The Only Jewish Military Cemetery Outside of Israel
Remember, the American Civil War was about States Rights, not Racism and Slavery.
The Hebrew Confederate Cemetery, located in Richmond, Virginia, is the only Jewish military cemetery in the world outside of Israel. It was created by the anti-Semitism of the two Confederate military cemeteries, in Spotsylvania Court House and Fredericksburg. They refused to bury the Jewish Confederate soldiers killed in the battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Wilderness. They didn’t want “Jewish boys” in their cemeteries.
16 comments:
It's good this cemetery is still around as a reminder of the attitudes that existed here and in some people, still exist. Bigotry and racism never made any sense to me. In fact, my parents were racist. But, even as a child that attitude didn't make sense to me.
Good and bad exist in every race and religion. We see evidence of that every day.
I guess we could say, "Well, at least the Confederates allowed the Jews to have a Cemetery."
Be nice to the Confederates. My great-great grandfather didn't own any slaves before, during or after he joined the Armies of Northern Tennessee.
Christine, your parents probably weren't racists. They were most likely uber-bigots. I've never actually met a racist in my entire life. Lots of bigots tho'.
Sameno,
I see you point.
I guess this subject falls prey to the old thing of both sides talking past each other.
My side says, of course the Civil War was about Slavery, and the other side says, it was about States Rights.
And then my side does stuff like this, while it is obviously true that a good deal of Confederates were not, to their mind, fighting about slavery. It is obnoxious of my side to ignore that truth.
But, the other side is obnoxious in that they seem to act as if the Articles of Secession didn't exist.
I've been to that cemetery -- a good place to read Wiesel's Night.
Anyway, one of the favorite novels of the pre-bellum South was Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. Interesting that, because Scott did criticize anti-Semitism in that novel. The Jewess was the heroine!
Be nice to the confederates. Hell, I wasn't nice to them when I lived down there a few years ago. My family landed in Tazewell county in the mid 1700's & most of them never left. I went to a civil war reenactment & rooted for the North. Those people who live in that part VA have many of the same racist & bigoted attitudes they had during the war. The states wanted to succeed because they didn't want Lincoln to abolish slavery. In the end, they lost, the North & most importantly, the blacks won. The south, most especially those "backwoods" backwards" areas have never gotten over it. I went down there to connect with my roots & am now glad I did. I am very proud & greatful my ggrandfather left there. It is because of that, i was born & not forced to grow up with a closed mind. I understand that most of the south has evolved, but not all of it has. As far as this cemetery is concerned, you are right pastorius in saying that at least th jews were allowed to have one.
Above comment is mine. On my phone and can't get logged in.
Christine
Pastorius,
You wrote,
I guess we could say, "Well, at least the Confederates allowed the Jews to have a Cemetery.". Good point. There are people around the world who desecrate Jewish graves, and I don't think a Jew (or a Christian or any non Muslim for that matter) would be allowed to be buried in Saudi Arabia. The Confederates may have been bigots and supporters of slavery, but at least their antisemitism wasn't as bad as the Nazis. The Nazis wouldn't even let Jewish people breath air.
All we need to know about states rights vs racism we can learn from Alexander Stephens inaugural speech
Jews are not even allowed in Saudi Arabia.
http://ibloga.blogspot.com/2009/10/saudi-arabia-no-jews-allowed.html
Pastorius,
You Wrote,
Jews are not even allowed in Saudi Arabia.
I know, but I forgot to mention that. But thanks for pointing that out.
Pastorius said...
...My side says, of course the Civil War was about Slavery, and the other side says, it was about States Rights.
Of course it was about slavery as well as States Rights. But about slavery from the point of slaves as property and the right of the States to make determinations about how they ran their internal affairs. The South's perspective of slaves as people was not a concept. The North had no problem shipping the slaves and taking the money for slaves from Southern farmers who used the slaves to grow cotton only to get raped twice by the North, once in buying the cotton from the South and again when the South bought the finished goods (alluded to in at least the GA. Articles of Secession.)
We view the 19th century War thru 21st century eyes, and condemn (rightly so) slavery issue. If you can think past the point that slaves were not 'people' but property, you can see the South's anger in the North wanting to end slavery for the South. The North didn't want to compensate for the loss of 'property' or productivity. The South had few choices. Secede, fight and win (in which case slavery would have ended when the tractor was invented.) Secede, fight and lose and be impoverished. Go along with the North and be impoverished. None of those are good choices.
This is the current States Rights dilemma - since 1865, when the Fed says jump you only get to ask 'How high?' NO states or group of states will ever be able to make their own decisions unless those decisions are approved by the imperial federal gov't.
Epaminondas said...
All we need to know about states rights vs racism we can learn from Alexander Stephens inaugural speech.
Read the Lincoln/Douglas debates, ain't much different.
RU KIDDING?
Stephens entire point was about enslaving UNTERMENSCHEN.
Lincoln's ACTIONS esp between Antietam and Jan 1 1863 say all we need to know about what he BELIEVED and did.
Douglas was a Breckenridge putz, an older version of a cross between Specter and Reid.
In this case my comparison is about people WHO WERE EMPOWERED and free to act.
Lincoln and Douglas were not in power as execituves, and in fact Lincoln was but 3-5 in elections. He lost senate twice, and some other office, then congressman twice I THINK.
There were PLENTY of compensatory plans around in the time of Clay, including the Liberian plan.
Despite LOVING the rah rah south (I went to school there) the south has little to claim in terms of rights because once the cotton gin came along it was ALL ABOUT SLAVERY and maintaining slavery for economic gain. 'Rats' conveniently fit that bill as code and cover.
The slave market was NOT in the north, and fact the REAL marketplace was in N.O.
No matter what you can say about the north, they had a strong abolitionist movement whose actions raised the national debate, and changed the world.
RU2 kidding?
Did you read the racist screeds and arguments that Lincoln put forth in the L/D debates? Lincoln made the same sub-human comments and had less than little concern for slaves.
"The south has little to claim in terms of rights because once the cotton gin came along it was ALL ABOUT SLAVERY and maintaining slavery for economic gain."
Uhh, that's about exactly what I said except in different words. The South became locked into slavery because of cotton and were slavery to cease they would have been impoverished.
The slave market was in N.O. and Charleston,SC, but the Yankees provided financing and ships.
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