America Prish Periodical Carter
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ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE THE SAME
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PAGE THIRTEEN
JACOB MASE: RABBI AND LEADER
$01.1"11
A Pre-Pogrom Scene in Berlin.
By D. MOSKWIN
(Copyright, 1923, Jewish Telegraphic Agency.)
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BERLIN.—A cafe. A sunny au-
tumn day. Brown and gold patches
on the house fronts, huge, big-bellied.
A soft untroubled sky, the blue
horizon hanging low, with clouds
moving about as on sentry-go. On
the verandah stretching along the
pavement, a ceaselessly animated
cinematograph screen, tables, the
head waiter, a ,bustInig crowd of
customers, a feeling of early morning
in the air, the people at the tables
sipping their coffee, happily en-
grossed, a crowd of exchange jobbers.
Women, pet dogs, horses, tramcars,
automobiles. Lost in the human
mist, a man with a broom, a mys-
terious figure. And as if behind the
scenes of a theater, muttering discon-
tentedly, the German worker casting
vague atmosphere of apprehension
over the scene.
At the tables in the cafe, Jews, two
Germans smoking cigars, and again
Jews. A group of Dutchmen, and
more Jews. A couple of Americans
going to Russia or back to the states,
and Jews.
Waiter," Rosenberg says courte-
ously, "a glass of coffee, please,"
speaking his German with a Yiddish
accent. "What do you say?" he con-
tinues in Russian, turning to Samuel-
son from Harkolf, with whom he has
just become acquainted. "Will there
really be a pogrom in Berlin, or is it
just rumor?"
Samuelson, with his hair cropped
in German fashion, like a RUSSiRS
convict in the olden days, passed the
tips of his fingers over the stiff bris-
tles on his head, and with his face
covered in perspiration, said in a
peevish voice:
"The same thing again! Tell me,
what sort of a subiect is this? Every-
body you meet asks the same ques-
tion—will there he a pogrom?"
"What do you mean?" asked Rosen-
berg of Nikolaiev, in a tone of sur-
prise—"Berlin simply smells of po-
grom," "First"—he ticked it off on
his fingers—"there is the Mark, sec-
ondly, there is the butter—where is
their butter, I ask you? And thirdly
there is Bavaria."
"Drink your coffee," interrupted
Samuelson, "and don't talk foolish-
ness. Where in your pogrom? In
Germany? Idiotic! In Berlin?" He
raised his glass to his lips, the per-
spiration stood out on his forehead.
Ile felt that his heart was heating too
rapidly. Idle chatter! he said to him-
self. Don't be afraid. Pull yourself
together. What does it matter what
they say! A pogrom if you like, and
in Berlin at that. Though, after all,
perhaps I really ought to go away be-
fore there is any trouble.
"Look here." said Rosenberg, mov-
ing closer. "they don't like to hear
people talking Russian here, lust as
they didn't like to hear Yiddish in
Russia. The Russians have =o-
ared to land themselves in a pretty
pickle, haven't they Still that's their
business. We'll talk in Yiddish. After
all, it's some sort of German. My
wife went out recently to buy some
grapes. Now that's hardly a crime,
is it The Germans really ought to
be grateful to the foreigners. We
haven't taken anything away , from
them. On the contrary, we brought
money into the country. But they
argue—shortage of houses. We don't
get any rights, but they want our
money. We have to pay taxes. I
don't need to tell you all that. you
know it as well as I do. Bread is a
milliard. I tell you, it's a madhouse.
What's the rood of it? And then
again—what else shad I do? Do I
WAS telling you—my wife bought two
pounds of grapes. The fruiter
weighed out her two pounds of grapes.
Suddenly he burst out with: "Bloody
Russian Jews!" "They buy up every-
thing! It doesn't matter how much
money you ask for it, they've got it
to pay. And our children can't get
enough bread. Everything for the
damn Jews! Never mind, we'll pay
you out for it!" My wife went hot
and cold. She nearly fainted of
fright. Nice grapes, weren't they?
Now, I ask you—what does that
mean? My wife came home in an
awful state. Why did I bring her
and the children to this terrible Ger-
many Tell me, where else could I
have brought her? To Constantinople:
Marseilles, Paris ? To the North
Pole perhaps!"
"Back to Constantinople," answered
Samuelson in a broken voice.
"And you think that in Constaoti-
nople there is no chance of a pogrom?
But that isn't what I'm driving at. A
few days ago, I had to see Glickman.
the treasurer of our synagogue. A
matter of business. Well, where is
one likely to meet the treasurer of a
synagogue on a Saturday? In the
synagogue, of course. So I went to
the synagogue. You know what a
synagogue generally looks like, espe-
cially on a Saturday. About 6 wor-
shippers. The cantor did his job ex.
cellently. But what's the use of it?
You know how it is—we say some of
our prayers, and we have a little
chat about business, we crack a joke
or two, we send somebody to the
devil, we tease each other, just for
fan. We feel at home with our God.
Ile is one of the family. He does not
get angry about such things, as long
as we do our part. We swayed back-
wards and forwards over our prayer
hooks. Then we began to talk busi-
ness. Glickman answered me and we
went on sorayino backwards and for-
wards again. We finished and con-
i" , ued our business. The cantor sang.
It was alright. Glickman folded up
his Talith. He has two splendid
houses in Berlin, and he can't live in
them. He doesn't like it, but what
can h e do? Suddenly, as we stood
like that talking, a young man came
up with a dispatch case under his
m. He looked well fed, and was
dean shaven as if he had just got
th e barber's chair. A real
Englishman. He didn't stop to look
round, and shook hands with every-
body, right and left. as if we were
short of his handshake.
"'We must have a meeting at once,
he
said, of the heads of the commun-
ity..
ci 'i 'llhaant for? What about?'" asked
"'There may he a pogrom in Berlin
any minute, the Englishman an-
swered. The Russian Monarchists
and the Black Hundreds are all at
work here and everything is being
errs ready In the real Russian style.
hey will simply wipe out the Jews
T er
he, butcher them, turn the place
into a ahambles.'"
I became petrified with fear. All
the 15 Jews M the congregation, with
Glickman at their head, started shiv-
ering. It grew dead silent in the syn-
agogue. You could hear your watch
ticking in your waistcoat pocket. No-
body dared to lift up his head. We
were ashamed to look each other in the
fare. Say what you like, it's a shame
to think of such a thing even. Imag-
ine a nice old man like Glickman,
over 60 years of age, dragged along
by a gang of rulliians and beaten as if
he were a schoolboy. How can you
think of such a thing? Or that they
should do it to that fine old merchant
from Moscow, Leizerowitch. Ile's
also got two houses in Berlin and
can't live in them. Or the teacher,
Tennenbaum, or the journalist, Mei-
erowitch?
"We began to disperse, slowly, shuf-
fling our feet heavily. What?
Where? Why? we asked the English-
man. Ile had one answer only. I
will tell you at the meeting.
"I went out into the street. Quiet.
Nobody being attacked. I went along
half dead. I suppose my face must
have looked as yellow as the yolk of
an egg. 'What are all these houses
doing here? What's the good of all
this civilization and culture? In
these very streets, in these very
houses, in this civilized cultured Belo
lin, there are people now plotting to
butcher the Jews. So what's the use
of this civilization! They are wild
beasts, these people! Laugh at it,
ridicule it, this boasted civilization of
theirs!"
Samuelson's eyes went dead. Ile
sat quiet. His lips trembled. His
shaven neck became full of creases.
As if to fit in with the discussion,
great black clouds came floating
along, and it began to rain. The
whole street became a forest of um-
brellas. Rosenberg tugged at his
whiskers.
"I came home," he continued, "and
I told my wife about it. Let us go
away at once, she cried. Very good,
I replied. Let as go away. Where
shall we go? Where have we not been
already, tell me? Dragging the poor
children about all over the world.
Can you tell me where to go? On the
ship going to Constantinople we were
nearly pushed overboard by a gang of
officers because they didn't like Jews.
When we got to Constantinople we
dragged ourselves about the town and
couldn't find a place to live in. Then
we went to Marseilles and we went to
Paris. We suffered hell three times
over. At last we managed to find a
home in Berlin. And now we've got
the tame thing again. Where shall
we go this time Tell me, I ask you."
"Why do you worry me like this"
Samuelson returned peevishly.
"You're a terrible person you are! Go
and ask God! Why do you ask me?
I can't tell you. I don't know myself.
I shall have nightmares with all
these things you arc telling me. I
don't know where I am myself. All
the Jews in Berlin have gone made
they go gibbering about pogroms and
blood. They'll drive me as mad as they
are themselves. I'm not a pogromist.
What do you want of me? Why do
you feighten pie like this. I shall
itaCt to cry in a minute."
The coffee on the table was cold.
The umbrellas outside wentpast as in
a procession. The group of Dutch-
men at the table near by suddenly
laughed aloud. The head waiter
bustled about from table to table.
"I keep on asking myself," Rosen-
berg went on, "What am I What is it
all shout? These thousands of us here,
what does it all mean What are we
afraid of? Why haven't we anywhere
to' go to I don't understand. Amer-
ica won't let us come'in. isn't that
a pogrom, if you ask me? A different
kind of a pogrom! They butcher us
with the blunt end of the knife. What
does it matter if they call it an affi-
davit? It's the same thing, isn't it?
What does it mean—affidavit? I don't
understand."
Samuelson looked up angrily at
Rosenberg. lie culled the head wait-
er, paid him his bill, flung a half-mut-
tered good-bye at Rosenberg, and
went out into the street.
"Straight home," he said to him-
self. "Straight home, and pack up
at once! ,Let the wife shout, I don't
care! She won't go- to any theater
tnoieht. We're going to the station.
right away. Thank the Lord I've the
visa ready. I don't core if we have
to starve. I can't go on living in this
continual fear.
He jumped into a taxi.
Rosenberg stared nut into the
street. People went hurrying past.
The rain stepped. The umbrellas sud-
denly disappeared. Traffic hummed. It
seemed to him as if it was humming
a song—a song which told how good
it was for the Christians, and how
terrible for the Jews! Move on,
it seemed to soy. Get out you Jews!
The everlasting Jewish tragedy!
Wandering. wandering. Always wan-
dering! Wohin?
(Copyright, 1924, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.)
/ DETROIT
By SIMEON JUSHKEWITCH
(EDITOR'S NOTE—This appreciation of
Rabbi 11"c of Moscow eras penned by •
correrepondent of the Jewish Teleerapbic
Areney, the ...ion being the Rabbi's corn•
Pletion of 10 years of publia wake.)
,/c
Ci UTO
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JAN UARY
i
i 1
i I
ig to 26
I
‘ CONVENTION HALL
ty,
WOODWARD
AT GARFIELD
CASS AVE.
AT PRENTIS
\ TWENTY THIRD ANNUAL EXHIBITION
I
I
/
THREE NEW CARS TO BE EXHIBITED
AT ANNUAL AUTO SHOW JAN. 19-26
Three new cars, which had their newest contribution to the industry.
premier and were the sensations of It is built in six-body types, two tour-
the New York Show, a week ago, will ing, roadster, brougham and two se-
be exhibited in the twenty-third an- dans.
nual Auto Show of the Detroit Auto
The Eagle six is one of the Durant
Dealers' Association, Jan. 19-26, in products and will be exhibited by the
the new Convention Hall. This trio of Detroit-Durant Company, which will
new passenger cars are: Chrysler show all the Durant products, includ-
six, Eagle six and Rollin four.
ing the Flint six, the Locomobile, the
The most talked of and the domi- Durant four and the new Star mod-
nant feature of the recent national els.
show in Gotham was the Chrysler six,
Rollins four is the new Cleveland
a Detroit product, which is being product of the firm organized by Rol-
placed on the Detroit market by the lin White and which has been before
John II. Thompson Co., distributors the public only a short time. It is
of the Maxwell, Chalmers and Chrys- one of the cars of particular interest
ler cars, the products of the Maxwell to the engineering fraternity and in-
Motor Corp. The car is the product cludes some important departures
of 10 years' experience in the automo- from established practice.
tive industry on the part of Walter
The most expensive car in the show
P. Chrysler, who has long been a this year will be the Rolls-Royce,
dominant figure in the industry and which carries a modest price tag of
who, three years ago, became chair- 114,500, while adjoining the exhibit
man of the board of the Maxwell 610- of this famous British motor car will
tor Corporation.
he the Ford exhibit, with the lowest-
In the New York show the public's priced car in the show, a roadster at
interest was such that it was almost $265.
impossible to even approach the
The entire south bay of the Con-
Chrysler models on display. In the vention Hall will be given over to the
Detroit show the distributor will de- display of passenger cars, with the
vote a total of 2,000 square feet, a following makes represented: Over-
space sufficient to show 10 cars, to the land, Willys-Knight, Nash, Lincoln,
display of Chrysler models that all Stutz, Maxwell, Chalmers, Chrysler,
the show visitors may have an oppor- Sterling Knight, Paige, Moon, Reo,
tunity to closely inspect Detroit's Chandler, Rolls-Royce, Ford, Frank-
lin, Jordan, Hupmobile, Packard,
Pierce-Arrow, Kissel Kar, Oakland,
Marmon, Cadillac, Rickenbacker,
Oldsmobile, Wills Ste. Claire, Stude-
bkker, Gray, Durant, Eagle, Flint,
Locomobile, Star, Peerless and Dort.
Five makes of passenger cars will oc-
cupy the eastern portion of the north
hay: Rollin, Dodge Brothers, Jew-
ett, Buick and Chevrolet. In the north
bay, in the western half, will be
grouped the commercial cars as fol-
lows: Kelly-Springfield, Federal,
Ford, Overland, Denby, Chevrolet,
Dodge Brothers, Reo, I ierce-Arrow,
G. 61. C., Gotfredson, White and Rug-
gles. The Gotfredson and Ruggles
will have their initial showing in a
Detroit show, while the White returns
after an absence of years.
Detroit's show will be opened next
Saturday evening at 7:30 p. m. and
will be open daily until Saturday,
Jan. 26, from 10 a. m. to 10:30 p. m.
Convention Hall is the largest build-
ing ever utilized by the D. A. D. A.
and Show Manager II. II. Shuart is
prepared to handle record crowds.
Practically every automobile and
truck salesman in Detroit will attend
the "pep" meeting at the General Mo-
tors Building, Thursday night, 48
hours before the opening of the 23rd
annual Auto Show, in the new Con-
vention !tall.
ROUMANIAN UNIVERSITIES
ARE NEARLY ALL CLOSED
BUCIIAREST.—(J. T. A.) — The
situation in the Roumanian universi-
ties is growing steadily worse in con-
sequence of the continued anti-Jewish
disturbances. The campuses of Buch-
arest, Jassy and Klausenburg univer-
sities are as disturbed as they were
towards the end of the first semester
last year. The universities present
the unusual picture of having police
and military stationed in the court-
yards and lecture rooms, ready to in-
tervene in the event of disturbances.
Some of the professors have refused
to lecture in the presence of the mili-
tary and in consequence many lectures
have been abandoned.
The Commercial Academy of Buch-
arest remains clesed, the authorities
insisting there will be no lectures un-
less the students allow Jews to at-
tend.
The University of Jassey is prac-
tically closed. most of the departments
being is a disorganized state.
The Academic Senate of the Buch-
arest University has asked the gov-
ernment to prohibit the student dem-
onstrations on the streets. The gov-
ernment has been asked also to expel!
students participating in demonstra-
tions. The Senate insists the ques-
tion of the number of Jewish corpses
for dissection is a matter concerning
the Senate alone. In a statement is-
sued by the Senate, it is declared that
the authorities of the University are
compelled to agree that the gendarmes
and soldiers remain in the lecture
halls and university buildings until
The Officers of the Detroit Automobile Assodation--Left to Right, Top then Bottom; WALTER J. BEME,
there will be no further danger of Treasurer; A. L MCCORMICK, Vie. Pres.; It. H. WILLIAMS, President; H. H. SHUART, Manager; W. J. JUDD,
See
It GUY 0. SIMONS, Director.
disturbances.
It is not in forgetfulness or in slight
of his office that I write of him as
Jacob Mase, not as "Rabbi" Jacob
Mese. It is because the rabbi is the
least that he is. To call him rabbi or
Crown Rabbi, as the title used to be
in Russia, is the most dread humiM-
tion you can put upon Jacob Mese.
At the celebration of his jubilee the
other day, one of the speakers wishing
to praise him said that the fact that
Jacob blase was among the Crown
rabbis, took from the term the re-
proach with which it was generally
associated among the Jews of Russia,
Never in my life have I seen Mase so
indignant as when he replied to this
reference to his Crown rabbinate, he
cried, I have never been a Crown Rah-
hi and his voice trembled as he spoke.
If I was a Rabbi or a Ray, call it
as you like, I was a social service
rabbi. To say that I was the re-
deeming feature among the class of
Crown rabbis is little compliment to
me. It is as ifyou said that of the
thieves I was the most honest man.
He objected altogether to the sys-
tem of putting a label on a man, of
dubbing him rabbi or anything else.
The only may of judging him, he in-
sisted, was to think of him as a man.
Mase spoke of a young Jew, an educa-
ted, learned young man, full of Ideal-
ism and of love for his people, eager
to devote his life to their service. In
the days of the Czar the only way in
which he could do that was to become
a rabbi. Occupying the rabbinical
post, he could go about freely among
the Jews, he could inspire them with
his Idealism, he could spread among
them culture and learning. Year af-
ter year, this idealist, the fire of love
burning in his heart and in his soul,
went about on his mission among his
people, but he was a Crown rabbi and
the Jews always looked with mistrust
upon a Crown rabbi. A Crown rabbi
to them was the symbol of a man sold
to the government, a man of bribery
and corruption, a spy, and often an in-
former. Unable to overcome this feel-
ing of mistrust, the young idealist in
despair took his life. Ile was victim
of the criminal classification of peo-
ple according to the label put upon
them.
"Th. Soul of the Man."
"I am the soul of that man," ve-
hemently cried out Jacob Mese. I say
that not to boast of it, but to warn
you that you may avert such critical
waste of life in the future. I want to
raise up before your eyes the truth
that you may reflect upon it, that you
may realize the wrong you have com-
mitted against many who had one mis-
fortune to have attached to them the
official label of Crown Rabbi. It Is
not the profession, it is not what you
call the man that matters, It is the
man himself."
Jacob Mase, has never been an of-
ficial rabbi, still less has he been a
Crown rabbi. He has alwaya been
Jacob Mase himself, alone—the best
example of a Jew devoted to the cause
of his people.
His profound knowledge his Jew-
ish learning, his general education,
his oratorical powers almost unser-
passed, his social work, his activity in
all directions, have made his name fa-
mous outside Moscow and outside
Russia even, everywhere where there
are Jews.
Officially, !slime was the representa-
tive of the Jewish congregations of
Moscow. Actually, he was the repre-
sentative of all Russian Jewry, and
Beilis blood libel trial, when Mase
was the spokesman of the whole of the
there were times, as during that great
world Jewry, of all the Jews every-
where. At such times Mane did not
take hie stand as one with bated
breath interceding humbly for his
people, as one defending his people
against charges and half acknowledg
ing their guilt, but proudly as one re-
pudiating with indignation unfounded
accusations and accusing in turn
those who commit wrongs against his
people, as one burning with torn and
with anger, denouncing the wrong-
doers, the persecutors.
Part in Bailie Trial.
He showed this most powerfully at
the time of the Beilis trial. Everyone
knows the historic part played by
Mese during this terrible arraignment
of the whole Jewish people before a
Russian court of law. His eloquent
speeches, his masterful testimony,
stand out as monuments of his gen-
ius. There is a slight incident in the
course of his evidence which is not so
well known, which I should like to cite
as an illustration of his tremendous
ability. "It is proof that the Jews
are a degenerate and sinful people
that God himself has turned from
them, everywhere the Jews are hated,
everywhere they are persecuted; ev-
erywhere they feel upon them the
curse of God." What answer could be
made to such an indictment, formula-
ted at the trial by the notorious Jew-
baiter, Schmarkov? That the Jews
"RENANAH" MUSICAL
SOCIETY ORGANIZED
A musical society called "Renanah"
has recently been organized in Newt
York City for the purpose of spread-
ing Jewish lay and religious music of
high artistic value.
The society will enter upon its ac-
tivities with the publication of a
series of compositions by the famous
Jewish singer, composer and cantor.
Pinchus Jassinowsky. European and
American music-lovers who are inter-
ested in Jewish music are well ac-
quainted with Pinchus Jassinowsky's
works. lie himself has sung them at
the numerous concerts given by him
in the largest European and Ameri-
can cities. They have also been sung
by the most famous singers and con-
certists, and are the favorite songs
on all musical programs.
Jassinowsky's compositions consist
of music for songs written by the
greatest Ilebrew and Yiddish poets,
as liturgies for Jewish religious serv-
ices and special holiday snags.
The society "Renanah" will pub-
lish first a series of Jassinowsky's
songs and then compositions of other
musicians. The "Renanah" will alo
carry on propaganda for Jewish mu.
eic in English-speaking circles, par-
ticularly among students and intel-
lectuals. The society will also try to
raise the musical standards of the
Jewish masses, who are frequently
content witch cheap, vulgar songs.
This is to be attained by spreading
fine musical creations.
Many Jewish leaders In the cviic
and cultural fields show great inter-
eat in the society "Renanah."
are loved everywhere, that they are
not persecuted? But Maze soon found
his answer.
God punishes those whom he loves
most." That was his reply. And he
did not quote the Old Testament as
his proof. That would be no evidence
for a Jew-baiter—the evidence of the
Jewish Scriptures. No! Mane quoted
the example of Jesus of Nazareth,
from whom God turned his face, even
as he was upon the Cross. What will
become, he asked, of your Christian-
ity if we say that God punishes those
whom he hates? No! Your good Chris-
tians believe that God's punishment
is a sign of his love, and when a be.
lieving Christian is afflicted by mis-
fortune he does not say God has pun-
ished me, but God has visited me.
At hundreds of such moments, con-
stantly alert, it was Mase who had
his ready answer to every indictment
framed against the Jewish people.
Always his brilliant brain framed
without hesitation the one argument
and tense, his voice ringing out like
that could refute the charges brought
forward by these anti-Semites, with
their long-standing training in for-
mulating accusations against the
Jews.
A Non-Jew's Tribute.
Quietly, but with tremendous pas-
sion, the Moscow Rabbi Mase begins
his speech. He is not of tall stature,
so he stands upon a chair that ha
should be seen. And higher and high-
er rises his voice as he speaks of the
religious feelings and beliefs of his
people, of their sacred laws, their cue.
toms and manners. Here, in the
chamber of the Kiev court of law, and
from here all over Russia and all over
Russia and all over the world, re-
sounds his voice. Like a molten lava
flows from his glowing heart the last
confessional of a people everywhere
persecuted, everywhere degraded
physically, but everywhere retaining
despite its sufferings and its mister.
tunes the whole tremendous power
and strength of its spiritual heritage.
"With his first words, passionate
that of a prophet denouncing blasph-
emy against God, a change of feeling
comes over the Chamber, and the
heart is strangely moved. There, be-
hind the stools of the judges, they are
making an effort to laugh at him.
They try to twist their lips Into a sar-
castic smile. But no! I know that
your hearts, too, will stop beating for
a moment, and your souls will trem-
ble as you liaten to this fearless man,
who stands here prepared to offer up
his life for his people, for their cul-
ture, for their faith.
"But what Is this? I will not say
that I hear it. Nol I feel it. I feel
that they are sobbing. There is almost
imperceptible trembling of their lips,
their heads are bowed in their hands,
tears are flowing from the daughters
of the martyred race. And why
should they not weep? Here there is
the great judgment before God and
men, here their race stands before the
high tribunal, here is the Holy of Hol-
ies itself.
"And there, in the center of the
Chamber, rises the powerful voice of
the great scholar Mase. Sentence af-
ter sentence, phrase after phrase, he
dissects the forged texts which men
in their boundless malice have dug up
to bring in evidence against his peo-
ple. It is wonderful, his knowledge
of the Bible, the Talmud, the Caballa,
and of all Jewish literature. He ex-
plains 'it clearly, unmistakably, logi-
cally, everything that is of interest to
the judges, to both contending parties,
to the whole world In this strange
trial. And all, everybody without ex-
ception, I am certain of that, feel in
the depths of their hearts that some-
thing has become easier."
Not by a Jew was this written. It
was written at the time of the Beilis
trial while the fate of Beilis was still
unknown, while the world of Jewry
was stirred to its depths by every
word spoken at the trial, when every-
thing still hung in the balance. It
was written by the famous Russian
novelist, the great friend and disciple
of Leo Tolstoi—it was written by
Bontch—Bruewitch.
Whenever and wherever the honor
of the Jewish people was at stake,
Mase stood out without fear, without
thought of himself, stood before the
whole people, before the whole world
and spoke, and defended, and accus-
ed. Russian Jews will remember the
speech of welcome which Mese deliv-
ered at the Coronation of the last
Czar of Russia, Nicholas II. At that
time, under such circumstances, there
were few men who would venture on
such words. Mese was not afraid.
And Mane never held back because
a matter might seem trivial. Every-
thing was important to him. His
house was alwaya open to those who
wished to enter, to all who had a bit-
ter heart to pour out, to all who need-
ed his aid, the assistance of his purse
or of his advise, or consolation or a
word of hope. Everything was im-
portant to him, everybody was wel-
come, to him. if there is one fault
that Mase has had, it is this: That
he takes everything to heart, whether
it is a matter affecting social life, or
whether it is somebody's private sor-
rows, the afflictions of a whole com-
munity, or the troubles of an individ-
ual. He could not sleep at nights be-
cause of them. Ile feels deeply and
suffers much, and that is why Mase,
not an old man in years, sixty-three
is his age, is old and broken in body
and spirit. Today, when many of
those around him of his own age,
many of those who came to celebrate
his jubilee, are physically strong and
upright, Mane is an aged man, grey
and bowed like a man of SO. Feeble
and ill, burdened with a great weight,
for months he has been too weak to
leave his home. The whole world, ev-
erything, rests on his shoulders. lie
feels the sufferings of all Jews.
And the only return he has received,
the only virtue left to him for all this
lifelong devoted labor of his, is the
love, the affection of everyone who
knows him or has heard of him.
It was in the air, it was everywhere
around at the celebration given here
in his honor, the remarkable manifes-
tation of regard, the welcome by the
best and most representative men in
the city of Moscow on the completion
of 30 years of his public activity. It
was not an official gathering, they
were not official, formal cold-blooded
speeches, behind which lurked indif-
ference and a desire to get done with
this routine part of official life. It
was real, warm-blooded affection and
love, every word that was said rang
true, everyone who was there was a
friend and admirer, to everyone of
them Mane isi friend, &Par and belov-
ed, not as a rabbi, but as a worker on
behalf of his people, as a man.