Ooh, this one’s gotta hurt: The German Christian son of a decorated Nazi tank commander, after years of reading about the war, the Holocaust, and Judaism, converted to Judaism.
After Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, a teacher told Wollschlaeger’s class that the Israelis “brought it upon themselves. . . . Some people believe that they are special and too powerful and, in my opinion, they are.”
Wollschlaeger, then 14, thought that was an odd response to a slaughter, and he didn’t understand when some people said, “Not again.”
He knew the Nazis had put Jews in concentration camps and that some had been murdered. “But [I] had no idea about the industrialized and sophisticated killing machine designed to systematically exterminate an entire ethnic group.”
He began reading everything he could find on Jews and Israel. His parents noticed. ”Why are you so preoccupied about their suffering?” his mother, Elizabeth, asked him. “Jews were not the only ones who died in the war. Have you forgotten what I told you about our suffering? We lost everything and had to start all over.”
Later on in life, he wanted to convert.
In medical school, he sought to talk to a rabbi about converting. The small Jewish community remaining was suspicious of his motives. ”Please understand that I cannot encourage you to convert,” the rabbi told him. ”Actually, I should discourage you, because Judaism does not proselytize.” Still, the rabbi offered to help him learn.
He studied for 10 years.
Finally, as he was finishing med school, Wollschlaeger convinced Jewish teachers of his sincerity. He was ready for conversion. Because so few religious leaders were left in Germany, he had to travel to Switzerland for a mohel to perform his circumcision and to France for the immersion in the ritual bath or Mikveh.
After passing his medical exams, he celebrated with his classmates. Then, while somewhat inebriated, he went to find his parents, who were having dinner at a restaurant. He told them about his conversion and his conclusion that to lead a full Jewish life he needed to move to Israel, because there were so few Jews left in Germany.
”I am losing my only son,” his father said bitterly.
Don’t look at it as losing a son. Look at it as payback from above.
The father died six months later.
Interesting story, with an interesting side-note: The doctor wondered if, due to something his mother asked him, he may have had Jewish ancestry. Either way, welcome to the tribe, Doc.
That is a good story. May there be 10 million more like it.
Wow.
There’s a tradition that Haman’s descendants converted to Judaism and became Torah scholars.
Wow, indeed.
Must’ve been on the distaff side Rahel, weren’t Haman’s sons hanged with him?
Quite a story. Gotta love that teacher: the Jews are too powerful. Riiight. A small minority of people who have lived for centuries on the edge of mass murder and experienced the most horrific form of it less than three decades before Herr Professor von Grunt gave his/her/its opinion, is too powerful and is asking for murderous attacks. Sometimes you gotta wonder if some people listen to what they say, and take note of whether or not it makes any sense.
An awful lot of people in this world should be very thankful that Jews follow Jewish morality and ethics and not, for example, that of the Muslim jihadis.
So welcome to the tribe Doc, and keep your kevlar vest handy.
Yes, Michael, they were, but it’s reasonable to assume that at least some of them had offspring by that point.
“”A small minority of people who have lived for centuries on the edge of mass murder and experienced the most horrific form of it less than three decades before Herr Professor von Grunt gave his/her/its opinion, is too powerful and is asking for murderous attacks. “”
Unfortunately, many people are innumerate: they cannot understand quantity. They have no “feel” for the numbers involved, the dates, only for the gossip, the media, the constant demonization … for centuries.
For them, “the common wisdom” means more than thinking for themselves.
G-d works in mysterious ways…
Robert
Interesting, but why did he marry a Catholic after converting?
I am all for conversion; my wife is a convert. But converting out of a desire to atone for your father’s sins is, well, kinda icky.
No wonder he drank.