Features
The privileged, yet not unscathed, life of Baron Maurice de Hirsch
The Baron: Maurice de Hirsch and the Jewish Nineteenth Century
by Matthias B. Lehmann
Stanford University Press, 400 pp., $49
Reviewed by IRENA KARSHENBAUM
In reading Matthias B. Lehmann’s The Baron: Maurice de Hirsch and the Jewish Nineteenth Century what becomes painfully obvious is that despite owning chateaus and estates across Europe and being a member of the aristocracy, this elevated status still did not protect Baron Maurice de Hirsch, the wealthiest Jewish person of his time, from antisemitism.
How to find a solution to this eternal hatred haunted Hirsch his entire life and influenced not only how he envisioned the lives of his future grandchildren, but guided his philanthropic projects that changed the fates of millions of people.
It is a rare feat to acquire great wealth within a single generation. Hirsch was no exception.
Born Moritz von Hirsch — later to be known as Maurice de Hirsch — in 1831 in Munich, Bavaria, to Joseph and Caroline (née Wertheimer) von Hirsch, Lehmann describes how the young Hirsch grew up a member of “the noble class, with its privileges and rights,” yet was still the subject of the contradictory Jewish edict of 1813, which opened most occupations to Jews and granted them freedom of worship, but also imposed numerous restrictions, “designed to control and limit the overall number of Jews tolerated within the kingdom [of Bavaria]. Jewish immigration was banned, and the so-called Judenmatrikel established quotas for the permissible size of each Jewish community, limiting permission to marry and designed to keep the number of Jews static or reduce it.”
Yet despite this antisemitic decree, in 1818, Hirsch’s grandfather, Jacob Hirsch, managed to obtain the status of nobility from the King of Bavaria and the upwardly mobile family was allowed to be called “von Hirsch auf Gereuth,” after an estate the senior patriarch had purchased a few years earlier.
The Hirschs, however, were mere “cattle merchants” (albeit conducting business with the King of Bavaria) in comparison to the wealth and status of his mother’s family, the Wertheimers, who were descendants of Samson Wertheimer, the banker to Emperor Charles VI.
The Hirsch family had to wait another half a century, until 1869, when Joseph was awarded the hereditary title of baron for “contributions to the welfare of the Bavarian state,” following his establishing a field hospital during the Prussian-Austrian War of 1866. (The family’s philanthropic contributions were not limited to this singular charitable act, but this recognition speaks to Joseph having finally “played his cards right,” which secured “a place for himself and his descendants as members of the European aristocracy.”)
At age thirteen, Hirsch was moved to Brussels where, in 1855, he succeeded in doing what his father had done a generation earlier — he married up. His bride, Clara Bischoffsheim, was the daughter of Jonathan Raphaël Bischoffsheim, the partner of Bischoffsheim & Goldschmidt, one of Europe’s leading banks, which would one day become France’s BNP Paribas. Clara had worked as her father’s secretary, training that would serve her well to act as her husband’s “chief secretary” for their expanding business interests and philanthropic work.
Hirsch’s arrival in Brussels was of perfect timing, not only for his matrimonial aspirations, but it also coincided with the birth of the railway age when Belgium opened its first international railway line, linking Antwerp to Cologne.
At this time, Hirsch developed a passion for railroads. He formed an odd partnership with a known antisemite, André Langrand-Dumonceau, who advocated for “the building of an international Catholic financial empire to compete with… Jewish- (and Protestant-) dominated high finance.” The partnership eventually dissolved, Langrand-Dumonceau’s financial Ponzi scheme collapsed and the stake that he had owned in the Ottoman railway concession ended up in Hirsch’s hands thanks to the pursuit of an Ottoman public works minister, an Armenian named Davud Pasha, with whom he signed an agreement, in April of 1869, to link Constantinople and Salonika with central European railways.
The business deal became, as Lehmann writes, “The defining moment in Hirsch’s life as a businessman, and which was the main source of one of the largest fortunes in Europe of the late nineteenth century.”
Almost twenty years later, in the summer of 1888, after successfully maneuvering the corrupt Ottoman political and commercial landscape, the first train on the railroad that Hirsch had built, left Vienna for Constantinople. Yet even this remarkable achievement of linking Europe with the Ottoman Empire ignited antisemitic vitriol.
Lehmann writes, “The idea of building a Vienna-Constantinople-Salonika railroad link had sparked imperialist dreams in the Habsburg capital. When fantasies of colonial riches failed to materialize as the completion of the railway connections was repeatedly delayed, a narrative… became increasingly personalized, focusing on Baron Hirsch in the guise of the “Parisian financier” and “the Jew.” Rather than the bursting of a speculative bubble in Vienna in 1873 or the effect of the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878, not to mention the machinations of the Great Powers of Europe or the political chaos in Constantinople in the mid-1870s, a story emerged in which it was Baron Hirsch, single-handedly, who betrayed the dream of Austria’s Oriental empire.”
Hirsch understood that antisemitism was impossible to defeat. In giving an interview, in January of 1889, to the New York Herald, titled “The Jews Must Disappear: A Hebrew Millionaire Spends Enormous Sums to Assimilate Them with Christians” he explained his solution, “The Jewish question can only be solved by the disappearance of the Jewish race, which will inevitably be accomplished by the amalgamation of Christians and Jews.”
In terms of his own descendants, when his son, Lucien, was in his twenties, Hirsch stated that, “He must marry an Englishwoman,” especially since, “younger members of the families of Rothschild and Montefiore” were assimilating through marriage.
Immersed in an antisemitic milieux, it is important to also consider that neither Hirsch, his wife, or their son even contemplated conversion unlike many members of the Jewish nobility of western Europe like, Benjamin Disraeli, the 19th-century British prime minister who converted to Christianity. Assimilation was for the next generation through the planned raising of their future grandchildren as Christians.
With the sudden passing of his only son at age 30, Hirsch — whose loyalties were still deeply intertwined with his co-religionists — shifted his energies to helping the Jews of the Russian Empire who were facing escalating antisemitism.
In 1891, Hirsch incorporated the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) in London with initial capital of 2 million pounds sterling (the 2023 equivalent of about $2 billion) of his own funds “to assist… the emigration of Jews from any parts of Europe or Asia… where they may be subjected to any special laws,” and to help them, “establish colonies in various parts of North and South American… for agricultural [purposes].”
With his recent experience conducting business with the corrupt Ottomans, he objected, ““On principal,” to purchasing land for colonization purposes anywhere in the Ottoman Empire, where the authorities were bound to subject the colonists to endless “chicaneries and difficulties,” and, ““religious memories and ancient traditions” were a feeble ground on which to build a large-scale colonization enterprise.”
Hirsch rejected Theodor Herzl’s “fantastical plan, of creating a “Jewish state”” in Palestine. (Herzl himself went on to contemplate Hirsch’s efforts in an 1896 article for London’s Jewish Chronicle titled, “Shall we choose Argentine or Palestine?”)
By the fall of 1891, Hirsch decided that the focus of JCA’s work would be the evacuation of 3.25 million Russian Jews, primarily to Argentina, which he estimated would take about twenty-five years to complete. By 1896, the year of Hirsch’s passing, 6,757 colonists were living on 910 farms in Argentina.
In Canada, the majority of JCA’s work did not begin until after Hirsch’s passing and it is believed that most Jewish farming communities received at least some funding from the association. A number of the prairie settlements — Hirsch and Sonnenfeld in Saskatchewan, and Narcisse in Manitoba — were named after leading JCA figures.
Lehmann’s thoroughly researched biography and view into the Jewish nineteenth century rings eerily true for Jews today.
Irena Karshenbaum writes in Calgary.
irenakarshenbaum.com
Features
What Does The Future of Online Betting Look Like For Canadians?
There have been plenty of positive developments recently in how Canadians can place bets online. A major boost to the Canadian online gambling industry came when Ontario opened its doors to private companies. What further changes lie ahead in the future?
The expansion in Ontario has produced massive revenues for the Canadian gambling industry. Allowing private companies to operate in the province has given gamblers far more choice and they have been flocking to the new sites now available. Great news of course for gamblers and betting companies but also for the taxman. As has been seen in the USA, making gambling legal (especially on sport) has brought in billions of dollars of tax revenue. Canada is now also reaping the benefits and will continue to do so in the future.
The industry was also changed when in 2021 it finally became possible to place single-event bets on sport. Until then it had to be parlays or as they’re also known, accumulators. Both of these changes have seen a great improvement in the online Canadian gambling industry. 2024 has already been a profitable year for the online betting industry in Canada. The first quarter of the 2024-2025 fiscal year certainly illustrated that. The total amount wagered was $18.4 billion and that was 31% higher than the results for the same period in the previous fiscal year.
Revenue in Ontario for the period April 1 to June 30 was $726 million. That’s from the 50 operators who have 80 gaming sites in the province. The total is 34% higher than in the same period in 2023 and 5.2% higher than the previous quarter. With the expansion in Ontario being so successful, the question now is whether other provinces will follow suit. It seems that opening up their gambling industry to private operators may well be the way forward. However, it is recognised that if this is to happen, it must be done safely. Wherever there is legal online betting, it seems that regulation is not too far away. It’s accepted that there is the need for some regulation. Protecting players is vital and with companies required to be licensed, this helps control them. Those who bet at unlicensed sites do not have anywhere near the same level of customer protection and are at risk of online fraud.
There have already been signs of increased regulation of the Canadian online betting industry. How gambling is advertised is always a thorny subject whatever the country. This year has seen the use of celebrities or sports stars in gambling related advertisements prohibited. A key reason for this is to protect youngsters who may be attracted to the industry. Studies have shown that youngsters can identify gambling brands more than they do those for tobacco or alcohol.
It’s also likely that there will be more betting on esports in the future. There has been an increase in the amount of coverage given to them by online betting sites. This was particularly seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when many sports events were canceled. Esports continued and sites such as PowerPlay began to give them increased levels of coverage and will continue to do so.
Technology plays an important role in the gambling industry. Those who love to go online and place bets will see technology producing even more changes in the future.
Banking is an important element of online betting. Improvements in technology in this area have made it far easier to place bets online. Improved encrypting of data and more use of cryptocurrencies also makes it safer when it comes to online financial transactions. Again, this will attract even more gamblers to the industry.
As for the games that are played, particularly when it comes to online casinos, huge strides are taking place. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are the way ahead, so expect to see more Canadian gamblers wearing VR headsets as time goes by.
The graphics seen in games are already staggering but they will get even better in the future. Putting on your VR headset will see players transported into other worlds and even forwards or backwards in time. Those who love to play at live casinos will be in for a treat. Using their headset, it can appear they are playing at one of the most famous casinos in the world, rather than on their settee.
AI is loved by many but hated by some. It will also have a huge influence on the Canadian online betting industry in the future. This won’t just be in creating games but also be used to deal with customers. AI has the ability to gauge the behavior of gamblers and identify if there is a possible need to help them if spending too much or betting for too long.
Mobile phone technology continues to make advancements. Rather than just playing on your laptop at home, many players download apps and try their luck on their mobile devices. Further advancements are fully expected in the future.
The future of online betting in Canada does look a rosy one. The amount earned by betting companies is expected to increase and that will be good news for those who receive tax revenue. Players will likely have more sites to bet on if other provinces follow in the footsteps of Ontario. The games that will be available will be even more thrilling to play and becoming a member of a site will be safer.
Features
New book chronicles what were arguably the most important – and controversial Olympic Games in history
Review by BERNIE BELLAN With the 33rd Summer Olympics set to take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11, I thought it an opportune time to tell readers about a book that was released earlier this year and which provides a sweeping view of what were arguably the most controversial Olympic Games ever held – the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
Written by two writers, Glenn Allen and Richard Kaufman, who have spent most of their careers writing and producing films, PLAYED: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics combines fiction and non-fiction in a thrilling, yet somewhat confusing manner.
Although Jewish readers are likely to find themselves focused on the rampant antisemitism that pervaded the games – given the determination of Hitler to use the Olympic Games as a masterful propaganda tool, this book is sure to appeal both to fans of the Olympic Games and students of history.
There are many heroes mentioned throughout “PLAYED,” including such well known names as Jesse Owens, who embarrassed Hitler to no end by winning what was then a record four Gold medals in various track events. But there were many other heroes as well, especially Alan Gould, who was the Associated Press Sports Editor, and who wrote many columns calling for a boycott of the games; and William Dodd, the US Ambassador to Germany from 1932-1937, who was warning of the dangers posed by the Nazi threat long before it became all too apparent to politicians, including President Franklin Roosevelt – who adopts quite a sanguine attitude toward the Nazi threat in this book.
And then there are the villains, chief among whom was the despicable Avery Brundage, President of the American Olympic Committee, who was determined to be appointed to the International Olympic Committee (of which he was later to become its president, from 1952-72). It is no coincidence that it was Brundage who was not only the key figure in overcoming resistance to the notion of the US boycotting the 1936 games, it was Brundage who was also central to the 1972 Munich Olympics carrying on even after the massacre of 11 Israeli athletes.
I admit that I knew quite a bit about Brundage’s unsavoury reputation even before reading this book, but the degree to which he connived to make sure America would be represented at the games when there was fierce opposition to exactly that position from many of the leading figures in the sports world in the US at the time is truly shocking.
But, while the historical record provides ample evidence of the extent to which Hitler and his henchmen were determined to use the Olympics as a showcase for Nazi superiority, while reading this book I couldn’t help but wonder just how much fiction was mixed with fact.
In the press release I was sent about the book, it was noted that “Based on real stories and real people involved in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, PLAYED plunges readers into a compelling, fictionalized account of the insanity and hysteria that unfolded across Germany, the United States and in much of the world from 1931 through 1936.”
I couldn’t help myself from questioning: Just how much is fact and how much is fiction in this book? Of course, given that the authors use their imaginations to conjure up the dialogue in the book, I kept thinking to myself – especially as I was reading about how sexually aggressive many of the female characters in this book were: Is this a case of two screenwriters using their past experiences writing movie scripts as an excuse to infuse something that might be passed off as a largely historical account with a great big dollop of licentiousness in order to attract readers?
Two of the major female characters: Martha Dodd, daughter of US Ambassador Dodd, and Eleanor Holm, a champion US swimmer, certainly led carefree sex lives – at least if you were to believe the accounts given in this book. Dodd, in particular, is such a fascinating character, because not only was she quite willing to go to bed with many Nazis (and it seemed – anyone who asked her), including Ernst “Putzi” Hanfstatengel, described as Hitler’s henchman – who would eagerly dispatch anyone Hitler wanted rid of, in time Martha Dodd ended up in the arms of a Russian spy – who himself was ordered executed by Stalin.
As for Holm, even though she was a champion in the swimming pool (in backstroke events), she hardly led a disciplined life as an athlete. In PLAYED, at least, she is one hell of a “player” – and this was well after she was married!
Unfortunately for Holm, however, one man who lusted after her – and whom she detested, was Avery Brundage. Now, I did try to find out whether the account given by Kaufman and Allen of what happened between Holm and Brundage when they were both on the same ship headed to the Berlin Olympics with the entire American team of athletes and officials, was in any way true. (In the book, Brundage attempts to rape Holm, but given her athleticism, she manages to deliver a solid kick to his nether regions – leaving him writhing in pain. The next day, he decides to kick her off the US Olympic team.) According to Holm’s own account, however, the reasons for her being booted off the team had to do with her not wanting to go to bed when she was told to do so. (I much prefer the PLAYED version – and if they ever make a movie from the book, I’m sure audiences would be much more interested in watching Holm do to Avery Brundage what a lot of women would probably fantasize about doing to men.)
Of course, the parts of the book describing some of the leading Nazis, including Hitler himself, along with Joseph Goebbels and Herman Goering, are luridly detailed – as one would expect any description of them to be, but one character who comes off quite favourably – much to my shock, is Leni Riefenstahl, the famed German filmmaker, who had already established a notorious reputation as a propagandist in her famous documentary about the 1934 Nuremburg Rally, “Triump of the Will.”
Rather than painting her as a tool of the Nazis though, the authors offer quite a sympathetic – even admiring portrait of someone who was wedded to her craft. According to this book, Riefenstahl actually fell in love with a member of the US Olympic team by the name of Glenn Morris, who goes on to win Gold in the decathlon competition. (Again, however, there is one unforgettable scene where Morris, after winning his medal, runs over to Riefenstahl, rips off her blouse, and kisses her breast. Is this a Hollywood screenwriter’s fantasy? Who knows?)
There are also many stories of Jewish athletes in this book – some of which are tragic. The female high jump champion in Germany at the time was someone by the name of Gretel Bergmann. Bergmann had gone to England prior to the Olympics knowing full well that she would not be allowed to compete for Nazi Germany. In the book, Putzi goes over to England and threatens Bergmann that she will have to return to compete for Germany, otherwise her family – who had still remained in Germany, will face severe consequences. When Bergmann reluctantly returns to Germany, Brundage points to her becoming part of the German Olympic team as a sign that the Nazis have softened their stance toward Jews, but once the American do agree to participate and cross the ocean to Germany, Bergmann develops a mysterious “injury” that prevents her from actually being part of the German team.
The book is full of such stories – so many, in fact, that your head will be spinning trying to keep track of all the characters mentioned in the book.
Still, if you want to enjoy a rollicking read that may or may not have many parts that are wholly concocted from the writers’ imaginations even though they’re writing about actual events, then you might want to give PLAYED a shot.
As for this year’s version of the Olympics, while there isn’t nearly the same dramatic tension surrounding them as there was prior to and during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the cheating, skullduggery, and propaganda that permeated the 1936 games has forever tarnished the reputation of the Olympic Games and, while it’s a different type of antisemitism that we’re seeing on the world stage these days, we’re all holding our collective breaths wondering how Israeli athletes are going to be treated in Paris – the same way Jews were wondering how Jewish athletes were going to be treated in Nazi Germany in 1936.
PLAYED: The Games of the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Published 2024 by WordServe Publishing
419 pages
Features
Canada’s favorite online casino games
The people of Canada sure love to play casino games. Gaming and placing bets is a popular pastime in the country with 76 percent reporting that they have participated in at least one form of gambling within the last year. In recent years, the online industry has seen a significant boost as players look to play at the best Canadian online casinos as more provinces look to remove prohibitive legislation.
We take a deep dive into the current legal situation for both online and offline casino gaming in the country, in addition to which casino games are the most popular and what there is to love about them, as well as what the future of the Canada’s online casino landscape could look like.
Both online and offline casino gaming is popular. When playing games online, players look for convenience, security and a good variety in bet and game choices. When going to a land-based gambling venue, they look for a comprehensive entertainment experience, they expect a trip to a casino to be an exciting day out.
The laws in Canada are complex in regards to what types of gambling are legalized and how it is regulated.
The lowdown on gambling laws in Canada – online and offline
Under federal law in Canada, technically the provision of all gambling related services is prohibited. However, exceptions are applied when it is regulated at a local or provincial level.
Each province has the responsibility of regulating and creating laws that concern all types of gambling within them. If they chose to do so then they can provide licenses, manage revenue distribution and set their own age restrictions. Most provinces in Canada have now legalized gambling in some form, with some areas having a more prohibitive approach than others.
For example, Ontario is probably the least restrictive and there are a number of land based casinos venues here open to residents and tourists. Also, there has been a recent introduction of iGaming in the province too.
There are now more provinces looking to follow in Ontario’s footsteps with Alberta looking at taking a less restrictive stance. Currently, charities and religious organizations are allowed to register as gambling providers. There is also an online gambling site based in Alberta that is regulated.
In Canada, the Criminal Code does not actually make specific reference to online gambling activity, which has left it open somewhat to interpretation. The federal government itself has not created any laws specific to online casinos, some provinces are now establishing their own regulations. Also, online casinos and other gambling sites that are operated outside of the country are accessible to people within Canada.
There are a few casino games that are particularly popular in Canada
Slots
From electronic machines to table games, Canadian’s love all types of casino activities. Slots and online slots are one of the top games enjoyed in the country. One reason that people love slots is due to their simplicity, there are no complex rules to get to grips with.
Online games and offline slots are very similar, however online games tend to have more special features and bonus rounds. You might also find that the minimum bet amounts are lower. Slots come in all kinds of themes, from movie themed games to those inspired by ancient Egypt and the pharaohs, there are thousands to choose from online.
Poker
Another well-loved casino game in Canada is poker, a game that has been around for hundreds of years and can also be played online. Poker is a bit more complex and requires patience in order to develop the necessary skills and strategy to be confident when playing the game.
Texas Hold’em is the most common variant of the game in this region, although three card poker, omaha and seven card stud are just some examples of the other types of poker enjoyed here.
Roulette
Roulette is also a top game for Canadian casino enthusiasts. The three main variants are American, European and French, with the American roulette game being the most widely recognized across Canada. Each variation has a slightly different format and house edge as well as different betting options.
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known here as 21, is a top card game. The player is playing against the dealer and to win they must try to get to 21, or as close as possible, before the dealer does.
The future of online casinos in Canada
As casino related legalization across Canada becomes less restrictive and more online operators set up in the region, we can expect this industry to flourish in the years ahead. Player numbers are likely to continue to grow and new technologies like AI will further improve and personalize the experiences users have on gaming sites.
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