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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

THE JEWIS.H CHRONICLE

The Call to Prayer

Here and there hi the secular and religious press one has found
criticism
of President Woodrow Wilson for having called upon the
ANTON KAUFMAN
General Manager
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people of this country to set aside a special day of prayer for the vic-
Michigan's Only Jewish Publication.
tory of the cause represented by America and her allies in the great
war. Some have objected to the-President's appeal for prayer on the
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$1.50 per year ground that it represents a movement that too nearly approximates a
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state dictation of religious observance. But this is easily disposed of
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by the wording of the message itself, which calls upon Americans "to
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RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN,
Editorial Contributor observe the day according to their several faiths." Here and there an
editor has facetiously remarked that what we need today is not to pray
All correspondence to insure publication must be sent in so as to but to fight. These and other criticisms may, however, be quickly
reach this office Tuesday morning o each week.
enough brushed aside by those who understand the psychology of
prayer. By human prayers the course of natural law is never changed.
Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Post Office at Detroit,
Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879
Nor is God changed by the appeals of men. God is the same whether
man rend heaven with his supplications or sit in silence as beside
FRIDAY, NOV. 2, 1917
which the rustle of a leaf at eventide is tumult. But man is changed
by prayer. Man becomes stronger, nobler, more divine, when with
The Council of Jewish Women and the
full trust he addresses himself in the time of his need to the great
Father, assured that He will hear the supplication of His child. In
Detroit Community
The forthcoming triennial session of the National Council of Jew- these times of world calamity especially it behooves man to throw
ish Women, which is to assemble in the city of Chicago during the himself upon the mercy of God and to ask that divine care and guid-
coming week, brings to the forefront the oft-repeated question as to ance through which alone we may see clearly the path of duty and
why, in a large and prosperous community like ours there should be find the courage to pursue it without flinching.
It is not the first time that a prayer for the victory of a great
no branch of this important national organization. That the National
Council of Jewish Women has been an important factor not only in cause has been addressed to God. Those who are familiar with the
the upbuilding of Jewish womanhood in America, but as well in the Biblical literature will remember that at the dedication of Solomon's
maintenance of every high Jewish ideal, there can be no doubt nor Temple, there was included in the dedication prayer these words,
question. Since its organization a quarter of a century ago, the Coun- "If Thy people go out to battle against their enemy by whatsoever
cil has interested itself in every phase of religious, educational and way Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto the Lord toward the
philanthropic work affecting Jewish women. Through its national city which Thou hast 'chosen and toward the house which I have built
committees it has played an important part in caring for immigrant in Thy name, then do Thou in Heaven hear their prayer and their sup-
Jewish girls and women upon their arrival to these shores, and in plication and maintain their cause." Indeed, in every battle that the
other ways has greatly helped all those national agencies which in one Jews have fought, they have thrown their reliance upon their God.
way or another have sought a solution for the so-called "Jewish prob- "How should one chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight,
lem" in America. Local branches of the Council in the various cities except their rock had given them over and the Lord had delivered
have also done telling work for good, and to them, as much perhaps as them up ?" speaks the author of that magnificent and soul-inspiring
to any single agency, is due the heightened interest which has been song found in the thirty-second chapter of Deuteronomy.
So President Wilson's appeal for prayer for the victory of right-
manifest of late on the part of Jewish women in matters religious and
eousness,
of democracy, and of humanity has sufficient precedence in
philanthropic.
Israel's
traditions.
It may be trusted then that in every synagogue a
In the light of all this it seems only right that the question should
be frankly answered as to why Detroit, with its large and progressive heartfelt prayer was addressed to God on the appointed day that our
community, should stand out as one of the few great Jewish centers in cause might be crowned with victory. And may God grant the speedy
America that has not affiliated itself with this important national fulfillment of that prayer.
organization. To those who for the past quarter century have been in
touch with the Jewish life of Detroit, the reason .is clear. A number
Vote for Charter Revision
of years before the Council was established, there had been created in
The Jewish Chronicle has never used its editorial columns for
this city, under the inspiration of one of its noblest women—Ida E. G. political propaganda of any sort, but we feel that the appeal which we
Ginsburg—the Jewish Woman's Club. This organization had suc- make to all of our readers to go to the polls on November 6 and to cast
ceeded in banding together the Jewish women of the community, rep- their vote for charter revision and a smaller Council, is not in any
resentative of every phase of Judaism and of every social stratum. sense political. The inefficiency of our municipal government during
From modest beginnings the organization grew in strength and took the past 'years has been painfully obvious. Overlapping of authority
up an ever-increasing variety of activities until by the time the Council among the heads of departments and among departments themselves,
came into existence its program of work along all lines in which has led to constant duplication of effort and entailed enormous expend-
women a quarter of a century ago were interested, was practically all- itures of money without corresponding returns to the people. What
embracing. Since that time the Jewish Woman's Club has gone we need is a form of government through which Pesponsibility for the
steadily forward along lines of progress so that today its program of supervision and the carrying out of public work may be definitely
work is perhaps as comprehensive as that of any woman's organiza- fixed. In a council so large as ours this is utterly impossible. If a
tion to be found anywhere. Certainly there are few fields of endeavor few men can efficiently conduct the business of our great factories,
covered by the Council that are not fairly adequately covered by the some of which employ many thousands of men, and the details of
Jewish Woman's Club. The one advantage that would accrue to this whose business are very intricate, there is no reason why the affairs
band of women from affiliation with the National Council would be of the city cannot be more efficiently and more inexpensively con-
the strength that comes from organization. But it is urged—and we ducted by a board of nine men than by a council of forty-two. More-
believe justifiably—that the payment to the National Council of fifty over, the present system of electing aldermen according to wards
per cent of the dues of the Jewish Woman's Club would so militate makes the public officer dependent upon his immediate ward constit-
against the effectiveness of its work in the local community that the uency with the result that, always looking forward to the time of
compensating advantage would not be adequate. The priority in the re-election at the hands of these same few people, he has little care for
field of the Jewish Woman's Club is also advanced as a reason for its the welfare of the city and community as a whole, but only for the
maintaining a separate existence. In addition to the Jewish Woman's small district of which he holds himself to be the representative. With
Club, there are strong Woman's Auxiliation Associations in connec- our aldermen elected at large this will be changed,' and every man in
tion with the-leading reform and orthodox synagogues of Detroit, one the council will consider the whole city to be his charge. Besides,
of which is affiliated with the National Federation of Temple Sister- each ward may not be able—experience has proved this to be true—to
hoods. For this reason the creation of a branch of the Council, en- furnish even a single individual who is eminently fitted to bear the
tirely independent of the Jewish Woman's Club, and similar organiza- responsibilities which the conduct of great city government entails.
tions, would simply mean a duplication of effort.
To find nine capable, conscientious and responsible men throughout
All of this is said with full appreciation of the splendid achieve- the city would, however, be an easy task. The experience of our
ments of the National Council of Jewish Women, and of its important Board of Education, the number of whose members was recently
place in the Jewish life of America. But it is only fair to judge of the reduced, has already proved the expediency and the necessity of fixing
attitude of the Detroit women toward the Council in the light of their 'responsibility upon public servants. We, therefore, urge every citizen
own accomplishments. Although circumstances are such that they of Detroit to go to the polls on November 6 to cast his vote for the
do not see their way clear to identifying themselves with the National revision of the charter and for the smaller council.
Council of Jewish Women, we are sure that they join with us in the
hope that the Triennial of that organization to be held at Chicago,
will be successful and that through it the cause of Jewish womanhood
in America and throughout the world may be greatly enhanced.

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