D AnP
SIX
5.
THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
IN THE GARDEN OF THE LORD
Conference of Jewish Social Service
MICHIGAN'S JEWISH HOME PUBLICATION
Published Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co.. Inc.
During the coming week, there will gather in the city of New Or-
leans, the leading Jewish social service workers of the country for con-
ference and discussion upon the problems that confront them its dealing
-
President with the dependent and delinquent classes among our people. The
-
JOSEPH J. CUMMINS
•
Secretary-Treasurer conference will be held just previous to the greater undenominationat
NATHAN J. GOULD -
conference of social workers, in which also most of the delegates to the
Entered as second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the Postoffice at Detroit,
Jewish meeting will participate.
Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.
The.administration of Jewish philanthropy during the past several
decades has entirely changed its character. In largest measure, it is
Offices, 1334 Book Building
now in the hands of trained workers who instead of doling out their
Telephone Cherry 3381
beneficencies •Ivithout the slightest regard to the permanent needs of
$3.00 per year he dependents, weigh carefully all the social implications involvd in a
Subscription, In Advance
particular case and treat it accordingly. In a word, philanthropy, or
tp insure publication, all correspondence and news matter must reach as it is better called today—social service—has been put upon a more
This o ce by Tuesday evening of each week.
or less scientific basis. Prophylaxis rather than cure of conditions
Editorial Contributor 'trising out of poverty is the great end that the best of our social workers
RABBI( LEO M. FRANKLIN
Th Jewish Chronicle invites correspondence on subiects of interest to have constantly in view. Not immediate relief but permanent rehabili-
the le ish people, but disclaims responsibility for an indorsement of the ation must be the purpose of our welfare organizations. Whether in
views e pressed by the writers.
he change from the old to the new methods, something of the human
element has been lost sight of, is perhaps an open question. It is our
Nissan 21, 5680 personal contention that where such is the case, it is the fault not of
Friday / April 9, 1920.
the transition from an obsolete to a better system, but rather of the
Popularizing Pesach
individual worker who lays more stress upon the number of cases usable
If our own observations arc at all a true index to conditions gen- for statistical purposes than upon the lives actually restored to self-
and social usefulness.
erally prevailing, we arc justified in saying that Pesach this year has respect
A charge frequently made in connection with so-called Jewish
been more generally observed by the Jews than it has been for many
social service throughout the land, is that the Jewish atmosphere is too
years past. A poll of the pupils of Temple Beth El Sabbath School frequently lacking. Observation of the work of our Jewish philan-
indicates that something like 70 per cent of them participated in the
thropies in many cities of the country tends to justify this charge in
Sedar ceremonial in their homes. This is a high average as compared greater or less measure. The closing down of Jewish institutions (lur-
with previous years.
ing the holy day seasons and the furnishing of matzos to the dependent
We have little doubt that the congregational Sedar which was classes does not by any means give that Jewish atmosphere which is so
arranged by this and other congregations in the community, had a very noticeably lacking. Truth is that it can be brought back only when the
marked effect in suggesting to the heads of households in our com- workers themselves are intensively Jewish in spirit and practice. This
munity, the desirability of reintroducing this beautiful and inspiring phase of Jewish social work might deservedly find a place upon the
ceremony in their homes. Only those who were privileged in their program of the New Orleans conference. It is a matter of no mean
earlier years to sit at the festive board on the eve of Pesach and par- concern to those of us who do not believe that social service and Judaism
itcipato with their parents and friends in the beautiful Sedar ceremonial,
co-extensive terms.
can realize what an inspiration such an observance must remain to them are identical and
throughout their lives. And only such as they can appreciate to the full,
A Word to Jewish Journalists
how bounden an obligation rests upon them, to give to their own chil-
dren, the opportunity of storing up hallowed memories akin to theirs.
\\'e do not presume to set ourselves up as a monitor to our fellow
The Sedar ceremonials arranged by the various congregations as editorial writers in the Jewish press. But as week by week, one scans
well as by the B'nai B'rith Lodge in Detroit attracted large and deeply the editorial colonists of our contemporaries, lie niust be impressed with
interested groups. In the Congregational Sedar over which it was the the fact that they use the major portion of the space at their disposal
privilege of the writer to preside, many, unfortunately, who wished to in picking,flaws in Christians and Christian organizations, especially in
participate could not be accommodated. And there is reason to believe
relation to their dealiks with J ews instead of setting to themselves the
that another year, a much larger place than was at the disposal of the task of giving to the Jews themselves, a constructive program through
congregtion this year, will be filled to its capacity with earnest and which to overcome the prejudice and the various forms of injustice and
devout participants in the Sedar.
discrimination of which we are the victims.
But after all, the Sedar is essentially, a home and family festival
In most of the Jewish papers, there is lacking the Jewish note,
and the congregational celebration should be but supplementary to that save as it is to be found in the protests made against the anti-Semite.
of the home. It is for this reason that even a Reform congregation There is a strange lack of familiarity in the Jewish press with issues
set its congregational function for the eve of the second day of Pesach. that are of positive and paramount importance to the Jews themselves.
If by doing so, it succeeded its inspiring a large number of its members Issues that vitally affect them are frequently passed over without notice
to hold in addition the Sedar in their homes on the first eve, the primary or commented upon long after they have ceased to be vital.
purpose that it had its view will have been effected.
This is not intended to be a blanket indictment of the Jewish press.
As Pesach has thus been popularized, so, too, may other festivals There arc some notable exceptions among our contemporaries but they
in our religious calendar be made to count for more than they presently are few and far between. Infinitely better it were if there were fewer
do in the lives of our people. Plans arc under way to bring this about so-called Jewish newspapers but all of them with an ideal, than as is
in our local community. That they will be eminently successful, there at present the case, to have some sheet in almost ever town and village
can be not the slightest doubt. And thus will the cause of Judaism be which is in no wise truly representative of Jewish thought and Jewish
enhanced,
idealism.
Business Ethics and the Churches
In season and out of season, the preachers of all denominations
keep thundering from their pupils about the decadence of business
ethics. Surely their indictment of many of the men who sit in the pews
is well merited. Although it is generally contended that the tone of
business morality has been considerably heightened its these last years,
there is none who seriously studies the problems that present themselves
in the modern commercial world, who will believe that conditions are
as they should be.
Business men for the most part, work upon the principle that It is
an economic necessity to buy as cheaply and to sell for as much as pos-
sible. We therefore hold no brief for the morality of modern business.
Perhaps the day will come when it will be generally conceded that
honesty is not only the best "policy,", but that it is also the only proper
principle.
However, the church can expect to exert little influence in bringing
about a better day in this as in other moral situations unless it, itself,
sets a pre-eminent example of right dealing. Unfortunately, of doing
this, it cannot always boast. We have in mind the methods employed
by some churches to take from sister congregations, church singers and
even ministers, by offering them inducements such as would put to
shame the average employment agent in any of our great commercial
concerns. We find little fault with those whose services in the churches
are frankly placed upon a business basis. Chords singers, for instance,
usually consider their services as just a part of their professional activi-
ties—more's the pity for it. In most instances, they arc as much de-
pendent upon the salaries which they obtain for this service as for any
other of the sources of their income. If, therefore, one church offers
larger material advantage than another, they cannot justly be blamed
for being lured by the larger opportunity.
But congregations that should represent the organized conscience
of the community can scarcely justify themselves in their own eyes, if
these larger inducements are surreptitiously offered and without the
courtesy to the employing congregation which at least its some degree.
obtains among competitors in the business world.
We believe we may definitely say that Jewish congregations are less
prone to this sort of thing than others. At least, that has been our
experience with them. They seem to recognize that the business mor-
ality of church and synagog should be of an even higher standard
than that which is common in the ordinary market place.
Until this sentiment becomes snore general among the churches,
the preacher need wonder but little that his message to the business man
is bound to count for little.
A Commendable Experiment
Under the auspices of the Council of Free Synagogs, composed of
the Free Synagogs of New York and vicinity, there is to be conducted
during the coming summer, a so-called Summer School for Rabbis and
Rabbinical Students.
The courses as outlined contain several series of lectures upon the
'history of religion and some of the practical problems of the ministry
which cannot fail to be inspirational to rabbinical students, as well as
to men who are just entering upon the ministry as a life work. While
it would seem to be particularly the function of our Rabbinical col-
leagues rather than of any single congregation or group of congrega-
tions to conduct summer schools for rabbis and theological students, the
effort on the part of those responsible for this experiment is to be com-
mended.
In part, the undertaking has been made possible by the generosity
of some friends of the Free Synagog who have contributed ten scholar-
ships of one hundred dollars each. In return for the privilege of attend-
ing the courses, students at the Summer School will be expected to
participate to some extent, in the work of the Free Synagog during the
period of their attendance. This, however, will give them certain prac-
tical experience in the greatest Jewish community in the world, which
will surely be very helpful to them.
The progress of the Summer School will be watched with interest.
We wish it the greatest success.
•
RESTORATION FUND
BEGINS DRIVE IN
DETROIT ON MAY 2
(Continued from Page One.)
be made either through members of
the committee or at the Zionist Bu-
reau of Detroit, 825 Chamber of Com-
merce Building.
DETROIT OBSERVES
FEAST OF FREEDOM
control the destinies of the Jewish
nation. Now, with this struggle over,
(Continued from Page One.)
a still greater awaits—to transform
the successful idea into a program of city who might otherwise have been
deprived of the privilege of partici-
work.
patign in a Passover service.
Homeland To Be Constructed.
'The Setter committee was in charge
In order to win Palestine for the of Lester J. Leopold.
*
Jews it will be necessary, Mr. I.ipsky
points out, to use material instru- MORRIS BURGER CONDUCTS
ments and to adopt the methods SHAAREY ZEDEK SEDER
necessary for the building of a home.
The Shaarey Zedek repeated its
to acquire capital, to buy material and custom of holding public Seders this
to hire laborers. The Zionist Or- year. The ceremonies took place in
granization of the World aims to pre- the gymnasium of the synagogue,
pare l'alestine for Jewish settlement corner Willis avenue and Brush
by means of water conservation and street, Friday and Saturday evenings.
the development of water power; Morris Burger, as in former years,
sanitation and drainage in cities and conducted the services.
towns; irrigation, reforestation, sur-
The guests numbered 100 and in-
vey and development of natural re- cluded, for the majority, young men
sources, and the establishment of and women who are newcomers to
technical laboratories for agricultural the city.
and industrial purposes.
In addition to these things, the JOURNEYS ON FOOT FOR
money collected for the Palestine
YEAR TO JERUSALEM
Restoration Fund will he used for the
After a year's journey on foot,
maintenance and development of
work already in progress in Pales- Aharon Gabrielow, a Jew front Cali-
tine. Agriculture, industry, commerce casia, has just arrived in Jerusalem,
and banking are to be advanced and according to a report received today
encouraged. The building of a He- by the Zionist Organization of Amer-
brew University on the Mount of ica.
This modern pilgrim, whose suffer-
Olives is to be realized, preliminary
arrangements for its construction ings and hardships equalled those en-
having already begun. Palestine Res- dured on similar attempts to reach
toration Fund money will also be used the Holy City during the .Middle
to advance loans to agricultural and Ages, walked through Caucasia and
industrial organizations and co-oper- Persia, via Bagdad, to get to Jeru-
ate groups; the rehabilitation of salem, the report stated.
According to the records of the
Jewish colonies and replanting of for-
ests; the extermination of malaria and Zionist Organization it is the longest
journey
ever made entirely on foot,
the improvement of housing condi-
in the daring attempts of Jews in the
tions.
past few years, to break through the
Prominent Men Comprise Board.
barriers of their native countries and
The advisory hoard of the National get to Palestine.
Palestine Restoration Fund Commit-
tee includes the most prominent Jews
and Gentiles of the United States,
among them being: Hon. Newton D.
Baker, Hon. James M. Beck, lion.
Louis D. Brandeis, William Jennings
Bryan, Rt. Rev. Charles S. Burch,
Nicholas Murray Butler, Hon. Arthur
Capper, Hon. Benj. N. Cardozo, Sig-
HOTTER
mund Eisner, Pres. Charles W. Eliot,
Hon. Abram I. Elkus, Mrs. Joseph
tis THAN SUNSHINE
Fels, Bernard Flexner, Dr. Harry
Friedenwald, Pres. Harry A. Garfield,
Cardinal Gibbons, G. Stanley Hall,
Philip S. Henry, Hamilton Holt, Da-
vid Starr Jordan, lion. Frank 0.
Lowden, Rev. Dr. Frederick Lynch,
Percy Mackay(, Hon. Julius M.
Mayer, lion. William G. McAdoo,
William Fellowes Morgan, Peter J.
Schweitzer, Hon. Alfred E. Smith,
Charles F. Thwing, Rt. Rev. Luther
B. Wilson and Dr. Henry Van Dyke.
REG.S.S.PAT. OFF..
Subscriptions to the Palestine Res-
toration Fund will be accepted pre-
liminary to the opening of the cam-
paign on May 2. Contributions can
U.F. &S.
3 COAL
PPM
The Word of God came unto me,
Sitting alone among the multitudes;
And my blind eyes were touched with light,
And there was laid upon my lips a flame of fire.
I laugh and shout, for life is good,
Though my feet are set in silent ways.
In merry mood I leave the crowd
To walk in my garden. Ever as I walk
I gather fruits and flowers in my hands,
And with joyful heart I bless the sun
That kindles all the place with radiant life.
I run with playful winds that blow the scent
Of rose and jessamine in eddying whirls.
At last I come where tall lilies grow,
Lifting their faces like white saints to God.
While the lilies pray, I kneel upon the ground;
I have strayed into the holy temple of the Lord.
HELEN KELLER
in New-Church Messenger.
Report of Director of New York
Public Library Shows Growth
of Yiddish and Hebrew Books
Interesting Acquisitions Include Literature on Zionist
Topics and Colonization in Palestine—Books and
Publications in Yiddish Language Increase.
Of particular interest to the Jews
of the entire country : is that part of
the annual report of the director of
the New York Public Library which
re fers to the Jewish division of the
library. The year 1919 is character-
ized by Director F. II. Anderson as
"another lean year" for Jewish
Group s sa of
ity;'
voted to the revival of the Hebrew
language and to the development oi
its literature. In the pursuit of his
aim. this isfaecenas founded a pub
lishing house in this city, with a
branch in \Varsaw; in the latter a
number it( Ilebrew translations of the
literary ela•sics of the world are be-
ing issued."
Of late the library has noted a new
development in connection with the
use of its Yiddish books. Instruction
is being given its both the Yiddish
langeage and its literature to chil.
dren and adults in a number of
schools "maintained by the labor eh-
incnt of the more recent immigrants."
authors of abil-
"have for some time
been enlisted in the service of the
Zionist cause, and are writing about
lie Jewish 11:16On:111 St 1110VCIIICII ."
The library has acquired a number
of works on Palestine and Zionism,
also many books . recently published
in Palestine. The acquisitions in-
:Mentioned as of special interest to
clude the works of Sokolow, Wil-
Jewish readers in the report is the
kansky and Ruppin, which treat re-
"American Jewish Year Book, 1919,"
spectively of the past. present and
in which the story of the Jews in
future of the Zionist 1110 \ cmcni. Na. the \\'orld \\'ar is told by means of
limn Sokolow, "the greatest of He-
special articles on the participation
brew journalists," is the author of a
in the struggle of the American, Brit-
history of the Zionist movement front
ish and French J ew ..,, an d on th e
1600-1918. to which the Right Hon. A.
"Jewish battalions ;it:4 the l'alestine
J. Balfour wrote the introduction.
campaign."
Isaac W'ilansky. in "Ila-Derek."
The part of the report devoted to
Jaffa, 1018, covers present conditions.
economical and agricultural, of Jew- the Jewish division closes with the
ish colonies in Palestine, and an- following reference to the theory
alyzes and discusses the method that the Anglo-Saxons are the de-
pursued in colonization. 'Ellis book scendants of the Lost Tribes of
is considered an authoritative ex- Israel:
position of present-clay conditions.
Anglo-Israelite Books
several chapters having been pub-
"Mention may be made of a num-
lished in English, in "Palestine, the
Organ of the British Palestine Com- ber of books, including 'The Northern
mittee." \rariotts translations of the British-Israel Review,' Glasgow', 1910-
entire book are under way and it is 1916, that have been added to the
expected to appear soon in different curious collection of Anglo-Israelite
hooks, now numbering more than a
languages.
hundred volumes. According to their
Many Yiddish Contributions
theory the glorious future promised
Dr. Arthur Ruppin, Palestinian to Israel by the Hebrew prophets
economic expert, in an elaborate w' as not meant for the modern Jews,
w ork published in Berlin, 1919, in the dependents of Judah, but for the
German, gives a summary' of Jewish Anglo-Saxons, who are thought to be
life and work in Palestine, followed the descendants of the lost Tribes of
by a carefully elaborated plan for the Israel.
reclamation of the land, its settle-
"In these prophecies. the United
uncut of Jews and their gradual as- States is seen in the guise of the
sumption of control "when they have tribe of Manasseh and a reference is
become the majority and have been found even to the American eagle in
trained in the art of self-govern- Ezekiel xvii.„3. Like other theorist:
numb"
in the various domains of thought
Attention is called to the constant- who are now busily engaged its ad-
ly increasing number of publications justing their ante-bellum doctrines to
in Yiddish in this country, both orig- the events and results of the Euro-
inal and translated. pear war, some stray Anglo-Israelites
"Since the war and Russia's di s- will now and then visit the library to
memberment," according to the re- grapple with the task of re-interpret-
port, "New York has become the ing the Biblical prophecies so as to
center of activities of Yiddish men tit Great Britain's recent vicissitudes.
of letters, similar to \Varsaw during
"This theory, flattering to race
the quarter of a century preceding
pride and appealing to simple, pious
the war. In general, it may be ob-
minds, naturally has found more fol-
served that during the last tew
lowers and produced more expositors
decades the Yiddish-reading public
than the kindred theory of the iden-
has been growing ,constantly and
tity of the North American Indians
rapidly. At the time the Jewish di-
vision was established, about twenty- with the Ten Tribes. Started by the
eccentric Richards Brothers early in
three years ago, there was hardly any
the last century, it is said to have
serious thought given to Yiddish lit-
erature. Few then foresaw the im- now 2,000,0(10 adherents in Britain
and the United States.
portance it would soon assume in
"There is but one step," concludes
Jewish life. Many even predicted its
speedy decay and disappearance from the director, "from Anglo-Israelism
to
another peculiar class of literature
the number of living languages, solute
giving it at the utmost twenty-five which may be mentioned lucre. In
years of life in the United States. numerous publications there are at-
Meanwhile, Yiddish was continually tempts to show that the Hebrew
forging ahead, as a result of the rise prophets predicted the World War,
of democracy and the awakening of as well as its minutest operations and
the laboring classes of Eastern Eu- its final outcome. They lay under
contribution Ezekiel's descriptions of
rope.
the wars of Gog and Magog; Daniel's
New Hebrew Publications
allegorical four beasts, his seventy
"In Hebrew, literature," continues weeks and other oracular time di-
the report, "mention should be made visions; the well-advertised four
of the ambitious new literary month- horsemen of the Apocalypse and its
ly 'Miklat. This occupies a position battle of Armageddon, and many
similar to that formerly held by Ha- other similar passages of the sacred
Shiloalt,' published in Odessa, which, writings.
to a certain extent, meant to Hebrew
"Eighty-two titles of such books
letters what The Atlantic Monthly and articles are listed in the public
is to American letters. The new catalogue. As a Judeo-Aramaic say-
magazine owes its existence to the ing has it: 'There is nothing to which
generosity of a Russian merchant de- Scripture does not allude.'"
HARD COAL
BEST QUALITY — PROMPT DELIVERY
FAIR PRICES
—
ANY QUANTITY
THE OLD RELIABLE "PITTSTON" COAL
ORDER IT NOW
FUED FUEL bi5UPPLY
Free Press Building
Cherry 3860