Mark Twain and The Jews

”...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.

The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”

- Mark Twain
(“Concerning The Jews,” Harper’s Magazine, 1899)

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Posted in: Hot Topics
by Member of the Tribe

YOUR THOUGHTS? [4]
November 6, 2009

Jewish Quotes

World Perfect The Jewish Impact On Civilization

YOUR THOUGHTS

By Shanti on November 6, 2009 -- 7:21am

Mark Twain knew what he was talking about.

He knew the Jews are eternal, the apple of G-d’s eye, B"H

By serge on November 6, 2009 -- 11:50am

The jews haven’t ever stopped asking what they can do themselves to prosper, and progress.
Not a single moment.
The task of every jew is to learn.To do their best effort at it.
When the Romans had conquered the known world, they rested aside, and started doing the most frivolous decadent things.
Any other culture the jews have witnessed stopped doing their best when their own demise was at hand.
Never stop doing you best.
Never sit aside and cultivate vein.
Only One is allowed to do so : the Imortal Livegiver, the Creator, The One that trancends time and space.
We humans, jew or not have to respect that.

By Ben Koshkin on April 12, 2010 -- 10:34pm

The thurst for knowledge and education I beleive is the prime mover that has caused so many Jews to excell in diverse fields.

Ben Koshkin

By Raj on May 24, 2010 -- 12:11pm

Jews formed the traditional Intellectual community of the west, who excelled in every walk of life despite being persecuted and discriminated; whose diaspora spread across the world after their expulsion from their homeland by Babylonians and Romans who destroyed their first and second temples respectively. Judaism (one of the ancient most surviving religions of the world) has produced some of the best brains of the world. Anne Frank diary is one of the world’s most widely read books after Bible. Magnum opus Jewish films: The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur.

Throughout the history of migrations, people have migrated in search of livelihood, better opportunities, high standard of living - - , Israel perhaps a sole exception wherein people from most developed countries enjoying relatively high standard of living migrated to almost barren land/desert region.

Israel now one of the most advanced nations in middle-east/world. Israelites figure in Mathematical Olympiads, Nobel prize lists, and are in forefront in developing most advanced technologies. They have transformed barren desert into cultivable land through most advanced techniques of land reclamation. Development may not be possible without peace, but despite being a war torn region Israel could achieve unparalleled growth rates which other peer countries couldn’t. There is no day which goes without an incident of violence, every day is war, to survive they have to fight and there is no other option as it is surrounded by hostile countries which have taken a vow to wipe it out from the world map. It is mandatory for men to serve in the army for a period of time; to meet the demand even women are recruited and posted in front-line duties.

In Technology, U.S.A is almost 10-20 times more advanced than its counterparts and Israel perhaps the only nation which stands up to the mark in many sectors like Defense, Health care, Agriculture and allied activities, Irrigation/Watershed management, Science and Technology/Information Technology, Education and research etc.,

Most fascinating thing about Israelites is: unlike other developed nations despite being so advanced in Science and Technology they won’t give up their age-old traditions; Brilliant brains yet bow down their heads before God, and consider themselves (Orthodox, Ultra-Orthodox, most of the secular Jews) to be representatives of moral and ethical values which God asked them to follow as part of the covenant. They give much importance to family systems and all their traditions are God-centered. Remarkably, they have revived Hebrew - One of the ancient most spoken languages which is now Israel official language.

“History should be used to learn lessons from the past, not to preach hatred.”

Raj
Jew Lover
Indian(Hindu)