THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
Issued Every Friday by the Jewish Chronicle Publishing Company.
ANTON KAUFMAN
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RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN,
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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, SEPT. 14, 1917
L'SHONO TOVO TIK-KOSEVU
The Jewish Chronicle Extends to its Readers
A Happy and Prosperous New Year.
The Call Of The Shofar
Once again the most sacred season in our religious calendar is
about to begin, and the call to faith, symbolized by the sound of the
Shofar, reverberates in the soul of the Jew. At this time the indiffer-
ent Jew is stirred more than is his wont by the promptings of faith.
Some have called this time the "revival season" in Judaism. Others
point to the fact that the general awakening which seems to take place
is but temporary and passing, and the cynic reminds us that within a
week of Yom Kippur the pews in the synagogues and temples will be
as empty as ever.
Unfortunately, this is only too true. But it is no real cause for
discouragement. We must remember that this is at best not a church-
going age, and that the religion of today, both among Jews and non-
Jews, is finding other means of expression than it had a generation
ago. Ritualism of all sorts is losing favor. Faith translates itself
into acts of service rather than into mere verbal profession. In this
virile age men are demanding that the church and the synagogue shall
show results and prove that the time, effort and money which they
represent are not thrown to the winds.
To be sure, this cry for results is often the token of both ignorance
and selfishness. It is forgotten that spiritual results are seldom pal-
pable and tangible. One cannot measure emotional influences as one
may physical changes. Sympathy may deepen, love may take firmer
root and faith may illuminate one's life, but to what degree these spir-
itual qualities develop within the individual soul, no metronome can
tell. But as has been said, selfishness as well as ignorance makes the
lack of results an excuse for disloyalty to religion. Men who do noth-
ing for anyone but self are loudest in their shouting that they would
be faithful adherents of the synagogue if it could show results. "It
don't pay," is their businesslike way of summing up the situation.
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But is this, claim true? Is it a fact that the efforts expended by
the synagogue in the form of money, time and thought, yield no
results? It is the veriest absurdity to say so. Where without the
•synagogue as the great inspirational force behind them, would be your
various charitable and educational institutions? What but religion
is it that inspires unselfish men and women to make the great fight
that is being waged today for social justice and economic righteous-
ness? The pulpit has been the mouthpiece of the prophets of all ages,
and whether formally affiliated with the church or not, they who have
worked for the betterment of human conditions have done so under
the consecration of religion's call unto their souls.
Nor does faith have to hide its face when an accounting is made
of the influence which it exerts upon the individual in contrast to the
social whole. Who shall measure the comfort brought to the broken
heart or the strength given to the discouraged spirit, or the idealism
awakened in the soul become brutish by the true religious teacher?
Who but the preacher himself can estimate what his teaching has
done to save men and women to their better selves, to keep the home
from threatened disruption or to help the young man and the young
woman to be strong against the temptation that lures them ?
The call to faith which the approaching holydays intone is a call
to uphold the hands of those who are achieving these results in the
lives of men and women which are not one whit less real because
sometimes they are vague and impalpable. The season demands of
every Jew and Jewess worthy of the name that they consecrate them-
selves to do their share in furthering the interests of Judaism, particu-
larly as those interests are represented by the synagogue. Nor is
mere affiliation enough. The payment of a stated due, though neces-
sary to the maintenance of the congregation, is ultimately of less sig-
nificance than the giving of one's moral support and earnest co-opera-
tion to those in whose hands is the conduct of our congregational
affairs. It is the hope which we have a right to indulge that here in
Detroit the coming holydays will be to our people a new voice calling
them to the altar of Faith and Service. There is not one who can be
spared. If in the past our religious leaders have accomplished things
that have told for good in the religious and civic life of the community,
the present offers even larger opportunities and correspondingly
higher duties. To meet them we need the concerted loyalty of every
man, woman and child in the community. First of all, we need YOU.
This is a CALL TO FAITH. God grant that it be heard and
answered in no quailing or unworthy spirit !
Will Duplication Never Cease?
As though it were not sufficient that the Jewish Board of Welfare
Work in the United States Army and Navy should have its work in
part duplicated by the American Soldiers' and Sailors' League of the
I. 0. L. B., there now enters the field the American Jewish Soldiers'
Bureau, with an ambitious program of work outlined and a plea for
support of leading American Jews. So far as we know communica-
tions sent out by this organization are signed only by the chairman
pro tern, one Dr. 'William Irving Sirovich. We do not know who
this gentleman is, nor under what authority he acts, but we earnestly
suggest to those to whom his appeal may come that they investigate
very carefully both the standing of this gentleman and the necessity
for the creation of another bureau such as that of which he is the
head. The stupidity of multiplying - organizations of this kind ought
to be perfectly obvious and require no comment. In these days when
money, time, energy and man power need to be conserved, it is well
nigh criminal that for any reason whatsoever work of this character
should be undertaken by individuals and organizations that are not
wholly responsible.
But aside from the useless waste involved in this procedure, the
status of the Jew in the eyes of the government is likely to be seri-
ously impaired. Personally, we are of the opinion that a single board
would have been all-sufficient to cope with the situation. Two organi-
zations are bound to weaken the efficiency of the work, and three
organizations are simply impossible. The Jewish press and the Jew-
ish pulpit should protest against this sort of thing with all the power
at their command.
Our Duty To The Unaffilated
Elsewhere in this issue will be found the announcement of the
Supplementary Services for the high holydays, to be held under the
auspices of Temple Beth El for the benefit of those of our co-religion-
ists resident in the city who for one reason or another have not yet
officially identified themselves with a congregation. While beyond a
doubt it should be the first duty of every Jew establishing a home in
a city to identify himself with the religious life of the community, we
must not close our eyes to the fact that frequently circumstances
beyond the control of the individual make such affiliation difficult,
and at times impossible. Unfortunately, this is particularly true in
the case of Jewish congregations whose fiscal system is frequently of
a character to exclude the poor man from active membership. That
there is a business side to the congregation is perfectly obvious, but
that the financial question is too often made paramount by congrega-
tional leaders is a regrettable fact. Many a man who, properly encour-
aged, would have become a power for good in the congregation and
community life of his city, has been estranged from his people by the
thoughtless attitude of those entrusted with the business affairs of the
congregation. Temple Beth El of this city has, we believe, set a
notable example of consideration for the newcomer and the non-
affiliated by instituting these services for those who have not affiliated
themselves actively with the congregation. They have been estab-
lished in the belief that every Jew who honestly desires to participate
in the worship of the God of Israel ought to be given the opportunity
to do so. The small contribution asked for to meet the expenses of
the services is entirely voluntary and should sum received exceed the
actual expense involved, the surplus will, by resolution of the Board
of Trustees, be turned over to the War Relief Fund.
The Congregation and its officers are to be congratulated upon
having taken this forward step. Undoubtedly the success or failure
of the experiment will be watched with the greatest of interest by
congregations throughout the land. It is to be hoped that this out-
reaching toward the non-affiliated and the saving to Judaism many
a man and woman who might otherwise be permanently estranged
from us, will prove itself so worth while locally that another year it
may be generally undertaken.