106 THE' 0PPERMANNS fifteen pfennig cigars. What with one thing and another the evening had cost Moritz at least seven or eight marks. He was really a queer old bean, that lad. He was enlightened, read a great deal, and in spite of all that stuck obstinately to old- fashioned nonsense like this Chanukka Feast. Or wasn't it such nonsense after all, for a man in Berlin, in 1932, to light candles to celebrate a victory won by some savage old Jewish general two thousand years ago over some savage old Syrians? Were there any signs visible today of the tolerance which that savage old general was alleged to have brought about? People threw Jews out of moving subway trains. Was that tolerance? Nevertheless, Herr Wolfsohn looked with good-humoured interest at the strange illuminator which Moritz had kindled in order to celebrate the Feast in accordance with the ancient ritual. It was a horizontal rod, irregular in shape, with eight openings and small spouts for oil and wick and a ninth light in the very front. Behind this rod was a triangular screen, made of very thin silver with embossed images of Moses and Aaron: Moses with the sacred Tablets and Aaron in a tall cap and priestly robes. The Ehrenreichs had inherited the candle- stick from the wife's family. It was very old. What might be its actual value? Herr Wolfsohn asked hirnself that ques- tion every year. When one seIls such things, one never gets any- thing but a fraction of what one expects. They now sang the hymn, "Moaus zur yeshuosi]' Rock and Refuge of my Redemption. It was a very ancient hymn, a kind of Jewish national anthem. Moritz always declared that he kept the Feast on national, not religious grounds. The tune was impressive. Moritz set to with a will, the clear voices of the wornen and children joined in, Markus Wolfsohn hirnself growled out something. The noise of the singing drowned the sounds of the radio sets from the Hats above, below, and next door. When the song was finished, Frau Miriarn, nicknamed

BOOK ONE: YESTERDAY 107 Marie, observed that the Chanukka anthem was really finer than the Christmas hymn, "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht." Moritz Ehrenreich retorted peevishly that he was unable to judge. Herr Wolfsohn's decision was that both songs were equally fine. After the children had been put to bed, Frau Wolfsohn and Frau Ehrenreich discussed domestic affairs. Messrs. Wolfsohn and Ehrenreich, however, aired their views on politics and economics. The more sceptical and calm Markus was, the more aggressive and violent Moritz became, "[ust take a look at this," he stormed, taking a newspaper clipping from his pocket. "A certain Dr. Rost writes here: 'There are still a few Germans who say: of course, everything is .the fault of the Jews but aren't there some decent Jews too? That is nonsense. For if every Nazi knew even one single decent Jew then there would have to be twelve million decent Jews in Germany to counter- balance the twelve million Nazis. But in all Germany there are less than six hundred thousand.' No. I refuse to live among a people who permit their leaders the use of such logic." Markus Wolfsohn thought the argument of Dr, Rost over. A good salesman, too, often has to develop a daring sense of logic. But if he addressed the customers of Oppermann's in terms of Dr. Rost's logic it would be risky. In general, he in- formed Moritz, the adherents of the swastika were quite nice to hirn personally. Of course, it sometimes happened that cus- tomers refused to be served by Jewish salesmen. But they could seidom tell the difference between the Christian and the Jew- ish salesmen. Onee, indeed, one of them took a Christian sales- man for a [ew and declined to be served by hirn, deliberately requesting to be served by hirnself, Wolfsohn. Moritz stamped up and down the room and laughed scorn- fully. "You'll ne ver get any sense until you are poking your head out of the hospital window with a bandage round it."