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PAGE SIX
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and is as international as English. One who knows it
can readily find his way anywhere in the civilized world.
Since the diaspora the Jews of the world have had no
mono •• .mamwa
um anal
mi Weekly by The Jewleb Chrosicis Publishing Cs.. Inc.
Pnblis ►
unifying force to equal it. The intelligensia of Alex-
Joseph J. Cummins, President and Editor
andria, Bryzantium, Spain, England, Germany and
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE'S AD-
Jacob H. Schakne, General Manager
DRESS ON JEWS
Russia knew the language of the country in which they
ISM
at
the
Postoffice
at
Detroit.
Ilstereci as ilmtondsclass matter March I,
lived, they knew Hebrew perhaps, but there was no
IBM
Mich , under the Act of March
1;";:eielent Coolidge's compliments
bridge which connected them with their co-religionists to Jews in his address delivered at
General Offices and Publication Building
the laying of the cornerstone of the
525 Woodward Avenue
if they had no knowledge of Yiddish and large num-
:Cable Address: Chronicle
Jewish Center in Washington, D. C.,
Telephone: Ceelill•e 1040
bers
of
Diaspora
Jews
were
strangers
to
the
mother
Offir•
t ondon
called forth mingled feelings in the
14 Stratford Placa, London, W. I, England
tongue. But today this language built upon a debased, Yiddish press of the country. Curi-
$3.00 Per Year
Subscription, in Advance
mongrel German is the speech which the Jew in War- ously enough the Socialist Daily For-
was more pleased than any oth-
7. Wart publication, nil correspondence and sewnmatter must reach thin
saw and New York, the Jew in Johannesburg and ward
ogles by Tuitsd•y evening of nob week.
er Yiddish newspaper with Mr. Cool.
It is the linking idge's utterances. In the opinion of
Chronicle 'writes correspondence on ..oblects of In 000000
Lemburg
can
read
and
understand.
This Detroit Jewish
Indomment of Or
the Forward, such a speech y a
Jewish people, but dieelsIms responsibility for an
to W
language of the Jewish people as much as Italian is the
President of the United States 20 or
views exam...! by the writer..
even 15 years ago would be taken as
language
of
the
Italian
in
Rio
de
Janerio,
Pittsburgh
Sivan
6,
5685
a matter of course. Now, however,
May 29, 1925
it is surprising. The fact that Mr.
or Milan.
Coolidge was elected with the sup-
We look about for all sorts of expedients to unify port of the most reactionary elements
Memorial Day.
J every. We examine with meticulous care all the pos- of the country, including the Klan,
Memorial Day brings to mind pictures of young
his address before the Jewish
sible sources for revitalizing the Jewish spirit and ig- makes
Center of Washington particularly
men in the bloom of youth who gave up their lives on
nore the one unifying force, because it has taken the gratifying.
the battlefields. The ideals which inspired them were
stigma of the Ghetto. We console ourselves with the
"The speech," say the Forward in
more often than not unrealized. The enthusiastic faith
idea that this scientist was a Jew, that philosopher had its editorial of May 5, "dues not
sound like the utterances of a poli-
was, however, purifying and ennobling. The slogans of a Jewish mother, that painter, musician, artist had a tician. It is more like a lecture of
college professor before a class of
a world set free, the triumph of democracy, the emanci- Jewish ancestor, and try by all sorts of specious rea• a students.
It does not contain any ex-
soning to find something distinctively Jewish in his or aggerations
nor any empty phrases
pation of the human spirit have always appealed pro-
her contribution; while all the time the genuinely Jew-
coined for the edification of his audi-
foundly to the young men of the world. They girded ish contribution of language which expressed itself in ences. Every word and sentence was
thought out by Mr. Cool-
the shilling armor of love with the sword of determina-
literature, poetry and drama is either ignored or given carefully
idge before it was written. Every
tion and set forth to annihilate all the sinister enslav-
assertion is founded on historic facts,
but a casual recognition.
ing forces which have held humanity in thrall. All
supported by the best of American
The poetry, drama and literature of ancient Rome
historians. It is evident that he be-
these rhetorical gestures have ever been authentic and
is preserved in the Latin, but modern Italian, though lieves every word he says and his
persuasive for those who would mold a world nearer related to the ancient language, has made its own cul- speech is a result of his deepest con.
victions. This is the impression that
their heart's desire.
tural contribution. This is equally true for Greece,
In the celebration of tomorrow few of those who though not to the extent of Italy. We do not object to
fought to preserve the Union will be among the living. the study of Hebrew or its renascence, but we already
That cruel internal struggle will be but a memory, but
have an instrument at hand which has been forged and
what we should ever commemorate is that enduring,
tempered. It is the distinctive secular mark which dif-
resurgent hope that man can achieve a better life, even
ferentiates us from all other peoples. If we are con-
though he employs the most hateful, bestial means.
cerned about perpetuating the Judaic culture we are
Those who will participate are the clear-eyed,
perforce compelled to evaluate Yiddish and recognize
whole souled, idealistic. youths who saw democracy vic- the significant part it has played in defining our world
torious, civilization rescued fiom the savage domina- position. Yiddish asks a why, which must he answered
tion of czars and emperors, culture preserved so that
future generations might enjoy the fruits of the labors
of their fathers. What shocking disillusion many ex-
perienced, what rusting cynicism has been born of the
disappointments need not be recounted, but again that
unquenchable desire and hope which envisaged and
much
believed, all this is the assurance that the propulsions
which
move
man
are
still
vital
and
compelling.
e.
ht"
g nesete
d ,e1 o s mt that .
The victories are glorified, while the fire which
are than "
le
pe7khelsoeudaerr
speak
epigrammatic statement is not made with h levity
but
as
meets. We hope that President Cool-
urged men to face death is forgotten. This is not
contains the gist of the position of the dominant group
idge, the man of common sense and
it should be, for victories are evanescent and shift
odwranwwtohr e lo
justice
in the Episcopal Church, according to Bishop Brown.
sens e
from side to side while that flame is the enduring qual-
words and
, w
ca conclusions hiiisl
However, he will not accept any formula which stulifies
in his practice to do away
will t
ity persisting in youth in altsges.
is inconsistent with his honest intellectual position.
uge m a e s na t
,t
u
rtan
prejudice
and
e
s
the
pr
ejud
with
t1 . t
In all these struggles Israel has always done her
The controversy between those who hold that re
share not only in the actual fighting, but in carrying
barrier against the Jews.L up
ligion excluded science and those who maintain that
The New Warheit is the only Yid-
on those ideals and aspirations which promised human-
r
they supplement each other and are not antagonistic is
T I t i lt seodui n t e ci r si aa i f o f e t n
the
ity a better world in which to live.
l wi,PoitTer t
=Le
very ancient. In past controversies the protagonists
New Warheit of May 5 credits Louis
If our reason for existence were based upon this
were sharply grouped. The scientific defender too
Marshall, an old loyal Republican,
contribution alone, then indeed would all the detractors
si dent t o
t he u President
, . two
often overstated his case, driven to such expedients by v
ai nfluencing
ecounteract
of Israel be silenced, for we have not only contributed
make speech
the acrimonious attitude of the theological disputant.
the bad effect of his addres to the
numerically more than our share, but if measured in
The clerical defender too often denied obvious facts Daughters of the American Revolu.
terms of those intangibles which are diffused through
re-
for fear that any admission would damage or invalidate flan, which proved him to be a re-
actionary nativistic Nordic of the old
a people in times of stress then we have probably con-
his position.
nothing stamp. Both Mr. Mar-
know
tributed many times more than our portion.
All this is changed today. No religious teacher
Mr. Coolidge, the se editor
.sshaayist,
Because we are experts in misery and have watched
thinki
seem
would seriously argue for the flatness of the earth, or
a very short memory. he assures
the pageant of human folly for centuries we often in-
that the earth is the center of the universe. It must them both, however,
Jewish
t at Jew
sist upon careful weighing of all the arguments, but be remembered that not many centuries ago such be-
be abort, but
t
sa r e
i
4
they
cannot
always have our people been in the vanguard when
ls
Lt
no
fools
51'y
mayy
i
n
r
liefs were heretical and men were not only anathemized e ee l' m t aP
the prospect of a better day was but a mere shadowy but suffered cruelpunishment and even death for dar
thing.
"permit us, your subjects, most hum-
ing to affirm such unorthodox views.
This day let us hope that man will be able to settle
bly to bring to your attention that
all beautiful and high-sounding words
to
without
resort
his disputes and misunderstandings
and no intelligent person would question the findings regarding our glorious past, regard•
arms. May we not hope that the day of universal per-
ing the Iloly Scriptures and the Jews
of competent scientists in the fields of astronomy, geol-
in the American Revolution or even
manent peace is at hand, to continue Undisturbed.
ogy, physics or chemistry, but the field of biology and
last
EF•OIT BWISII IIRONIChE
#^1%.
THE DIGEST
ANNO1110....
•
-
-
-
4
psychology is still controversial ground wherein battles
still rage, but not any longer between scientists and
Why Yiddish?
Since the Zionist movement has taken a definite clergymen, but among clergymen themselves.
The thoroughgoing scientist recognized the sphere
hold and the emigration to Palestine has become a
of his activity and realized the place of religion in the
fact, it was to be expected the Yiddish-Hebre• debate
would break forth with all the vehemence and acerbity interaction of human relations, while the religious
which an immediate existing problem always provokes. teacher appreciates the boundaries of his subject and
Then, too, the question of Jewish survival in America is satisfied to permit the scientist to discover the laws
has evoked no little comment with a gesture for Yid- underlying natural phenomena.
This happy state of mutual understanding had ob-
dish on the part of those who are pleased to think in
terms of philosophy with but minter insistence upon the tallied for some time, but the recent wave of obscur-
actual concrete situation. The stoppage of European antism, conformity and spy hunting was bound to be
immigration has compelled the . purveyors of Yiddish reflected in spheres where peace has reigned undis-
to examine into the vitality of Yiddish in American turbed for many years. Clergymen had accepted the
Jewish life. All these cross currents, proposed solu- findings of science without any noticeable maleficent
tions and doubts make us inquire into the relative im- effect either upon themselves or their flocks.
Science was taught in the schools throughout the
portance of all the ingredients which go to make up
country without evoking any more comment than the
that composite called modern Judaism.
If we are guilty of repeating commonplaces, we do teaching of arithmetic or spelling. All this is changed
so only for the purpose of bringing into relief certain today. The old battle fronts are revived and the strug-
pertinent facts. In the long history of Israel there gle is renewed. It is really not a serious matter, for
emerges at a remote period the Hebrew language and the controversy is not really between religion and
the monotheistic conception. Both have been kept science, but between tribal mythological beliefs and
alive despite all devastating and corrosive experiences modern scientific knowledge. Is the literal immaculate
of oppression and assimilation. As a people which suf- conception or resurrection anything but a mythological
belief? It is a universal belief found among people
fered because of unlikeness in a hostile milieu we have
with the most diverse cultures. Does it follow because
stressed the value of the precious heritage and taken
refuge behind it. It was always the contribution we one refuses to accept the miracles in their literal sense
made to civilization when our right to existence was that one lacks the essence of religion, with its emo-
questioned. Many centuries passed since we made our tional, imaginative mystic speculations of origins and
contribution to world culture and since then we have unknowns? Must we deny all that the senses convey?
lived among all the peoples of the earth learning their Must we give up all critical and analytical judgments
language. partaking of their culture, keeping intact to concerning the history of our planet to be a religious
a degree the language and to a larger extent the re- person?
Bishop Brown asks all these pertinent questions.
ligion of Judaism.
He cannot accept the "None genuine without this sig-
Prior to the last century the ecclesiastical world
nature" brand of religion of the Fundamentalists. He
held the dominant position. but with the development
himself in the category of the illiterate,
of industry and science secular affairs have taken the cannot place
prominent place. Consequently religion is no longer unimaginative, uncritical, and insists that his religious
the, pervasive thing it was during the middle ages. beliefs have been deepened, quickened and made more
Along with this industrial scientific development there vital by the discoveries of science.
In our present industrial age science will continue
has necessarily been an attenuation of interest in lie-
despite legislative enactments which place obstacles in
brew, for it was not the language of scientific industrial
exposition. While all this was going on there emerged the way. Religion will gradually broaden until it en-
something with the distinctive stamp of Jewry. It was visages the universal and the individual so adequately
created out of the material at hand, out of the lives conceived in the monotheism. or monism of Judaism.
of the people. At first crude. formless and uncertain, Bishop Brown may be eventually unfrocked, but the
but as it became conscious it took form. authenticity spirit of the age will produce more Browns. Fosdicks,
and certainty. That something with the mark of Potters, Guthries, for it is quite impossible to expect
a divine discontent, imagination and courage
uniqueness was Yiddish. a language rich in idiom, men with
warm, intimate. a genuine cultural contribution. to accept that which others have rejected as false and
This is the language of more than ten million Jews unsound.
mte hn et5 o f
ap om
Jewish
w i s c h esoldiers
out a the
r
ab ar
c ompliments
very
the sort that are in ready use in a
debating society of sophomores.
"The Jewish people judges men and
presidents not by their speeches but
by their deeds; may the speeches he
ever no heavenly, as long as the acts
are mean and heartless, no flowery
language will change our sentiments
or our convictions. No speech of yes-
terday or the day after delivered by
President Coolidge will undo the Ku
Klux laws that have been forced
through during President Coolidge's
regime and may President Coolidge
wax ever so enthusiastic about the
Holy Scriptures, he will not change
the sentiments of the Jews who re-
member and do not forget that l'resi-
dent Coolidge divided humanity into
Nordics and non-Nordics."
FREDERICK BROWN'S CONTRI-
BUTION
Under the caption of "The New
Epoch in Jewish Charities,' the Jew.
ish Morning Journal comments on
Frederick Brown's $1,000,000 contri-
bution to the Federation of Jewish
Charities of New: York in the follow-
ing manner:
"All honor to Frederick Brown,
the man who is only 20 years in this
country, whom it was given to be
the first Jew in New York to con-
tribute $1,000,000 during his lifetime
to Jewish charity. The Jews of New
York need this sum and they need
the example that the contribution
furnished. We will not exaggerate
in saying that the example is even
more necessary than the money. New
and great duties devolve upon Ameri.
ean Jewry. The former communal
budget is growing continually, the
contributions of small sums in the
manner of former days ere insuffi.
cient. The large contribution, of
former days are hardly enough to
cover running expenses. Conditions
demand a greater effort and more sac-
rifices. The demands are larger and
the man who can satisfy it could not
b.' long in coming.
"Every one of these large donors
is accomplishing a great deal more
than he does for the purpose for
which he gives his money. The uene•
factor of general education helps in.
directly the Yeshibah. The man who
gives money for the support of old
writers is indirectly also supporting
pogrom victims. And the man who
establishes a foundation for the New
York Federation of Charities in indi-
redly aiding also the Hebrew Uni-
versity of Jerusalem. One large con-
tribution brings another and they in
tern bring all the others that are to
follow.
ism of a little science leading men
away from God, but full science tale-
ingr t , hem..hack again to Him.
gunge, is not without considerable
philological and literary interest,
though it has no theological interest
the advancement of human science,
scientific
interchange of
to the
thoughts with the whole world, to the
diffusion of an interest in science.
Even in its beginning stages, in the
stages of necessarily closed experts
work, this work will be living work.
The scholars will tell the public what
they have been doing, how far they
have gone, what work remains for
them to do next, and how they are
proposing tee set about it. This will
kindle an enthusiasm for science.
The research work will prepare the
ground for establishing the faculties.
in order that the university should
be came a great center of learning. It
will open wide its hospitable doors.
We ho e to have the best Jewish pro-
P
tensors of the world. Jerusalem will
become the center of Jewish genius
and discoveries. We hope our li-
beanies, museums and other cone,
Gone will have the most beautiful and
the most extraordinary things to show
and that they will show them.
If I say, in conclusion, that we
want the Hebrew University to be a
center of peace and harmony in an
atmosphere of mutual respect, I think
this is all that can be said at present.
On the research work there is not
much to be said: it is fundamental, it
is necessary preparatory work for the
faculties—and I must confess that I
do not know much about it.
I would like to say a few worth
about the faculty for Jewish science.
I think this faculty is to be as new
and as original as the whole univer-
city is going to be in its relation to
its work.
The whole story of antiquity has
been undergoing a profound change.
Not only is the subject matter ap-
proached in a widely different spirit
from that which formerly prevailed,
but its materials have vastly M-
creased. Whole civilizations have
been brought to light of which hardly
the existence was suspected 100 years
ago. Comparative philology has revo.
lutionized the study of any single
language. Old Hebrew literature and
Jewish antiquities are now seen to
be no isolated and independent ob-
jests of inquiry, but merely a part
of a greater whole. In a higher de-
gree and more clearly than ever be-
fore, Judaism appears to be part and
parcel of a great and old civilization.
Egypt on the one side of Palestine,
and Assyria on the other, have re-
vealed their secrete, and are going to
reveal more and more, and the whole
Eastern world is being explored with
an enlightened zeal born of the
studies which had hardly begun to
exist 100 years ago. In the light of
the new knowledge, everything has
had to be reconstructed. The Hebrew
language has come to be regarded not
as something which can only be ex-
plained by itself, but as one of gee-
eral sister tongues, each one of which
with all the independence and the
purity of its scientific• character, with
all its remoteness from any sort of
sectarianism or propaganda, carries
with it, however, the fundamental
idea of cultural Zionism: the revival
of the Hebrew language. This is the
key-stone of our program in Pales-
tine. We shall study the sister-lan-
guages and the inscriptions, and in-
vestigate all the results of Orientalist
inquiries—not for the sake of arch,
iilogy, but in the spirit of a renas-
cence of Palestine, and possibly of
the whole East. Our purpose is to
recall the common employment of Ile-
brew as a medium of communication.
No historical relics can approach en
dignity and value an indigenous
tongue. All the ancient monument.
over which the Orientalists were
watching are worth little in cOmpari.
son with a distinct variety of the hu-
man speech. This being the great
aspiration, and to a considerable ex-
tent already the achievement of the
Jewish national home—what is the
Hebrew University to do along this
line of endeavor?
The Hebrew University, and par-
ticularly the faculty for Jewish
science, will have to supervise and to
further this process of revival en the
spirit of science. I.iving language s,
and also resurrected ones, are suscep-
tible of development and refinement.
In order to live they must contain
themselves the power of assimilating
nutriment. Nor should it be forgot-
ten that such revival by mere prac-
tice has a certain adventurous and
accidental character which specially
needs to be controlled by mature
learning and sober judgment. Ile.
brew in particular is in want of care
for its exactitude and beauty, and for
enriching it. The spirit of science,
coupled with the spirit of life, will
bring about the true revival.
In this, as in many other ways, the
Hebrew University at Jerusalem will
be a blessing to us and to the outside
world.
A problem resulting from one of
life's hitter tragedies, resembling the
problem brought before King Solo-
mon, which brought him recognition
as the wisest of men, was presented
to one of the rabbis in Vilna. In a
village near that city two sisters se-
cretly concluded an agreement six
years ago. One of the Meters was
married, but had no children; the
other was unmarried, but was about
to become a mother. Upon the suit•
gestion of the married sister, a solu-
tion was found in an arrangement
whereby the unmarried sister was to
register in one of the Vilna hospitals
under the name of her sister and
when the child was born it should be
declared the child of the married
sister.