[Jewish True Tales] Zishe Breitbart
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Lawrence J. Epstein
Feb 10, 2011, 1:00:00 PM2/10/11
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Zishe Breitbart (1883-1925). Breitbart, who performed in circuses and in vaudeville, was widely considered to be the strongest man in the world. He got his start by confronting an anti-Semitic dog.
Breitbart had a childhood dream that he would be another Samson. His brother thought he was crazy. Breitbart couldn't figure out where he could find any modern-day Philistines to fight, and so his dream was put on hold. He began to let his hair grow, and worked very hard in his father's blacksmith shop.
The Breitbart family were immigrants from Poland and lived near an anti-Semite. The man owned an extremely vicious dog that was encouraged to attack Jewish children. Zishe had found his Philistine. He decided he could prove his strength by attacking the dog. Zishe gathered a group of boys, and they went to the alley where the anti-Semite lived. The dog saw them and began gnashing its teeth and barking. Zishe started to walk toward the dog. The other boys were frozen with fear. Although he was their age, Zishe nevertheless turned to the other boys and said, "Children, have no fear. I am with you. I, Samson, will tear this lion apart."
The dog looked at the approaching boys and leaped at them.The other boys screamed. Zishe screamed out, "Sh'ma Yisroel," "Hear, O Israel," the beginning of a principal Hebrew prayer. Then Zishe went to fight with the dog. The dog tried to get its teeth into the boy, but each time it opened its mouth Zishe punched it hard. The dog and boy fought for five minutes, until the exhausted dog had to lie down. The anti-Semite, looking on with great anticipation, was angry and grabbed a gun. The boys fled, but the dog disappeared, and the anti-Semite never bothered the boys again.
Zishe went on in his career to a variety of demonstrations of his strength. He bent iron bars to look like flowers. He bit through iron chains or broke a horseshoe in half. He held back two horses after they had been whipped. He would pull a wagon filled with people--with his teeth. His "Tomb of Hercules" effort was particularly popular. In that, a bridge was built across his chest and a variety of heavy animals including an elephant paraded over the bridge.
Breitbart's fame spread throughout the world, but it had all started with a neighborhood dog.
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Posted By Lawrence J. Epstein to Jewish True Tales at 2/10/2011 01:00:00 PM
Breitbart had a childhood dream that he would be another Samson. His brother thought he was crazy. Breitbart couldn't figure out where he could find any modern-day Philistines to fight, and so his dream was put on hold. He began to let his hair grow, and worked very hard in his father's blacksmith shop.
The Breitbart family were immigrants from Poland and lived near an anti-Semite. The man owned an extremely vicious dog that was encouraged to attack Jewish children. Zishe had found his Philistine. He decided he could prove his strength by attacking the dog. Zishe gathered a group of boys, and they went to the alley where the anti-Semite lived. The dog saw them and began gnashing its teeth and barking. Zishe started to walk toward the dog. The other boys were frozen with fear. Although he was their age, Zishe nevertheless turned to the other boys and said, "Children, have no fear. I am with you. I, Samson, will tear this lion apart."
The dog looked at the approaching boys and leaped at them.The other boys screamed. Zishe screamed out, "Sh'ma Yisroel," "Hear, O Israel," the beginning of a principal Hebrew prayer. Then Zishe went to fight with the dog. The dog tried to get its teeth into the boy, but each time it opened its mouth Zishe punched it hard. The dog and boy fought for five minutes, until the exhausted dog had to lie down. The anti-Semite, looking on with great anticipation, was angry and grabbed a gun. The boys fled, but the dog disappeared, and the anti-Semite never bothered the boys again.
Zishe went on in his career to a variety of demonstrations of his strength. He bent iron bars to look like flowers. He bit through iron chains or broke a horseshoe in half. He held back two horses after they had been whipped. He would pull a wagon filled with people--with his teeth. His "Tomb of Hercules" effort was particularly popular. In that, a bridge was built across his chest and a variety of heavy animals including an elephant paraded over the bridge.
Breitbart's fame spread throughout the world, but it had all started with a neighborhood dog.
--
Posted By Lawrence J. Epstein to Jewish True Tales at 2/10/2011 01:00:00 PM
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