Are There Decent Jews?
Four Germans sit talking in a public house. One is a Jew, Salomon, who is telling the others that the Jews are the most decent people to be found anywhere.
Zimmermann won’t have it and cites cases of Jewish rogues he has met.
The Jew gets uneasy, and seeks a way out by saying:
“Oh well, but those are exceptions!”
The peasant joins in the talk and supports Zimmermann.
“Salomon gets angry. He has paid for the beer and still must listen to that sort of talk from them.
“You talk a lot of stupid nonsense!” he cries, “but not a word about decent Jews. And there are plenty of decent Jews. Am I not one? Was I not a soldier at the front? Did I not defend the Fatherland. Have I not paid for your beer, you impudent creatures, stupid Gois!”
There is silence in the room. Then the worker gets up who has said little, and throws a coin to the Jew.
“Finished, Salomon. Here is your money. We will not have you paying for us. But now you shall have the truth! You liar! You never heard a bullet. You were 'indispensable' and stayed at home profiteering, then you were with the Reds, calling 'Down with Germany!' 'Long live the World Revolution!' And now you are a decent Jew? Not a bit of it! There aren’t any decent Jews.”
Salomon picks up his hat and runs like the Devil from the public house. Everybody laughs.
“What a pity he has gone!” says mine host. “I should like to have repeated the following saying to him:
'So oft we hear the yarn
How brave such and such a few was.
How he gave his money to the poor
And was an angel in the world.'A Jew, like a pure angel?
That must be a fairy tale!
Who invents such things?
It is the Jew, himself, who does it!'”