Death of Nahum Sokolow

The Crown Has Fallen...

Nahum Sokolow, the genius, the embodiment of the Jewish genius, who wherever he turned spread beauty and radiance everywhere like a bright meteor — he too has passed away. He who, despite his age, bubbled over with wisdom and knowledge with an endless youthful vigour. It seemed that he still possessed so much vitality, so much life force, that he would remain among us for a long, long time and illuminate dark Jewish life with his wisdom, with his infinite Jewish faith, with the magic of his word and with his treasures of Jewish culture. In the last generations, when the Jewish people, as if led by the instinct of self-preservation, made the greatest national efforts and, with the tension of the struggle for the right to exist, concentrated historic forces in order to keep alive an ancient nation that found itself on the edge of destruction — the Jewish people, together with the great ideas of rebuilding and revival, also brought forth from itself great historic personalities, who were as if called to life in order to realise the great ideas of the people. Above them all rose the bright colossal figure of Nahum Sokolow, who, like a mighty eagle, spread his wings over the languishing Jews bleeding to death. He concentrated in himself an enormous abundance of talents and abilities, which united in a bright harmony of Jewish and universal human genius. As if driven by mighty historic impulses of the people, he placed himself at the head of the Jewish national and cultural revival, to which he devoted his genius. With his death the Jewish people has lost its crown and its ornament, in whom we took pride among peoples and lands. He was the man to whom the Jewish people could entrust its mission, because he was kneaded from the blood and flesh of the Jewish masses, and he carried their pain before the lords of the world and demanded justice and righteousness. Nahum Sokolow has died — the crown has fallen! — but the Jewish people will lift up the crown and carry it along the royal road of its revival, and the memory of the great Jewish national genius will forever enliven our hearts and souls!

Features of the personality of Nahum Sokolow, of blessed memory.

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[He] wrote his last "Ishim" [Personalities], dedicated to Nathan Straus, Rothschild and Balfour; wrote dictionaries for practical use in schools in the Land of Israel, reworked Spinoza and contributed to several newspapers. He never let journalism out of his hands. Besides the press in the Land of Israel, in "HaOlam", he wrote constantly in "Haynt": every article a treatise, every word polished, every remark a piece of prophecy. In every field indescribable erudition; his political understanding, his feel for practical work, like that of a young revolutionary. A few remarks about his last "Haynt" articles: he describes Max Liebermann, the great painter. It seems a foreign field for Sokolow. No! He is at home there. His review is a masterpiece; his erudition in painting is to be admired. He describes Rashi in his time. It seems to you that you are riding with Sokolow and Rashi in a car. Rashi tells you details of his life, paints for you every little road and path. You hear the bells ringing from the old churches in Worms and Champagne, you live 800 years back and forget that you are only reading a monograph. An article [unclear], a talk about [unclear] politics in connection with [unclear] visit to Białowieża. How much news one learns; one becomes an expert in [unclear] hunting, you already know all the rules, and you could already be enrolled in a hunting club; at the same time he explains a little politics to you, uncovers political intrigues behind the scenes. His last monograph on Mendele Mocher Sforim is a masterpiece. He takes the reader by the hand, leads him to Mendele the poor young bachelor, later a young married man, then a melamed, and further analyses every work, distinguishes it by time and circumstance, compares it with others and uncovers new things. He does not sing praises and glorifications to Mendele, does not shout "the first", "the creator", "the grandfather"; first he leads through a whole pleiad of predecessors and only then shows Mendele in his true form and scope. He does it modestly, without his own ego, not like others who write about themselves and Mendele, about themselves and Peretz. His last article is a kind of testament to Polish Jewry: he bids it not to stand aside in the struggle for national identity and character, he cries out against ignorance and teaches how to endure the hard trial. The giant tree has been cut down in the dense Jewish forest of national heroes and dreamers. The last Jew not only with his party legitimation but with the Jewish generation, who not only fought his opponent but taught and convinced him; the man who earned everyone's trust. Nahum Sokolow left no successor; no other Sokolows grow in the present generation, for a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel. The rabbi of his generation has died, the ancient sage, the genius in wisdom and science, the type of the passing world, the man most characteristic of the era that produced beloved, faithful leaders and servants of the ideas of freedom for their peoples, such as Piłsudski, Masaryk and others.

The place of Nahum Sokolow in Jewish life is empty.

May his memory be blessed.