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PAGE SIX

THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

MICHIGAN'S JEWISH HOME PUBLICATION

Published Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co.. Inc.

President
Secretary-Treasurer

JOSEPH J. CUMMINS
NATHAN J. GOULD

Entered as second-clan matter March 3, 1916, at the Postofhce at Detroit,
Mich., under the Act of March 3, 1879.

Offices, 1334 Book Building

Telephone Cherry 3381

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RADII LSO K FRANKLIN

Editorial Contributor

The Jewish Chronicle invitee correspondence on subiects of interest to
dm Jewish people, but disclaims responsibility for an indorsement of the
news expressed by the writers.

Friday, July 9, 1920.

Tamuz 23, 5680.

The Rochester Convention

•

it is fair to say that in the thirty-one years that have elapsed
since the genius of Isaac 'Al. Wise created the Central Conference
of American Rabbis, there has never been another convention that
in point of constructive accomplishments has surpassed that held in
Rochester from June 29th to July 0th. Moreover, the spirit of
enthusiasm and of earnestness that pervaded the sessions from first
to last was unusual. Large in point of numbers, the Rabbis assem-
bled seem to a man to sense the fact that we are living in a crucial
time and that problems more vital to Israel and to humanity are
pressing for solution today than has been the case at any previous
period of our history.
Those who were responsible for shaping the program apparently
realized that what men are asking for today, are not mere academic
theories, but they are seeking guidance and inspiration amid the
troubled conditions of present day life. And yet, it must not be
thought that the papers read, and the discussions carried on, were
so practical in character as to obscure the spiritual background of
Jewish life. As a matter of fact, it was strikingly established, even
in the papers that the superficial reader might denominate as emi-
nently practical, that the Jew as Jew loses his place and his power
in the world the moment he ceases to he a spiritual factor. If insti-
tutionalism in the synagog is to be encouraged, it is after all only as
a means of deepening the sense of religious responsibility on the
part of the people. If numbers are important, and an effort should
be made to bring into the synagog every Jew, it is not that large
roster of membership is the final test of congregational success, but
because in numbers and in organization there is implied the possi-
bility of great accomplishment along spiritual and religious lines.
Some there are no doubt who, following the deliberations of the
Conference, would hold that a note of pessimism as to present con-
ditions as well as to the outlook for the future ran through most of
the addresses made upon the floor of the Convention. But this view
is really not well founded. It is true, conditions as they exist today
are by no means satisfactory. The unrest that characterizes every
phase of modern life cannot be without its immediate influence upon
the religious life in general atul upon the life of the Jew in particular.
Irowever, a recognition of the fact that all is nut well with us is the
first condition of that constructive effort that must be put forth if
we are to rise to our highest possibilities in the service of life among
men. Never before has the note been more persistently sounded
that there rests upon the Jew today the bounden obligation to bring
to the vexed and bleeding hearts of men some healing balm and to
help them in meeting the perplexities which life in a world whose
moral foundations have been undermined lays upon them. Never
with greater earnestness has it been set forth that it rests upon the
leaders and teachers in Israel to bring to our ((•n people some high
inspiration that will lift them out of the depths not only of their
despair, but of that degradation into which they have permitted the
material conditions (4 the times to drag them..
Nor is it the least striking feature of the situation that an analysis
of the Conference proceedings stresses to us that what the Rabbis
sensed as the crucial need of the hour—namely, the emphasis upon
the spiritual—was reinforced in the addresses made by the several
laymen who appeared as speakers before the Convention. In fact,
by many, the very remarkable address by Professor I. Leo Shulman,
of the University of pichigan, was regarded as one of the most
masterly appeals for Ore deepening of the religious life that has ever
been made to any Ludy of religious teachers. Strikingly enough,
laymen and rabbis scented to grasp the fact with absolute clearness
that what the Jew needs above all today is to be told that all of his
material success, that all of his accomplishments in the domain of
finance, of commerce and of industry, must eventually count for
little if, in the attainment thereof, his spiritual life is dwarfed and
his nobler incentives are deadened.
The exhaustive survey of religious conditions that was pre-
sented in a remarkable series of papers indicated that the apparent
failure of Judaism as a religion to exert a vital influence upon the
Jew of today is due nut to any inherent weakness in Judaism itself,
but rather to a condition universal in the religious world affecting
all faiths and all creeds. Rut the condition is a passing one and the
eternal principles of our faith will assuredly assert themselves as
vital and life-giving forces in the upbuilding of civilization and
humanity. But to the re - vitalization Of our faith every force at our
command must be brought to bear. Worship in the synagog must
be made more inspiring and prayer nose personal. Religious educa-
tion must be put upon a higher plane and every possible equipment
that can add to its efficiency must be placed at the disposal of the
religions scluol. Religion must be connected up with life at every
point. Therefore, social service must be intimately associated with
synagogal activities. The democratization of the synagog must go
steadily forward. Those who stand outside its influence must he
sympathetically appealed to, but in in, spirit of patronage or offen-
sive paternalism. Character and not wealth must be the condition
of participation in the congregational life. Nlany who give money
to the synagog give less than they who bring as their offering serv-
ice and inspiration.
Nor dare the synagog of today content itself with speaking in
vague generalities that may mean anything or nothing. It must
express itself in no uncertain terms upon the great social and eel,.
numic problems that are now engaging the thought of the best minds
in this and other countries. Courageously the Jew must call for
justice, not merely to the so-called laboring classes, but as well to
those who occupy the highest places in the industrial realm. It is a
ringing declaration that the Conference makes in its Social Justice
program. A reading of this document must surely impress both
capitalist and laborer with the fact that, true to our Jewish trAi-
tions, the Rabbi in America as the spokesman of the thought of the
people, stands committee(' to a program of social righteousness
under which no man and no group of men shall rise to success over
the bruised and broken bodies and dwarfed souls of their fellows.
Many social programs that have recently been framed have been
fairly one-sided. The Conference program, while calling coura-
geously for justice to all, has successfully avoided the pitfall of par-
tisanship and prejudice. It recognizes very clearly that the abound-
ing evils that beset men today are not the creation of any single class
and that they will not be successfully overcome until there is a gen-
eral recognition of the interdependence of groups and classes.
Respect for the law of the land was strikingly emphasized as a
fundamental condition of the right to live here. While demand is

3 [*4 _±we. 419.7rit
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made that no cruel or unseemly punishments be meted Out to polit-
ical offenders, there can be no question in the minds of those Nvho
read the social program of the Conference that the Rabbis of
America, speaking for their constituents, have neither sytnpathy nor
patience with any attempt to change existing conditions by means of
violent act or incendiary speech.
The Conference declaration upon the subject if Antisemitism is
a document that will surely be thoughtfully read by Jews and 11011-
I
Jcws alike. Confidence is expressed in the fairmindedness of the
J
•
American people and in the spirit of fair play that in this country
'
'.
will surely forever make impossible a repetition of the conditions of
—
prejudice and hate leading to violence that have made the lot of the
Jew in some parts of Europe intolerable.
.
Perhaps no resolution spread upon the records of the Conference
..... .......
i
21...T
i
indicates more clearly the temper of the Amoican Rabbis than that
il
•
dealing with the problem of Zionism. In terms that arc immis-
■
I
..
.
Li, .
takable in their clarity—by a vote of stet to 8—the Conference re-
aflirms its position in opposition to political Zionism, reiterating its
conviction that not in one land only, but in every land where he
1-•
•
,'
•
chooses to make his home the Jew must be given the full rights of
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• -
citizenship, insofar as with the rights of the citizen he is willing to
accept the duties and the obligations which citizenship implies.
On the other hand the Conference leaves no room fur, doubt as
to the duty of the Jew if whatever shade of religious (pinion to help
i
in the rehabilitation of Palestine for those who wish to dwell there.
li
All in all, as stated above, the thirty-first annual convention of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis will go down in history
as an epoch-making one. Through its deliberations the Jewish COO-
sciousness of the leaders and teachers in Israel will surely be appre-
ciably deepened and as a result they will bring to their people in
their various communities a message newly inspired with pride in
Israel's past and with hope in the power of our people to put upo,
the life of today a new and higher consecration. It must of course N:ICONN";•XXONC<",NYNN>
NZ. •:•>. ,Nr,N> '<Cs 0::.€ \.:•X'GX •: •: :COY
be remembered that the Conference is a deliberative rather than a
legislative body. Its resolutions bind nobody but its own constitu-
ents. None the less, as the largest and most influential Rabbinical
body in the world, its pronouncements will have a far-reaching
effect in shaping the opinions not only of Jews but as well of non-
Jews upon the problems social, economic and religious that are now
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pressing for solution upon men and the world over. The
sane, sound analysis of these conditions that has been made by the
FURS are valuable as diamonds and require
Conference and the solutions which it offers will put many under a
greater, care. Jewel risk is from thieves alone
real debt of gratitude to its members.

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Our New Corner
Woodward Ave. at John R.

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WRI,0271846.

■

FUR

Reliable

RECENTLY PUBLISHED
PEACE TREATIES DE-
FINE JEWISH RIGHTS

(Continued from Page One.)

There were the Anglo-Jewish Com-
mission, the Board of Deputies of
British Jews, the Alliance Israelite
Universelle, delegation from Poland,
Galicia, Czecho-Slovakia, Roumania,
Palestine and Italy and finally a dele-
gation front the World Zionist Or-
ganization.
Instead of co-operating with each
other, each of these delegations was
working as if there were no others
in existence. Each presented its own
documents separately to the Secret
wig! of the Peace Conference and
negotiated privately with the various
powers.
The first thing to do 'there was to
get united action. Continuous efforts
were made in this direction finally
resulting in the organization known
as the "Comitf des Delegations Juives

auprea de la Conference de la Paix'
with Judge Jack as Chairman and

Col. Cutler as Treasurer. After Judge
Mack's departure from Paris, the
chairmanstip was taken over by
1.ottis Marshall.
In order to avoid friction and bring
about further co-operation between
the various delegations a Conference
Commission was agreed upon, and
was charged with the task of formu-
lating a joint memorial to be ad-
dressed to the Peace Conference set.
ling forth all the proposals necessary
for the emancipation of the Jews in
Europe. All the various delegations
agreed to support firmly the propo-
sals concerning national rights as
formulated by this Committee.

Resolutions of American Jewish Con-
gress Incorporated in the Articles
of the Peace Treaties.

the World Zionist Organization in
realizing the Balfour declaration
granting to England the mandating
power was also adopted by the Corn-
ite des Delegations Juives.
This
resolution, it &ring in no way from
the one submitted to President
'March 2nd, 1919, was presented
to the Peace Conference, July 10,
1919.
The Turkish Peace Treaty of which
the authentic French copy has just
this minute arrived in the tinned
States adopts unequivocally the Bal-
four declaration of November 2nd,
1917, in favorof anational home for
the Jewish people in Palestine and
re-states its terms. It also provides
for "the appointment of a special
commission chosen by the League of
Nations, to study and regulate all
religious questions in Palestine and
to determine its frontiers."
These articles of (Ile Turkish Peace
Treaty together with the provisions
concerning Jewish rights which are
'quoted below front the newly-arrived
Constitution of Czecho-Slovakia show
triumphantly the work and influence
(if the American Jewish Congress
tlelegation in shaping and achieving
successfully the demands of Ameri-
can Jewry for the benefit of their op-
pressed brethren everywhere.

while Furs are not only stolen, but burned by fire
and eaten by moths. I issue a legal Insurance Pol-
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your Furs in Arctic temperature here in our own
building.

Order restyling now.
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NEWTON ANNIS

Woodward it Clifford

Established 1887 ri

Insure with Confidence

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April 10, 1919, the delegation of
the American Jewish Congress pre-
sented to lion. Robert Lansing, Hon.
Henry White and the other Ameri-
can l'eace Commissioners, the propo-
sals adopted at the meeting of the
American Jewish Congress. in Phil-
adelphia, Dec. 17th, 1918. Except for
a few minor changes in phraseology
those proposals constitute the basis
of the propositions formulated by
the Comite des Delegations Juives
and its subcommittee. These resolu-
tions received the full and unanimous
approval of all the members of the
Conference Committee and were also
signed by the representatives of the
American Jewish Committee. After
being thus unanimously adopted they
were filed with the Secretarist of the
Peace Conference on May 10, 1919.
In article 8b and 93 of the treaty
%nil Germany' is most visible the in-
fluence of the resolutions of the
American Jewish Congress. Article
eh says in part:
"The Chech-Slovak State accepts
and agrees to embody in a treaty
wilt the principal allied and associ-
ated powers, such provisions as may
he deemed necessary by the said
powers to protect the interests of
inhabitants of that State who differ
A public dinner will be tendered to
from the majority of the population Chief Rabbi Joseph if Hertz on Oc-
in race, language or religion."
tober 6. prior to his world tour.
Lionel de Rothschild, M. I'., will pre-
" 11 ' n Poal r a tni' d le acc3
5 iipts and agrees to em- side.
x.
body in a treaty with the principal
allied and associated powers such
provisions as may be deemed neces-
sary by the said Dossiers to protect
the interests of inhabitants of Poland
who differ front the majority of the
population in race, language or re-
ligion" Both of these arc practically
paraphrases of the resolutions of the
American Jewish Congress
Similar articles guaranteeing
tional rights" are incorporated in
treaties sii!ned by Poland. Czech.,
Slovakia, Roumania. the SerlyCro.ii
Slovene state. by Bulgaria, Hone O .,
and Turkey. It is understood
within six months a similar treats
wi'l he signed by Greece.
None of these minority treaties
have as yet been presented to or
Icied on by the United States Senate.'
though they have been approved by
'he constitutional authorities of Great
"
ARGU S FAT.
Britain France. Italy and Japan.
T. OFF,.
The Palestine Question .
The resolution of the American
Jewish Congress to co-onerate with

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Protection of Jewish Rights and
Pogrom Questions.

The delegates of the American
Jewish Congress submitted on May
126, 1919, to l'resident Wilson, and
l the other members of the "Big Four"
the resolutions taken by the Ameri-
can Jewish Congre,ss in protest
against the pogroms in Eastern Eu-
rope, also calling their attention to
conditions in Ukraine and other parts
of ussta. They especially urged
that before recognizing any new or
enlarged slate, emphatic conditions
should he imposed guaranteeing the
effective protection of the Jewish and
other minorities and assuming them
full and equal rights in religious and
business life.
The full constitution of Czech°.
Slovakia which has just been pub.
fished in this country shows that the
demands of the American Jewish
Congress have been realized to an
extent of which the delegates them-
SCi•eS did not even hope. Thus
article 127 of Section VI says:
"All citizens of the Czerho-Slovak
Republic are fully equal before the
law art enjoy civil and political
rights, regardless of race, language
or religion."
"In cities and districts in which
there lives a considerable fraction of
Czechoslovak citizens of other than
Czechoslovak language, children of
such citizens shall receive in public
schools, within the limits of the gen-
eral law governing education, suit-
abl e opportunity to be taught in their
own tongue."
And finally article 133 says:
"Every form of forcible denation-
alization is forbidden. Violation of
this principle may be declared crim-
inal by law."

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