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THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

Issued Every Friday by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Company
ANTON KAUFMAN
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RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN,

- Editorial Contributor

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ment'of the views expressed by the writers.

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

FRIDAY, NOV 9, 1917

The Situation at Camp Custer

Once again would we call the attention of the Jews of Detroit and
Michigan to the high responsibility that rests upon them to give to the
Jewish boys at Camp Custer the opportunity for social and religious
activities to which they are justly entitled. From every side the
enlisted men stationed at Battle Creek are calling to us for assistance.
They tell us that while the religious and social needs of Protestants
and Catholics are adequately cared for, the Jewish boys are more or
less left to their own devices, and they feel themselves neglected by
their own people. Complaints such as this we know are not fully
justified. Throughout the state there have been dozens of men and
women who have been unceasing in their endeavors to provide for the
Jewish boys at Camp Custer everything that would tend to ease and
brighten their lives. Especially are the Jewish residents at Battle
Creek and Kalamazoo to be commended in this matter. They have
thrown wide open their homes in hospitality to these young men, and
have done all things possible to make them feel that they were not
without friends and wellwishers in their immediate vicinity. More-
over, Mr. Edgar J. Drachman, who is in charge of the religious and
social work among the Jewish boys at the Camp, has not been neg-
lectful of his duties. But he has worked against tremendous odds.
The main difficulty in the situation seems to be that while the Protes- .
tant and the Catholic boys have well established organizations with
headquarters and recreation buildings situated upon the grounds, the
Jews must beg the hospitality of these organizations for meetings and
religious services. This hospitality would no doubt be ungrudgingly
granted by both the Y. M. C. A. and by the Knights of Columbus, were
it not for the. fact that their own activities are so numerous and varied
as to occupy all of their available space practically at all times.
The cry of our Jewish boys, therefore, is for a Jewish building on
the cantonment grounds. While temporary club rooms have been
opened in Battle Creek, these do not at all seem to meet the needs of
the situation. In order to go to the city the young men must obtain
a permit, and it is claimed by them that frequent requests for such per-
mits militates against them when they seek a week-end furlough to
visit their parents in their homes. Moreover, the cantonment is
situated quite a distance from the city of Battle Creek and the means
of transportation are none too good. For this reason there seems to
be a fair unanimity of opinion among the men at the cantonment, that
what is needed above all is a building erected and maintained by Jews
for the use of Jewish young men. On the surface such a demand
seems no more than reasonable. And yet the situation is one that
requires the most serious and painstaking consideration. In the first
place, it must not be forgotten that our boys are at camp first and fore-
most as Americans and not as Jews, and the greatest care must be exer-
cised lest as Jews they ask for privileges which are not accorded to others.
But it may be urged that the Young Men's Christian Association and
the Knights of Columbus are essentially religious organizations, and
that the Jews, therefore, represent the one group whose religious
needs are not adequately cared for. And to this argument no excep-
tion can be taken.
' If, therefore, a plan may be devised by which a shack may be
erected at Camp Custer and at other cantonments where similar condi-
tions obtain, which shall be used by Jewish boys essentially for the hold-
ing of religious services and as headquarters for the Jewish worker, there
is small reason why the'plan should not meet with endorsement and
support. But there is danger that unless there is a clear understand-
ing to the effect that a building thus erected shall be used primarily
for religious services and not for recreational activities, which under
other auspices, are at the disposal of Jewish boys, there may be created
a source of serious misunderstanding. And against this we cannot

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too carefully be guarded. Our insistence is that for recreation which
is so lavishly furnished by the Y. M. C. A. and other organizations,
our Jewish boys require no special provision. The great fund which
is being raised by the Y. M. C. A. is largely aided by Jews throughout
the land, and, therefore, in accepting the hospitality of that organiza-
tion, the Jews are not playing the part of intruders or parasites, but
they are only taking that which is theirs by right. Moreover, if army
life should accomplish one thing more than another, it is the breaking
down of barriers between men of different social groups and of -differ-
ent religious traditions. In camp especially every man should be
willing and ready to brush shoulders with every other man. While
urging insistently, therefore, that every possible provision should be
made for the religious needs of our Jewish boys in camp, we urge the
most earnest and careful consideration before steps shall be taken to
segregate them socially from their fellow Americans.
Nor must it be forgotten that the mere building of a shack will not
compass the end in view. There must be a hearty interest manifested
in these boys by their co-religionists throughout the state. Already
the rabbis of Michigan have indicated their willingness to go to the
Camp at stated intervals for the conducting of religious services.
Plans are also under way to put the boys into closer touch with the
Jewish residents of towns and cities situated near Battle Creek. The
material needs of the boys are not being neglected by their fellow
Jews, but that the work may go forward efficiently and that our boys
may feel that their co-religionists are as heartily interested in them as
are the representatives of other faiths in their boys, every man and
every woman must do his and her share. And first of all, to carry on
this work money is needed. Appeals for money come in these days
from many sides. The material needs of our co-religionists in the
war zone grow greater instead of less, and none of us have given suffi-
cient to them until he has given every penny that he can possibly
spare. Nor can we be dull to the call of those in want who are not of
our faith. And so we must give with full generosity to every cause
that addresses its appeal to us.
But here, too, is a cause to which we must not turn a dull ear. In
this particular matter the smaller towns of Michigan have thus far
done proportionally better than Detroit. But it is simply because no
direct appeal has yet been addressed to us. In the course of a few
days such an appeal will reach the leading co-religionists of Detroit.
The loyalty of their Americanism, the intensity of their Judaism, and
their love of fair play will all be put to the test and measured by the
generosity with which they respond to this plea for help.

An Important Forward Step

Not the least significant of the resolutions adopted upon the
recommendation of the officers of Temple Beth El at its Annual Meet-
ing last week, was that which declared the Religious School of the
Temple to be henceforth in every sense a free school. In effect the
Religious School of the Temple has always been free to all children
seeking to avail themselves of its advantages, and no child has ever
been refused the full benefits of its instruction because of the unwill-
ingness or the inability of its parents to pay tuition. However, in line
with the progressive and liberal policies of the congregation, it has
now officially been decided to do away with tuition fees altogether.
This is as it should be. So far as we know, the Jews are the only
religious denomination who do not welcome every child to religious
instruction no matter what the circumstances of the parents may be.
It is true that there are many Jews in every community who seek to
take advantage of the congregation. Never contributing a penny
toward its maintenance, they expect the wheels of congregational
activity to be put into motion instantly for their benefit when they
require the services of the minister at weddings, at funerals or for the
instruction of their children. Whatever may be .said in justification
of the congregation demanding some compensation for the services of
the minister whom it maintains, in the case of weddings or funerals,
no well grounded argument can be advanced to justify a religious
organization in refusing any child the benefits of religious instruction
under any circumstances. We rejoice, therefore, that Temple Beth El
has written into its statute law a regulation that for years has been in
practice observed by it. Let us hope that congregations elsewhere
will be inspired to follow its example.

Are You a Slacker ?

Rumor has it tha . t some few of our worthy co-religionists have not
as yet paid their contribution—or any part of it—to the Fund for the
Relief of Jewish War Sufferers. Can it be possible that any of the
readers of the Chronicle are among these slackers?

