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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

T.HE JEWISH CHRONICLE

Issued Every Friday by the 'Jewish Chronicle Publishing Company.
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ANTON KAUFMAN

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RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN, - Editorial Contributor

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

FRIDAY, AUG. 31, 1917

Another Step In The Democratization of
The Synagog

English army or to return for service to Petrograd, is an indictment
of a whole group of people, which, just because of its sweeping char-
acter, loses much of its force. Nor is one inclined to accept the sub-
stance of this telegram without a very large grain of salt, when one
notes the anti-Semitic implications in it. The telegram goes on to
say, "The people of London are beginning to threaten the Jews. Men
who formerly had small shops in that quarter, but who have joined
the armv, call hardly be expected to accept without protest the greedi-
ness with which the Jews pick up their former trade. * * * The
war has brought the Jews of the East side abounding prosperity, but
they don't intend to acknowledge their obligations to the community
that has been kind to them."
This paragraph indicates as clearly as anything could, that the
writer of the message is more concerned with pouring oil upon the
smouldering fires of anti-Semitic prejudice than he is with setting be-
fore the people the true facts of the case. Moreover, the suspicion
that the message does not emanate from London, but from New York,
or some other American center, gains ground when one reads the
introductory paragraph of the telegram, under the London (late mark.
It says : "There is a race war developing in east London that prom-
ises to become as bitter as the feeling recently displayed in East St.
Louis, Ill." This reference smacks less of the English than of the
American metropolis. It is not long ago that the New York World
made some rather nasty insinuations against the Jews of the east side
of New York, referring to them as slackers, and associating them with
the I. W. NV. organization. Those who have carefully studied the
statistics of enlistment on the east side of New York are quite sure,
however, that the measure of loyalty shown by the Jew is not at all to
his discredit. Undoubtedly there are radical Jews whose association
with the I. W. W. cannot be denied, but they are by no means a domi-
nant factor. Nonetheless, even the comparatively few Jews who are
slackers and shirkers, whether in America or elsewhere, represent to all
of us a very great menace and no pains should be spared to make it
absolutely clear to them that should they persist in their unpatriotic
course, they may expect no grain of sympathy and no iota of help from
their fellow Jews. The Jew has no respect for the craven coward and
he has no patience with the man who even by implication is a traitor
to his country. To imply that such is not the case is to do a great
wrong to the overwhelming majority of Jews than whom this country
may boast no truer patriots. Let the public press, therefore, scan
more carefully its references to a lack of patriotism on the part of any
class of Jews. We question whether there is any group in America
that could show a greater proportion of men ready to live and willing
to die for the sake of country and humanity.

If for one cause more than another Temple Beth El of this city
has won an enviable reputation among its sister congregations
throughout the length and breadth of the land it has been for the fine
spirit of democracy that it has shown and for the courage it has mani-
fested in pioneering movements making for an absolute equality
within the house of worship. When about thirteen years ago the Con-
gregation adopted the unassigned seating system, not only were there
many within the Congregation who feared that the plan, would never
work out, but a majority of the Congregations whose opinion was
sought held the idea to be ideal as a theory but utterly impracticable.
With the single thought in mind of giving the poor man the same
rights of worship as his more fortunately circumstanced brothers,
Congregation Beth El closed its ears to the criers of calamity and
erased from its statutes the law having to do with the sale or rental
of pews. How splendidly the plan has worked out is shown not only
in the experience of this Congregation but by the fact that dozens of
large and small congregations everywhere have followed its lead. The
founding of the Free Synagog at New York was not without relation
to this movement.
Steadily holding its ideal of the greater democratization of the
synagog before, Temple Beth El is now to take another forward
The President to The Pope
step. Realizing that there are hundreds of newcomers to Detroit
President Wilson's reply to the peace note of the Pope is another
who for good reasons have not yet affiliated themselves with a congre-
document
that will find a prominent place not only in the diplomatic
gation, but who are sincerely desirous of worshipping with their breth-
correspondence
of the world Nvar, but as well as in the archives of
ren in faith on the high holydays, Congregation Beth El feels itself
morally obligated to provide the opportunity for worship to these English literary treasures. It is a document whose virile pronounce-
people, among whom are many young men away from their homes ment of our attitude in the present world crisis leaves no doubt as to
and families. To say that they should join a Congregation or be de- the plan and the purpose of the American people at this time. That
prived of the right of worship does not fit in with the spirit or policy is just what the American people desire of the President. It is to our
of Congregation Beth El, however it may appeal to some religious thinking as clear a statement as has yet been made of the ends for
societies. Therefore the Congregation, because the seating capacity which we are fighting. There is in it no hate and no rancor against
of the Temple is inadequate to care for more than its members and the German people, but rather an undertone of pity for them. But at
their immediate families, has rented the Unitarian Church, corner the same time the determination is expressed in no ambiguous terms
Edmund Place and Woodward Ave., and there supplementary services that we are in this war to fight the battle of humanity and of democ-
will be held on Rosh Hashono and Yom Kippur for such of our co- racy which can triumph only when what has become known as Prus-
religionists in Detroit as are not affiliated with existing congregations. sian militarism shall have been destroyed from off the face of the earth
forever. The note should serve, and no doubt will serve not only to
Since the announcement of this plan has been made many people
give our enemies a final notice of where we stand, but it will inevitably
who were much concerned as to the possibility of their attending serv-
tend to answer those Americans who, thoroughly loyal to their coun-
ices on the coming holydays have expressed their utmost gratitude to
try's cause, have yet somewhat doubted the wisdom and the necessity
the Congregation, and it is likely that the Church like the Temple will
of the sacrifice that we are making, and at the same time it will
be crowded to its capacity. No charge is to be made for participating
hearten and encourage the men who by the thousands are leaving their
in the service, a small voluntary contribution being asked merely to
homes at this time to enter the training camps, there to prepare them-
defray the actual expense of the service. Should such voluntary con-
selves to do battle for the high and holy cause to which their country
tributions be more than sufficient to meet the expenses the surplus
will be given to the Fund for the Relief of Jewish Sufferers from the has dedicated itself. President Wilson, by this note, has not only won
.an even higher place of honor than he had before, in the ranks of
War.
modern statesmen, but he has rendered to his country and to the
Thus Detroit's Reform Congregation again sets an example to the world a high and enduring service.
whole country. The experiment will no doubt be watched with inter-
est, and if successful, as it surely will be, it will no doubt be taken up
We learn that .subscriptions are being solicited in this state for
by other Congregations who realize that the success of a religious the support' of the so-called Jewish Tuberculosis Society of Los
institution is not to be measured by the number of its contributing Angeles. The National Conference of Jewish Charities recently
members, nor by the growth of its exchequer, but by the influence it issued a statement to the effect that this society was in no sense na-
exerts in lifting the individual and community life to the 'very height tional in character and therefore not entitled to solicit subscriptions
of self-realization and of unselfish service.
like regularly organized philanthropies that are national in scope. "A
word to the wise."

The Patriotism of the Russian Jew

A telegram dated London, August 26th, and published in some
of the leading American dailies, to the effect that the Russian Jews on
the East side of London have so persistently refused either to join the