An Answer to the Slav
Sensitive Content
This entry contains material that some people may find disturbing.Introduction
I hesitate to sound immodest,
So I must warn you in advance,
If you will listen now in earnest,
Then please excuse my stance.
More startling than other words,
And I will use this frightening word—
It is as novel to your ears
As the whistle of steam that I first heard.
Perhaps your ears are all too tender,
Unused to terrifying sounds…
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Political Life and Thought
1750–1880
Jews debated all sides of the major political issues of their day. Some welcomed the idea of equality, whereas others feared the loss of their religious-institutional distinctiveness.
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