8

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

tial duty of the synagogue is to preach social justice beyond which .
there is nothing; that the pulpit that does not ring week after week
Issued Every Friday by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Company.
with this message is by that token a failure ; and that the rabbi who in
General Manager every sermon does not play upon this single string, is by that fact a
-
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ANTON KAUFMAN
coward. The author apparently does not realize that while the estab-
Michigan's Only Jewish Publication.
lishment and maintenance of social justice is indeed one of the high
$1.50 per year and legitimate purposes of the synagogue, it is not its sole and only
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purpose. He forgets that even men who are thoroughly unspiritual
Offices 314 Peter Smith Bldg.
may have a high sense of social justice, to an appreciation of which
Phones: Cherry 3381 and 1526
they
may be brought by numberless influences outside the church and
Editorial Contributor
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RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN,
synagogue. He forgets that it is the first function of the synagogue to
The Jewish Chronicle invites correspondence on subjects of inter- give to men and women the right spiritual outlook, so that evil in all
est to the Jewish people, but disclaims responsibility for an indorse- its forms shall be repulsive, and good in all its forms attractive. The
ment of the views expressed by the writers.
synagogue must be a source of inspiration to clean living and to high
All correspondence and society notes to insure publication must thinking, but it cannot presume to furnish all the machinery by which
the work of social regeneration shall be accomplished. The synagogue
be sent in so as to reach this office Tuesday morning of each week.
needs the sympathetic co-operation of social and educational agencies
Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at Detroit,
if it is to be effective in its religious teachings, just as these agencies
Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879
need the inspiration which the synagogue may offer them if their
work is to be more than mechanical and if they are to touch the souls
FRIDAY, MAY 11, 1917
as well as the bodies of men in their work.
Such men as Boas, I [ollander and Nyburg, who are finding fault
Julius Freud Again Leads The Way
For several weeks we have been seeking the man in Detroit who with the inefficiency of the modern synagogue, are perhaps misreading

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

would follow the noble example set by Julius Rosenwald, by Governor the true function of the synagogue. Nyburg's book is well worth
Bamberger of Utah and by other men throughout the country, who reading, but some of his statements and many of his conclusions will
scarcely stand the scrutiny of a careful and painstaking analysis.
have pledged to give to the Fund for the Relief of Jewish War Suf-
ferers one-tenth of the total amount to be raised in their various com-
Discrimination Needed
munities. We were sure that our search would not be in vain. Nor
has it been ! Last year Mr. Julius Freud headed the list of subscrip- A single mail brings to our desk this week not less than eight
tions to the War Fund in Detroit with a magnificent sum, and thus different appeals , or funds from various organizations and societies,
inspired others to give with unexampled liberality. This year again representing causes ed or unrelated to the war. We dare say
he takes the lead and with splendid generosity offers, in behalf of him- that most of these appeals arc conscientiously made by men and
self and family, to give one-tenth of the total amount that the Jews of women who thoroughly believe in the various causes that they repre-
this city shall raise. All honor to Julius Freud. He has set an exam- sent. We have no doubt that most of them are worthy and in need.
pie to the whole community. He has shown that he understands that But it stands to reason that very few persons can, under the circum-
wealth is only a trust in the hands of men, to be used for the welfare stances, respond to all the appeals that are addressed to him, and
of the whole community. By his generous deed, Mr. Freud has not there must be a keen discrimination not only between the unworthy
only honored himself, but he has brought honor to the whole Jewish and the worthy, brit between the more deserving and the less descry-
community of this city. May there be many more, in the measure of ing causes. In times like these it were well if some sort of a clearing
their powers, to follow his splendid example ! house for war philanthropies might be established, through which
some equitable plan of distribution might be effected. So far as the
needs of national and international causes are concerned, perhaps any
Mr. Nyburg's New Book
attempt i n this direction would be impracticable. But would it not
It has become a habit of late for a certain coterie of lawyers, social be feasible to do something along the line suggested, so far as com-
workers and professors of literature, to amuse themselves by telling munity appeals are concerned ?
the general public of the failure of the modern synagogue to inspire the
We believe that the very multiplicity of appeals not only hurts,
Jews to right living and to high thinking. The last to join this coterie through a division of forces, the individual organizations that ought
is a young attorney Sidney L. Nyburg, who has previously won some to be helped, but that because men are heckled from every side, the
recognition in the literary field. His latest book, "The Chosen sum total of contributions is less than it would be if some joint plan
People," though published but a few months ago, has already gone of collection and equitable distribution were devised. In this matter,
through several editions, which proves it is interesting reading even as in so many others having to do with philanthropy, the Jews have
though. all of the conclusions of the author may not be endorsed by set a noteworthy example to their fellow citizens in the creation of the
those who believe that they know more than he about the status of Joint Distribution Committee for funds collected for the Jewish war
the Jew and Judaism in this country.
sufferers. The individuality of the various organizations remains un-
That Mr. Nyburg fully understands some of the frailties of his disturbed, but the funds collected by the different groups are dis-
people there can be no doubt. Indeed, there is not a character in his tributed through a single agency, which is supervised and directed by
' book of which almost any one of us might not conjure up a living representatives of all of them. Until, or unless some such co-operative
counterpart. So true indeed is he to details, that there are those who scheme is devised, people will have to use their best judgment in re-
believe that they could almost lay their hands upon the rabbi, upon sponding to the many appeals that are bound to come to them from
the congregational president and upon the keen witted and sharp many sources. So far as the Jew is concerned, let us hope that. while
tongued lawyer who stands out as the principal character in his book. he will never be niggardly in the assistance he gives to every great
But for our part, conceding that the author has drawn these charac- humanitarian cause, or unsympathetic to the cry of need no matter
ters absolutely true to life, we cannot believe what will be the natural whence it emanate, he will give special heed to the call of his brethren
inference on the part of the average reader of "The Chosen People" who have none to whom they may turn save to him. The call of the
that these characters are in any sense typical of the modern Jew in Jew is to his brother Jew. Surely a brother will not despise his
America. While it is undoubtedly true that some leading congrega-
brother in distress.
tions in America are dominated by men whose sole claim to power is
their wealth—men who have no spark of spirituality and no real un-
The American Israelite has just awakened to the fact that the pro-
posed
Jewish Congress is organized in large part to forward the propa-
derstanding of the soul of the Jew at its best—we cannot forget that
there are other men in every Jewish community whose souls are ganda of Zionism. It seems strange that our esteemed contemporary,
aflame with the Jewish spirit, and who, because of that, win places of which is usually so alert, should have been unaware of so obvious a
leadership and power in the congregation and community. We know fact for such a long time.
also that young Philip Graetz, the rabbi in the story, is hardly typical
of the average rabbi of the American synagogue. There are men in
The election of Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver to fill the pulpit of The
the pulpit—and they are not a few—whose souls are alive with spir- Temple at Cleveland, 0., made vacant by the retirement of Rabbi -
itual ardor as is his, and who preach the word of God to their people Moses J. Gries, serves to re-establish the fact that this is the young
in the true prophetic spirit ; who remain unspoiled by the flatteries of man's day in the ministry, as elsewhere. We heartily congratulate
foolish women and unafraid of the threatenings of crude and material- our young friend and colleague upon the distinguished honor that has
istic men. But Philip is not a true type of the modern rabbi, neither when • come to him, and we hope—as we believe--that he will rise to the
• regarded from the standpoint of his strength nor of his weakness. As unusual opportunity for service that shall henceforth be his.
for Gordon, the lawyer of the book, there are undoubtedly some men
of his type, but they are seldom met with.
The difficulty with the book, as with most of the diatribes that
have so frequently been directed against the modern synagogue in
these last days, is that the author seems to believe that. the one essen-

"GIVE MORE THAN YOUR SHARE"

