Walter Gattermayer, Vienna Anti-semite, Charged with Blasphemy of Jewish God, Acquitted by Vienna Co

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Walter Gattermayer, broker and railroad official, was acquitted today on a charge of blasphemy, in a trial which lasted two days.

Gattermayer addressed public meetings and circulated pamphlets during the sessions of the Fourteenth Zionist Congress here, in which the God of the Jews and the Jewish religion were insulted.

“The God of the Jews is a God of swindle, just as is the Jewish religion, by its acceptance of the Talmud. Jehovah is a clever thief. The Jewish people chose Jehovah because they are themselves without a spark of feeling of right and honor. The Jehovah beast teaches his followers to live on some one else’s work and to subject them in the most brutal manner.”

These quotations from Gattermayer’s addresses and pamphlets served as the basis for the accusation.

Gattermayer attempted to explain to the court that there was a difference between Jehovah and Jahve, the first being the God of the Bible, and the second-the-God of the Talmud. “I made a mistake when I wrote Jehovah. I intended to write Jahve, meaning the God of the Talmud. I wanted to attack Jahve, the God of the Talmud and not the God of the Bible,” he declared.

He further quoted a number of false citations from the Talmud which prove, he claimed, that the God of the Talmud instructs His followers to hate, envy and practice usury against other people.

The rabbinical expert, Rabbi Kaminka, testified before the court that there is no difference between Jehovah and Jahve.

The state attorney, following the recital by Gattermayer of the falsified Talmud citations, declared that he was unfamiliar with these quotations, that he never studied the Talmud and withdraws, therefore, a part of the accusation.

The jury acquitted Gattermayer of the charge of blasphemy. A suspended sentence of three weeks in jail was imposed upon him for circulating the pamphlets.

Julius Rosenwald, of Chicago, elected last year as the first president of the Training School for Jewish Social Work, was reelected to that position at a meeting of the board of trustees of the institution at Temple Israel Community Center, New York. Felix M. Warburg is chairman of the executive committee of the school and Dr. Maurice J. Karpi is the director of the institution.

Other officers reelected were Louis E. Kirstein, Boston, and Dr. Lee K. Frankel. New York, vice-presidents: I. Edwin Goldwasser, New York, treasurer; Solomon Lowenstein, New York, secretary.

A professional advisory committee also was chosen from among the leaders in professional social service.

The forming of a Federation for Harrisburg, Pa., to include local, national and international Jewish charities will be considered at a mass meeting next Sunday night.

A temporary organization has been effected for the federation. Joseph Claster is president of the organization.