PAGE
FOUR
THE EWISH CHRONICLE
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
people would take up their domicile in Palestine; the greater number will
issued Every Friday by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Company
continue to live in the lands of whose citizenship they now form a com-
ANTON KAUFMAN
•
•
•
President ponent part, where they enjoy full civil and religious liberty and where as
loyal and patriotic citizens they will maintain and develop the principles
and institutions of Judaism."
MICHIGAN'S JEWISH ROME PUBLICATION
Here
is no endorsement of political Zionism but here likewise is
Subscription in Advance
$1.50 per year no belittling of those who hold that Palestine holds great possibili-
ties for those Jews who believe that in Palestine and there only they
can live full, free and happy lives.
Offices 314 Peter Smith Bldg.
Phone: Cherry 3381.
RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN,
Editorial Contributor
All correspondence to insure publication must be sent in so as to reach this
',flee Tuesday evening of each week.
We hold, therefore, that the American Jewish Committee is to be
congratulated upon the platform it has enunciated, one which should
go far to heal the breach that has arisen between various groups in
American Jewry.
milted a forgery for which he was
prosecuted, he skipped bail, fled to
America, and not being cut out for
an honest livelihood, he fell in with
a similar character, a man named
\Varszawiak, who was a hireling of
the missionaries, learned the congen-
ial trade of a religious fraud, amassed
wealth and still keeps up his busi-
ness of living on the credulity and
vanity of misguided people whom he
makes believe that he will fulfill the
prophecy of the Apostle Paul, and
that "all Israel shall be saved."
Snobbish "Christians" Receive Him.
The Jewish Chronicle Invites correspondence on subjects of uterest to the
Jewish people, but disclaims responsibility for an indorsement of the views
expressed by the writers.
At the Altar of Judaism.
Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Postoffice at Detroit,
Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
To the thousands of boys and girls who throughout the length
and breadth of the land will on Friday of next week make their vow
of fealty' to the faith of their fathers we beg to offer our sincere con-
gratulations.
Dr. Kohler's Anniversary
An event of real significance in the annals of American Jewry is
the rounding out in physical and mental vigor of three score and fif-
teen years by Dr. Kaufman Kohler, the distinguished president of
the Hebrew Union College. Especially gratifying is it to the mem-
bers of Temple Beth El of this city to recall that it was this congre-
gation that in the year 1869 induced Dr. Kohler to come to America,
where his genius might have freer scope for development than
Eurpoe at that time afforded.
During his long and honorable career in the pulpit previous to
his accepting the presidency of the Hebrew Union College in suc-
cession to Dr. Isaac M. Wise, Dr. Kohler' served successively as
leader of the congregation in this city, of Sinai Temple, Chicago, and
of Temple Beth El, New York City.
But Dr. Kohler stands distinguished pre-eminently as a fearless
champion and defender of reform Judaism. In his pulpit addresses
and in his voluminous writings he wields a virile pen in behalf of a
Judaism true to the spirit of the old, but ever in close accord with
the changing conditions of the new world. He was especially active
in the promotion of the Pittsburgh Rabbinical Conference which in
1885 in the famous "Pittsburgh Platform" laid down the principles of
Reform Judaism in a concise and unambiguous manner. Among the
more important of the eight items in this pronouncement of princi-
ples are the two following:
"We recognize in the Mosaic legislation a system of training the Jewish
people for its mission during its national life in Palestine and today we
accept as binding only its moral laws and maintain only such ceremonies
as elevate and sanctify our lives, but reject all such as are not adapted to
the views and habits of modern civilization."
*
*
*
"We recognize in the modern era of universal culture of heart and intel-
lect the approaching of the realization of Israel's great Messianic hope for
the establishment of .the kingdom of truth, justice and peace among all men.
We consider ourselves no longer a nation but a religious community and
therefore expect neither a return to Palestine nor a sacrificial worship under
the sons of Aaron nor the restoration of any of the laws concerning the
Jewish state."
This and other principles enunciated at the Pittsburgh Conference
express rather satisfactorily in the main the convictions of a large
percentage of the Reform Jews not only of America, but of the
world today. In all subsequent meetings of the Rabbinical Con-
ferences Dr. Kohlerhas been a leadinrfigUr6: —Itelffii- Miiiiii fre-
quent contributor to the scholarly magazines both of Europe and of
this country and has published a number of books bearing upon
various phases of Jewish thought that are accepted as authoritative
by Jewish scholars. Ilis latest book, "The Systematic Theology of
Judaism," published within recent weeks, is a distinct contribution
to our literature,
Dr. Kohler's constructive work should serve as a rejoinder to
those from whose lips the charge falls glibly that Judaism in Amer-
ica has wrought nothing of permanent value. They who are accus-
tomed to make this charge are apparently blind to the truth or so
hopelessly prejudiced that they will not recognize facts that are
entirely obvious.
We share with his thousands of admirers the sincere hope that
Dr. Kohler may be spared for many more years to continue his
scholarly and inspiring work for Judaism and humanity.
American Jewish Committee's Pronouncement
on the British Declaration.
May they be given courage and conscience to be true to their
pledge of loyalty and may through them the cause of Israel and of
humanity be forwarded. They who now consciously enter as mem-
bers into the household of Israel are particularly fortunate that they
do so at a time %Olen despite the whining cry of sonic that anti-
Semitism is rife and bigotry regnant, the truth is that Judaism is
ascendant as before.
\Ve are living in a time when for the ideals of the Jew the whole
civilized world is fighting. That same justice, that same
freedom, that same democracy, that same
sense of fair
play %N'Ilich has been the goal of Israel through centuries and to the
attainment of which not only for himself but for all men he has
brought heroic sacrifices, is the ultimate goal of America and her
Allies in these tremendous times. Men may not know that in fight-
ing the battle of civilization they are fighting the battle of the Jew,
but no one who reads the story of the Jew's past with sympathetic
understanding or who is not utterly blinded by prejudice to an
appreciation of the spirit which has goaded the Jew through untold
centuries, can fail to realize that the interpretation of life as enunci-
ated by the Jew has become the only one that today will satisfy
the
moral and the spiritual needs of America and her Allies.
In dedicating themselves, therefore, to the service of Israel, the
children of today may well be inspired by the thought that they are
at the same time dedicating themselves to what is best and highest
in modern life. This thought will react upon them for good in a two-
fold way. Proud of a faith that centuries ago awakened to the moral
value of things which modern men of other faiths are just beginning
to appreciate, they will become staunch Jews. And happy in the
realization that the ends which our fellow Americans are striving
to compass are the same as those for which our fathers dared to
live and die, their patriotism will be deepened and heightened and
they will become, because of their dedication to Judaism, all the
better American citizens.
In the light of these facts there has never been a time when con-
firmation has meant more to the children of Israel's household than
it does today. May they who stand before the altar of their God
sense the meaning of the sacred ceremony in which they arc privi-
4eged to participate and may they take out of it its fullest inspiration.
Give! Give! Give!
The Detroit Patriotic Fund, whose drive for $7,.100,000 is to begin
on May 20th, should be answered in no niggardly fashion by the
Jews of this community. Money in these days has no value save
as it is translated into terms of service. The duty to sacrifice must
be measured only by the limits of possibility. They who have much
must give much. No man and no woman in these times has a right
to a superfluity when uncounted thousands have not unlc 1i'SS than is
The Apostate is Not New.
needed for the sustenance of physical life, but when in addition they
Let us drop him, for he "who
are suffering from the onslaughts ref brutality in many forms.
If there are any in the community to whom the appeal of the touches pitch defiles himself." It is
interesting to examine this problem
Patriotic Fund will come in vain, they should lie socially ostracised. historically. Honest Jews were,
They prove themselves unfit to be the companions of high:minded through centuries, ostracized, locked
and patriotic men and women. The funds to be raised in the single up in ghettos, prevented from making
a decent livelihood• Intinilimed by a
drive are to be used to carry forward for the year the work of the sign which by its yellow color, brand-
great national war-relief agencies, as well as practically every civic ed them as if plague stricken, put to
and private agency fur social !Thom Sectarian and non-sectarian the rack, flayed and burned alive,
while the scamp was welcomed, show-
organizations are represented in the group of societies that have ered with money and honors and
whitewashed, when his dirty linen was
banded together in this great movement.
in public. There is nothing
The Jews, always leaders in the federation movement and always exhibited
new under the sun. We have records
in the forefront of givers, must now lift the standards of those who of thousands of "Dr. C01111S" from all
heretofore have not given in due pioportion to their own means or times. \Vith a few exceptions of mor-
emotionalists, such as now are
to the importance I if the various causes that have appealed to them. bid
going over to the Christian Science
The one big thing to be emphasized, so far as the Jews are con- Church, all our apostates are either
cerned, is that they nmst give much more to the Fund than they can climbers or crooks, the latter class
leading by far in numbers. Just in
possibly' hope to take out of it for specific Jewish causes. While order
to show how far back such
these causes will be so financed through this Fund as to permit the characters are found in the Jewish
directors of the various agencies to give themselves more largely community, we may quote Sherira
Gaon, the head of the Jews of Baby-
than heretofore to the discussion of social problems, we must lonia, in the tenth century, who (teals
remember that our duty extends far beyond the limits of our men with the case of a child, born of a de-
sectarian group, and that we must give generously and as befits big- serted mother whose husband had
converted to Islam.
hearted men and women to all these causes represented in the Patri-
We base often heard the anecdote
The American Jewish Committee at its recent New York meet-
ing found itself faced by a most difficult situation which, however, it
met sanely and wisely. Composed of all elements represented in
American Jewry, the Committee called upon to declare itself in
regard to the Palestinian situation, could neither ignore the problem
which is one of the most vital that Israel has yet had to face, nor
could it stultify itself by endorsing the extreme position held by
either rabid Zionists or by uncompromising anti-Zionists.
And yet its declaration is not a feeble and meaningless com-
promise between the two. \Ve regard the statement of the Com-
mitte as a rather manly and direct declaration of a position that is
likely to meet with the approbation of a large majority of thoughtful
American Jews. It will not be received with enthusiasm by the
most rabid political Zionists nor will it be endorsed by those who in
their opposition to Zionism are blinded to the important part that
otic Fund and Community' Union.
Zionism is playing in the life of the Jew today.
We shall have more to say upon this subject in our next issue.
Perhaps we are particularly gratified because the declaration of For the present we need only urge upon our people when called
the Committee seems to reinforce the attitude which has been taken upon by the Committee of workers to GIVE! GIVE! GIVE!
in these columns since the Balfour declaration. Entirely out of
sympathy with political Zionism and believing that a non-religious
interpretation of Judaism is a contradiction in terms we have con-
sistently held, as a perusal of our past editorials must convince the
skeptics, that the rehabilitation of Palestine for the benefit of those
of our co-religionists who wish to live there should be highly encour-
aged by all sections of American Jewry.
\Ve have said time and again in these columns and elsewhere
that Palestine because of its sentimental ,associations does offer to
some Jews in lands of oppression a better opportunity for self-
By Dr. Gotthard Deutsch.
realization than could any other land anywhere.
Written for The Jewish Chronicle
This sentiment is very clearly echoed in the declaration of the
, s will be seen by the following quota-
American Jewish
====issist
„
tion therefrom:
OLONEL ALEXANDER S. thorities, attested to by the Austro-
"The Committ
• ciomatic that the Jews of the United
BACON, a New York law- Hungarian consul, "Dr. Cohn" is
"TOUCHING PITCH."
States have here t
•
children, have acqu
can citizenship, ar•! •
which they love iv , '
•
The Committee, 11, •.•
who, moved by tr.;.M.,. •
for the Jewish pe. ,!
hearted sympathy .:
anent home for themselves and their
Assumed the correlative duty of Ameri-
anqualified allegiance to this country,
whose people they constitute a part.
indful that there are Jews everywhere
yearn for a home in the Holy Land
,urtured for centuries, has our whole-
)wever, that but a part of the Jewish
The impression received from the
perusal of the interesting, though at
times disgusting story, may be an il-
lustration of the wise saying of Ben
Sira: "fie who touches pitch will de-
file himself." It is really remarkable
how honest, intelligent and—let us be
frank snobbish Christians, the same
who avoid contact with respectable
and intelligent Jews in clubs and sum-
mer resorts, will accept with open
arms an out and out crook, who flat-
ters their vanity by making them be-
lieve that he sacrificed everything in
order to become a Christian and that
he will make his fellow Jews confess
that they have to accept Christ in or-
der to become civilized human beings.
It is simply inconceivable that Chris-
tians, living in an environment, where
they can observe Jewish life in a thou-
sand synagogs, will believe "Dr.
Cohn's" claim that, at the age of 17,
he received a diploma as rabbi from
the rabbi of Presburg, the head of one
of the most famous orthodox rabbini-
cal schools, that he left this diploma
in the hands of another rabbi, that
Dr. Klein, the venerable rabbi of a
prominent orthodox congregation in
New York, recommended the stranger
to a pulpit in Philadelphia, but that
just at that time "Dr. Cohn" found a
Hebrew translation of the New Testa-
ment which, for the first time, told
him something about Jesus and made
a Christian of him. Dr. Klein, a man
of spotless reputation, tells under
oath that he does not recall ever hav-
ing met the man. It is possible that
a man who is often besieged by people
appealing for help might forget such
an incident, though it is rather un-
likely that he should not remember
having recommended a man to a
congregation, but there is a much
stronger point. "Dr. Cohn" claims
that he was introduced to Dr. Klein
by a letter from Dr. Schnitzer, rabbi
of Rom:trout. while Dr. Klein declares
under oath that he never received any
letter from this rabbi. It should lie
clear even to a child that a man
would not write a letter of recommen-
dation to a colleague who is entirely
unknown to him, and that a man like
Dr. Klein would not remember
whether Dr. Schnitzer, whom he
knows by reputation, ever wrote him
a letter or not. In addition, "Dr.
Cohn" has not a line to show the
truth of his claims, while Colonel Ba-
con publishes verbatim the search
warrant for his arrest as a forger and
other documents, proving that "Dr.
Cohn" is neither a Cohn nor a doc-
tor, but an ex-innkeeper from a Slav-
ic village of 300 people in northern
Hungary. Vet intelligent and repu-
table Christians will receive him with
open arms. because he flatters their
vanity.
of the prospective convert who asked
for support at a mission station, and
when money was tendered to hint,
said. "The last time I was baptized,
1 got twice as much." Such cases have
actually occurred. Rabbi lsserlein of
Marburg. in the Austrian province of
Styria, who lived in the fifteenth cen-
tury speaks of it as a frequent oc-
currence that tramps would be con-
verted several times to Christianity
and between one conversion and an-
other would "schnorr" from Jews as
Jews. One Moritz Gutman of Cra-
cow, convicted in a Berlin court for
some crime in 1894, had his record
examined which proved that, although
only a little over twenty years old, he
had at 'nineteen different stations con-
fessed Christ "for the first time."
The "Climbers."
The climber case is not as frequent
as the profiteering class, but it also
shows an interesting variety. Abra-
ham of Lund went to the full length ,
yer of good standing and a really one Izsak Leib Joszo% ics. who l f or after his conversion he entered a
devout Christian. sees fit to idled a few years in a Yeshibah from monastery. became Abbot of Villen-
publish the story of a missionary who which lie was expelled, and after- e uve in 1572, held his office for 22
calls himself "Dr. Cohn" and claims wards kept a rum shop—the English y ears, when the monks rebelled
to be a former rabbi. According to language has not a suf
sufficiently ex- a gainst the Jew-Abbot. and he was
testimony presented in court and to pressive word for a "Dorfschenk"—in c ompelled to resign. His resignation
official evidence from Hungarian au- a village of 300 people. Having corn- I vas as thorough as his conversion, for
1151
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he went to Venice, where he lived as
a Jew. More tragic was the fall of
another climber. Philip Lang had
gained the unlimited confidence of
Emperor Rudolph 11 (1576-1612), who
was insane, surrounding himself with
alchymists, sorcerers and magicians,
among whom Jews seem to have at-
tracted his confidence to a high de-
gree, for he had a private conference
with Chief Rabbi Loewe ben Bezalel
of Prague, ordered the Italian inven-
tor Abraham Colorni to translate for
him the cabbalistic book, "The Key of
Solomon," and perhaps Lang had
made himself the Emperor's favorite
by cabbalistic pretenses. At all events
he became very powerful, fleecing
Jews and Christians alike, and exact-
ing tributes from princes and nobles
who desired a favor from the Emper-
or. Ile ended in the penitentiary.
Climbers of a character that does not
have to fear either the law or the
ostracism of society are very frequent
among politicians, authors, artists,
financiers and all others who find Ju-
daism the only bar to full social rec-
ognition. Samson Gideon Abudiente,
the leading London financier of. the
eighteenth century, had the ambition
of seeing his not a landed estate own-
er. He raised him a Christian, while
he still reserved for himself a grave
in the Jewish cemetery. Lord Lard-
ley, as the son of Samsun Gideon was
called, had a grandson, the Reverend
Lard lee Childers, who was the recto'
of an Episcopal church, and the lat-
ter's son, Hugh Childers, was a mem-
ber of Gladstone's cabinet. Hugh
Eardley Childers, M. I'., son of the
last named, died in 1912, at the age
of fifty, and may already have grand-
children to whom this fact, if known
at all, is an old story. Samson Gid-
eon's name is still commemorated
among the benefactors of the Spanish
and Portuguese synagog in London
on Vont Kippur. The financial aris-
tocracy is the best customer of the
baptismal font and they need no Doc-
tor Cohn to convince them of the
truth of Christianity. They are as
easily cOnvinced as was a Jewish as-
pirant to a professorship in Germany,
who upon the question of the pastor,
as to whether he was convinced of the
truth of Christianity, frankly replied:
"I sincerely and steadfastly believe
that without Christianity I shall never
Become professor ordinarius." Simi-
lar cases are too numerous to men-
tion. The latest instance of more
than common importance is that of
Gerald Isaacs, the only son of the
first Jewish lord Chief Justice and
Earl, Lord Reading. lie married Miss
Mond, the daughter of Jewish par-
ents, who, in a fashionable boarding
school, hail become as thoroughly
convinced of the salvation of Jesus
Christ as the above mentioned candi-
date for a professorship. The de-
voted lover would not hurt her feel-
ings and was married in a church. The
second and third Barons Reading will
be communicants in Westminster Ab-
bey.
A "Blue Blood" Exception.
One noted exception from the gen-
eral run of conversions in the ranks
of the gilded blue blood deserves to
be mentioned. Baron Philip von
Schey, a Vienna financier, died child-
less in 1881. His will stipulated that
his heirs would lose their share in his
estate. if they were to leave the an-
cestral faith. A grandnephew who
had rapidly. acquired the spendthrift
habits of true nobility, did not wish
his creditors to get the benefit of his
uncle's wealth, and so he converted
to Christianity, living up, at least in
part, to the spirit of his uncle's wishes.
The "Dr. Cohns" of our past history
are too numerous to be mentioned.
Only a few typical cases shall be
enumerated. Moses Gerson Ha-
Kohen of Mitau was a disciple of the
famous Rabbi Jonathan . Eybeschuetz
of Altona. Having committed rape, he
saved himself from the penitentiary
by conversion to Christianity and was
appointed lecturer in the university