Tweet
I am a little confused and hoping someone can clear a few things up for me. I've been reading a book called "Jack The Ripper And The East End" which was written a few years ago. It has a introduction by peter Ackroyd and contributions by various historians. My main issue is with Anna J Kershen in chapter 2 of the book (she wrote this chapter) who may have a dog in the fight.
The book paints the picture that some newspapers were very xenophobic. It quotes the East London Observer on 15th Septemeber 1888 as having said the following "it must have been done by a Jew ". However, on researching this on casebook I located the whole article from which this line comes from and it is very different to what is being suggested.
The article states "On Saturday in several quarters of East London the crowds who had assembled in the streets began to assume a very threatening attitude towards the Hebrew population of the district. It was repeatedly asserted that no Englishman could have perpetrated such a horrible crime as that of Hanbury-street, and that it must have been done by a Jew - and forthwith the crowds proceeded to threaten and abuse such of the unfortunate Hebrews as they found in the streets. Happily, the presence of the large number of police in the streets prevented a riot actually taking place. "If the panic-stricken people who cry 'Down with the Jews' because they imagine that a Jew has committed the horrible and revolting crimes which have made Whitechapel a place to be dreaded knew anything at all of the Jewish horror of blood itself, writes a correspondent, they would pause before they invoked destruction on the head of a peaceful and law-abiding people. Since the return of the Jews to England in 1649, only two Jews have been hanged for murder, Marks and Lipski, and taking into consideration the origin of many of the poor wretches who fly to this country from foreign persecution, this is a very remarkable record. That the beast that has made East London a terror is not a Jew I feel assured. There is something too horrible, too unnatural, too un-Jewish, I would say, in the terrible series of murders for an Israelite to be the murderer. There never was a Jew yet who could have steeped himself in such loathsome horrors as those to which publicity has been given. His nature revolts at blood-guiltiness, and the whole theory and practical working of the Whitechapel butchery are opposed to Jewish character"
Which in my opinion is definately not anti semitic despite what this book claims. Anna J Kershen also states that the Eastern Argus and East London Advertiser were quite xenophobic and it includes anti semitic quotes but does not not name the origin of the source in terms of date.
can anyone enlighten me regarding what the media's thoughts were on jewish immigrants? were theyhostile because all the stuff i am seeing in this book appears to have been taken out of context so i am reluctant to trust it as a primary source of info.
The book paints the picture that some newspapers were very xenophobic. It quotes the East London Observer on 15th Septemeber 1888 as having said the following "it must have been done by a Jew ". However, on researching this on casebook I located the whole article from which this line comes from and it is very different to what is being suggested.
The article states "On Saturday in several quarters of East London the crowds who had assembled in the streets began to assume a very threatening attitude towards the Hebrew population of the district. It was repeatedly asserted that no Englishman could have perpetrated such a horrible crime as that of Hanbury-street, and that it must have been done by a Jew - and forthwith the crowds proceeded to threaten and abuse such of the unfortunate Hebrews as they found in the streets. Happily, the presence of the large number of police in the streets prevented a riot actually taking place. "If the panic-stricken people who cry 'Down with the Jews' because they imagine that a Jew has committed the horrible and revolting crimes which have made Whitechapel a place to be dreaded knew anything at all of the Jewish horror of blood itself, writes a correspondent, they would pause before they invoked destruction on the head of a peaceful and law-abiding people. Since the return of the Jews to England in 1649, only two Jews have been hanged for murder, Marks and Lipski, and taking into consideration the origin of many of the poor wretches who fly to this country from foreign persecution, this is a very remarkable record. That the beast that has made East London a terror is not a Jew I feel assured. There is something too horrible, too unnatural, too un-Jewish, I would say, in the terrible series of murders for an Israelite to be the murderer. There never was a Jew yet who could have steeped himself in such loathsome horrors as those to which publicity has been given. His nature revolts at blood-guiltiness, and the whole theory and practical working of the Whitechapel butchery are opposed to Jewish character"
Which in my opinion is definately not anti semitic despite what this book claims. Anna J Kershen also states that the Eastern Argus and East London Advertiser were quite xenophobic and it includes anti semitic quotes but does not not name the origin of the source in terms of date.
can anyone enlighten me regarding what the media's thoughts were on jewish immigrants? were theyhostile because all the stuff i am seeing in this book appears to have been taken out of context so i am reluctant to trust it as a primary source of info.
Comment