For most Jews in Germany the First World War represented an opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism and further their quest for social equality. They were prepared to sacrifice the comfort of their increasingly secure surroundings, their very lives if necessary, to fight for the Fatherland.
There were very few rabbinical protests or halakhic prohibitions against these fervent expressions of nationalist sentiment. Indeed, there was no reason for Jews not to obey the laws of the land in which they lived, but they did more than obey. Not only did they serve when drafted, many volunteered. While Jewish opposition to the war was, therefore, unusual, it was not nonexistent. There were those who rejected nationalism or embraced pacifism or looked to socialism as a better alternative, while others offered specifically Jewish reasons for their resistance. The opponents were as varied in their reasons as they were in their lifestyles.
Rosa Luxemburg were well-known Social Democrats who registered their ideological opposition to the hostilities very early on. |
