The British trade not only allowed the Sanchez family to create a fortune, but also to "open their minds." Don José asserted that the British Protestant bankers insisted in changing the laws of Costa Rica. "They would not live in our country and do business with us without religious freedom," he explained. "They wanted to have their own church, their own cemetery and their own confessional schools. Without these institutions, they made it clear that they would not be able to invest in our economy." It was no surprise then to find the Sanchez family advocating the liberal reforms of 1888, which would set the basis for religious freedom in the country.
It was no mystery either why the Catholic Church started to see the Sanchez as its worst enemies. "The priests hated our family. They said we had opened the country's doors to heretics. They would never forgive us for eliminating their monopoly in education." Don José and the Sanchez family, for their part, came to consider Catholic intransigence as the worst obstacle to progress. "The priests were used to living off the communities, they begot illegitimate children and were only concerned with their own well-being, apart from maintaining the population's ignorance."
"Unfortunately," conceded Don José, "my own "romantic adventures" drove my wife and daughter to seek consolation among these same priests."
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By the time Elena arrived in Costa Rica, the land was concentrated in the hands of Don José and a few other large coffee barons in much the same manner, as land had been controlled in Poland. The new coffee elite took control of politics. They created institutions to run "the sovereign majesty of the National State." For example, Julio Sanchez soon realized how much his prosperity depended on making the national economy serve the needs of the international market. Instead of stimulating agricultural self-reliance, he considered that capitalist specialization was better.
At the same time, it was necessary to have a large working population, something rather scarce in the country. A labor surplus could be obtained, at least for him, by buying as much land as possible. Taking territory away from the agricultural communities near his farms, he would force peasants to plant, look after, and harvest his coffee. Soon his plantations would expand along the ox cart route to the pacific coast, further and further to the West.
"We moved into what today are San José, Heredia and Alajuela, for in those days they represented the agricultural frontier," Don Julio had said to his son. This colonization resulted in the expulsion of many peasants to the towns or the new frontier. Thanks to the determination of families like theirs, "Costa Rica would be the first country of Central America to establish the classical principles of political Liberalism." This, in turn, helped the coffee factions impose their model of development - boasted Don José.
From an economic point of view, Liberals defended the right to engage in free trade, advocated open doors to immigration and privatization of State and Church public lands.
Politically, they supported elections, freedom of conscience, of worship, of the press, of speech, freedom of assembly and, above all, "human rights." Political life would thereafter be characterized by democratic elections, with rather few exceptional periods of authoritarianism. After only one coup d´état in 1917, during the 1930s and the 1940s the Government remained in the hands of liberal presidents. One of the most popular leaders in the country was Ricardo Jimenez Oreamuno, a friend of Don José who ruled several times and who authorized the Jewish immigration.
By the 1920s, the Sanchez family had become one of the most powerful in Costa Rica. The father of Don José, Andres Sanchez, had married a Republican woman from Madrid with whom he shared his political views (including a strong opposition to the Catholic Church).
Don José, in turn, had tied a new relation with another important family, the Gonzalez Mirtos. He then established new activities, such as exporting sugar to Europe, mainly to Germany. In 1921, he created a society with the Mirkaus family (Germans), to jointly buy sugar mills and increase exports mostly to England and the United States. He begot one daughter, Yadira, the lone heir to his large fortune.
Don José was a typical Costa Rican Liberal. He believed in freedom of the press and of worship and fought to reduce the strong influence of the Catholic Church in daily life. In his view, the country could progress by "...three pillars: better education, foreign capital and open immigration." Don Andres, his father, had been a believer in the idea of 86
"Progress," and was convinced of the need to educate the "uncultivated people." Due to his arrogance, he and his generation were called ―The Olympic Oligarchy."
They thought the masses had to be civilized and encouraged alphabetization by printing thousands of first readers. These primers included texts and images promoting science and nationalism. "Peasants and artisans, however, rejected the onslaught on their traditions and the attack against rural culture, particularly against herbal medicine. They also resented that their beliefs were officially regarded as mere superstitions. "In many cases," explained the gamonal, "they refused to educate their children in public schools." In addition, the Church took advantage of this social dissatisfaction with a permanent struggle to regain the monopoly on religion and education.
Terrible working conditions pushed the working classes into radicalism. Because the State promoted general education (education for all, according to the official slogan), a number of children of working class or peasant families would become professionals and would turn against the same system that had "saved them from darkness." It should not surprise us
–indicated Don José- that by the 1930s, the Communist Party had become the second largest electoral force in the country and was threatening to put an end to the liberal regime.
"The fight against Marxism and Nationalism means that we are being fired at by two irreconcilable forces."
"Thanks to those like us, you have been able to come," he added. "We have always wanted to welcome people with new ideas and new capital to help develop our country." He thought that liberal ideology was less polemic when a people shared the same religion, were racially homogeneous and held similar beliefs.
―But what would happen when such homogeneity decreases and the incoming immigrants are no longer all Christians, investors or fat bankers?" Elena asked irreverently.
"Well then, it would be trying times," Don José answered.
The Sanchez family was not so progressive concerning women. They were concerned with education only for boys. None of the Sanchez´ women were granted the opportunity to become a professional or to learn a trade, not even the coffee baron's own daughter, Yadira.
Since the University of Saint Thomas had been closed for years and there was no similar institution left in the country, students had to go abroad to college. "We would not allow our young girls to live by themselves in another country," he explained to Elena. The farthest they would go in women's liberation was to let Yadira work as a secretary in the family business, "so that she would have something to do." ―The girl is spoiled by excessive luxury,‖ added the proud father.
"I think we spoiled her," continued Don José. "She grew obstinate, hardhearted and selfish." She did not want anyone among the numerous suitors that approached her. "I got worried because Yadira did not like any of the candidates. Because, you see, we do not arrange marriages for our daughters as you Jews do; we advice them and introduce them to several suitors. It is up to the girl to chose whom and whether she wants to marry."
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His daughter, however, argued that all men in Costa Rica are womanizers like her father and she "was not about to tolerate infidelities like her mother does." Don José was not pleased with her passion for politics either. The young woman wanted to follow in the steps of her ancestors by becoming a political leader. "Many times I've told her that politics is a man's business," said Don José, "and that her place is at home." Nonetheless, she continued reading avidly about national affairs, but usually got carried away and misled by strong emotions since she lacked knowledge."
According to her father, Yadira had become excessively nationalistic and was always ready to criticize any government wanting to improve relations with other Central American countries. "She is convinced that Costa Rica has nothing in common with the rest of the region, because here we are white and they are Indians," he concluded with irony.
This gamonal endured a domestic civil war. The Communists and the Nationalists now contested the liberal ideas so dear to his family. The former pretended to wrest power from the coffee oligarchy and to put an end to the destitute conditions of workers. The latter wanted a stronger State to control these new Marxist and socialist tendencies. Yadira had taken the side of those who argued that democracy was not going to solve the country's deep problems and that to confront the rise of Communism, the Army and the Church were their best weapons. Her mother, a devout Christian, hoped the Church would finally convert her husband and the country as a whole, into "good Christians" and would vaccinate them all against the threatening new ideologies.
When Yadira met Carlos, "she became obsessed with him, immediately announcing he was the man she wanted." "What was it that called her attention?" asked Elena. According to Don José, the German suitor shared her nationalistic and racist ideas. He was under the influence of Nazi ideology that promised to finish with Communists and open doors to foreigners. Germany and Costa Rica –he believed- shared similar problems. "Yadira believes our nation is endangered by the Nicaraguan immigrants. This neighboring country, she says, suffers from permanent instability; many in Costa Rica fear it may invade us, or that thousands of refugees will come to settle here. This is why she is all the more ready to support any xenophobic ideology."
These ideas, according to Don José, had made her adopt extremist positions. "Those women who we do not invite to participate in our political organizations are being lured by right wing movements; they want to use them against us," he worriedly asserted. "These women here, you see Elena, they are not like you or your mother. They are not formally trained to engage in the political game. They do not even realize how difficult it is to run a nation. They are easily deceived by beautiful songs of modern Sirens."
"But why is such a thing happening, Don José? Don't you have any songs to sing anymore that could delight your women?" Elena's question was unexpected.
This time, the coffee baron did not have a quick answer and an embarrassing silence ensued. Anita interrupted the conversation between her daughter and her new customer.
She liked his stories but thought that too much conversation might arouse her husbands'
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suspicions. He had forbidden her from any social contact with their male customers, and so she quietly wrapped the pants for Don José's workers, and asked him to come back to tell the rest of his story the next day.
When he left, she told Elena, "This man is so attractive that Tsegait zich in moyl.55
55 He melts in your mouth
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X
In Costa Rica anti-Semitism was not as strong as in the Old World, resulting in more integration between Jews and Christians. For the first time in her life, Elena developed friendly relations with her classmates. One of her preferred social activities was going to the "retreta" 56 at Morazán Park. Each Sunday morning a new band played in the kiosk in Morazán Park, which had a great reputation among the musicians of the country. Bands came from many towns and from all the provinces. While they played, seated or slowly walking groups of five or more girls enjoyed a cool fruit juice in the sunny morning air, watched the cars crusing by, or flirted with the boys. This was the ideal place to fall in love.
Claudia gave " el Santo"57 to Carlos, about Elena's passion for these retretas, and so he lost no time at all.
That Sunday morning Elena and her dog Adolph were strolling with some of her classmates at the Morazan Park . Carlos approached her carrying two ice creams and a big smile. Again Elena was ready to run, but Adolph decided to resist her temptation. In fact, on smelling the ice cream, he strongly began to pull at his leash, dragging the girl towards her suitor.
Taking advantage of the situation, Carlos immediately closed all possible means of escape.
"According to Isaiah, isn't it the duty of all Jews to help pagans abandon idolatries?" he asked. "Christians aren't pagans; they follow Noah's Laws and therefore they are not in need of our guidance," she replied at once.
"Nonetheless, if God wishes to save a Jew persecuted by the infidels, he would send him a fiery chariot and take him to the heavens like he did with Elias." Still the girl would not budge. "Yet before that event, Elias had to run into the desert of Damask to find someone to replace him. In my particular case, if I were to leave, who would cook lunch at home?"
After this Biblical exchange, bewilderment took hold of them both. They looked into each other's eyes and could not stop laughing this time.
The Physician shared with Elena the pain of growing under the duress of an authoritarian regime at home, and the hand of a religious father unable to show affection. He confessed to having lost faith in organized religion and even more so in the clergy. "All the armies,"
he said, "have their own priests and chaplains. They all bless their weapons and call upon God to help them in their 'just cause.' But most often it is the case that one side's cause is as just as the other one. They are like two tigers each trying to jump on top of the other."
He held that "if prayers were really effective, then I would be deeply disappointed with God's justice and omniscience. Fortunately for our own good sense, this is not the case. Not one single prayer by innocent and pious children has ever warded off a sword or a murderous bullet. And since praying is ineffective, except of course as mystical expansion or for it's soothing suggestive power alone, then neither can I accept the validity of 56 Open-air band music
57 Confidential information
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flattering God, that is the daily 'praising' of his name carried on in Synagogues, Churches and Mosques throughout the world."
Although he had a number of doubts, Carlos was convinced that Judaism, after having read the books Claudia loaned him, had something different. "It is the only religion that deifies ethics, attributing a divine origin to morals. I do not think it is wrong to say that Judaism is a religion centered on man, on his actions, on his relations with others. Despoil the tyrant of his false divinity; deprive the clergy of its pretended intermediation between man and the supernatural forces - these are great Jewish accomplishments."
The girl was not happy: " Some Christians make company to these Jews; they talk about
'men' when they should also include women." Carlos did not agree. "It is just a way of speaking, that is, the masculine gender includes the feminine one." "But one thing is to represent and another quite different to appropriate," she answered. Her suitor learned to respect her independent ideas. She did not want to become a housewife, to depend on her husband, or to raise children. "I have seen the power of money, both in its absence and in its presence. Since moving here, we have lost dignity and my father constantly makes us feel bad for every " cinco"58 he gives us. In Poland, we were poor but independent. Now we are housemaids, unable to say a word."
"Please do not ever think,‖ answered the man, ―that I do not understand what you are talking about. My wife owns the money and all our lives I have hated her for that reason.
Once I was poor too and I know what it is like. But, like Faust, I sold my soul to the Devil."
"Do not be so hard on yourself,‖ Elena said. ―We all must do concessions.‖
Carlos began telling her of his journey to the New World, his life as a farmer and how he was able to study medicine. She, in turn, talked about her experience as a child-mother in Poland, about anti-Semitism, and the terrible orphan hood she felt. "I know it is hard to believe me, but now I regret the fact that I was an anti-Semite. I know not how such garbage took hold of my mind. The truth is, if I think the matter right, it is like some kind of drug administered to us. In Germany, we have been the first to receive it through the mass media. After us, nobody may pledge ignorance of its persuasive power."
A new silence stirred where forbidden thoughts reveal themselves in a sudden intimate look. Elena broke the suspense. She took a tape measure from her purse. He could not imagine what she would measure. She put the tape around his head. "What are you doing?"
inquired Carlos. "I want to make sure that German brains are larger than those of the Jews."
He met her challenge, grabbed the tape measure, and wrapped it around her nose: "Now we shall see if Jewish noses are shaped in the guise of a six," he said, and with one hand, he drew an exaggerated figure six in the air.
58 Five cents coin
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Both felt at ease. "So what do we need to do now to get rid of all stereotypes?" she asked, still laughing. Now she tried to control herself because his fleshy mouth was getting moist and the blond tones of his hair radiated light. Soon the lips were moving towards her and the blue eyes were almost closed. While she indulged in her first real kiss, the band played on, and as her schoolmates looked and elbowed each other, the ice creams fell to the ground and Adolph finally got to enjoy them. The popular song playing explained it clearly: When love comes calling to you in such a way, you will hardly notice it..."
From that day on, the lovers started a relation that confronted a number of obstacles. At first Elena's father was the most ferocious. For a traditional man awaiting redemption for the sufferings endured during thousands of years, the idea of having a daughter marrying a non-Jew was maddening.
"If I put up with your witch of a mother instead of marrying some kind woman, like Emilia, who in the world gives you the right to depart from tradition?" he told her.
For her father's part, life's blows had softened him like a piece of meat about to be cooked.
One of the decisive incidents that forced him to change was probably the way his brother-in-law was treated. David had always liked Uncle Samuel; he was intelligent and funny.
They used to relate while traveling together and when he died, David felt a great loss. They decided to bring his body from Warsaw and bury him at the cemetery in Długosiodło.
However, the rabbi and the principle men of the town would not carry out the religious rites for this man.
When fellow Jews quoted the Bible in condemnation of Uncle Samuel, for being a homosexual and committing suicide, David would not tolerate the humiliation or their refusal to bury him in the family vault. In a letter to the rabbi of Długosiodło, David questioned these decisions. Elena saved the letter.
My honorable Rabbi Holstein:
In the name of my wife's family, I want to protest your decision to have Samuel Brum, who died two days ago, buried near the wall of the cemetery instead of with his family. In general terms, the rabbinical literature opposes suicide and estimates that the suicidal person should not participate in the coming world and should not receive funeral services (Sal.R.150; Josephus: Wars III, 8-5). But there are exceptions. The Midrash (Gen.R.34, 13) forgives suicidal Saul as well as the suicide of the priests that jumped into the fire when the first Temple was burnt. To suffer martyrdom, but never to go against the laws of Judaism, became one of the high religious principles. If we take into account that our poor relative killed himself because he could not share his life with whom he loved, his is but another case of avoiding excessive suffering. You have told me that "homosexuality" is also a crime, and that losing the man he loved is no acceptable reason to kill oneself. But your interpretation about the presumed Biblical condemnation of homosexuality is fanciful and unilateral. I have copied below the two texts on which you ground your decision not to grant a proper burial to our relative:
Leviticus 18:22:
"Do not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination"
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Leviticus 20:13:
"When a man lie with a male as with a woman, both have committed something perverse; they will certainly be put to death; their blood guilt rests upon them."
These two texts from Leviticus (18:22 and 20:13), condemning sex between men, are part of the "Code of Sanctity," a section aimed at preventing contamination from neighboring peoples. This section precisely starts with Chapter 18 of Leviticus, which reads: "Do not follow the uses and customs of Canaan, the country where I will take you, do not live according to their laws." Engaging in the uses and customs of this people would signify, for a Jew, to commit "Toebah," meaning something impure and dirty, although not morally wrong. An impurity occurs when the Jewish ritual laws are violated. But impurity does not mean "bad" or "evil." If sex between men had been considered as "morally wrong" in Leviticus, then as you and I know, the correct Hebraic word would be "Zimah," instead of
"Toebah."
The condemnation of homosexual practices as "impure" seeks to condemn something foreign to this culture. In other words, it is a sin against the Jewish identity. It is not an action deserving punishment in itself. Verse 24 that follows (18:24), says: "...do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for by all these practices the nations whom I am driving out before you are defiled." Jews considered some gentile practices impure, but this does not mean such practices were sinful or morally wrong.
On the other hand, homosexual relations between Jews do appear in the Bible. Jonathan was attracted to David and thereafter shared all with him:
"(1) By the time David was through talking with Saul, Jonathan's soul was in unison with David's soul; Jonathan loved him as himself. (2) On that same day, Saul retained him and did not let him return to his father's home. (3) Because he loved him, Jonathan made a covenant with David; (4) he stripped himself of the robe he had and gave it to David; also his amour with sword, bow and belt." (I. Samuel 18: 1-4)
When Jonathan finds out that his father wished to kill David, the two friends meet secretly and cry (I Samuel 20: 41-42):
"(41) ... as soon as the lad was gone, David came from beside the stone pile and threw himself prone on the ground before Jonathan, bowing down three times. They kissed each other and wept together until David got control of himself, (42) then Jonathan said to David: 'Go in peace! Since we have sworn to each other in the lord's name, the LORD will be the mediator between you and me; also between my descendants and yours forever.'
David arose and left, while Jonathan entered the town."
II Samuel I: 26: " I am grieving for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women."
For these reasons, I request that my relative be treated like any other Jew.
Respectfully yours,
David Sikora
Długosiodło, January 3, 1925.
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David lost this battle. Uncle Samuel was buried across the wall of the cemetery. The ire resulting from this unfair treatment generated a rupture with tradition. In the New World, it would increase when he found out that many of his customers came from the homosexual community. Once he started communicating with them, his views could no longer align with those of his fellow peddlers. Moreover, he was a man unwilling to reject a sound argument. If only one soul interested in discussing the Talmud showed up, he would even close the store. Until then, as was to be expected, all his debating adversaries had been Jews. Then, one morning, sales were slow at the Market when a blond German customer came in. David immediately recognized him; he was the man chasing after his daughter. At first, the conversation was tense:
"Good day, Sir. I am here to buy clothes and to request from you a favor, Carlos said nervously . With a handkerchief in the right hand, he mopped his sweating brow. David studied the younger man and could not avoid thinking that Carlos was indeed an impressive, cultivated, and elegant suitor. He was still, however, forbidden to his daughter."
"Mister Dönning, do not tell me you are here to buy clothes for your business, because I would not believe it –answered the merchant, shaking the bloomers hanging like chickens in a butcher's shop. What may I do for you?" he asked coldly.
"I am in love with Elena and I want to ask you not to forbid me from visiting her. I realize it must be hard for you to have someone like me asking you this, because I am a Christian and married. But I can't control my feelings and I am ready to try anything. Besides, I need to ask you another favor," added the suitor, now sweating profusely and feeling ready to be hung by the neck like another chicken.
"Will you please tell me what I may do for you?" replied David, overwhelmed by the impudicity of this customer. Perhaps one of his daughters was not enough for him and now he wanted to take both of them with him?
"I want to convert and I want you to tutor me," answered the suitor.
"Something else, Mister Dönning? Perhaps you may want my other daughter, or my wife, or the store, or my Talmudic books?"
"Apart from your eldest daughter, I will be happy to borrow a Talmud while I get my own copy," said Carlos smiling broadl