Page 6 - Boca ViewPointe - September '19

Page 6, Viewpointe September 2019

JICYMI

Just In Case You Missed It a government-funded Jewish grammar school in Makó, which The assimilated Pulitzer’s efforts to distance himself
significantly reduced the importance of Jewish tradition. Each from his Jewish background seem deliberate; he married
By Bob Kronish member of the Pulitzer family was registered by the official an Episcopalian, raised his children as Protestants, never
community Jewish registry as “Israelitic” under religion and expressed any particular religious views (except perhaps
Joey The Jew as “Jewish” under nationality. Pulitzer’s numerous political Enlightenment-type skepticism), and never seemed to identify
Author’s Note: Although enemies and journalistic competitors referred to the publisher with anything remotely related to the faith of his ancestors.
several sources were surveyed as “Jewseph Pulitzer,” and caricatured him with a huge Yet, perhaps because his life was indelibly marked by the
while researching the article hooked nose. anti-Semitism he experienced growing up in Hungary, he
below, the most valuable Pulitzer used the clout of his newspaper to bring the Statue not only crusaded to expose anti-Semitism in Russia, he also
one was found in The Jewish of Liberty to New York Harbor, to defeat a proposal to charge donated huge sums of money to Jewish victims of Russian
Press. The author. Saul Singer pedestrians for walking across the newly opened Brooklyn pogroms and staunchly supported the unjustly convicted
was also the co-author of a Bridge, as well as to acculturate the waves of new Jewish and French artillery officer Captain Alfred Dreyfus.
book reviewed in this column other immigrants to the new country. As a permanent legacy, Though his Jewish background undoubtedly played an
several years ago titled Startup--Nation, about the he endowed the Columbia University School of Journalism important role in shaping his lifelong dedication to social
proliferation of the start-up companies that had developed and the Pulitzer Prize. justice, these acts in support of Jews may be attributed to his
in Israel. He died about two years ago. Pulitzer’s ambivalence toward his Judaism proved no inherent sense of social justice rather than to his Judaism.
Here’s a story that sounds like it just happened yesterday: defense, however, against the anti-Semites. After leaving Today, however, he is best remembered for establishing the
New York’s leading newspaper accuses the president of the Hungary to join the Union army during the U.S. Civil War Pulitzer Prizes (1917) through the bequeath of prize money
United States of corruption and the latter sues the paper’s (1864), when he served in a German regiment under General to Columbia University to recognize American achievements
publisher for libel. Striking back, the publisher declares in Philip Sheridan (his passage to America was paid for by Union in journalism, photography, literature, history, poetry, music,
an editorial that his newspaper “cannot be muzzled.” recruiters), he was almost court-martialed for defending drama, and cartooning. As mentioned above, he also donated
That confrontation actually happened in the first decade himself against the anti-Semitism of his fellow soldiers and money to found the Columbia School of Journalism. Perhaps
of the 20th century, pitting President Theodore Roosevelt officers. equally important, however, Pulitzer’s life stands as a
against Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant who After the Civil War, he made his way to Missouri where, metaphor for Jewish achievement and success in America in
had lifted The newspaper The New York World to the rank after working as a waiter, taxi driver, and caretaker of mules, the face of vile and unremitting anti-Semitism.
of most influential newspaper in New York and the broader he became a journalist, was elected to the state legislature as
United States. a Republican, went to law school, started a law practice, and For copies of this and other articles that have appeared in
In one of his numerous crusades, Pulitzer charged quickly gave it up after purchasing the St. Louis Dispatch this column, go to bobkronish.blogspot.com. Send comments
Roosevelt with orchestrating a $40 million cover-up of corrupt (1878); through it all, he was still called “Joey the Jew.” to bobkro@hotmail.com. 
practices in the building of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt
retaliated by demanding, in an address to Congress, that the
government perform its “high national duty to bring to justice
the vilifier of the American people.” Not cowed, Pulitzer Boca Pointe Community Association, Inc.
proclaimed, “Our republic and its press shall rise or fall
together.” After three years of legal battles, the US Supreme 6909 SW 18th St., Suite A120
Court ruled for Pulitzer, arguing that even the president was Boca Raton, FL 33433 A special Thank You to our monthly volunteer contributing writers
not above the law. (Now where have we heard that?) Office (561) 395-7551 Fax (561) 395-5936 Steve Handwerker Halli Moore Judy Goldstein
Pulitzer was born in 1847 in Mako, a town on the Email: info@bocapointe.com Arlene Rodman Harold Katz Frank Weinstock
Hungarian side of the border with Romania, as one of eight Website: www.bocapointe.com Bob Kronish Harriet Rubin Lin Schader
siblings. But only he and one brother lived to adulthood. His Access Control Mort Mazor Jack Kulick Justin Mocha
first ambition was to become a soldier, and at 17 he migrated to Operator: (561) 395-3392 Arthur Kravitz Elaine Rubinson Barry J. Haberman
Judith Levy
Anne Gannon
Peter Sachs
America and immediately enlisted in a German-speaking unit Voice mail system: (561) 395-3369 Dr. Ronald J. Meyers Elyse Weintraub Brown Steven L. Abrams
Website: www.gateaccess.net
of the Union Army in the final year of the Civil War. Pulitzer’s Lisa Sileo Helen Karpel Rochelle Wilensky
first postwar job was shoveling coal, but he soon embarked on Staff Rayna Becker Hillary Reynolds Sheila M. Cooperman
his journalistic career through a German-language newspaper Kathleen O’Donovan, General Manager Lori Deibel Oris Martin
Lisa Cammaleri, Assistant Manager
in St. Louis. On the side he taught himself law and became Yvonne Rivera, Administrative Assistant George Steinman Robert Weinroth
an investigative reporter. Justin Mocha, Director of Security The views of the writers of the various articles in this newspaper do not
In 1881 he struck out for himself and founded the St. Louis necessarily reflect the views of the Boca Pointe Community Association. The
Post-Dispatch, pledging to “oppose all frauds and shams,” Viewpointe of Boca Pointe is the newspaper Association nor the individual writers are not responsible for claims or promises
and promoting a writing style of short, snappy paragraphs. of Boca Pointe Community Association, Inc. contained in any advertising material appearing in the Viewpointe. Such claims
Please direct all questions, comments or
For starters he published the names of all tax dodges in St. articles for Viewpointe to lisa.cammaleri@ and promises are the sole responsibility of the individual advertiser.
Louis — and in those rugged days, he was not surprised when fsresidential.com.
his managing editor shot a critic of the newspaper.
Two years later Pulitzer had accumulated and borrowed
enough money to purchase the New York World for close
to $400,000, proclaiming the paper’s policy by observing
“Accuracy is to a newspaper what virtue is to a woman.” 62 Marina Gardens Drive
Around the same time he married the beautiful Kate Davis, Palm Beach Gardens
an Episcopalian and distant relative of Jefferson Davis, the
leader of the Confederacy during the Civil War. The marriage
of a member of the Southern aristocracy to an immigrant Jew
apparently was not considered as scandalous as it would be
in a later century. Private Gated Community
A leading national figure in the Democratic Party, Pulitzer
was elected as a New York congressman, serving one term Upscale, Urban Lifestyle
(1885-86). Today, however, he is best remembered for
establishing the Pulitzer Prizes (1917) through the bequeath of Walking Distance to
prize money ($500,000) to Columbia University to recognize
American achievements in journalism, photography, amazing Dining,
literature, history, poetry, music, drama, and cartooning. Boutiques and Carmines
He also donated money to found the Columbia School of Gourmet Market
Journalism. The school then established the Pulitzer Prize.
Until recently, historians blindly accepted Pulitzer’s Private Patio,
dubious account of his ancestry – that “his father was a Location . Location . Location Great for Pet Owners
Hungarian Jew from Budapest and his mother “a devout
Roman Catholic.” Though he was generally reticent when it Maintenance Free
came to discussing his ethnic and religious origins, he told
biographers he was Jewish only on his father’s side and that bene ts of a Condo with
therefore, in accordance with the matrilineal descent rules of the privacy of a
traditional Judaism, he was not really a Jew. Town Home
However, due to contemporary research into his
background, no doubt remains that his mother, Elize Berger,
was born to a family of Jewish traders in Pest and raised
there as a Reform Jew. Among other evidence, researchers
have uncovered any number of official records, including
passports and issued passes that conform Pulitzer’s mother CALL TODAY!
was a Hungarian-born Jew.
Moreover, recently discovered Hungarian-Jewish archival 561.312.7790
materials show that Pulitzer was born in Makó and was
circumcised on the eighth day after his birth; that he received www. SeanUnderwood.com Quiet Patio Location
a traditional upbringing as a Reform Jew; and that he attended