In an article titled ‘What Irish Republicans Stand For’, published in Forward (Glasgow) in 1923, Constance Markieviciz spoke of the election of representatives to the Republican Courts in her own constituency, following her election in 1918.
Among those she lists as being called to provide representatives, were “…all the Trade Unions and Labour organisations” and individuals “..from the clergy and from the Jews”. The Jewish people were a cornerstone of Dublin life at the time, based mainly in the area around the South Circular Road and Portobello which became known as ‘Little Jerusalem’.
On the day I visited the Museum, I got lucky. I end up deep in discussion with a man himself raised in this old section of Dublin, and when I mention the story of Joe Edelstein and the Fire Brigade he is on the ball, informing me his parents had told him the story themselves. Edelstein was a local business man who fell on hard times and would pull the local fire alarm to draw the attention of the Dublin Fire Brigade, who in turn would drop him off at a police station to sleep the night. Thus, the term ‘Joe’s Alarm’ came into being among firefighters. Joes grave isn’t too far from a fire station today, at the Jewish cemetery in Dolphins Barn. His simple grave notes that “Many Were His Good Deeds”
Joe wrote ‘The Money-Lender’ a most controversial work in its day. A copy is on display in the museum here. It is easy to understand why the work created such tension within the Jewish community at the time.
There are many great oddities in this Museum, though the display of anti-semitic material is particularly interesting. While Fine Gael T.D Oliver J. Flanagan’s infamous outburst regarding the Jewish people in the Dail is well-known (and includes the line “Until we rout the Jews out of this country it
does not matter a hair’s breadth what orders you make.”) , it is clear that public anti-semitic displays do not begin or end on that 1943 day in our parliament. Below is just one example of an Irish company making it perfectly clear they were not involved in the hiring of Jewish labour, an ad predating Flanagan’s outburst by over three decades. Such ads frequently featured in Sinn Féin publications.
Images of anti-semitic attacks on synagogues also feature, like the image below from the Evening Press in December 1960.
A particularly nasty piece of work comes from September 1956, a leaflet which begins with a large ‘WARNING!’ to the reader that the Jewish people were responsible for the second world war.
Coming more than ten years after the fall of European fascism, the claim that ‘Hitler was right’ stands out and the venom in the work is clear.
The history of the Jewish community in Dublin is a long and varied one however, and for the horrific stories of anti-Semitism there are far more stories of an integrated, popular and proud community. The museum gives pride of place to information on perhaps our most famous (yet fictional) Dublin Jew, Leopold Bloom himself. As well as this, those of us keen on Labour history will have our eyes dragged towards this copy of The Irish Worker, edited by Big Jim Larkin himself in 1924 and featuring the Irish Citizen Army roll of honour for Easter Week on its front page. It includes a mention to “A. Weeks”, a “..Jewish comrade who joined on Easter Monday and died in action”.
Among the more unusual items on display, one finds Guinness bottle-labels from stores in the area, as well as items relating to the opening of the Terenure Synagogue in 1953. The ceremonial key features here, marking a definitive moment in the history of the Jewish community in Dublin, where much of the community move from this great corner of the city to Terenure.
A small, touching plaque features upstairs in the restored synagogue to Ettie Steinberg. Herself and her son were to become the only Irish citizens to perish in the Holocaust. Raised in Raymond Terrace, she was born and reared in this corner of the city. The horrific figure of six million can be difficult to comprehend, but when the story of one individual is brought to life, not least a Dubliner born only a short walk from the Museum, the horror of those years becomes clearer.
Ettie on her wedding day.
Those with an interest in this community would of course do well to visit this wonderful hidden gem of a museum. Dublin’s Little Jerusalem, that excellent book from Nick Harris, is also a fascinating insight into this corner of the city. The Bretzl Bakery and this museum remain as a reminder of what was once a thriving Jewish community. A community with a history of struggle, but also a history of culture and joy. Their story is one we should all know.
An old Jewish business in Dublin, Liffey Street
dfallon
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Sam
As well as Nick Harris’s book,
http://tinyurl.com/3943nqq
Cormac Ó Gráda’s book
http://tinyurl.com/2vhxhj8
is well worth a read, as is Asher Benson’s
http://tinyurl.com/3yhrxkq .
They are all available in the public library system.
Is there still a Jewish community in Dublin today?
What year is the Sinn Fein paper from?
Des, there is indeed. Based mainly around Terenure today. The community is nowhere near the size it was in Portobello however.
BOZG, it’s pre-1910 anyway, from the first few years of the party. I jotted the year down and I’m looking for the sheet at the minute to confirm!
Dublin City Council had a Jewish walk some while ago which was wildly oversubscribed. They might just run it again if pushed.
http://photopol.blogspot.com/2008/10/walk-talk.html
The December 1960 attack featured above came at a time of similar attacks across Europe as neo-Nazis tried to up activity during the Adolf Eichmann affair. The group that carried it out included at least one Dutch SS veteran who settled here after the war. I think they probably printed the 1956 leaflet shown above as well.
sadly, I know the person who carried out the attack in 1960.he was a little boy from a very unhappy background. he was never really antisemitic, just crying out for attention. he was prosecuted. He paid a very painful price for his actions and has led a life of deepest regret and unhappiness for it.
Fantastic article.
One interesting character who has largely been forgotten or purposely written out of Irish Republican history is WJ Brennan-Whitmore (1886 – 1977).
He joined Sinn Fein in 1910, was active in the Irish Volunteers in North Wexford and fought at North Earl Street in the 1916 Rising. Whitmore later went onto write two books: “Dublin Burning: The Easter Rising from Behind the Barricades” (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1996) and “With the Irish in Frongoch” (Dublin: Talbot Press, 1918).
What is rarely mentioned is the fact that Whitmore was a lifelong far-right anti-semitic lunatic, writing in An Gael as far back as 1916 that Jews were plotting against Catholic Ireland. He later was active in Maria Duce in the 1940s and was one of the founders (?) of the Irish National Socialist Workers Party in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
[Most of above info taken from – http://www.jstor.org/pss/20495079%5D
[...] the week that’s in it, they’re a lovely oddity if nothing else. A recent post on the Jewish Museum included snaps of Guinness labels from Dublin’s Little [...]
Here a documentary from Marino College in 1998 about the Jewish Community in Dublin.
http://vimeo.com/12590958
When last in the museum (many years ago) I remember that in the display on anti-semitism there were a few photos of the protest when Israeli president Chaim Herzog visited Ireland in 1985.
I don’t know if they are still there – maybe someone spotted the irony when one of the photos showed a marcher carrying a placard that said “Against zionism, Against anti-semitism”!
Ironically, the only sign of anti-semitism that night was when a handful of pro-Iranian fundamentalists turned up in O’Connell Street with leaflets about ‘Jewish conspiracies’, quoting the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and topped off with a cartoon a giant Jewish octopus strangling the world. But they were only there for a few minutes before some of the WSM anarchists and some Libyan students confiscated their hate leaflets and ‘advised’ them to feck off and not be seen again. They then fecked off with great alacrity.
–
Herzog himself was on a bit of a visit home as well as a political mission. He was born on Clifton Park Avenue in Belfast and later lived in Dublin, in Bloomfield Avenue, off the South Circular Road.
@Alan
That was then. This is now. The current Zionist unjustified and murderous expansion of its settlements is dragging the reputation of Jews worldwide through the mud. More is the pity.
I’m afraid that until Jews disassociate themselves from this Imperial expansion they will continue to do themselves a disservice.
I am speaking as someone whose Leonard’s Corner relatives (Catholic) were always proud of Herzog as local boy made good and who were shabbos goyim to their Jewish co-tenants.
‘I’m afraid that until Jews disassociate themselves from this Imperial expansion they will continue to do themselves a disservice.’
And if not? Reminds me a bit of when ALL Irish people were expected to condemn the IRA after bombings in Britain or else be guilty by association. There are Jewish people who don’t have an interest in this question at all you know, good, bad or indifferent.
@Captain Rock
I take your point, but the way the Israelis counter opposition to their policies by screaming “anti-semitism” gives the impression that they have the support of Jews world wide.
I don’t support “guilt by association”, but unfortunately that is what is happening and many people are unaware of the Jews who do not support Israeli/Zionist policies.
It would be helpful if they made their voices heard more forcefully.
Good afternoon,
Herewith I give you the adress of my website: http://www.bobtenge.com
Two paintings have as subject a part of the Jewish history: Judith and Holofernes and The family Noach
Maybe you are interested?
Regards,
Bob Tenge
[...] visited the Jewish Museum in the past and learned of Dublin’s most famous (and fictional) Jewish figure. I’m fascinated by [...]
I am giving a talk this coming Thursday (7 April) at 7.00pm at the Irish Jewish Museum in Portobello. It will be based on my recent book “Twice condemned: Irish views of the Dreyfus affair.”
I hope to show, among other things, the extent to which anti-Semitism, and opposition to it, existed in ireland in the late 1890s when the notorious Dreyfus affair was at its height.
I am hoping for a good attendance.
Interesting piece. Another example of anti-semitism was, amazingly, in Jim Larkin’s ‘Irish Worker’ in 1911 which featured an anti-Jewish cartoon. It is reproduced in ‘Lockout’ by Pádraig Yeates. I think the Sinn Féin publication was a yearbook from 1907 as I have seen it before. However, I have not seen similar and doubt that they ‘featured frequently’ in Sinn Féin publications. As far as I recall Brian Maye in his biography of Griffith addresses this issue. While we should never be complacent I think it is correct to say that anti-semitism or other forms of racism, though occassionally sprouting like weeds, have never been able to gain a real political foot-hold in tis country.
[...] notoriously remarked that it was time to, ‘rout the Jews out of the country’. (See here for [...]