the wills ‘of the Russian Jews. And the Russian Jew of Bolshevism is a different breed of Jew from those with which the other nations of the world are familiar good Americans ; American Jews are French Jews are sood Frenchmen; Eng lish Jews are good Englishmen, but the Bolshevist Russian Jew is no good at all. He is a creature by self. He is not a Rus- him- sian, certainly; and so far as Americans who have seen him can dis cover, he is nothing but a person who whatever he can grab, regardless of how he grabs it or whom he damages by his grabbing. Le- wants SHOULD MAKE directed by members. querading in had become Trotzky, and Apfelbaum had become Zinovies AN EFFORT TO COLLECT THAT BILL In the early days of Bolshevism, the move n executive committee composed of thirtecr welve of the thirteen were Russian Jews mas Russian names. Bronstein, for examp! When Rabbi Nowak also he a Bolshevist, he is probably sp ays that no Jew car ing for the good Jews of America other civilized nations. His words are cnough; for Boishevik doctrines @ rect contradiction of all that Juda stood for for two thousand years; and they are also a direct contradiction of all that Christianity and Law and Deceney hiv stood for through all the years that such things have existed. If the greatest divines in America should go into Bolshevik Christian could be a Bolshevik. the Bolsheviks who used to be Christians would torture them and mangle them and crucify Russia and say that them and kill them with many a boisterous laugh and if Rabbi Nowak followed in their footsteps with his statement about no Jew being a Bolshe vist, the Russian-Jew Bols! vik leaders would burst into nine is a Russian noblem: but his chiefs and his advisers and his co-workers are Russian THE TOP-LINER hilarious guffaws and have him chopped into mincemeat by the Red Guard. KOLB comicbooks.com