Monotheism, a passion for perfectibility, a refusal to be bullied by superior force and the right to persist as a minority are the leading elements in the Jewish contribution to human progress, Dr. Chaim Weizmann said today, addressing the annual Herald-Tribuno Forum as one of three speakers representing the major religious denominations.
Speaking on the general subject of “Modern Man – Slave or Sovereign?”, Dr. Weizmann declared that “fundementally, the Jewish people have fulfilled this function: the assertion of the sovereignty of the human spirit over the brutality of circumstances.” He stated that the contribution made by Jewish thinkers and scientists, such as Baruch Spinoza and Albert Einstein, to the advance of mankind cannot be separated from the Jewish spirit in which they were steeped. “The disproportionate number of Jews who have achieved distinction in all fields of thought may be accounted for by the high standards of education which the Jews have maintained for centuries,” he added.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
