THE KOSHER PROBLEM.
The only serious trouble we had in Plymouth occurred over Kosher food.
As most people probably know, Jewish food has to be killed and cooked in
a certain way as laid down in Jewish Law, and it is then known as
"kosher," _i.e._ proper.
This was, of course, quite new to the Military authorities, and the Army
being a very conservative machine, and, at times, a very stubborn one,
they failed to see the necessity of providing special food for the
Jewish troops--a curious state of mentality considering the care taken
with the food of our Moslem soldiers.
I have a fairly shrewd idea that all the blame for the trouble we were
put to in this matter must not rest altogether on the shoulders of the
Army officials, for I strongly suspect that our Jewish "friends," the
enemy, who were so anxious to destroy the Jewishness of the Regiment,
had their fingers in this Kosher pie!
Now I felt very strongly that unless the Jewish Battalion was treated as
such, and all its wants, both physical and spiritual, catered for in a
truly Jewish way, this new unit would be an absolute failure, for I
could only hope to appeal to them as Jews, and it could hardly be
expected that there would be any response to this appeal if I
countenanced such an outrage on their religious susceptibilities as
forcing them to eat unlawful food. I made such a point of this that I
was at length summoned to the War Office by the Adjutant-General, Sir
Nevil Macready, who informed me that I was to carry on as if I had an
ordinary British battalion, and that there was to be no humbug about
Kosher food, or Saturday Sabbaths, or any other such nonsense. I replied
very respectfully, but very firmly, that if this was to be the attitude
taken up by the War Office, it would be impossible to make the Battalion
a success, for the only way to make good Jewish soldiers of the men was
by first of all treating them as good Jews; if they were not to be
treated as Jews, then I should request to be relieved of my command.
Accordingly, as soon as I returned to Plymouth, I forwarded my
resignation, but the G.O.C. Southern Command returned it to me for
reconsideration.
In the meantime a telegram was received from the War Office to say that
the Kosher food would be granted, and Saturday would be kept as the
Sabbath.
After this things went smoothly; Sir Nevil Macready readily lent us his
ear when I put up an S.O.S., and, as a matter of fact, he became one of
our staunchest friends.
I was more than gratified to receive, a few days later, the following
"Kosher" charter from the War Office--a charter which helped us
enormously all through our service, not only in England, but also when
we got amongst the Philistines in Palestine.
14th SEPT., 1917.
20/Gen. No. 4425 (A.G. 2a).
SIR,
With reference to Army Council Instruction 1415 of the 12th
Sept., 1917, relating to the formation of Battalions for the
reception of Friendly Alien Jews, I am commanded by the Army
Council to inform you that, as far as the Military exigencies
permit, Saturday should be allowed for their day of rest instead
of Sunday.
Arrangements will be made for the provision of Kosher food when
possible.
I am, etc.,
(Signed) B. B. CUBITT.
To the General Officer Commanding
in Chief, Southern Command.
O.C. 38TH BN. ROYAL FUSILIERS.
Forwarded for Information.
Devonport, 21/9/17.
(Signed) E. Montagu, Colonel.
A.A. and Q.M.G.
Before we sailed for the front, General Macready did us the honour of
coming all the way from London, travelling throughout the night, to pay
us a friendly visit, without any of the pomp or circumstance of war, and
he was so impressed by what he saw of the soldierly bearing of the men
that, from that day until the day he left office, no reasonable request
from the Jewish Battalion was ever refused.
I had a final interview with General Macready at the W.O. before setting
out for Palestine, when he told me in the presence of Major-General
Hutchison, Director of Organization, that the object he aimed at was the
formation of a complete Jewish Brigade, and that he was recommending
General Allenby to commence that formation as soon as two complete
Jewish Battalions arrived in Egypt.
Of course, this was very welcome news to me, because it would mean all
the difference in the world to our welfare and comfort if we formed our
own Brigade. It would mean that the Brigade would have its own Commander
who would be listened to when he represented Jewish things to higher
authority. It would mean direct access to the Divisional General, to
Ordnance, to supplies, and the hundred and one things which go to make
up the efficiency and cater for the comfort of each unit of the Brigade.
No worse fate can befall any Battalion than to be left out by itself in
the cold, merely "attached" to a Brigade or a Division, as the case may
be. It is nobody's child, and everybody uses it for fatigues and every
other kind of dirty work which is hateful to a soldier.
It can be imagined, therefore, how grateful I was to General Macready
for promising a Jewish Brigade, for I knew that such a formation would
make all the difference in the world to the success of the Jewish cause
as a whole and, what was of great importance, to the good name of the
Jewish soldier.