Germany - 1935In order to assist Jews with educational needs, vocational training, welfare, emigration assistance, etc., Germany's Jewish groups had established a new national organization called Reich Representation of German Jews. It was led by Rabbi Leo Baeck and Otto Hirsch, who naively believed that they could work out some sort of truce with the Nazi Party.
In 1935, the Nazi government forced a name change: it was now to be known as the National Representation of Jews in Germany. In this slight re-arrangement of words, the intent of the Nazis to deny Jews a German identity becomes obvious.
1935 also saw the enactment of what's known as the "Nuremberg Laws." The first of these mandated that the official colors of the Nazi state would be red, black and white; and that the swastika flag would be the nation's flag.
The other two Nuremberg Laws became "centerpieces of Nazi Germany's anti-Jewish legislation."
The Citizenship law provided that only those of "German or related blood" could be citizens, and only citizens could participate in "full political rights in accordance with the law." From this time forward, Jews would be mere subjects, not citizens. Deprived of their civil rights, they became foreigners in their own land.
The Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor spelled out specific rules for Jews. The law's purpose was to maintain the "purity of German blood." Thus, marriage between Jews and persons of "German or related blood" was prohibited. Extramarital sexual relations between Jews and Germans was illegal. Jews were forbidden from hiring female household help of German or kindred blood under 45 years of age. Jews were forbidden to fly the Reich flag or to display the Reich colors.
The crucial question for the Nazis was: How does one define a Jew? On November 14, the First Implementation Order was issued which said that a person was fully Jewish if he or she had at least three Jewish grandparents. A person with only two Jewish grandparents but did not practice Judaism or have a Jewish spouse was a part-Jew (a Mischlinge, or crossbreed.)
While the Nazis spoke of a Jewish "race," they could not identify a specific Jewish blood type as there is no such thing. Thus Jewish identity was decided by membership in the Jewish religious community.
* 1935 - Hitler orders the creation of the Union of Protestant Churches (controlled by the Nazi government.)
* 1935 - The first issue of the phony "Journal for Racial Science" is published.
* 1935 - Anti-Jewish riots spring up in Romania.
* 1935 - America's pro-Nazi Silver Shirts, a political group, merges with the Christian Party.
* 1935 - The German government allows the publication of Martin Luther's book, "On the Jews and Their Lies," in which Luther specifies ways to deal with Jews: arrest them, expropriate them, force them into labor for the government, and either exile them or murder them. Hitler, who thought highly of Martin Luther, follows Luther's suggestions almost to the letter!
* March 1 - Germany retakes the Saarland.
* April 1 - Anti-Jewish laws are passed in the Saarland.
* May 12 - Jozef Pilsudski, the Polish dictator dies. Jews begin to experience greater anti-Semitism in Poland. "The Polish Catholic Church, most priests, the Catholic press, and schools will sanction discrimination and/or violence against the Jews."
* May 31 - Jews are banned from serving in the German military.
* June 9 - Grodno, Poland is the site of anti-Jewish riots.
More to follow
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