CONCERNING THE JEWS...What is the secret of his immortality?" ...Chag Kasher V'Sameach...

 

Mark Twain

CONCERNING THE
JEWS...

The Essay - 1898

"If the statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of
the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of star dust 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 the
world, in all the ages; and has 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 peoples 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

https://staff-assets.ncsy.org/mark-twain-on-jews.pdf

 

 

 

The closing paragraphs are famous, but few have read Mark Twain's complete article. It's long but fascinating. 

 Print and read.

Harper's Magazine, March, 1898

https://aish.com/48931627/