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TROVeTWITAWISA (11 ROA
PAGE FOUR
I
LTROITJEWISII ItRONICLII
MICHIGAN'S JEWISH HOME PUBLICATION
Published Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc.
Joseph J. Cummins, President.
Entered
us second-class matter March 3, 1916, at the PolitoMce at Detroit,
MIch n under the Act of March 3, 1879.
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RABBI LEO M. FRANKLIN
Editorial Contribute,
The Jewish Chronicle Invites correspondence on subjects of Interest to the
Jewish people, but disclaims responsibility for an indorsement of the view
expressed by the writers.
July 1, 1921.
saa.
an apt illustration of the attitude of the American Jew toward voc,c,Da*******************
his country. Ile is . the American and the Jew. The more in-1
tense his Judaism, the more loyal his Americanism. Aaronsohn
is the emodied, nay, the living answer to the charge made by
unscrpulous enemies that the Jew is not and cannot be the
0-0-0-004-
patriot. lie is but representative of thousands of his co-re-
ligionists who without thought of personal interest were ready
IS THERE A MELTING POT?
as were the red blooded Americans of every faith to lay down
(The Jewish Daily News).
their all, even unto life itself, upon the altar of their country
The fusion of races is always an
when the call for service came.
interesting study. Books by the thou-
How should a man like Michael Aaronsohn silence those sands have been written on that all-
detractors whose own sons stayed at home when the great con- absorbing subject. We have talked
flict was on! Ile stands forth the embodiment of that Ameri- of the "Melting Pot" and both Israel
and the Rev. Dr. Samuel
canism which knows how to struggle and how to sacrifice and Zangwill
Schulman, rabbi of Tempel Beth El,
how to endure without a whimper, while they, American only Nework have laid claim to the dis-
by the fact that they were privileged to be born upon this tinction of being the first to coin the
blessed soil, remained in the protection of their homes to let phrase.
Dr. Charles W. Eliot, President
such hated Jews as Michael Aaronsohn do their fighting and
Emeritus of Harvard University has
their sacrificing for them.
been discussing the question. In an
For the moment, misrepresentation and calumny may ob- address delivered about a week ago
scum the truth, but history, disdaining the shirker and the at a dinner given by the Boston
Chamber of Commerce to foreign stu-
slacker, shall write the name of Michael Aaronsohn and those dents ut institutions in Greater Bos-
who went out as he did to do their duty, in letters of gold where ton, the eminent educator said:
"We have in the United States no
to their inspiration all men shall read 017.
Sivan 25, 5681.
Mr. Morgenthau on Zionism.
What is perhaps the most uncompromising and yet appar-
ently the most logical arraignment of the philosophy as well
as the practical program of Zionism that has yet appeared in
the public press, is contained in the lengthy article that appears
in the July number of World's Work and that has been re-
printed practically in full in the daily press. Mr. Morgenthau
writes plainly and without ambiguity. Apparently he feels
that the time has come when all misunderstanding as to the
attitude of the non-Zionist Jew must be definitely cleared
away.
Few there are even among the most rabid opponents of •
the movement who have with such uncompromising logic set
down their convictions, Albeit he writes with great earnest-
ness, he is not moved by undue passion but apparently he sees
in the misunderstandings that have arisen out of Zionistic
propaganda a real menace to the cause of world Jewry. None
will question the sincerity or the depth of Mr. Morgenthau's
Jewish sympathies. • The.fertior of his Jewish feeling has mani-
fested itself too often and in too many forms of splendid serv-
ice for that. But as though echoing words that had been spoken
by some of the opponents of Zionlism years ago,' he says in the'
title of his article, that "Zionism is a surrender and not a solu-
tion." The opening paragraph of his article is keynote to the
whole. He writes;
"Zionism is the most stupendous fallacy in Jewish history.
I assert that it is wrong in principle and impossible of realization;
that it is unsound in its economics, fantastical in its politics and
sterile in its spiritual ideals. Where it is not pathetically visionary,
it is a cruel playingIrtih the hopes of a people blindly seeking their
way out of age-long miseries."
This diagnosis, harsh as it is, he proceeds to verify, not by
idle phrases that sound well but mean nothing, but by a pains-
taking analysis of basic facts and conditions. The Balfour
Declaration, which he says is not even a compromise, he char-
acterfzea as a shrewd and cunning delusion. He is, however,
not the first to assert that the Balfour Declaration upon which
leading Zionists base their fondest hopes, actually gave noth-
ing more than the vaguest sort of promise. Between the lines
of more recent Zionistic writings, we glean the truth that this
bitter fact is coming slowly but surely to dawn even upon the
minds of the leaders of the movement. In one part in particu-
lar, Mr. Morgenthau in the course of his article seems to have
slipped into an error. Ile says: "I have been astonished to
find that such an intelligent body of American Jews as the
Central Conference of American Rabbis should have fallen
into a grievous misunderstanding of the purport of the Balfour
Declaration. In a resolution adopted by them they assert that
the Declaration says 'Palestine is to be a national homeland
for the Jewish people.'"
The fact is that no organization has been more open-eyed
to the full implications or the lack of them in the Balfour
Declaration than the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
And no group of men acting together has been more consistent
in asserting that the terms of the Balfour Declaration or indeed
the consummation of the program of political Zionism would
bring nothing to the Jew but disappointment if not absolute
disaster. The Central Conference of American Rabbis has
placed itself on record not once by many times in opposition
to political Zionism, while at the same time asserting its readi-
ness and its desire to assist in the physical rehabilitation of
Palestine for those of our co-religionists who might deem it
desirable to make their homes there. But the Rabbinical Con-
ference has never been deluded into the error which Mr. Mor-
genthau charges against it. The fact of the matter is that his
article seems almost an echo of the sentiments that frequently
in these past years have been expressed from the floor of the
Conference conventions. Indeed, his closing words might al-
most have been taken verbatim from one or the other of the
Conference discussions. He says. "The Jews of France have
found Grance to be their Zion; the Jews of England have found
England to be their Zion; we Jews of America have found
America to be our Zion; therefore I refuse to allow myself to
be called a Zionist. I am an American."
While no doubt Mr. Morgenthau's position will be ques-
tioned by Zionistic leaders, and while he will unquestionably
be damned by some of them, those who are alert to the real
dangers of political Zionism will feel that he has done a great
service to the cause of Israel by setting the non-Zionistic Jew
right before the world.
IMO (Our
(1.1untrinporaviro
such thing its a melting put, no such
thing as assimilation of all these
races as a common stock. There nev-
er has been; there never will be.
After less than a year's service al Rabbi of the Coiling-
"That is the spectacle offered by
wood Avenue Temple of Toledo, Rabbi Rudolph I.*Coffee has all these nationalities, living together
here,
sometimes in large groups, some
resigned his charge there to associate himself with the con-
gregation at Oakland, California. During the brief period of times scattered. Each race has held
aloof from the others, they do not
his residence in Toledo, Rabbi Coffee made himself felt not mix, they do not intermarry, or, at
only in the life of the Jewish community of his city, but as well least, they have done as only to a de-
in that of the larger civic life of Toledo. He is an indomitable gree so slight that it would take thou-
worker and is greatly interested in all matters pertaining to sands upon thousands of years to af-
fect the country.
the civic and social welfare. His departure from Toledo is
"Those who have eyes may see here
an example for the whole world:.
therefore a matter of regret to many.
many
races living apart, but together
In this connection, it may be said that one of the factors
though different, in harmony, and
making for efficiency in the Jewish pulpit is the fact that, as more and more acquiring the common
to rule, rabbis are accustomed to serve their congregations for ideals of liberty and law. Let that
a longer continuous period than is usually the case with the be you r picture of the world hereaf-
ter: The nations living side by side,
ministers of other denominations. We know of rabbis in this just like the united people composed
country who have served their congregations for upwards of of different racial elements in great
three dckades and it is not at all unusual in these days for a variety.
"The separate merits, virtues and
rabbi to serve a single congregation continuously for a quarter
gifts of each will be as they have
of a century. Moreover, the custom of electing the rabbi for been here, preserved, not extinguish-
life is happily growing among the leading congregations of ed by intercourse or commerce, but
instead strengthened to the good of
this country.
the whole. That is the case of our
Frequent pulpit changes are good neither for the minister country: so must it be in the federa-
nro for the people. It requires years of contact and service tion of the world."
Dr. Eliot has gaged the situation
for the minister to sense the spiritual needs of his community
and equally it requires a long period of time for the congre- correctly. There is to absolute, no
complete amalgam of peoples. Be-
gation to understand and appreciate the ideals and the aspira- hind every group there is a past
tions of their minister. Ile is most successful in the pulpit who which stretches into the ages pod
is, as it were, a member of every household represented in his which leaves an indelible impress up-
all generations, which is part of
congregation; who has shared in the joys and the sorrows of on
the woof and warp of every human
his people; who has Wien their counsellor and their advisor in being. It is not a physical question
times of trial and of trouble and who in the uncounted ways at all, it is much more of a spiritual
that a Minister may serve, has helped his people over the rough nature.
To speak of internationalism and
places in their lives.
meaning thereby absorption is to ut-
Moreover, in a community sense, the rabbi can hope to ter the veriest nonsense. What we
make comparatively little impression unless, through a period want to strive for are common ideals,
a community of interest, and Dr. Eliot
of service, he establishes between himself and his fellow citi- has this in mind. Frontiers may be
zen; that, complete confidence which cannot possibly be hoped artificial, but they exist, have always
existed and will continue to exist.
for in the period of a few months or even of a few years.
cannot be eradicated. All per
All of this is said, of course, with no personal reference to They
sons are born equal, but in course of •
Rabbi Coffee, whose departure from Toledo after a brief serv- time each individuality develops
ice there has been necessitated by conditions beyond his con- along specific lines. And it is just •
trol. But we speak generally. The long pastorate is, as a as well that this is so. Uniformity
spells stagnation and ultimate death.
rule, the successful pastorate both for the minister and for the what the world needs is not uniform-
congregation. One needs but to note the length of service of ity, but harmony, a realization that
the rabbis in the leading congregations of this country to verify each group has a right to live, that
each ration has a right to develop.
this. Those congregations that in point of numbers and influ- , The world is suffering from chau-
ence have forged to the forefront in recent years are without vinism, from a desire to force uni-
exception those whose ministers have served them for many formity upon mankind. Each group
has contributed something to the
years. It is inevitable that this should be so. It requires years common
weal and this should lie the
to lay the foundations of congregational life and yet other test of civilization.
A New York professor recently .
years to build up the edifice of congregational influence upon
that foundation. In engaging the services of a rabbi, congre- made a very happy suggestion. He
said that there should be an interna-
gations should bear this fact well in mind and in accepting a tional press, the newspapers should
pulpit rabbis should not forget it.
have an international viewpoint and
As a general rule, it may be said that the rabbis who change instead of fostering racial antipath-
ies and national hatreds teach how
their pulpits frequently are not those who possess the fullest nations can work together.
qualifications for rabbinical service. But it is equally true that
In other words, Dr. Eliot and that
generally those congregations whose pulpits are often vacant university professor want to banish'
are not such as have risen to a realization of proper congrega- selfishness, want to throw into the
discard the policies of statesmen and
tional ideals and to the relationship that should obtain between diplomats who seek aggrandizement
the rabbi and his people. Someone, paraphrasing Heine's for their respective countries at the
familiar phrase, once said: "Every congregation has the rabbi expense of the other lands.
There is no Melting PM; there can
it deserves." We are sometimes inclined to believe that this is and should be a Co-operation Pot, a
absolutely true.
Ha rmony Kettle.
Rabbi and Congregation.
SHALL WE SURVIVE?
Dr. Morris Jastrow.
(The American Hebrew).
The sudden death of Dr. Morris Jastrow, Jr., of Phila-
A recent newspaper item informs
delphia removes one of the foremost authorities in the realm us that an African tribe dwelling on
of Oriental culture and literature of the present generation. the rim or Sahara was forced to mi-
His works dealing with Oriental religions and literature have grate to the coast because the terri-
tory it originally occupied had be-
become classic and throughout the scholarly world he is looked come uninhabitable through contm-
upon as a leading authority in his particular line of research • seed drouth. In its new habitat thin
For almost three decades he has held the chair of Semitic lan- tribe found that it could not compete
guages in the University of Pennsylvania, of which great school with the more energetic and more
progressive peoples among whom it
he was also the librarian at the time of his death. The son was thrown. With characteristic fat-
of the famous American Rabbi—Dr. Marcus Jastrow—he him- alism the chiefs of the tribe thereup.
self had studied for the ministry but early in his career decided on decided to follow a policy of tribal
annihilation.
Marriage has been
that teaching rather than preaching favored his inclinations • strictly forbidden. There is some-
A member of the American Philosophic Society and a stele -, thing poignantly pathetic in the spec-
gate appointed by the United States government to three sac _ tacle of this moribund people giving
cessive international Congresses of Orientalists, as well as to up the struggle of life and deliber-
ately choosing death.
the third and fourth International Congresses for the History
The Jewish people all over the
of Religions, Dr. Jastrow was a figure of international promi - world have never faced more deter-
- nence. He was a loyal Jew and a patriotic American. The mined brutality and oppression than
, they do today. From everywhere
world of politics, the domain of religion and the sphere o come tidings of persecution and
Michael Aaronsohn.
literature are perhaps equally indebted to him. His passing slaughter. Whether it be the latest
The national convention of Disabled Veterans of the World will be mourned by many.
pogrom in the barbaric hinterlands
War was opened with prayer this week by Michael Aaronsohn,
of Europe or another sophist assault
from some anti-Semitic sniping post
who also delivered an address upon "The Progress of the .
in England or America, there is so
Blind" since the close of the great struggle. Michael Aaron-
much to dishearten us, if we were not
sohn, early in 1918, then a youth of 18 years, sound of body
made of sterner stuff. The sun never
sets on Jewish agony. But thanks to
as he was quick of mind, was a student for the Jewish ministry
the Almighty Lord, who in his om-
at the Hebrew Union College. But America, as the God-
niscience sees fit to try our souls, no
appointed sponsor of human freedom, of justice and humanity,
cry of Morituri salutamus! shall lx'
could no longer sit by when those nations that stood arrayed'
wrung from our lips. No doom has
pronounced for us by the lead-
against the Hun needed her help and she entered the ranks of t2•111111111111111111111111111111111111ill111111111111111111111111111111I11111111111111111111111111WHIMINIIIIIIIM1111112 been
era of our faith. We refuse to be
the fighters as one of the Allies.
shell-shocked into suicide. We intend
The call for volunteers went forth and among the first to
to live on and to fight on until our last
oppressor has perished and until all
answer that call was Michael Aaronsohn. It was not required
the world's man-made sorrow is toss-
of him to go. As a theological student, he was, under the laws
•l into the oubliette of time.
of our country, exempt from the draft. But that meant noth-
ing to him. Duty called and he answered as, by the way, did
The sun and moon unchanging do obey
80 per cent of the students of the Hebrew Union College, all
The laws that never cease by night or day.
of whom, like himself, might have escaped military service
had they so desired, on the ground of being theological •
Appointed signs are they to Jacob's seed
students.
E_--
-:
That life eternal hath been then decreed.
Aaronsohn was among the first to go across, as he was ff-
among the first to fall a victim to the atrocities of war. While
And though, 0 Lord, thy left hand dealth pain,
helping some of his companions, who had been wounded. to a
Thy right shall lead them back to joy again.
place of safety, a piece of shrapnel exploded and blinded him
beyond the possibility of ever regaining his sight. But though .-=-:
Let not despair oppress their qualing heart,
the world around from that moment became dark to him. the :..4
Though radiant Fortune from their midst depart.
light within the young man's soul was not dimmed. After E_
many weeks and months in the military hospital, he came home
But let this constant faith their soul uphold,
and in record time mastered . • the art
ff:
• of seeing without eyes. 7
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GIAS I+. JOSEPI-1-'=--
(Copyright, MI.
By Chas II. Joseph.)
One would think that the Poles in this country had enough to do
without bothering other people and intruding themselves in other
folks' business. I have before me • circular of • book called "A World
Problem" which is being widely circulated. One paragraph of the cir-
cular reads thus: "The American people need to know the truth about
the different peoples of the great Republic—people who either aid the
constructive work of the nation and strengthen its national life, or
who tend to weaken and cause deterioration of its national fiber."
All that sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? But wait • moment.
Two paragraphs further down we discover this, "The book, 'A World
Problem,' aims to enlighten the public to the tremendous, ever-increas-
ing power and international activity of the most exclusive neople, the
Jews, in connection with the other nationalities of the world." There
you have the poison of the Polish snake. It isn't necessary to give the
name of the author of the book. All I wish to say is that I think
since the Poles have been given the opportunity to find • place "in the
sun" in this country that they could engage in better business than
to deliberately attempt to prejudice the minds of the American peo-
ple against the Jews. Such tactics should be left at home in Poland.
I was rather interested in an article called "The Great Stupidity,"
written by William Archer, the distinguished Englishman, in • recent
issue of the Atlantic. One paragraph appealed to me with unusual
emphasis. Mr. Archer was referring to the ill feeling that is all too
prevalent between the American and English peoples. And he said
that just because some Americans are ill-mannered and rather crude
in their social ceremonies that was no reason why all Americans should
be judged by these few. It was true, he continued, that the Americans
hare some social habits that could be amended to their benefit hut,
after all, Americans were so and so and thus and so. It occurred to
me that so many non-Jews in this country who want to be exclusive
even in second and third-class hotels and clubs might get a new angle
on themselves by reading what others think of them. It reminded me
so much of the articles we find about the Jews—only in this cue the
shoe was decidedly on the other foot.
Collier's Weekly tells its readers to stop "joining." We are becom-
ing a nation of joiners. Somebody writes us • letter or with • soft
Oh, that doesn't
voice over the phone urges us to "join." Join what?
make much difference; perhaps the Elks, or the Hungry Club, or the
protection of stray dogs, or to help the Ak•md of Swat buy • new
turban, or to befriend the friends of Irish Freedom, or to buy tools
for Palestinian farmers, or to help • Jewish Woman's Club save the
forests, or some Neighborhood Group to help the fallen children in the
block, or the Order of the Eastern Star, or the Ili-Weekly Musical
Club, or—well, you can keep on end spend the evening filling out
the list.
We are "committed" to death, and conferenced to death, and dupli-
cated without end, and wasteful beyond the wildest dreams. We are
becoming fustyers, and busibodies, and minders of everybody else's
business whether it is buying breakfast food for stray eats or hymn
books for the Iggorotes. One's mail is piled high with invitations to
join while the joining is good, the cost being all the way from 50 cents
to the-sky-is-the-limit. What we need is a grand reorganization of the
nation's self-constituted helpers, uplifter. and saviors. There ought
to be two or three funds to take care of everything, and there ought
to be just about • million fewer committees, and • hundred thousand
less luncheon clubs, to say nothing of lodges.
The editor of Collier's suggests, and I heartily second the sugges-
tion only more so, that if your community is worried over the welfare
of tailless eats—don't join a club or appoint a committee—pin the job
single-handed on some enthusiastic person who is crazy about mts or
keen about short tails, or something—and let him go to it. And let
those others of the community who have work to do tend to their work.
- —
Walter Hurt, who is looking at Jewish problems through Gentile
glum., is surely an optimist, Jewishly speaking. He says that anti-
Semitism is gasping for breath and that it will soon be • thing of the
past, and that even if the Jew p , Judaism will remain and reform
the world. He thinks that amalgamation, which I interpret to mean
"assimilation," does not mean Jewish annihilation. Here we have
enough texts for a great many sermons from Jewish and Christian
pulpits and reams of editorial.. I confess I cannot share Mr. Hurt's
optimism regarding the quick ending of anti•Jewish feeling.
Men will have to be developed much more spiritually and humanly
than they are today before we shall see the end of •nti•Semitism.
Before that can cease from the face of the earth hate shal have to be
eliminated from human minds and human hearts; but, speaking prac-
tically, when the inhabitants of this world believe that they are mem•
hers of the same family and they are all children of God—I say, when
they believe that—then there is some chance that •nti•Semilism will
pass away. I am sure that Mr. Hurt will agree that if my premise is
correct that it will be some thousands of years before the result he
expects will be realized. As for Judaism surviving and becoming the
greatest religious force among men, if the Jew should pass away—
well, I would like to hear from the Rabbis on that subject.
- —
Henry Mencken and George Jean Nathan (I bracket their names
because they are jointly responsible for the statement) say that the
comic weekly, among other influential changes it has brought about,
has been the noticeable decrease in the number and size of diamonds
worn by Jewish women. They maintain that the caricaturist and the
funny and satirical paragrapher as well a. the jokesmith brought home
an over-display
to their readers this apparent Jewish weakness for ■
of diamonds, that Jewish women became more sensitive on the subject
and began to be more circumspect in this regard. Well, what am I
expected to say?
I like the flourish that the officers of the Independent Order B'rith
Abraham give to their momentous decisions. The order is going to
raise $1,000,000 immediately to combat anti-Semitic propaganda in
this country. There is no doubt about it: • million will be raised,
though I have yet to see any Jewish organization that ever raised such
en amount for any such purpose. And then the newly elected Grand
Master, along with the attorney for the order, will go to Washington
and at once arrange with President Harding and Attorney-Genemd
Daugherty to have the Dearborn Independent and other anti-Semitic
periodicals suppressed. The whole thing is so simple it's a wonder
that it wasn't thought of before. I wonder if these men ever heard
of the term "mischievous activity?"
Now we are beginning to see the light. Before the Senate commit-
tee hearing the case of Ford and Newberry, Allan Templeman of De-
troit, who was chairman of the Newberry general committee, testified
that "Mr. Ford called me in after the election and told me he believed
• gang of Jews had a general conspiracy to control the Senate and the
government and that they had backed Newberry. He said that $1,000,-
000 had been spent in the state to carry the election." So that is
why the worthy savior, the modern knight, the Flivver King, started
• campaign to save the Gentiles from Jewish domin•toin. Quite •
different reason than that given by Liebold in his recent painful ex-
planation to the Ford dealers who have been losing sales.
Fourteen Rabbis were recently added to the list of the American
Rabbinate — rather I should say twenty-two—fourteen from the Cin-
cinnati College and eight from the New York Seminary. Fifty pul-
pits, yes more including the so-called conservative
tire ones, to be filled
•nd only twenty-two new graduates to fill them. The elders in Israel
—not the elders that live in the imagination of Henry Ford—but the
elders who have sons—should consider encouraging them to take up
the ministry. I know that many of my readers will smile at this; yet
they won't smile so much later on.
I would like to see the alleged attack of the Pope on the Jews of
Palestine checked up. I can scarcely believe that the Vatican, whether
the Pope or the secretary would accuse the Jews of taking advantage
of the suffering of the inhabitants due to the war. It may be that
that part of the report referring to his "anxiety over the situation due
the privileged position enjoyed by the Jews in P•lestne, which is dan•
gerous to the Ch e ee ians," is true. But that the Pope or his repro-
sent•tive would make such • shocking accusation a charged is beyond
belief. That there is • strong feeling among the various races •nd
relgions in Palestine no one can deny, but that it should result in such
cruel charges seems a step beyond the limit even for the Vatican.
WAKE Up !!
IT'S TIME TO BUILD
`&did Mr the oe(es with
U.E.L. oSk. UPPLY
•