A Jewess Reprieved.
We give the following Extract supplied by the B.B.C. as a striking experience of a German Jewess.
Extract from: Woman’s Hour. A Reprieve, by Lisa Goertz.
Transmission: Wednesday, 3rd February, 1960, 2 p.m.
COMPERE.—Recently we have had some grim reminders of those days when the Swastika symbolised the terrible scourge that lay upon Europe. Our last speaker, Lisa Goertz, is a German Jewess who lost her entire family—two children, husband, mother, brother, simply because they were Jews. Ironically she herself was brought up a Christian. She came to feel her life had no meaning. She had nothing to live for.
LISA GOERTZ.—I remember one night in November. I was alone—bitterly alone. Work had been refused me, a Jewess, I had no money, no food, no coal, nothing. And so I decided to make an end to my life and felt relief at the thought that soon all will be over. I went down to the river and there it happened: across the dark water I saw the Cross and Jesus Christ on it. It was not the face of a victor but the face of a fellow-sufferer full of understanding, compassion, and love. For a few minutes we gazed at each other—both of us Jews, and then the Vision disappeared. Somebody who is sceptical might say: you were overwrought, desperate, hungry, exhausted. Yes. I was all that, but I know that from this moment onward my life had changed. It was not as if a fairy had waved my troubles away. The world around me was still the dark terrible world of persecution, deportation and death. It began that I could not do what I intended to do: I could not commit suicide. Slowly and heavily I turned back into the night. Suddenly a hand gripped my arm. “Let me go!” I said. “I am a Jewess!” And heard a voice saying: “The God of Jacob is our refuge.” I stood quite still. “What did you say?” I stammered. And again I heard the words: “The God of Jacob is our refuge.”
It was a young Parson. The Parson took me home and his wife put food and drink in front of me. “You must not do this,” I cried desperately, “you will be punished for helping a Jewess!” They smiled and the Parson said gently: “We only do what our Leader has asked us to do.” I misunderstood him completely: “But Hitler . . .” I started. “Our Leader is Jesus Christ, NOT Hitler,” was the simple reply.
The South African Internal Conflict.
The open and active conflict between the South African Government and the African native population which broke out in March, was not unexpected by many who have viewed with anxiety for some time now, the extreme Native policy of the White Government. It seems that the Africans recently used the Pass-laws to voice their opposition to the general oppressive Government measures. It is a punishable crime for an African to go “abroad” in South Africa without the required personal pass; and so thousands besieged police stations asking to be arrested because they did not deliberately carry their passes. Thus began shootings by the South African police and riots and demonstrations by thousands of Africans in varied places. These facts our readers are familiar with. The South African Government have made their country a dangerous place to live in, having provoked and stirred up conflict and hate. No doubt there were and are, delicate and difficult problems when we consider that the whites have for many years built up the country as to industry, education, etc., and the fathers, grandparents, and great-grandparents of many of the white population were born in South Africa and lived all their days in it. Nevertheless the native population here, as elsewhere, on this great continent are awakening to demand privileges and powers which they deem to be their due.
To utterly reject these demands and to segregate the native population by such laws as the Bantu Act, and the policy of apartheid, is alien to our Christian way of thinking, although many of the white political leaders belong to the South African Dutch Reformed Church. The latest news about the conflict at the time of writing is that Africans are using violent intimidation towards Africans to prevent them returning to work. And the Government have declared that by their forces they are out “to intimidate the intimidators.” So the situation is full of human sin, malice and folly and fear. The intervention of the Lord by His Spirit and in His providence is urgently required to restore peace, goodwill and an atmosphere of a Christian character to the attractive land of South Africa. We are very conscious of the fact that our observations here but touch the outer fringe of the whole immense problem.