THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
The only Jewish publication in the State of Michigan
Devoted to the interests of the Jewish people
Vol. I. No. 5"
DETROIT, MICH., MARCH 31, 1916
$1.50 per Year
Single Copies 5 Cents
Jewish Aspect of Preparedness
by
Maurice M. Lewinsohn
It is a matter of common obser-
vation and remark that the Jews
as a unit have shown but small
capacity for organized effort.
This deficiency in collective ac-
tion is due partly to dispersion,
which renders co-operation diffi-
cult and often ineffective ; partly
because of overconfidence in the
proverbial racial adhesion of the
Jewish individual to the bulk.
The Jewish doctrine of "collec-
tive responsibility," by which all
the obligations of the members
of the Jewish community are con-
ceived of as being reciprocal and
their dependence mutual, has re-
vealed itself as fatuous dogmat-
ism which never takes alarm.
Applied to a people scattered over
the face of the earth, it has be-
trayed a vast insufficiency of prac-
tical suggestions. As a mere elo-
quent gesture it is inspiring, en :
souraging, but beyond that not
very helpful toward thp great
problem of material and spiritual
readjustment before our people.
It is on trial now.
Not in all the history of our
people has there been an hour
more fraught with grave posSi-
bilities than this. The tenor of
it, the immense sorrow of it, is in
all our hearts, in all our thoughts.
We believe that utter destruc-
tion will be averted. There were
other times in our history when
it was averted. By the measure
of our hope is this hour less por-
tentous, and by that alone; for
the possibilities arc more hideous
and on a scale so gigantic as to
palsy the imagination. But there
is one thing which already we
know : Though the worst should
come we must meet it as a united
people and the threatening difL
ficulties of the near future will
have their weighty hearing upon
the American Jewry. Is our
sense of mutual responsibility, is
our consciousness of our collec-
tive duties and tasks strong
enough to induce us to prepara-
tory action, has it the power to
make us think in terms of the
year after next? In short, is
Israel capable of one great, up-
lifting effort? Can it or has it
the strength to will it so as to
render its potential energy actual
and gather its forces for hastening
solidarity?
What will be the tendency of
immigration after the European
war? Opinions radically differ.
I do not follow those philosophers
who see in the European conflict
a gigantic expression of that kind
of suffering from which newer
and purer forces of humanity are
to be wrought. I am quite un-.
able to read these hopeful sym-
bols in that terrible battlefield.
In Europe the Jew is being shot
at on all sides and at some fronts
without even the strengthening,
moral satisfaction of fighting for
a good cause. He is placed be-
tween the two millstones. Here,
in Ameica, the war has also pro-
duced suffering among the Jews—
an upheaval of our social solidar-
ity—which we find, as I have
said before, a much frailer, much
more tenuous substance than we
had supposed. But the question
agitating all minds at present is
—are the Jews of America to reap
the good out of this upheaval of
the standards of social and broth-
erly sympathy? Are we to arrive
at a true understanding of our
national values, a chastened real-
ization that a people composed of
many ethnic units, though of the
same, or nearly the same, tradi-
tions, will not of itself fall to-
gether into a unified people, and
finally a solidarity and an agree-
ment that will really conserve and
translate from age to age the
spirit and the fundamental prin-
ciples of Judaism, as they have
been formulated by the prophets
and standing now engraven on
the tablets of the law? Let us
not, according to well-established
custom, leave it to the future to
answer our present and pressing
problems. Now is the time to
take stock of our achievements in
the past, of our realizations in the
present and of our ability of ap-
plication in the future.
It is the considered opinion of
experts on matters of immigra-
tion that after the war the strain
on Ellis island will he such as it
has never known. Every Euro-
pean war during the past 100
years has been followed by an in-
creased immigration to the United
States. The internal troubles of
Russia and the political oppres- near a contact with , European
sion of the newly conquered ter- poverty can hardly be over-esti-
ritories will drive out many Jews mated." Dr. Weyl is not the type
to America. 'The Jewish soldiers of student who would indulge in
and their families, who were a eulogium of the dead immigrant
driven from their homes for mil- at the expense of the living. But
itary and other inhuman reasons, sympathy goes out through the
will take a short rest after their window when economics enters
bloody wandering on strange or at the door.
unfamiliar soil and will flee to our
The political aspect to the out-
shores to escape the heavy bur- look of the post-bellum immigra-
den of maladjustment after the tion is not very hopeful. The ma-
w ar,
ar, such as governmental op- jority of the restrictions, which
pression, racial animosities, bur- consist at present of those who
.densome taxes, etc. The return fear unfair competition in the la-
to normal life will be a long time bor market and of the overcultur-
in coming, though, it must be , ed few, will be augmented to such
conceded, it may be more rapid an extent so as to be able to ad-
than now seems to be possible. vance restriction to the stage of
humanity
umanity adjusts itself more practical realization. On the ob-
quickly than it used to. How- vious meaning of such a catas-
ever, it is worthy of note that trophe I do not care to dwell.
while nations have a way of America is not the last stage of
adapting themselves very rapid- civilization, but for our brethren
ly to circumstances, the Jewish who are wandering now on the
people have always taken their devastated fields of the Polish
recourse to emigration as the sur- plains it is the first chance and
est and fastest .means of readjust- the only chance to live at that.
ment, so that we confidently can On the other hand, our present
say that Jewish emigration and organizations directly interested
prosperity are varying in the in- in the care of the immigrant are
verse ratio.
few and have neither the financial
Of course, religious and polit- strength nor do they possess the
ical oppression will play a sig- skilled competence necessary to
nificant part in the human make- cope with a situation almost un-
up of the new immigration. For precedented in the history of re-
a great number of the newcomers cent immigration. They lack in
America will mean not only a the most important feature of a
bread ticket, but a spiritual enter- popular institution — intelligent
prise as well. For one thing, peo- and authoritative leadership. In-
ple must exist before they can he deed, we have given very little
made to enjoy the benefits of the contemplation and discussion—
DeClaration of Independence, and not to speak of well-directed ef-
ideals of economic necessity al- fort—to this all-impotant phase
most inevitably precede ideals of of Jewish life. If we neglect to
higher human conduct. Even take anticipating steps to meet an
such a broadminded and truly unusual situation, and in our false
sympathetic social reformer as sense of security rely on elAenth
Dr. Walter E. Weyl is sounding hour measures, chaos and disor-
the note of alarm as to the future' ganization will be raised to the
attitude of America towards im- tenth degree.
migration. He says: "Today • The problem required all the
the ideal (that America was to be wisdom, all the experience, all the
the haven of the world's oppres- material means, all the generosity
sed) is in conflict with our eco- American _Jewry is capable of.
nomic and political conditions. Slipshod assistance, half-hearted
The policy of the democracy to- work will avail little and do much
wards immigration is coming to harm. A half-result, unlike the
be one of a checking of the ra- popular half-loaf, reveals lack of
pidity of the flow, a selection of moral balance, appeasing, as it
the best \ candidates of admission. were, the uncomfortable sense of
The danger to the American social guilt. The magnitude of-the
experiment in democracy of too immigrant problem, even in ordin-