THE JEWISH CHRONICLE THE JEWISH CHRONICLE Issued Every Friday by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Company ANTON KAUFMAN General Manager - - - Michigan's Only Jewish Publication. Subscription in Advance - $1.50 per year Offices 314 Peter Smith Bldg. Phones: Cherry 3381 and 1526 RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN, - - Editorial Contributor Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879 FRIDAY, OCT. 26, 1917 The Higher Criticism and Christian Orthodoxy According to press reports sent out from the State Baptist Asso- ciation, in session at Benton Harbor last week, the Rev. 0. W. Van Osdel, pastor of the Wealthy Avenue Baptist Church at Grand Rapids, has resigned from the convention, taking his congregation with him. The reason assigned for Mr. Van Osdel's resignation is that the higher critics who he claims control the machinery of the Northern Baptist Convention and of the State Convention are knock- ing the foundation from under the Christian religion by their denial of the virgin birth, and the complete inspiration of the Scriptures. Significant it is that, according to the same report, another minister preaching the sermon before the same convention, touched upon the controversy in question and said that "the one supreme question that the Baptist minister of today must answer does not relate to , doc- trinal controversy over the inspiration of the Bible, the virgin birth Or the divinity of Christ, but only as to whether a man can live a Christ-like life." However disturbing a situation like this may be to our orthodox Christian friends, we -cannot be surprised that they are constantly faded by situations of this order. When the thought of man is un- chained and the trammels of bigotry and fanaticism that have :shackled them have once been broken, they will not slavishly hold to doctrines and traditions against which their reason rebels. Slowly and silently, but nonetheless surely the doctrinal teachings of ortho- dox Christianity centering in the virgin birth have been undermined not only by the teachings of the so-called higher critics, but also by the independent reasoning of thoughtful men within the churches. It is because this is true that on the roster of membership of many a Trinitarian church are men who are Unitarian in thought. Indeed, one of the reasons recently advanced by a liberal preacher for the apparent lack of vitality on the part of the liberal churches is that the majority of men and women within the orthodox churches are `themselves liberal, however unyielding to the demands of present-day ,thought their clergy may remain. What interests us as Jews especially in this situation is that gradually the various sects of Christianity seem to .be coming to our religious standpoint. More and more is the• Jew's conception of God becoming a universal conception. More and more is the Jew's sys- tem of ethics being accepted by thoughtful men and women the world over. For this reason all the talk that one hears about the assimila- tion of the Jew and his ultimate disappearance is ridiculous. The Jew is not becoming Christianized, but the Christian is becoming judaized in his religious thought and expression. And thus it is corn- ing- to pass that the Jew's mission ,as the religious teacher of man- kind is gradually fulfilling itself. Men may not be converted to the Jew's name. That would be highly undesirable. But all the signs Of the times point to the fact that increasing numbers of thoughtful and high-minded -men and women are being converted to the Jew's conception of life. In this way Judaism is becoming the universal faith of men and is fulfilling its God-appointed task to lead the nations, of the earth to the waters of truth" and righteousness. - An Important Meeting The meeting of representative Jews called together from all parts of the country to New York on Sunday next is one that should be far-reaching in its influence. The purpose of the meeting is primarily to stimulate enthusiasm for the great New York drive in behalf of funds for the relief of Jewish sufferers from the war. But, inci- dentally, no man will attend that meeting and listen to the impas-, sioned appeals that will there be made by men of national prominence •who will not go home inspired to do his full part in his home com- munity in behalf of his suffering brethren. The suggestion to call these men together was a happy one and the meeting will unques- tionably go far to make possible the collection of the ten million dollars which must be gathered if Mr. Rosenwald's gift of one million is to be available in its entirety. Incidentally it is no small honor that has come to our own com- munity that Mr. David A. Brown has been called to New York to take a leading part in the conduct of the New York campaign for war relief funds. Few men anywhere combine with personal generosity the intense enthusiasm and the high qualities of leadership of David A. Brown. The New York committee is to be congratulated upon having secured his services. To him more perhaps than to any other single individual was it due that Detroit was able this year to make such a handsome showing as it did. His presence in New York will stimulate his fellow workers and perhaps inspire others to take up the work in the same aggressive spirit as he did. The outcome of the New York meeting will be watched with great interest throughout the country. May it accomplish all that its sponsors hope for it. Professor Deutsch's New Book There have just come to our desk the two volumes of essays on Jewish history and literature and kindred subjects, published under the title "Scrolls," by Professor Gotthard Deutsch of the Hebrew Union College. Though we still have in anticipation the pleasure of examining these volumes in detail, after which we hope to write a more careful review for the readers of The Chronicle, a mere glance at the table of contents indicates that the reader of these volumes will find much to interest and inspire him. No man in America is more at home in the history and literature of Judaism than Professor Deutsch, and no man writes of these themes more entrancingly than he. His vast store of historical knowledge is always enriched by tell- ing anecdotes which he uses with rare aptitude to illustrate the points he makes. Of especial value to the future historian will be the inclu- sion in this volume of Dr. Deutsch's reviews of recent Jewish history from the years 5665 to 5676 (1903-1915 C. E.), as well as his note- worthy essay dealing with the century from 1815 to 1915. We heart- ily commend the reading of these essays to all who are interested in Jewish history and literature. The Alumni Association of the I lebrew Union College, who made possible the publication of these volumes as a tribute to Professor Deutsch on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his association with the College, is to be congratulated upon the splen- did contribution which it has thus made to the contemporary literature of Judaism. Our Men at Camp Custer The social and spiritual needs of the several hundred Jewish men now in training at Camp Custer are being looked after by Mr. Edgar J. Drachman, the representative of the Jewish Board for Welfare Work in the United States Army and Navy, and the American Sol- diers' and Sailors' Welfare League of the I. 0. 0. B. All reports indicate that Mr. Drachman's work is highly efficient and that his personality is such as to attract the ready confidence of the men whom he wishes to reach. Under his direction religious services were held on the high holydays with most gratifying results and it is his plan to institute regular Sabbath services as soon as possible. However, to meet the needs of the situation with even partial adequacy a great deal of money is needed. While the Jews of Detroit and Michigan have responded most generously to practically every call that has been made upon them because of war conditions, they seem to have been a bit laggard in their appreciation of the import- ance of this particular work. Only a few have thus far contributed at all and no contributions of any considerable size have been received . here from any source. While our Christian friends are spending mil- lions for the spiritual welfare of their boys at the front, we seem content to sit idly by doing practically nothing. May we not hope that this attitude of indifference will be speedily changed, and that every man and woman among us will do his share in meeting the real exigency that exists. The task before us is considerably light- ened by the fine spirit of co-operation that has been effected between the Young Men's Christian Association and our Jewish workers, but even with this co-operation there are certain specific Jewish problems that need to be met. It would stand as a lasting reproach to us if we neglected our duty in this matter. A comparatively small contribu- tion from every Jew in Michigan would provide ample means to carry on the work that needs to be done in an efficient manner. Surely we owe this much to the boys at the front. It is a duty both Jewish and patriotic. To neglect it will put us in the ranks of the slackers—and who would humiliate himself to that extent? The editor of the American Jewish Chronicle of New York, the unofficial organ of American Zionism, has some hard names for those members of the Congress Executive Committee that voted for post- ponement, who he claims are all actuated by un-Jewish motives. This is a rather severe indictment for men of the stamp of Henry Morgen- thau, Jacob H. Schiff, Stephen S. Wise, Samuel S. Schulman, Julius Rosenwald and other men of equal standing in American Jewry. However, it is likely that they will be able to stand up under the indictment seeing that it comes from no other source than from the editor of the American Jewish Chronicle of New York and others of his ilk. ale.wor.A7