Harry the Shabbat Goy

In a small Midwest town in the mid 1890 Jacob Viner and his wife attempted to bring up their children in accordance with Jewish tradition. Sabbath was observed as best they could in their Missouri village, located just outside Kansas City. One of the few advantages of living in such a setting was the presence of a large stock of people willing to be employed as a Shabbat goy.

When it was required, it was the Viner's young neighbor Harry who was usually called upon. Harry frequently visited the Viner family to help light a fire to warm the house in the frigid Midwest winter, or to perform various other Shabbat chores. He was well liked, respected, and always around when you needed him. He eventually came on a regular basis to the Viner family, as his sister Mary Jane had become best friends with her classmate Sarah Viner. Whenever he came, the Viners made sure to reimburse Harry with a small token of their appreciation- a piece of kugel or gefilte fish was always offered.

Harry was particularly fond of matzo.

When Harry returned from duty in World War I, he opened a haberdashery business with a Jewish friend named Eddie Jacobson. After a few years in business together Harry eventually sold out to his partner Eddie and Harry tried his hand at Politics. As a successful Democratic Missouri state administrator and Judge, Harry was in a position to do a number of favors for the Jewish community who supported him loyally, like surfacing the road to the local Jewish cemetery. The Viner family no doubt took great pride in the friendship they had shown their Missouri neighbor. But in their wildest dreams, they could not have imagined how far the dividends of their Kiddush Hasher would extend.

The Viner family close contact with young Harry may have influenced the course of Jewish, and indeed, would history. Harry's political aspirations were only beginning. In 1934 he was elected to the United States Senate, serving for two six year terms. In 1946, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt inexplicably dropped his vice president, Henry A Wallace, in favor of a then unknown Missouri senator, Harry S. Truman. Shortly after the election, Franklin D Roosevelt Passed away, and Harry S. Truman became President of the United States.

One of the major issues facing the Truman administration following the end of World War II was the United States Policy in regards to the proposed state of Israel. There were many pro Arab officials within Truman's cabinet who were vehemently opposed to supporting the proposed Jewish State.

As Truman later wrote: The state Departments specialists on the Near East were, almost without exception, unfriendly to the idea of a Jewish state, like most of the British diplomats, some of our diplomats also thought that the Arabs, on account of their larger numbers and because of the fact that they controlled such immense oil resources, should be appeased. I am sorry to say that there were some of them who were inclined to be anti Semitic.

In spite of all this Truman immediately supported the new Jewish state. As Truman himself put in a personal note: recognized Israel immediately in 1948 against the advice of my own Secretary of State, George Marshall, who was afraid the Arabs wouldn't like it. But I felt that Israel deserved to be recognized and I didn't give a darn whether the Arabs liked it or not.

To this day, historians debate exactly what influenced Truman toward his policy regarding the newly founded State of Israel, a policy of support and aid which has been in place more or less for the past fifty years. His memoirs indicate his desire to help those who experienced the terrible suffering at the hands of the Nazis.

Truman was far more sympathetic to the plight of the Jews than his predecessor. The earliest experiences an individual has are often the ones which form the crux of their views for the rest of there life. Is it inconceivable that Harry's warm disposition toward the plight of the Jewish people was ingrained into a young Harry Truman from the Viner Family in turn of the century Independence Missouri?

In recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the state of Israel, the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, is offering a series of programs highlighting Truman's role.

Among the items on display are a safer Torah, Ahron, and a Menorah made in 1767 crafted in Buergel, Germany. In this 50th year of the founding of the state of Israel, perhaps the populace at large would be interested in knowing that a shomer Shabbat Midwestern family had some impact on the very existence of the state of Israel.

We can all recognize the Viner's Kiddush Hashem and the benefits of honoring our tradition and bestowing acts of kindness toward everyone we come in contact with.