THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

PAGE FOUR

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

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Entered as second-class matter March 3, 191a, at the Postoffice at Detroit,
Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.

New Year-1918

The New Year 1918 dawns upon a world buried in tears. It is llet,-

whether in the whole history of mankind another year has

tionable

dawned upon a world so palled with sorrow mr upon a humanity

in

which suffering wars SO general.

To express to one another in times like these the prayer for a happy

New Year seems %yell nigh sacrilege. The grim fact that we arc in war

and that we shall not escape our full share of suffering and sacrifice

becomes each day a nearer reality to us. We are beginning (4) sense

the situation as it was not possible for us to do only a few months ago.

The result is that the New Year finds tie serious and thoughtful and the

frivolity with which the majority were accustomed to greet the New

Year heretofore strikes a note that is entirely out of harmony with our

feelings.

And yet it would be unworthy of us, as brave men and heroic women

to yield utterly to the spirit of pessimism and to give ourselves over to

despair. For the fact is that there is also another side no the picture.

If it be true that men have endured more and suffered more during the

past twelve-month than in any similar period of human history, it is

also true that never before has there been so much kindliness, so nitwit

generosity and so much outpouring of the spirit of true brotherhood as

has been the case since the beginning of the war and notably during the

past year The unexampled sinking of selfish purposes on the part of

the vast majority, the goodly generosity with which iffier ;old women of

all classes have given of their largess to the common cause, the splendid

• spirit of service that has shown itself throughout the length and breadth

of the land do indicate that humanity has not retrograded despite the

Songs of I late that now and then are heard on both sides of the waters.

Nor is it the least cause for gratitude at the beginning of this New

Year that we may be firm in the belief that certain conditions that have

dragged men down in the past will never recur again.

Certain it is, as

the day shall follow night, that humanity will henceforth be recognized

as a larger unit than any sect or creed and that internationalism will be

a term of greater moral significance than any form of nationalism.

modern .1nierican represents the highest type of living man because to

The Jewish Board for Welfare Work

his making the greatest number of racial and national elements have
contributed their quota. In some sense purity oi race ma) . thus be

By Cyrus L. Sulzberger.

It has been asked what necessity parents who have been left at home.
construed as a reproach rather than as a cause for self-Itiodationi. Ilut
here is for the activity of the Jewish Many of the Jews in the service are
this fact. brought out by Nit - . 11 1 111s, is, as has been intimated, by no
Board for \Velfare Work, and whether the off-spring of immigrant parents
means 111 1 W, 1110111411 11C 11111111S , 11 Well snow novelty 111 time Sitllaill /11 111 his work does not, first, duplicate who came to America partly to escape
work already being done, and, second- militarism abroad and partly fur free-
y, cause undue segregation among dom of religious observance. By an
I he one 110t111 w lierein more than any (other all must agree' with NIr. our soldiers and sailors.
unexpected turn of the wheel of fate
when
he
say-
"the
only
possible
justiticatnon
for
Zionism
is
Boas is
The Jewish Board for \Velfare they find themselves facing the very
that it sill! enable Jews to lice• better lives. " "'hit Zi lei is, " 11• 1101(1S, \York was organized with the approv- thing they had thought to escape :old
al of the Secretary of \Vat - for the the Judaism for which they made such
we 1(C11CVC that Ile VIIICcs the opinion practically of ;ill the Zionists
purpose of doing among the 50,000 heroic sacrifice abroad seems to them
in this, "believe that 11111y in Palestine Call Jcws lire 11011y—that JI1 (1,11,111 Jews in the army and navy the same in danger of complete destruction un-
as a religion can live only where Jews have a political autonomy." Ilut kind of religious work as is done less they can be made to feel that the
among Protestants by the Y. M. C. A. religious well-being of their suns is
Mr. P(0;1 , a•ks very IN tintedly. " \Vhat assurances have we that Jews
and among Catholics by the Knights looked after. To them we owe what-
when tangled in the problems (of political administration will automatic-
ever of comforting reflection that can
of Columbus.
he
The modern American Jew is ordi- be found in the thought that their boys
ally become nobler and liner nut-n?" "'I here is every
are not being utterly weaned from
say., , "that they vs ill not, fur they must necessaril) shift the burden of narily not a prayerful person, and is
disposed to look rather doubtfully their ancestral faith.
-
ethical
achievements
to
political
achievements.
effort from religious ;end
In some quarters fear has been ex-
upon religious exercises in which he
111(1 so, (me by 011C, NIr. Boas marshals his arguments against Zion- himself may not be deeply interested. pressed that the work of the NVelfare
He forgets or does not know that the Board may lead to undue segregation.
ism in forceful array. They need not here be taken up one by (one, since
psychology of the soldier has under- All such fears may be dismissed as
the majoority of our readers will 110 (1011ht peruse NIr. Boas' article. in gone a great change. This has been groundless. In all sports, amusements,
its entirety. I lis closing paragraph, however, needs to be guided
reflected in recent literature and entertainments and the like, the Jew-
ish boys will join to the full with
it sums up the situation most admirably in a few words. Ile puts it \Vells's "Mr. !trifling," "God the In-
visible King," and "The Soul of a their fellows. It is only in the things
Bishop," are indications of how the that pertain to their Judaism that the
NVelfare Board concerns itself.
"The future is clear The complete Zionist program means a complete disrup- war has turned the thoughts of men
Jews in All Camps.
tion of Jewish unity. \Vial Zion an independent State every American Jew lutist from material to spiritual things.
There are eighty-three camps or
become a Zionist and take the responsibility for the acts of Zionists, or find Soles
Spiritual Elevation Necessary.
Jews
in
other mo re than Jew. No one, of course, can object to colonies of
file man w h o f eels that he is con- stations in the United States, sixteen
Palestine, or anywhere else. Itut every Jew who values his independence and the stantly face to face with death, how- national army cantonments, sixteen
Americanism of which he has become a part will object as never before to the
ever gladly lie takes up his task, wants National (Maul camps, twelve officers'
complete Zionist program. \\bat was once a dream has now become almost a
reality. And as it becomes real it becomes, just because of its romantic associa- and needs with great urgency the spir- training camps, one cantonment at
itual elevation that can only be effi- embarkation point. In addition to this
ti,ns, insidiously' dangerous"
ciently supplied by the religious teach- there are the men abroad in whose
Ily the "complete Zionist program" NIT-. Boa: undoubtedly means the
ings that he had had in his youth. behalf co-operation has been secured
emiblishinent 14 a rofitical state in Palestine. This is, of course, the To deprive him of this is to deprive from the Jews of France through the
crux of the situation. \Vith colonization in Palestine all Jews must be him of a comfort as real and substan- Alliance Israelite Universelle. At
most, perhaps all, of the camps, it
in sympathy. \Vith the establishment of a I lomeland in Palestine as one tial as any of the material comforts
will be necessary for the board to
for which we are so solicitous.
of many homelands for the Jew, none can find fault. It is only, as Mr.
There is yet another aspect of the supply camp secretaries who shall be
Rooas intimates, when Zion as an independent state will throw upon work. It has always been notorious competent to look after the needs of
every Jew everywhere the responsibility for the acts of all Zionists or that in time of war the passions of each individual Jewish soldier as these
men run dangerously high and in pur- needs arise. Large numbers of the
compel him to give tip the name of Jew, that we cannot follow the
suit of the delight of their eyes and Jewish soldiers are linable to speak
prolgrani of our Zionistic friends, but on the contrary, must express our the inclination of their hearts they English and must be handled by work-
have from time immemorial been led ers who can reach them in Yiddish.
absolute dissent from it.
Special classes in English must be
astray. There is in the Jewish ritual
It citing this and similar articles on the Zionistic situation, this word for the Day of Atonement an impres- formed for these to enable them to
ought no he said. To its great credit, the Zionistic organization in this sive prayer setting forth that on that adjust themselves to the spirit of the
country and through o ut the world has such a well established bureau day it is determined who shall live army. From every angle, no work
and who (lie; who by lire a n d who by that has been undertaken Jitlywhere is
through which it inanages to keep before the public every incident and
water; who by the sword and who by of more real importance and calve
every utterance supporting its program, that there are many who be- famine, etc. The whole world has been than this which has been undertaken
lie-v.e that there is nothing said or to be said nn the other side. "fiat standing before such a Judgment Day by the Jewish Board for \\*elfare
for more than three years and our \\ ork , and for this reason it has the
this is by no means the case those who are apprised of the situation
own boys are now called. Can we do approval of the V. M. C. A., the Sec-
know full well. Nor is there less authoritativeness in the utterances of less than see to it that those of them retaries of 1Var and Navy, and the
one side than of the other. It is therefore' fair that Jews and non- for whom the knell of doom is sound- President of the United States. It is
Jews should be given an opportunity of hearing both sides of a question ing shall, so far as lies in our power. contemplated that contributors to the
go forth to their great adventure with fund shall designate the proportion of
so, vital as this in order that they may come to a wise, just and dis- !clean hands and a purr heart?
their contributions to be used for wel-
passionate judgment of the matter.
fare work and the proportion for the
Guarantee to Parents.
Nor may we be unmindful of the relief in the war zones.

Unity Re-established.

Likely it is, too, that industrial 'relations Which have been sorely dis-

turbed in these last years will, as a result of contact between inen and

master and the growing sense of interdependence between the industrial

The

\ .4 Irk

unfortunate controversy between the Jewish Iti ■ ard for Welfare

in the S. Army and Navy and the American Soldiers and

classes, come to be adjusted upon a basis of fairness to all parties.

Sailors' League of the I. (I. II. B. has, so far as Michigan is concerned,

Social relations will undoubtedly be readjusted for the good of all In

COMO 11 I

a word, once the. nightmare of war has subsided, humanity will surely

awake in a better and a brighter world.

rpression fn regard
The I oll. , ;,
to Zionism f 1. the boohoo rabbi of Tem-
Sinai
of
hira,to
is an extrad from
ple
The work at Camp Custer has been definitely assigned to the Jewish his leathoo editorial in the 'Reform
Board fur \Velfare \Veirk, which hos been recogniz•d by the l'ilited Advocate - of becember Lith.

a happy conclusion.

In the meantime it behooves men and women to meet the conditions,

Still's Government as the (Hie ;111(1 oak f1111ClI01111114 agency in relation

however troublous they arc, with a brave spirit. I )CSI/I1C everything tiod

to Jewish work in camps told cantonments. Nonetheless, under the

is yet in Ins world and right shall triumph. Perhaps it is needed that

auspice's of the I. I b B. II., club-rooms for soldiers will be maintained

the peoples of the earth should be put to this Mire trial in order to bring

them to a saner view of life. Men in these last years had been mas-

tered by the material successes that had come to them. Selfishness was

supreme. They knew' no god but gold. Success justified the means

thereto and he was the hero who had won the heights, no matter over

how many bruised and broken bodies of his fellows he had been clout-

pelled to push his way thereto. Such a 0111(1410e S0111(1 ha Ve 110 perma-

nence and it seems likely that some great upheaval was needed to open

men's eyes to this bitter truth.

in the cities of Kala nazon ad Battle Creek. This arrangement is a

most happy one- and it is to the credit of those in charge of affairs in

this State that as soon as the situation was made clear to 111(1 111, they Were

glad to accept the arrangement outlined. Nothing should now interfere

with a very alien/11S contribution to the \Velfare Fund Oil the part of

the Jews throughout NIichigan.

The Irieti Po'rith Lodges as such might well undertake the mainte-

nance of activities for the soldiers carried on in the cities adjacent to

the cantonments, while the general Jew ish community should be called

And so we may look forward to the New Year whim the hope that

each day brings us nearer to the end of the calamity that tills the world.

We may hope that the end shall come stun and that the cause of right-

eousness, of justice and of the rights of man shall be. established

throughout the world. But whether the day . of the victory of our cause

be near or far, we should be heartened at this season of the New Year

to go bravely on laying our otTerings upon the altar of humanity, sure

upon to support the \Vol f are program ;is a whole. To do this adequately

a considerable sum of

money is required, though it is comparatively

small when measured by the vast sums in terms of which we have re-

cently accustomed ()insole's , to I count.

!id us hope, therefore, when the appeal shall be made for help fur

this cause, that the resiolonse will be as liberal as the cause is worthy.

that in God's own time the victory will be won and that through our

sufferings and our sacrifices and our service. the world—which has been

so full of calamity. for us—will be a better, a brighter, a saner and a

safer world for our children and our children's children.

Professor Boas on the Jewish Situation

It is less than a year ago since Prof. Ralph P. toms set .\nierica

agog with his remarkable article (on the Jewish situation, which he pub-

lished in the Atlantic Monthly. Fairly unknown at the time of the pub-

lication of his article, his name soon became at household word through-

out the length and breadth of the land. Though he said sifilit•

things

which were not pleasant to the ears Id either Reform or I ktliodox Jews,

they were accepted in good spirit because of their very obvious justice

and truth.

Once more Mr. Boas has coni• forward in the public press in an

article dealing with the Jewish problem of today. This ti n ts the issue

that interests him is Zionism. Like all who have recently dealt with

this subject, he finds the dream of Zionism fascinating, though for all

that a dream, and from his standpoint, one, the realization of Which

would be a serious menace to the welfare of world Jewry.

Asserting that the gravest danger lies in the German pseudo-scien-

tific concept of a "Jewish race," he says, "The world sees only dimly

that the riot of national romanticism which is upon us is the child of

'kultur.'" While we' comics, that Germany has preached and perhaps

parented the idea of nationalism in its narrowest sense, we would not

take so unfair an advantage of Zionism ;is to label it "Made in Ger-

many." Mr. Boas in his article• has other arguments that are both more

just and more convincing than this.

What he says as to the constant intermarriage and assimilation of

the Jew throughout the ages, every student of Jewish history knows to

be true. That there is no pure Jewish blood has been so often said

that the very phrase has become trite. Nor is that entirely to the disad-

vantage of the Jew. After all only savages can boast of pure and un-

mixed blood, while in the veins of civilised men there runs commingled

the blood of the largest possible number of races and nations. The

"A JEWISH NATION IN PALESTINE WILL NOT BE
MY NATION"—Rabbi Emil C. Hirsch.

$25,000,000 FOR
JEWISH WAR RELIEF

Prom Pogo one.)

but a margin large enough
to cover very possible depreciation
and all i lemses of propaganda.
- Mr. Schiff has been the greatest
dynamic factor of our campaign, not
only in New York, bin also in the na-
tional work. He has played the
gootest part, With Mr. Rosenwald, in
the gnat drama of the reconstruction
and resuscitation of an entire people.
"The successful result of the 1917
campaign is all the 1111111 C gratifying to
11111 . because the campaign was all
new. 1 scat called from Kansas City
to this work, and I responded with
great misgiv ing. 91 - first inspiration
came from a visit to Mr. Rosenwald,
whom I saw at \Vashington, where
he was serving on the Advisory Com-
mission of the Council of National
Defense. When he gave me a con-
tingent pledge of a million dollars I
left him, dazed by the possibilities of
the work
Must Overcome All Obstacles.
"From that day to this there has
been no letup in the campaign. \t
first we had practically decided to
divide the country into thirty dis-
tricts, with an attractive, capable wo-
man in charge of each, but this idea'
was abandoned When we realized the
difficulty of raising such a vast sum
just after the Liberty Loan campaign
and the drive for the Red Cross fund
It was well that we changed our plan.,

for the depression of the stock mar-
ket made it all the harder for us to
get money, and it needed all the ef-
forts of our men and women to get
the required subscriptions.
"But our people must not think
that the need has stopped with the
raising of this fund. It will go on
(lay after day, calling for more help
in a voice that we :oust heed; and we
must give and keep on giving until
the war is over and the afflicted in
the war zones can begin life anew."
-
-

SENATOR LEWIS IS NOT A JEW,
SAYS FORMER LAW PART-
NER.

Chicago. III.—The Iewish press
throughout the United States has filled
columns with the "story" that Senator
la TM'S Hamilton Lew i- is a Jew. The
statement has been seized upon and
made the most of, and Many undoubt-
edly sincerely believed that the genial
senator and friend of our people is a
son of the covenant.
No one knows Senator Lewis better
than Jacob G. Grossberg, who at one
time was his have partner. In reply
to a request of the Jewish Sentinel for
Ms (minion, Mr. Grossberg says:
"The story that James Hamilton
Lewis is a Jew by birth has had circn-
lation from time to time, ever since
the senator has come into the public
eye.
"From many years of association
with the senator, both personally and
professionally. I believe I ale in a po-
sition to say that the statement is not
true. The senator had a Jewish woman
relative who helped raise him as a
child and the story may have taken
rise from this incident."

"A Jew ish nation in Palestine will
not be my nation. I ant somewhat
skeptic about the new culture which
in Hebraic garb and tongue is prom-
ised. This adjective Hebraic 1 pur-
loin from the vocabulary of one of the
chief protagonists of Zionism in the,
parts of the United States. Against
thought. naaional frontiers afford no
pr,dection. If note the Jews are ex-
posed to mental influence from with-
out, the Jews in Jerusalem will not be
in a better position to ward them off.
Certainly they will perhaps observe
the Sabbath on Saturday. That will
not help our difficulties. Unless ;.II
Jews return to Palestine. Jews remain-
ing in other countries will have to am-
cominoilate themselves to their en-
vironment no matter What the Jews
over there are doing. Jewish auton-
omy under British or another protec-
torate we are assured will strengthen
Jewish self-valuation all over the
world. Perhaps it will, yet our own
time should have taught this one les-
son that the UN istelll'e of a state to Ow
culture of which many though not its
subjects or citizens stand spiritually
by descent or family tics or education
and language in some looser or closer
relation is not always an inspiration
and a comfort to the non-polit'eal
relatives. .\ gainst folly even Zionistic
enthusiasm is not proof. And the
non-Palestinian Jews I am afraid may
at times find it uncomfortable to ham;
together with their Palestinian nom-
inal co-nationalists.
"(Ire bond I recognize and that is
that woven of our common past and
of the outlook into a united humanity
which Israel never despaired of. I
call this fundamental element in my
Jewish consciousness religion. In
the sense in which religion is used by
Christian theologians my Judaism is
not a religion. It is more. It is a
—mission, shudder if one must at this
tabooed word—it is a life under severe
historic responsibility.
"I for my part shall be glad and
eager to help all that would return to

Palestine. But I shall not accompany
them. The nation they will perhaps
establish is not mine. The literature
they will produce is not my nation's
literature. Chemistry or poetry writ-
ten in Hebrew has as much claim
upon me as it would have were it
sounded in any other dialect. I shall
continue to study Hebrew. but my
prime interest in this language is that
Judaism's not Jewry's literature is to
a large part vocalized in this tongue.
"Funniest of all is the warning ad-
dressed to non-Zionists this week
which has stimulated many a crank to
speech that dissent from Zionism is
how treason to the United States.
Think of it to what lengths pseudo-
patri ■ aisin has gone. Because I avow
that I desire no other flag than ttlil
(dory and will swear allegiance to no
other. I am branded a traitor to the
very flag which I shall not relinquish.
Forsooth the British cabinet has
spoken about the disposition to be
made of Palestine. The United States,
not being at war with Turkey, will
not at this time, I am sure, make air
announcement on this paragraph of
the war program. I, who have noth-
ing to say concerning t h e political
status of Palestine, am however a
traitor when I declare that I shall stay
in this God's country, in the United
States and propose here to do my bit
as a loyal .\ tnerican not of .\ nglo-
Saxon descent and as a convinced de-
votee of Judaism, my religion. If
others prefer to live in Jerusalem that
is their business, not mine. But over
there as citizens of the Palestinian
state they are not Illy compatriots,
not my co-nationalists and from pres-
ent indication I have reason to fear
that they will not be my co-religion-
ists.
"The etymology of the old Jewbait-
ers' cry 'llep, limp' is not clear. It
was held to be a combination of the
initials II-ieroslyma P-erdita Jerusa-
bin is lost. This is 'Hanukkah day.
I r ■ ..Hice doubly that now 1 lett Ilep
cannot be construed out of the legend
li-ieroslytna Capra Jerusalem has
been taken. 'lo the wise a hint is suf-
ficient. A bon entendre saint. NVith
'Hanukkah Greetings"
—Emil G. Hirsch.

I Speaker Champ Clark Would Give conclusion of this war. I have always
been in favor of taking Palestine
Zionism a Trial.
aw ay from the Turks, and am yet. It
seems to me that it ought to be es-
Speaker Champ Clark has declared tablished as a separate state under
himself in favor of taking Palestine the joint control of the great powers.
from the Turks and establishing there I do not know enough about the
an independent Jewish State. This geography, topography, climate, etc.
thought is contained in the letter of Palestine to know whether in
which Mr. Clark addressed to the proper hands it would be a self-sus-
Jewish Ministers' Association, which taining state or not; but anyway I am
held its convention in New York City in favor of giving it a trial."
The following Is an extract from
the letter which was received by the
assembled rabbis with great enthus-
Mr. William B. Ilackenburg has
iasm:
Leon re-elected treasurer of the Grand
"I have your letter touching what Lodge of F. and A. M. of Pentisyl-
should be done with Palestine at the , yania.

