THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
Jewish Congress is Postponed
Indefinitely
Executive Committee Decides Meeting shall Not Be Held
Until Peace Is Actually In Sight—Do Not Want to
Embarrass Administration—November 18
Was Date
New York.—Taking the stand that
nothing should be done to hold back the
unification of the country during the
war, the Executive Committee of the
American Jewish Congress, at a meet-
ing held on Sunday, Oct. 14th, decided
by a vote of 73 to 31 to refrain from
calling the Jewish Congress until peace
negotiations were actually under way.
'Those who favored the indefinite post-
ponement of the congress, among whom
were Henry Morgenthau, Rabbi Samuel
Schulman, Judge Julian W. Mack, and
Louis Marshall, declared that as pa-
triotic Americans, all Jews had but one
duty, to stand by the Government. All
concurred in the view that as Ameri-
cans, the questions that affect the coun-
try as a whole only ought to be consid-
ered, and that the interests of groups of
individuals, large or small, should be
relegated to the background during the
War.
The meeting was called to fix the ex-
act date for the congress, which it was
planned would strive for full rights for
Jews in all lands. It had been previous-
ly announced that Nov. 18 was the date
for the congress to open at Washing-
ton, but because of war conditions and
the preoccupation of persons interested
in the congress with war work, it was
thought best to postpone the meeting.
The Administrative Committee met last
week in an effort to set a definite date,
but was unable to do so, and the matter
was .referred to a meeting of the Ex-
ecutive Committee.
Morgenthau Expresses Majority
Opinion.
•. 'The' discussion by Henry Morgenthau,
former Ambassador to Turkey, was
typical of the attitude. taken by those
who thought that the present was no
time for any other idea in the minds of
the American people except the vigor-
ous and active prosecution of the war.
"The time to have the congress is
when we know that peace negotiations
are 'at hand," said Mr. Morgenthau.
"It would be unwise to take the chance
,
of embarrassing the Administration by
holding the congress now. At the pres-
ent time all Jews in this country are
good, plain Americans, and their feel-
ing and regard for America is upper-
most in their minds."
Rabbi Samuel Schulman said that as
an American he did not wish to have
any impression go forth that the Jews
are segregating themselves from the
larger American life in the present cri-
sis in order to discuss special Jewish
interests.
"What we should do above all is to
concentrate our thoughts on winning
this war for America, and certainly
America winning it will mean a great
help to us in procuring the rights of
Jews in all lands," he said.
Wants of Jews Unknown.
"From the point of view of the Jews
themselves it is undesirable to hold the
congress now, because we cannot tell
what can be asked for the Jews. That
will all depend on the outcome of the
war. From the 'point of view of the
power and effectiveness of the congress,
it is undesirable to hold it now, because
in the call for the congress it distinctly
states that the gathering shall await
the decision of what the Jews in other
lands concerned really ask. Therefore,
how can we hold the congress now, for
how do we know what the Jews in Rus-
sia, Poland, Galicia. and the other coun-
tries affected really want?"
Rabbi Schulman 'Argued that, if the
congress were held soon,. it would be
legislating for the 'rights of Jews in
various countries without really having
information on which to base any con-
clusions.
"America's victory.in the war, we can
safely say, will mean a great and
friendly help for procuring the rights of
Jews all over the world," continued
Rabbi Schulman, "and I consider it the
duty of every American who loves his
country to follow the counsel of those
who intimate that it would be best if
the congress were postponed."
Judaism's Four Characteristic Traits
or -profane. Such spirituality must
again be voiced in the pulpit in place of
the hollow formalism of ethics and the
mere teachings of sociology which leave
the craving of the soul for God un-
satisfied. Such spiritualism must again
permeate the Jew and the home to hal-
low the whole life ofthe Jew. And you
who are to be the future teachers and
leaders of the congregation must foster
this element of spirituality amidst your
intellectual pursuits.
"This Is My Covenant."
In this spirit I welcome you all, our
older pupils and the newcomers, for
common work in preparation for the
high vocation of priesthood Among the
priest-people of Israel. And so let me
close with the prophetic words : This
is My covenant with them, saith the
Lord, the Spirit which is in thee and the
word which I put into thy mouth—they
shall not depart from thy mouth and
from the mouth of thy seed and from
the mouth of thy seed's seed, from now
on and forever. Amen.
FREE PRESS IN RUSSIA.
The institution of free press in
emancipated Russia has encouraged
the development of an impressive cat-
alogue of Jewish journals, command-
ing the services of the best writers of
the country.
Petrograd 'has a new, great daily
newspaper, "Volksblatt," whose edi-
torial staff includes S. Dubitow, S. Ni-
ger and J. Zinneberg.
In Kiev 'a new Jewish daily news-
paper, "Dos Volk," has made its ap-
pearance with Dr. N. Syrkin, the well-
known Zionist and journalist, at the
head of its editorial staff.
The Hebrew weekly "Ha-Am," pub-
lished in Moscow, became a daily pa-
per on July 1, under the editorship of
Messrs. .Grunberg, M. Kleinman, S.
Tchernowitz and Dr. Glucksohn.
The "Ha-Dor," which was pub-
lished in Odessa as a weekly, under
the editorship of David Frischman,
but which suspended shortly after the
outbreak of the war, has been revived
in Moscow, under the sanre brilliant
editorship. This was made possible
by a donation of 100,000 roubles by
Mr. Steibel, who is an ardent devotee
of Hebrew literature.
Dr. Klausncr is editing the "Haschi-
loach" in Odessa since July 1.
"Darchenu," the Hebrew pedagogi-
cal magazine, which was suppressed
by the old regime, after its very first
issue, is being published in Moscow.
A juvenile weekly, "Schwilim," is
issued in the same city.
"Junny Israel" (Young Israel) is
the name of a weekly, in Russian, pub-
lished in Tiflis, dedicated to the Jew-
ish youth and edited by L. Tandit.
A Zionist weekly, "Jewreiskaja
Mysl" (Jewish Thought) in the Rus-
sian language, began publication in
Odessa on July 1.
The Zeire Zion of Wotebsjc publish
a monthly in Russian entitled "On
Guard" and representing the views of
the Zionist democratic youth. The
Zionist students of Odessa are pub-
lishing a monthly magazine, "Young
Juda."
The temporary government has
sanctioned the organization of a pub-
lishing company, "Techia," with a
capital stock of 1,000,000 roubles,
nearly half of which has already been
paid up.
Patriotic Mass Meeting
Under auspices of
North Hastings Street Merchants Ass'n
Monday Eve. Oct. 22, 7:30 P. M.
At Garfield Public School
Rivard and Frederick Sts.
Rabbi Leo M. Franklin and others will speak.
N. HACK, Chairman
IRA FRIEDENBERG, Sec'y
(Continued from page 3)
gresses with each generation of seers
and thinkers, so did the Jewish truth,
ever allying itself anew with the
thought and knowledge of the time and
,environment. Upon this recognition of
Judaism's continual process of growth
and evolution throughout the centuries
rests the structure of Reform Judaism,
"Meet Friedberg--
Wear Diamonds"
and this implies that no preacher or
teacher in our ranks can speak with au-
thority on any of the great problems
and issues of life, unless he is familiar
with the sources of our unique past. No
rabbi can afford to cease studying and
ever learning anew, in order to be able
to teach. For mark well, it is not ra-
tionalism that we want and approve of,
but rationality; that is, a religious view
in perfect harmony with reason.
But this must be supplemented and
deepened by spirituality, and this is a
point on which I want to lay special
stress, because • it is too often over-
looked and neglected. Spirituality is not
a thing to be taught or imparted by
study. It must be felt as the innermost
power of the soul, as the glow of a
heart touched by God, as the impelling
force leading to life's consecration to
the service of God and the highest
ideals of man, Pure intellectualism fails
to respond to or to recognize the need of
prayer. It fills us with pride when we
should be humble and reverential before
God and things holy and godly. Spirit-
uality does not mean other worldliness
as the Church understands it, nor even
such saintliness as the mystic exhibits
which the sainted Dr, Schechter occa-
sionally recommended to the students
at the seminary. We want no saints
who live apart from the people whom
they are to win for the. cause of
God and goodness. We want lives per-
meated by the spirit that brings God
nigh to men. We want hearts that draw
ever new strength for noble work from
solemn communion with God in prayer,
souls that are filled with that humility
that forgets self in the sacred cause they
serve and that spirit of reverence which
keeps them aloof from anything vulgar
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