New biography says Gandhi had Jewish gay lover jpost.com, 28/3/2011 "Great Soul" says Indian leader was in love with weight lifter Hermann Kallenbach, called blacks "as a rule, uncivilized."
A new biography of Mahatma Gandhi suggests that the Indian leader was a cruel racist with a Jewish gay lover.
A Wall Street Journal review of Great Soul, a new biography of Gandhi, says the book "gives readers more than enough information to discern that he was a sexual weirdo, a political incompetent and a fanatical faddist—one who was often downright cruel to those around him," adding that Gandhi "profess[ed] his love for mankind as a concept while actually despising people as individuals."
According to the biography, written by former New York Times executive editor Joseph Lelyveld, Gandhi was in love with a Jewish architect and weight-lifter from Germany named Hermann Kallenbach, and even left his wife to be with Kallenbach in 1908. The two met while Gandhi was banished to South Africa, and were separated in 1914, when he returned to India and Kallenbach was not allowed in due to World War I.
Gandhi wrote to Kallenbach: "How completely thou have taken possession of my body. This is slavery with a vengeance." In a letter to Kallenbach, he promised not to "look lustfully upon any woman," and pledged "such love as...the world has not yet seen."
Lelyveld also claims that Gandhi had racist views of the blacks in South Africa, complaining that they are "as a rule uncivilized." "We were marched off to a prison intended for [blacks]," he wrote.
"We could understand not being classed with whites, but to be placed on the same level as the Natives seemed too much to put up with."
Hermann Kallenbach (1871–1945) was a South African architect who is best known for being a very close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, starting from the latter's early days in South Africa. Together with another Jew, H.S.L. Polak, Kallenbach was associated with Gandhi throughout the Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) struggle which lasted in South Africa until 1914.
Hermann was born in 1871 in East Prussia to a German Jewish family. He went to study architecture in Stuttgart and Munich. In 1896 he went to South Africa, where he practiced as an architect and became a South African citizen.
In 1904 he met Mohandas Gandhi, who was then working in South Africa. He was highly influenced by Gandhi's ideas of Satyagraha and equality among human beings and became his intimate friend and a dedicated devotee. In 1910 Kallenbach, who was a rich man, donated to Gandhi a thousand acre (4 km²) farm belonging to him near Johannesburg. The farm was used to run Gandhi's famous "Tolstoy Farm" that housed the families of satyagrahis. Abandoning the life of a wealthy, sport-loving bachelor, he adopted a simple lifestyle, vegetarian diet and equality politics of Gandhi on this farm. In Gandhi's words, they became "soulmates" and, for a time, shared Kallenbach's home. Together with another Jew, H.S.L. Polak, Kallenbach was associated with Gandhi throughout the Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) struggle which lasted in South Africa until 1914.
Kallenbach planned to accompany Gandhi to India in 1914, but with the outbreak of World War I, he was detained in England because of his German citizenship. After the war he returned to South Africa, where he resumed his work as an architect, but continued to correspond with Gandhi. The rise of Nazism shocked Kallenbach into a rediscovery of his Jewish roots.
He became a convinced Zionist, served on the Executive of the South African Zionist Federation, and planned to settle in Ereẓ Israel. He wanted a society in today's Israel without a state, military and industry to avoid colonialism through Zionist settlements. At the request of Moshe Shertok (Sharett), Kallenbach visited Gandhi in May 1937 to enlist his sympathy and support for Zionism. Gandhi showed sympathy. In his public statements, however, Gandhi continued to maintain a position against Zionism because of the people already living in Palestine. Although disagreeing with Gandhi over Zionism and also in his (Kallenbach's) conviction that Hitler had to be resisted by violence, Kallenbach's deep friendship with Gandhi continued, and he visited him again in 1939.
Kallenbach died in 1945. He left a portion of his considerable estate for South African Indians, but the bulk was left for the benefit of Zionism. His large collection of books went to the Hebrew University, and his cremated remains were buried at Deganyah.
Kallenbach, to this day, is considered to be one of the foremost associates and friends of Gandhi who devoted a major part of his life to follow his principles and ideals. Gandhi has frequently mentioned him in his autobiography where he explains how he was his 'soulmate' in the early days of development of his personality and ideologies.
In Richard Attenborough's film, Gandhi, Kallenbach's role was played by Günther Maria Halmer. (en.wikipedia.org)
Hermann Kallenbach (1871–1945) was a South African architect who is best known for being a very close friend of Mahatma Gandhi, starting from the latter's early days in South Africa. Together with another Jew, H.S.L. Polak, Kallenbach was associated with Gandhi throughout the Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) struggle which lasted in South Africa until 1914.
Hermann was born in 1871 in East Prussia to a German Jewish family. He went to study architecture in Stuttgart and Munich. In 1896 he went to South Africa, where he practiced as an architect and became a South African citizen.
In 1904 he met Mohandas Gandhi, who was then working in South Africa. He was highly influenced by Gandhi's ideas of Satyagraha and equality among human beings and became his intimate friend and a dedicated devotee. In 1910 Kallenbach, who was a rich man, donated to Gandhi a thousand acre (4 km²) farm belonging to him near Johannesburg. The farm was used to run Gandhi's famous "Tolstoy Farm" that housed the families of satyagrahis. Abandoning the life of a wealthy, sport-loving bachelor, he adopted a simple lifestyle, vegetarian diet and equality politics of Gandhi on this farm. In Gandhi's words, they became "soulmates" and, for a time, shared Kallenbach's home. Together with another Jew, H.S.L. Polak, Kallenbach was associated with Gandhi throughout the Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) struggle which lasted in South Africa until 1914.
Kallenbach planned to accompany Gandhi to India in 1914, but with the outbreak of World War I, he was detained in England because of his German citizenship. After the war he returned to South Africa, where he resumed his work as an architect, but continued to correspond with Gandhi. The rise of Nazism shocked Kallenbach into a rediscovery of his Jewish roots.
He became a convinced Zionist, served on the Executive of the South African Zionist Federation, and planned to settle in Ereẓ Israel. He wanted a society in today's Israel without a state, military and industry to avoid colonialism through Zionist settlements. At the request of Moshe Shertok (Sharett), Kallenbach visited Gandhi in May 1937 to enlist his sympathy and support for Zionism. Gandhi showed sympathy. In his public statements, however, Gandhi continued to maintain a position against Zionism because of the people already living in Palestine. Although disagreeing with Gandhi over Zionism and also in his (Kallenbach's) conviction that Hitler had to be resisted by violence, Kallenbach's deep friendship with Gandhi continued, and he visited him again in 1939.
Kallenbach died in 1945. He left a portion of his considerable estate for South African Indians, but the bulk was left for the benefit of Zionism. His large collection of books went to the Hebrew University, and his cremated remains were buried at Deganyah.
Kallenbach, to this day, is considered to be one of the foremost associates and friends of Gandhi who devoted a major part of his life to follow his principles and ideals. Gandhi has frequently mentioned him in his autobiography where he explains how he was his 'soulmate' in the early days of development of his personality and ideologies.
In Richard Attenborough's film, Gandhi, Kallenbach's role was played by Günther Maria Halmer. (en.wikipedia.org)
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