THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

Issued Every Friday by the Jewish Chronicle PublishMg Company.
General Manager
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ANTON KAUFMAN

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every child in the household of I srael is privileged to participate at
the proper age in this service. Were such the case, we would en-
counter far less indifference and lassitude to the teachings and ideals
of religion on the part of our men and women.

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SAMUEL J. RHODES,

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Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at Detroit, M ich., under the Act of
March 3, 1879

FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 1916.

Shabuoth, The Feast of Weeks

On Wednesday next, there will be celebrated throughout t h e
Jewish world the beautiful I' cast of Weeks, commemorative of the
reception by Israel of the law at Sinai. .\s an inspirational festival,
there is none in all our calendar that should occupy a higher place than
this. After all, the Torah has been Israel's unique gift to humanity.
In its pages is contained the great message of faith, of morality and of
social justice, which the Jew has been chosen by (iod to teach to man-
kind. One need not follow the lead of the higher critics who hold that
the Law, as \ve have it in the book of F.xodus, was the result of. a l o ng
development and not the supreme gift of (in(' delivered to his people
through an inspired messenger. Nor yet need one accept the Ilibtical
story in a literal sense, to realize that in the Decalogmc there has been
given to the race the fundamental code 1.111011 which every theory of
right human relations must base itself. The inspiration of the I )cca-
logue is not dependent upon its miraculous deliverance amid the
thunders and the flames of Sinai. I ts inspiration is proved by the fact
that through long centuries the moral principles which it enunciates
have not been outlived or supplemented. Those principles remain
basic to right living, and so there is every reason why Shabuoth should
occupy a foremost place in our religious calendar. Supplementing
the Passover message of freedom, it bespeaks the sacredness of free-
dom under the law. Indeed, it tells that mere physical liberty with-
out moral responsibility would lead to moral and spiritual anarchy.
Let it be hoped then that in the changes which the years are sure to
bring in our religious life, the permanence of Shabuoth may not be
endangered. It has in it a distinct spiritual message which it is the
part of the Jew to sound into the ears of all the generations of num.

Confirmation

No ceremony in the Reform synagogue seems to have won a place
of greater influence than that of Confirmation. Until the introduction
of this very beautiful service in the Reform synagogue, the girls within
the house of Israel were never formally received into the synagogue,
such reception being accorded to boys through the ceremony of Ifar
Mitzvah. The Confirmation, therefore, stands in the first place for the
religious equality of the sexes. It emphasizes anew the high place
which woman must take in the scheme of things spiritual. It puts an
end to the idea handed down through the ages, but mum' happily
become obsolete, that in the house of (iod, as at one time also in du'
larger world, woman was 10 be regarded as man's inferior.

But aside from this basic implication. Confirmation is a ceremony
that cannot fail to leave upon the boys and girls just reaching the age
of moral maturity, a fine and enduring impression. To be score, the
services in the synagogue, which happily the rabbis are simplifying
year by year, do not represent the whole or the chief influence that is
brought to bear upon them by the confirmation rite. I.emg m o nths of
serious study, usually under the direct leadership of the rabbi, precede
the Confirmation services. During these months the child it not only
made familiar with the fundamental teachings of Judaism, but where
the teacher is discreet, the moral nature of each child is deeply touched
and lessons of right living are impressed in a way that would be well
nigh impossible under other circumstances. it is regrettable that not

When a Joke Is Not a Joke

Last week there appeared at the Temple Theatre in Detroit a
comedian by the name of "Al Shaven.... Shavne is a Jew, as must have
been evident 1( ) antune whin saw or heard him. I It received favorable
press comnumt for his number, and there is no disputing the fact that
the greater portion of his audience was appreciative. However, his
portrayal of the Jew was as uncomplimentary as it was untrue. It
was one of the half-lies that contain just enough of truth to make them
doubly dangerous. As is usual with performers of his stamp, he por-
trayed only the weaknesses of his people.--he was selling his and their
deformities.
It is greatly to be regretted that in the past fifty years our vaude-
ville stage has been unable to develop a source of humor to replace
the primitive and malicious "Yiddish burlesque." It is all the more de-
plorable that Jews, thi.mselves, have assumed the leadership in this
form of entertainment. Even the redeeming - quality of being "an .act"
__ w hi c h th e Christian caricature of the Jew might possess—is
`unit' time ago Irish-Americans emphatically voiced a protest
against the ridiculing - of their people on the stage. -o emphatic was
their objection that the Irish comedian has now almost become a thing
of the past. Put Jews still permit other Jews indecently to caricature
and misrepresent them without protesting - .
That the ignorant and uninformed Christian believes the type
represented by "Al Shayne" to he the real and only type of Jew in
this country is a fact that cannot be denied. \\Te have much to thank
Such men for the perpetuation of prejudice in America. And even
though there were no prejudice aroused by the portrayal of th e Jew
as peculiar, mercenary, and cowardly, the fact remains that Jews of
culture and refinement find such clown comedy a reflection upon their
intelligence, even as Christians of culture. and refinement must find
humor which appeals to their lower instincts an insult to their sense
of h.tnor.
\\'.
In producing one of his masterpieces of filmdom, Nin
scene
was
properly
htn portrayed the Jews crucifying Christ. This
objectionable to Jews, because historically untrue. The Anti-I )efama-
lion Committee of the Irnai Irrith of Los Angeles took action and that
110111011 of the film has never been shown. Tlw "Shavue" periodically
appear upon the stages of this city without a word of protest being
raised by the organization, one of whose avowed purpose's is to tight
the misrepresentation and ridiculing of Jews. Detroit's I rnai rrith
Lodge is not doing its duty. It should get busy, and get busy a t once!

The Battle for a Creed

To the men on the outside, it seems almost inexplicable that ill
this day and generation such a battle as took place at the recent meet-
ing; of the National Presbyterian Association could possibly have
occurred. 'Mlle charge made against the New York Presbytery by

their brethren in Cincinnati that they admitted to ministerial fellow-
ship young men who had not avowed unquestioning faith in the virgin

birth of Jesus, was at bottom of a bitter controversy that finally ended
in a declaration to the effect that only those avowing such belief might

Presbyterian pulpits.
be considered fit to stand
We cite this not to find fault with our Presbyterian brethren, for
whose sincerity and enthusiasm we have only the deepest respect and
admiration, but we make mention of the matter because of the contrast
that obtains between the attitude of the church and the synagogue
toward matters of creed. \\bile unquestionably th e re are i n th e bode'
of the whole Christian church thousands and in all likelihood hun-
dreds of thousands who have outgrown :1 belief in such doctrine as the
virgin birth, the vicarious atonement, and the bodily resurrection, for
a minister to even tacitly stand for such unbelief unfits him for his
place of leadership.
.\niong the Jews, on the other hand, individualism in belief is ram-
pant. Each man not only does, but believes what scents rig -ht in his
own eves. This, too, though it has its decided advantages, may he
argued against as a subtle menace to the organized synagogue) Ifut
given a choice between the awn, between a rock-ribbed and unchange-
able creed, based upon miracle. and individualistic interpretation of
religions doctrine, we will take our chances with the latter.

