Felix Salten, born Siegmund Salzmann, the man who gave the world (and Disney) Bambi was not only a Jew, but a Zionist.
I had no idea until today, when I read it on the excellent Jewish travel and miscellany blog kept by my first boss in journalism, Esther Hecht:
In 1925 Salten wrote a travel diary of his visit to Palestine in which he commented, “As a Jew I would be embarrassed to the depths of my soul if I did not help and contribute to the best of my ability to the building of Palestine.”
I’d call this a scoop, but apparently it’s not exactly new — it’s become a feature of the academic lecture circuit.
You know, love, loss and the agonies of assuming responsibility for oneself — the tale has a 20th century Zionist resonance.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
