“The card depicts the “Jewish people” with a ball chain labeled “Blood Libel” and Tsar Nicholas II saying: “Go, Mendel. You’re free! Rejoice with your American friends but I won’t waste any time in getting even for your acquittal with your left-behind Russian brothers.”” (Yivo)
This cartoon deploys a great degree of didacticism in striving for obvious representations in the faces of the individuals involved within the historical event of the Beilis Affair. Here, a 20th century variation on the theme of the blood-libel, an anti-semitic myth with it’s a millennial old social history of its own, finds its main players in Menahem Mendel Beilis fleeing persecution from Czar Nicholas II. Left behind with the Czar is “the Jewish people” decrepit and fettered by the ball and chain of “blood-libel.”
While Beilis was eventually acquitted by a jury, the postcard highlights the grim reality of the verdict: the court technically maintained that a ritual murder had occurred, even if Beilis didn’t do it. This allowed the Tsarist regime to continue justifying antisemitic policies and pogroms against the “remaining Russian brothers” mentioned in the text.
This card was published by Progress Publishers, Yakov Lidski’s publishing company, and likely was circulated around Marxist Yiddish intellectual circles around New York City.
Translation:
Top (Header):
אין אָנדענקונג פֿון בייליס פּראָצעס
“In memory of the Beilis Trial.”
Right Side (The Tsar’s Speech)
“:צאַר ניקאָלאַי” צו מענדעל בייליס”
“‘Tsar Nicholas’ to Mendel Beilis:”
גיי מענדעל, ביזט פֿריי! פֿרעה זיך מיט דיינע אַמעריקאַנער פֿריינדע, אָבער איך וועל זיך שוין אָפּרעכענען פֿיר דיין בעפֿרייאונג, מיט דיינע איבערגעבליבענע רוסישע ברידער.
“Go Mendel, you are free! Rejoice with your American friends, but I will settle the score for your liberation with your remaining Russian brothers.”
Bottom Footer:
בייליס ניט שולדיג — די יודען יאָ שולדיג.
“Beilis is not guilty — the Jews are guilty.”
Contextual Labels within the Illustration
On the Tsar’s Hat: ניקאָלאַי (Nicholas)
On Beilis (the man walking away): מענדעל בייליס (Mendel Beilis)
On the seated old man (representing the Jewish people): דאָס אידישע פֿאָלק (The Jewish People)
On the ball and chain: עלילת דם (Blood Libel)
