THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

MICHIGAN'S JEWISH HOME PUBLICATION

VOL VII NO. 16.

RABBIS AND CHURCHMEN HOLD MEETING
IN NEW YORK; DISAVOW PROGRAMS FOR
"CHROANIZING" JEWS OF AMERICA

Dr. Leo M. Franklin, as President of Central Conference of American
Rabbis Defines Position Regarding Missionary Projects.

REPRESENTATIVES OF SECTS RECEIVE STATEMENT
IN SPIRIT OF AMITY; SEEK TO CO-OPERATE FULLY

Resolution, Passed Unanimously, May Obviate Grounds for Prejudice
and Discord, Promoting Continued Fellowship.

Roused to action by various movements begun by Christian sects
with the object of converting the Jew, Rabbi Leo M. Franklin, as
President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, asked that
a meeting be arranged between representatives of this organization
and those from the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America
and the Home Missions Council. Dr. Franklin has just returned
front New York, bringing tidings of a resolution offered and unani-
mously passed. which may prove an epoch-making event in the his-
tory of American Judaism.

Dr. Franklin and his associates, Rabbis Samuel Schulman and
Clifton I lathy Levy of New York City, lax C. Currick of Erie, l'a.,
and Abram Simon of Washington, D. C., made plain to those rep-
resenting other sects that thinking Jews had been offended by the
slogans and catch-phrases used in campaigns for funds which were
to be expended in missionizing among the Jews. Especially obnox-
ious was the statement that it teas impossible for a Jew to be a good
American.
Other members of the conference denied that such offense had
been intended, but regretted deeply that a laxity existed in the use
of the words "Christianizing" and "Americanizing." It was the
intention of the Christian sects, they stated, to bring back to the
teachings of religion—whether their own or another—those Jews
who had become remiss in their observances and who were unaffil-
iated with any existing creed or church.

5. We hold that Israel can take care of its own. If
surveys reveal material which the synagogue should reach,
we will welcome having our attention called to it, and se ill
care for the situation.
G. Let us work together, each religion in its own way,
Judaism and Christianity, reaching the Reople who are the
luatural objects of our solicitude, becausAi-their respective,
biherited historic face. Let us work together as Americans.
I.et us make men and women feel that the spirit of Ameri-
canism requires the religious sentiment. But let us not
seek to convert each other to our respective creeds. Not
conversion, should be the cry of any campaign, but co-
operation for the moral and religious welfare of our beloved
country should be the dominating motive with us.
In the opinion of American rabbis, the result of the New York
meeting has been long desired, and will undoubtedly bring about
better understanding between Jew and Gentile, eliminating many of
the existing grounds for prejudice and injustice.

HAMBURG JEWS PROTEST
OPPOSE APPOINTMENT
OF A JEWISH PROFESSOR
MILITARY ANTI-SEMITISM

HAMBURG—The Executive Com-
mittee of the local Democratic Party
has sent a protest to War Minister
Noske against local military officers
who permit open anti-Semitic propa-
ganda among the soldiers.

This protest states that the army of
the Republican government ought to
suppress any incipient instigations in.
stead of allowing the spread of
anarchy and of race-hatred, which arc
opposed to law and to the best in-
terests of the country. The officers
of the Hamburg militia appear, how-
ever, not to realize this, and they are
countenancing a policy which may
lead to bloody massacres of the Jews
in Hamburg. The protest demands
that the War Minister take the neces-
sary steps to quell this harmful
propaganda.

Christianity, they admitted, was a religion of propaganda; with-
out which it ceased to be itself. Religions, they said, must endure
the test of comparison. They deplored the fact that their efforts
were understood to be a form of proselytizing, especially since
"Religious liherty, in the American sense, involves freedom of think-
ing and speaking, every religion having the right to express itself,
restricted only by considerations of courtesy and fair play."
The conference between the Jewish and Gentile representatives
was marked with amiability and a spirit of co-operation through-
out. The stand taken by Dr. Franklin and his associates was imme-
diately recognized as just and every effort made to bring about
harmony and full accord. Present, beside those mentioned, were:
Dr. Charles S. Macfarland and Rev. Stacy R. Warburton, repre-
senting the Home issions Council ; Dr. John A. Marquis, of the
Presbyterian Home Board; Dr. Charles L. White, of the Baptist
Home Board; Dr. Charles R. Erdman, Presbyterian, Princeton,
N. J.; Rev. \V. C. Emhart, Episcopalian, Newton, Pa.; Rev. Rodney
W. Roundy, associate secretary, and Rev. A. W. Anthony, executive
secretary' of the Home Missions Council.
Following a prayer by Rabbi Schulman and Dr. Emhardt, Dr.
Marquis was appointed chairman and Dr. Anthony secretary. The
correspondence between Dr. Franklin and Dr. Anthony was consid-
ered, fixing the time, place and purpose of the conference. After
considerable discussion, the following resolution, which bids fair to
obviate sectarian differences in the future, was unanimously passed :

Resolved,-
1. That we appreciate this opportunity for the free
exchange of thought and conviction between representatives

of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in Amer-
ica, the Home Missions Council, and the Central Confer-

ence of American Rabbis.

2. That we disdain, and deplore, the use of the term
"Americanization" in any case where it is made to mean or
to imply that there is no distinction between the words
"Americanization" and "Christianization," or carries the
implication that Jews, or people of other religions and other
races, are not good Americans. No church should use the
term "Americanization" as a cloak for proselytizing to its

distinctive religious views.

3. That we desire to co-operate with each other as
brethren, in all efforts for Americanization and for promot-
ing righteousness in the American people.

4. That we express the desire for further conference and

continued fellowship.
It was voted to refer this statement to the Administrative Com-
mittee of the Federal Council of Churches, and to the Executive
Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, for con-
sideration. The resolution was given final ratification Thursday.

Dr. Franklin, previous to the offering of the resolution, reiterated
the stand taken by American Jewry with regard to missionary move-
ments among them, in the following terms:

1. We feel that it is not right for the Council, or any
Christian body, to announce a campaign of missionary
effort, seeking to convert the Jews of this country. Such a
course implies irreligion on the part of the Jews.

2. It should not be the province of any church to at-
tempt to convert those who, by birth and tradition and affil-
iation, belong to another religious body.
3. We hold that it is not good for any soul to be torn
tip by the roots, from its religious heritage. Religiously.
the Jew, as the Christian, is best reached by an appeal

coming from his own people.
4. Statistics relative to membership in, or affiliation
with, the synagogue are misleading for the following reasons :

(a) Only heads of families are counted.

(h) Many Jews are members of lodges and Jewish
fraternal organizations, in which Jewish symbolism and

religious thought have place.
(c) Many Jews, though not affiliated officially with
the synagogue, arc quite alive to their Judaism, say
their prayers every day, and worship on state occasions.

(d) There are many who, while feeling liberal with
'respect to Jewish dogma, are not devoid of spirituality,

and are, deep at heart, loyal to Judaism.

SECTION TWO

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 1920.

GERMAN LEADER CLAIMS
Y. M. H. A. TO RAISE
ON JEWS ATTACK
MILLIONS FOR JEWISH POGROMS
AGAINST LABOR UNIONS
CENTER BUILDING

11 ER LIN—Anti-Semites here are

New York.—The office d the Coun.
cil of Young Men's Ilebr
venue,
Bred Associations, 114 Ft t
its
New York, announces throu
General Secretary, Samuel A. told-
smith, that communities throughout
the country have signified their inten-
tion of raising upward of $3,000,000
for Y. M. 11. A.—Jewish Center
Buildings. Among the campaigns in
which the Council has recently helped
are those in l'aterson, N. J., Wil-
liamsburg, N. Y., Boston, Mass., and
Chattanooga. Tenn.
The Chattanooga campaign, which
Field Secretary M. A. Stavitsky, di-
rected was notable in that the com-
munity of from 4,000 to 5,000 Jews
engaged in a city-wide campaign suc-
cessfully for $100,000. Mr. Harry
Winer was Chairman of the Cam-
paign Committee.
Among many other cities, there are
notable campaigns now pending in
Manchester, N. H. (which the office
of the Associated Y. M. H. A.'s of
New En"land is directing), Lynn,
Mass., Philadelphia, Pa., Newark,
N. J., and Cleveland, Ohio.

spreading propaganda to instipte a
s firch.
pogrom - against the Jew; ?

For this object, a specti rty has

been formed under the name of the

German Social Freedom Party, which

works in secret. This party appears
to have large funds, and from the lit-
tle information to be gained concern-

ing it, there are indications that it is
organizing a pogrom on a large scale

to take place in March. The Party
seeks its members among the work-

ing classes and the unemployed.

Berlin Jews called a mass meeting,
at which several non-Jewish speakers

made addresses. Oswald Reidel,
General Secretary of the Union of
Railroad Workers, declared that any
Karlsruhe, Germany.— The local
attempt at a pogrom would be con-
Polytechnicum wrote to the Berlin
sidered as a direct attack against la-
Jew, Professor Max Meyer, inviting
Democrats, Adolph Ritter, declared in
him to accept a place on the faculty.
the name of his party, that it would
Immediately afterward, Christian stu-
oppose every pogrom tendency. Fritz
dents sent a letter to Prof. Meyer,
Zubeil, a member of the German In-
saying that they did not want him—
dependent Socialists, expressed doubt
a Jew—to come to Karlsruhe; and
that the new pogrom party is as large
that if he still persisted in coining,
as is claimed. He maintained that an
he would have to bear the conse- MOGEN ABRAHAM AUXILIARY
organization of 100,000 members, as
quences.
TO HOLD MEETING SUNDAY is claimed for this Party., could not
The professor wrote to Director
work in secret.
Paulke of the Polytechnicum, and
This party is declared to be send-
told him of the communication he had
The Ladies' Auxiliary of the NI ogen
received front the students. Pro- Abraham Synagogue will hold a mass ing out appeals to the Jews that they
leave
the country of their own accord
fessor Paulke then called a meeting meeting Sunday afternoon, March 21,
of the students and demanded that at 2 o'clock, in the vestry rooms of by March 1st; otherwise, they will
they recall their letter. first because the synagogue, Farnsworth, between all be put to death. Zubeil said that
it was not an ethical thing to do, and Brush and Beaubien streets. Rabbi this is a party of reactionaries who
second, because they had no right to Eiseman will speak. Matters of vital want to restore the monarchy and
infringe upon the prerogatives of importance to the organization will Kaiserism, and that the Independent
the faculty to choose whatever col- be discussed. Members arc urged to Socialists would stand in the way of
any pogroms.
leagues it wished. '
attend.

ALL MUST GO--
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f t

