After the war, Eberhard was concerned to counter the rising tide of anti-Semitism. Besides expressing in various ways his appreciation of the Jewish contribution to the Christian faith, he published books and articles by Jewish writers. One of these was the book Rasse und Politik (Race and Politics) by Julius Goldstein, published by the Neuwerk Publishing House.
The book is born of the fullness of a wealth of knowledge, a passionate justice and a serious, though joyful, hope for the future. Seldom have I read a book in which I had to put so few question marks. The sensitive feeling for reality, which plainly marks the book a classic against anti-Semitism, is heart-warming and gives the lie to those who say renewal-Christianity moves only on unreal, abstract heights (a belief that might rightly apply to some forms of religious socialism). Politics and religion belong together in a much deeper sense than the opponents of this statement imagine. They should have their source in what is eternal and flow into the great common tasks and creative forms of a new brotherly mankind, rich in content and on the way to full maturity. Goldstein has pointed this out in an unsurpassed way on the basis of reality and without the use of religious phraseology.27
Max Wolf was the wealthy owner of a soap factory near Schlüchtern. A practicing Jew, he was the only non-Christian on the Neuwerk board of directors, and he promoted its publications among Jewish circles. He wrote to a friend:
I asked Dr. Eberhard Arnold about his attitude to anti-Semitism, and he answered me literally: “There is no place in Germany from which the fight against anti-Semitism, with its irrational and anti-religious character, is waged so clearly as from the Neuwerk! Just because our fight for a reconciling, constructive spirit of the national and human community is tied to the championship of international reconciliation and for understanding between classes, the struggle against anti-Semitism will be all the more fruitful. For here it is not a matter of an isolated question but an all-encompassing outlook on life which is linked to a deep recognition of the religious spirit of Judaism.” It seems very important to me that the fight against anti-Semitism is being fought from a decidedly Christian point of view.28
Much later, in August 1932, four young Zionists, training for life on a kibbutz in Palestine, visited the Rhön Bruderhof. In a meeting with them, Eberhard was interested to learn about their philosophical foundation and, as he did in every encounter, he urged them to appreciate more deeply their own heritage:
Eberhard: Are the Pentateuch and the prophets authoritative for you? What is the spiritual foundation of your outward structure?
Zionist: The old life no longer pleases us. We want something new. Only on the way of community have we found anything new.
Eberhard: Will that be in the sense of the Jewish prophets?
Zionist: There are two groups. One is loosely connected with communism, and the other is more inclined to socialism.
Eberhard: You will remember that we recently exchanged thoughts about Zionism and the driving force behind it. We sensed a strong urge to put socialist ideas into practice, and in that we found a comradely relationship with our movement.
Zionist: The majority stands on a socialist basis and is politically oriented. A smaller group takes its stand on the prophetic basis and emphasizes religion.
Eberhard: How is it with struggles within the community?
Zionist: When we arrive in Palestine we are already trained. We know there is nothing but community and we must surrender everything for it.
Eberhard: During the twelve years we have lived in community we have learned that it is not possible to avoid struggle. Each of us has to fight egotism.29
v
Over the next twelve years, the community matured through struggles and crises. One thing became clear, particularly after a difficult time in the summer of 1922: in order to preserve love, joy, and unity it was essential to speak up if differences arose between people. At that time Eberhard formulated “the first law of Sannerz”:
There is no law but that of love. Love means having joy in others. Then what does being annoyed with them mean?
Words of love convey the joy we have in the presence of brothers and sisters. By the same token it is out of the question to speak about a brotherhood member in a spirit of irritation or vexation. There must never be talk, either in open remarks or by insinuation, against a brother or a sister, against their individual characteristics—under no circumstances behind the person’s back. Talking in one’s own family is no exception.
Without this rule of silence there can be no loyalty, no community. Direct address is the only way possible; it is the spontaneous brotherly service we owe anyone whose weaknesses cause a negative reaction in us. An open word spoken directly to the other person deepens friendship and is not resented. Only when two people do not come to agreement quickly in this direct manner is it necessary to talk it over with a third person who can be trusted to help solve the difficulty and bring about a uniting on the highest and deepest levels (Matt 18:15–16).30
The word “unity” became a watchword: the spirit of Jesus overcomes all differences and unites people. From a letter:
Doubtless you are right that in such a community life as ours, the light coming from Christ alone must again and again bring the decisive rescue and help. Congeniality and sympathy, mutual understanding, professional association, or unity of purpose cannot hold community together. If it is true community, then it can only be from Jesus Christ and the direct working of his Holy Spirit. As soon as this working is set aside, we can of course still come together, but true community will be impossible till once again the spirit of Jesus Christ clears away the hindrances and renews the unity.31
Personal salvation became secondary to a greater cause. Individuals looked beyond themselves to see the tremendous need of humankind and catch a vision of God’s kingdom. Eberhard expressed this to a former alcoholic who spent several years in Sannerz:
We are not a welfare or salvation institute. The saving of the individual soul is not our main concern. In this respect we differ from the Salvation Army. Certainly we too carry on good works, and certainly people are also saved, but that is not the first concern, not the most important thing. Our interest is in the great, holy cause, the kingdom of God, and mission to the world. Whoever comes into the brotherhood must be clear on this point: from now on I am no longer concerned with myself, but with the cause to which I have surrendered myself in self-forgetfulness . . . We must take a stand: “I will forget myself completely here. If only I could be a doorkeeper in the house of God, I would prefer that to sitting in the palaces of the rich.” . . . My interest is not in my personality but in Christ and his kingdom, in God’s glory, also among people.32
Unity with the Hutterites
Through his study of church history, Eberhard learned about the Hutterites, a branch of the Anabaptist movement that had begun in Zurich in 1525. He was moved by the witness of their martyrs: thousands had been executed because of their radical faith. They had begun living in community around 1530 and some communities were still in existence.
When the house in Sannerz became too small and a larger property had to be purchased, Eberhard decided to establish it on the pattern of sixteenth-century Hutterian communities. They bought the neglected Sparhof in 1926 and named it “Bruderhof,” the word the Hutterites had used. It had a school, communal dining hall and kitchen, a print shop, and a farm, and eventually accommodated over 120 people.
Eberhard had seen enough communal attempts, both current and historical, to know the dangers such groups faced: some suffered shipwreck following false charismatic leaders while others became frozen in tradition. He did not wish his community to become merely another sect. It was to be and remain part of God’s great church, and as such, unite with any other groups who desired the same. In 1930 he took a long journey to the United States and Canada to get to know the Hutterites firsthand. He was moved by what he found:
When I compared