THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
6
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
Issued Every Friday by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Company.
General Manager
ANTON KAUFMAN
Michigan's Only Jewish Publication.
Editor
SAMUEL J. RHODES,
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Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Po st Office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of
March 3. 1879
FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1916.
Reform and Zionism
While the Reform Rabbis were holding their meeting at Wildwood,
the Convention of American Zionists was assembled in the neighboring
city of Philadelphia. It is significant of the change that has come in both
camps that not a few men were delegates at both of these conventions.
Nor is it to be lightly esteemed as a sign of better understanding among
the parties in modern Jewry that while the Zionists set themselves down
as being unqualifiedly committed to the program of a Jewish Congress,
to which the overwhelming majority of the Reform leaders are un-
utterably opposed, the Rabbinical body appointed a Committee to meet
with the representatives of both the Congress Association, and the
American Jewish Committee that stands in opposition. It is the hope of
this Committee to iron out the differences in order that the Jews of
America may present a united front when at the close of the war the
status of the Jew in Europe shall be defined. If anything is to be ac-
complished for the permanent advantage of our stricken brethren united
action on the part of American Jews is an absolutely indispensable con-
dition.
The Rabbinical Conference
Judging by all reports the twenty-seventh annual session of the
Central Conference of American Rabbis which was held recently at
Wildwood, N. J., was one that was exceedingly fruitful of constructive
work. Forgetful of the fact that the Conference is not a legislative,
but only a deliberative body, carping critics are prone to ask after each
session as to the actual results attained. They do not know that fre-
quently the most important spiritual achievements are not obvious and
palpable, and that they are incapable of being reduced to the terms of
statistical or formal data.
In this year's session of the Conference, however, results were
accomplished that should satisfy even the most critical of those who
see no value save in the things that they denominate as practical. To
enumerate but a few of them.
The Conference accepted and ordered printed the manuscript of a
Minister's Handbook, on which a Committee has been at work for sev-
eral years. It took steps to investigate the possibility of applying the
Gary system to religious instruction with the hope that a plan may be
devised by which the teaching of religion may be more adequately car-
ried forward than at present. It made plans to produce a Model Con-
stitution for Congregations, by means of which new Congregations may
be shown how to avoid the mistakes of which many older ones have
been guilty,. and these old ones may be helped to make the Congrega-
tion a spiritual, and not, as is so often the case, only a financial organi-
zation in the eyes of its Board of Trustees. Special emphasis was laid
upon the desirability of the Unassigned Pew, first introduced by Temple
Beth El of this city and now in use in about a dozen Congregations
throughout the country.
Splendid reports were received from Committees who had studied
the "Practical Problems of the Ministry," "Religious and Secular In-
struction in the Public Schools" and the "Relation of the Synagog to
the Philanthropies."
These are but a few of the practical matters discussed by the Rab-
bis. In addition a numbCr of scholarly papers on more or less technical
themes were presented. All in all, the Conference was not only the
largest since the organization of the body by Dr. Isaac M. \Vise, but it
ranks among the foremost of its sessions in point of real achievement.
The ministers in attendance must have found stimulation and inspira-
tion in its proceedings.
Mrs. Fels' Munificence
The announcement that \l rs. Fels stands ready to contribute the
magnificent sum of One Million Dollars to the Palestinian Colonization
Fund was a splendid triumph for those who had interested her in the
movement. It is moreover another indication of the power of Zionism
to arouse the dormant spirits of many of our people in behalf of their
faith. One needs not be a Zionist to be impressed with the fact that
but for its propaganda many a man and woman now earnestly striving for
the spiritual regeneration of Israel would have been lost to our cause.
Even those who regard the program of Zionism as impracticable must ac-
knowledge that its vision is a most attractive one. It seems likely that
when the political phases of Zionism shall have been put farther and
farther into the back-ground, and the cultural and spiritual implications
of the movement shall be especially emphasized, many who now
stand without the Zionistic camp will enter. Indeed it is not too much
to hope that under such circumstances Jews of all shades of religious
opinion will march under the banner of Zion.
A Disgraceful Bit of Journalism
Every once in a while one is taken off his feet by the lengths to
which some newspapers will go for the sake of a dollar or less. Such
was the impression made by an item in last Sunday's Detroit Free Press,
which in the course of an advertisement for "a m'n who has a person-
ality" permits itself to print these words : "This is not a Jew picnic, but
a business proposition." \Ve do not know what is meant by a Jew picnic,
but we do know beyond the shadow of a doubt that a man who will use
such an expression in his advertising copy is too hopelessly stupid to
recognize a real business proposition when he sees it.
However, our quarrel is not with the stupid advertiser. It is with
a newspaper that once laid claim to greatness. No doubt the manage-
ment will blame it on the new office boy, or the fool typesetter. But
we have heard these excuses too often. They will be given once TOO
often, and then certain Jewish advertisers may be heard from. We
think it is in their power to put an end once and for all to this sort of
malignment of the Jew.
Our President and the D. A. C.
The President of the United States recently honored Detroit with
a visit. Among those organizations which entertained Mr. Wilson was
the Detroit Athletic Club. It is indeed unfortunate that Detroit, as a
city, has no hostelry truly worthy of herself. It is lamentable that in a
city which boasts of its democratic ideals, the President of this great
democracy cannot be entertained at any place where democratic ideals
are properly regarded.
A Jew of prominence and position in this community was invited
to dine with Mr. Wilson last Monday noon at the D. A. C. Truly, he
is one of the most representative of Detroit's Jews. He is admired and
respected by Jew and Gentile alike. Mr. Wilson would have been hon-
ored by this Jew's presence at that dinner. No dinner without some
such representative of our people could rightly be called a dinner by a
great American city to the chief executive of the nation.
With a striking dignity and self respect, the Jew who was invited
to attend the D. A. C. dinner ref used, with thanks. Even the honor of
dining with the leader of this Country could not induce this man to break
bread at a table that did not welcome but only tolerated his presence.
\Ve like to believe that the act of this individual was typically Jew-
ish. We like to believe that the dignity and self respect of this one
Jew voiced the sentiments of all Jews. \Ve like to believe that under
similar circumstances every one of us would decline, with thanks, the
reluctant invitations of those who are so unfortunate and narrow-minded
—so bigoted and so petty, so un-American as to draw distinctions be-
S. S. G.
tween men where there are no differences.
So long as Presidents and Presidential candidates are feasted at the
Club that wants no Jews among its members, the self-respecting mem-
bers of our community will forego the privilege of dining even with these
dignitaries.
What has become of the Open Forum which one of our Jewish
organizations recently promised to establish?
The rabbis in Conference arranged for summer services at all the
principal resorts frequented by Jews. Thus "God is in His holy
Temple" even during the heated term. But will the people be in the
pews?