ThENTRON kliNft (A RONTLE sigits pat TAR,. r seeit: 11 4 sir :V> WIEVEFEDIT/ENIS/161 - RONICLIi A ?011ie/leg Weekly by Th. Jewish Chronic!. Publishing C., Inc JOSEPH J. CUMMINS, President JACOB MARGOLIS, Editor JACOB H. SCHAKNE, General Manager Inteted as Almond-class natter ll•rch 9, MA at the PostoflIce at Detroit. Ilkb . under the Act of March a, la79. General Offices and Publication.Building 525 Woodward Avenue Telephone: C•dillac 1040 Cable Address: Chronicle London Office: 14 Stratford Place, London, W. 1, England. $3.00 Per Year Subscription, in Advance To Inure publication, all correspondence and news matter must care by Tuesday evening of each Peck. reach this The Detroit Jewri•p Chronicle invites correspondence on subjects of Interest disclaims rerponsibility for an indorsement of the t. :e Jewish people. d by the writers. views lap June 4, 1926 Sivan 22, 5686 Petlura Assassinated. Pt The shooting of Semion Petlura by Samuel Schwartzbard in Paris' is a shocking piece of news. According to the reports, Schwartzbard was in the Ukraine when that country was ruled by Petlura and his bandit bands. lie saw and heard of many of thedbarbarities and pogroms against a defenseless people. The impressions made upon his mind were ineradicable. Ile formed a definite plan for aveng- ing the murders and cruelties. It is the unanimous opinion of all persons of all political beliefs that the atrocities committed in the Ukraine, surpassed anything ever experienced by the Jewish people or any other people in the long and bloody history of civilization. The number killed runs into hundreds of thousands. This is not an ex- travagant estimate but is made. by responsible and un- prejudiced observers. The enormity of the crime committed against hu- manity by Petlura and his sadist hordes is staggering. Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that a sensitive, brooding man would feel most keenly. If the experien- Ce had made him insane, it would be but the expected. We recite all this merely to show the terrific strain under which Schwartzbard must have been. We urge it merely in extenuation of his act, not because we believe in the taking of human life. As a philosophical proposition, we hold that the tak- ing of human life is inexcusable and is entirely inef- fective as a means of solving any of the perplexing political, social or industrial problems of the day. Certainly the taking of the life den individual by an individual is useless if, as is. proved, the killing of men motivated by the noblest ideals accomplish noth- ing toward the achievement of the - good life. This killing of Petlura had its roots in the soil of Czarist, pogromist anti-Semitic Russia. How could one expect the Petluras and their fol- lowers to become decent, kindly human beings with a regard for Jewish lives, when they knew that Czar- ism always victimized the Jews whenever some one was to be punished for their failures, blunders and defeats. When Petlurists succeeded for a time in holding the Ukraine against the Bolsheviki, they wreaked a vengeance, upon the Jews which makes the blackest pages of human savagery a tale of gentleness and kind- liness. We know not what will be done with SchWartz. bard, but we are happy in the feeling that the Jews of Russia will not have to pay any penalty for this crime. Vicarious atonement may be part of the Christian creed, but vicarious punishment and suffer- ing was the lot of Russian Jewry under Czardom. If a man 'were capable of learning from the ex- perience of others, then surely humanity should have learned by this time that cruelty, discrimination and disregard of human life, poisons and corrodes. In this case it appears that Schwartzbard was not in any sense a creature devoid of the finer sensibili- ties, for he had an opportunity of killing Petlura but did not want to do so when there was a possibility of injuring his wife and (laughter. Ile was interested only in taking the life of the man who was the sym- bol of the pogrom. The Rockefeller Contribution. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., made a contribution of $100,000 to the United Jewish Campaign. The munificent gift is one bf the largest made by any individual to the drive for $6,000,000 raised by the Jews of New York City. Rut the gift is signifi- cant for reasons aside from its size. In the letter accompailying the gift. Mr. Rocke- feller states that inquiries were made which satisfied him as to the soundness of the project, and the relia- bility of those who would distribute the fund collected. Mr. Rockefeller is asked to contribute to count- less philanthropies. If he were to contribute to all, even his fortune would not be sufficient; therefore, he makes careful investigation before any action is taken. In this case, he was not solicited, but having heard of the overseas chest, he examined the pur- poses and personnel and concluded that he should aid. To those who have favored the United Jewish Campaign, this gift of Mr. Rockefeller's is most grat- ifying. It is supererogatory at this time to discuss the ca- nard of disloyalty to America because Soviet 'Russia had not been officially recognized. The endorsement of Secretary Hoover, Colonel Haskell and others in official . positions ended the • poisonous propaganda against the Russian land settlement scheme. If there was any doubt stilt in the minds of the over sensitive patriots because of the fact that secretary Hoover and Colonel Haskell were interested primarily in the humanitarian aspects due to their relief efforts i n Russia. The impartial and objective attitude of Mr. Rockefeller cannot be attacked on the grounds which 41. .0- Nt. -.yr NI dr,or Al s< r a g- s NI, re may have had a remote validity" in the case of .the others. Mr. Rockefeller knows that the Jews of Russia are to receive land which formerly belonged to the Russian land lords. Ile is very much opposed to ex- propriation. lie knows also that the Soviet govern- ment has not been officially recognized, and yet with this knowledge he still sends $100,000 to help settle Jews on the land in Russia and to save the starving in Poland and Bessarabia. This action on his part should certainly put an end to the clamor of the super patriots whose loyalty transcends anything re- quired by the most chauvinistic elements in America. Then, too, those captious critics who were certain that the whole scheme was a chimera, should now be effectively silenced. Does anyone for a moment think that unless Mr. Rockefeller were persuaded of the practicality of 'Russian colonization that he would further it by giving $100,000? It is preposter- ous to think that he would of his own volition aid in the undertaking, if he were not of the opinion that the whole project was sound, constructive and meliorative. One other phase of this gift which is especially grat- ifying to us is the fact that it was made by a nun-Jew. From the very outset we have taken the position that the rehabilitation of Russian Jewry on the soil, the ac- tual saving ofdives in Poland and Bessarabia was not an exclusively Jewish burden. It is true that American Jewry first undertook to raise $15,000,000 and 4hen voluntarily and whole-heartedly increased it to $25,- 000;000, yet the fact remained that Russian and Polish Jewry were victims who were least responsible for their precarious and almost hopeless condition. This view has indeed been taken by all Geiitiles with any social vision and consciousness. They have responded to the call from the hunger areas, as was expected of them. The Amos Society has undertaken to raise a special fund from Gentiles to match the Jewish fund. All this proves that there is a humanity which overcomes the artificial barriers of race, religion and creed when the cause is sound. A Revisionist Magazine. Vladimir Jabotins)ej. and Johan J. Smertenko, Zion- ist revisionists, make their bow to American Jewry with a fortnightly called the Zionist, the first number is dated May 14 and is published in New York. , We welcome the Zionist. Intelligent opposition' clarifies, illuminates and fo- cusses attention upon the vexing questions which -are inadequately or timidly treated by those in control. The best illustration of the need of an opposition press is today found in Italy where the Dictator Mussolini has gagged and mutilated the press to such a point that nobody accepts Italian news as authentic or trust- worthy. We certainly would not maintain that such is the condition of the Zionist press, because there is a free Yiddish and American Jewish press which take its stand without any pressure or order from the Zion- ist organization. The program of the new journal is succintly stated in the concluding paragraph as follows; To sum up, then, the Zionist presents its program as , a free journal to furnish full and honest information of conditions in Palestine and in the Zionist organizations of the world; as the organ of Revisionism to press militantly and indomitably the demand that the British government live up to the terms of its promises; as the medium of American Zionists to indicate and encourage American thought and ideals of Zionist policy; and as an expression of Jewish interests to study the cultural and political, social and economic implications of a national homeland in Palestine. The editors feel that this purpose will in- terest a wide public which has long wanted a periodical of this nature. They optimistically await the verdict. • After a careful reading of the whole program. we are not at all persuaded as to the soundness of the re- visionist position. As a matter of fact, the more they insist upon the promises from and demands upon the British government, the more do we feel that they are disregarding the rights, of the Arab population, and inasmuch as the Arabs are a preponderant majority. with a record of centuries of residence, it would be a grieve ?)justice to the Arabs to give to a minority peo- ple it control and influence entirely disproportionate to its numerical and economic strength. In discussing the Land question, the editors admit that in 1917 the rural population was 12,000 and in 1926 it was but 20,000. In other words, out of the 100,000 who have come to Palestine only 8,000 or eight per cent, have settled on the land. It is argued that the reason why so few have settled on the land is because of the exorbitant prices demanded for the land. It does seen strange that this influx of 8,000 should have caused the increase in land values. It is almost an axiom in the field of economics relating to unearned increment, or increased valuation. that it occurs when population taxes the capacity of the land. Surely 8,000 more in a country of a million could not have caused this increase. The revisionists urge that the waste . lands of which approximately 5,000,000 dunams are at present available 'for cultivation, be sold or leased by the government at reasonable prices. Even should the government (10 as the revisionists demand, we do not believe that it would make any difference. We cannot overcome the feeling that when 92 out of every 100 settle in the cities and towns as business men and artisans. that the phenomenon has manifested itself be- cause of the high price of land, but because those who settled do not want to become land workers. According to the ZiOnist, American Jewry has been the milchcow for the Zionist movement. anti European Jewry has done the thinking. Therefore to meet a long felt need. the revisionists are going to do the thinking for Zionism along political and cultural lines. We do believe that there has been too much theorizing among European Zionists and not enough actual assistance which a pioneer movement demands. American Jewry has done enough thinking when it perceived the needs of Palestine and proceeded to meet those needs in a realistic and substantial manner. The pressing problems of absorption, unemploy- ment and relief in Palestine are so large that the po- litical questions seem rather insignificant and unreal. But, yet. the Zionist will have a useful purpose if for no other reason than that of critic. :M. • ,••• - .rot. . 90AM6SW*C3xTe.SZtet.,,X.Ze,r-Arer;X:'-vr-li 1, The Religion of , Luther Burbank The Jews Are On Trial (1. By RABBI LOUIS I. NEWMAN, Temple Em•no-El, S•n Francisco. "Speak to the earth," says Job, "and it shall teach thee." Luther. „ Burbank spoke to the earth and it answered hint. God commanded na- ture to obey hint and to reveal for hint nileny of its choicest secrets. By reason of his inventive genius, Luther Burbank typified uniquely and elo- quently the spirit of America, but by the same token he belonged to all min- kind. His mind ranged along the far horizons of thought. • He pushed many leagues the boundaries of the un- known land in which Gregor Mendel explored. The world has been emote more lovely, more radiant and fruit- ful' through the endowment of the sweet soul which was God granted to Luther Burbank. In a less intolerant age than our own, his statement of faith, made shortly before his death, would have been hailed as a surprisingly religious document. His address demonstrated the complete concordance between re- figion and science. It proved that a believer in evolution can also be a be- liever in God. It emphasized the af- finity between the spiritual quality in science and the scientific quality in re- ligion. The mood of the laborer in the field of natural science is essen- tially that of the quester after the truths of faith. Scientist and relig- ionist are both engaged in a research magnificent of mind and heart. Mr. Burbank's credo was funda- mentally simple and uncomplicated. He ayoided the language of theology, but criticized the dogmas and creeds of established religious institutions. Ti, many his viewpoint seemed icono- clastic, but it merely represented the attitude of the liberal religionist in all denominations. When he remarked that he loved humanity, his words re- call the phrases of the prophet Micah: "Have we not all. one Father? Ilath not one God created us all?" When he paid a tribute to the miracles achieved by nature in her creative processes, he reaffirmed the words of the Psalmist: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His hand- iwork." When he urged us to read the Bible "just as we read other books, using our own judgment and reason," he revoked the plea of countless pro: gressive believers for ninny centuries. Luther Burbank had little patience with the literal, unscientific interpre- tation of the Bible which accepts the miracle stories of Scripture as iner- ring and dogmatically correct. Ile rightly demanded that we discSimi- nab—between poetry, history, myths avid moral lesson in our HOly Writ- ings. In this way he reinforced the opinions of the friends of the Bible who refuse to see it twisted out of its true meaning by the literalists. True religion does not shackle but emancipates the mind. If Mr. Bur- bank wished to call himself an Infidel in order to awaken the blind leaders and their blind followers, we might yet Weld say: "Would that all men were infidels such as he." -Ile rejected a belief in infant damnation, in the dev- il, in hell, thereby taking his place among forward-looking believers of modern cults. Ile insisted upon per- sonal responsibility, saying that no "salvation can come front anything or anyone outside ourselves," thereby re- echoing the view of the Biblical proph- et Nathan who cried to King David: • "Thou art the man." In some then- `logical circles, M r. Burbank's views would have a devastating effect, but among religious humanists they are welcome doctrine. When he repudia- ted a belief in a God who damns man- kind to perdition, he speaks as doses the ancient. Psklmist concerning the God "who pitieth like as a father piti- eth his children!'" ' Mr. Burbank found God through the medium of science. To hint God was not a machine, an automaton, and im- personal Law,-but a Being with Whom the human spirit could commune. The many vexing problems involved in the relationshp between science and faith were, bridged by the simple, almost mystical faith which Mr. Burbank de- clared in the God revealed "by the de- monstrable truths of our savior, science" He reformulated his ideas concerning immortality. He under- scored a belief in the value of personal influence, `thereby issuing a challenge! to each individual to lead a righteous and serviceable life SO that his contri- bution to eternal values might be a source of blessing and cheer. He made an appeal for love and compassion in human relations, knowing that "God is gracious and slow to anger." Were the words of Mr. Burbank to he taken seriously by hosts of the professing leaders of ' ecclesiaaticalism in all groups, a veritable revolution the life of faith would he achieved. No open-minded, humane religionist could quarrel with Luther Burbank's apol- ogia, for it is a gentle and tender ap- peal for understanding and good will in man's relationship to man and God. Luther Burbank seam after his re- ligious pronouncement was summoned into the presence of the God of Good- ness whom he acclaimed on earth. The immortality of influence , in which he believed is surely his reward, for his name will live abidingly in the history of progress. lie who loved everything and everybody must have found the Create,r of all life to he the merciful and gracious Being he sought to por- tray. "The sweet remembrance of the c flourish, when he sleeps in dust IDENTIFICATION The Reform Judaism of a great many Jews and the Orthodoxy of a great many others ought to be spelled I-G-N-O-R-A-N-C-E. The conservatism of a good many Jews is not synonymous with ignor- ance but it could properly be char- acterized with arbitrariness or cow- ardice. A man's religious or other identi- fication should express knowledge, conviction and courage. Otherwise it is only accidental and its value mere- ly incidental. — Rabbi l,Alexander Lyons. LOOKING FORWARD The church has been predominantly a conservator of the past. It ought to become the chief conservatory of the future. Int this lies its greatest re- covery • f influence and respectability. Lot's wife looked backward and turned to a pillar of salt. By looking for- ward the church will realize a happier fate in becoming ■ well-spring of leaven.—Rabbi Alexander Lyons. •eir . By JUDGE IRVING A. LEHMAN EDITORIAL NOTE:—The following speech by the Honorable Irving A. Lerman, judge of the New York Court of Appeal, 'was the commencement address at the first graduation exercises of the Jew- ish Institute of Religion, New York. It is perhaps significant that I, a layman with little learning of the sa- cred laws and with no claim to spirit- ual leadership of his people, should yet be accorded the privilege of ad- dressing you tonight. My days have been devoted to the study and ex- position of the law of the state made by man to serve man's purpose. I admit the existence of no duty which may conflict with duty of obedience to that law—and yet I realize, more and more, that back of the law mad* and' ehforced by authority of the state there must be ideals of right and wrong that can be only partially embodied in written law. Commands of that law are usually negative. At most they snay lay down standards of conduct below which no man may fall. Fear of punishment may act as a deterrent against evil; it cannot act as an incentive to good. Personal ambition may lead to work which serves only the worker. Service of the, nent kind to God or man can be rendered only when, that indefinable thing we call the spirit urges such service, when the preservation of ideals of right and wrong is seen to transcend in importance the fruits of worldly success. The men and wom- en whom you aspire to lead must still look to those who are learned ill the law of the state for direction as to what they may or may not do: work- . ing in the world, they must still look to those who know the way to success in the world to point out to them that way. leadership or others, within such fields, may perhaps not be chal- lenged by you; but the best of life does not lie within those fields. It is our spirit which directs our actions; which most determine, where various courses are permitted by law, which course we, should take. It is the spirit in which our life work is done which will determine its value when that is judged not by the tem- norarty standards of worNy success, but by the eternal standards of right and wrong which we imagine will be applied when we are called to account before the great judgment seat. Of all the nations of the earth, the Jew- ish nation alone was founded upon the ideal of obedience to the com- mandments of a law not made by man but revealed to man's spirit by Him who breathed His own spirit in- to man. After the Jewish people were driven forth front their home- land and dispersed throughout the world they still survived because they preferred to live as a people apart rather than give up what they be- lieved to be true, to accept the be- liefs and standards of their neighbors, which conflicted with the law which, according to our ancient tradition, was revealed by the Great Spirit.. America, too, is a nation founded up- on spiritual ideals; the ideals of free- dom and human service. She says to all her children, Jews and non- Jews alike: "You may believe , what you choose, but you shall serve your country and each other." What ef- fect has this freedom of thought and action had upon the Jews? Are we content to serve only in material ways by economic, scientific, or ar- tistic achievement? Do we seek na teachers and leaders except those who can point to the works of their hands at,' brains? Is that insistence upon spiritual Ideals which has char- acterized the history of the Jews throughout the centuries gone for- ever? We have strayed far away from the minute ceremonial commandments of the law that served an under other conditions and in other times. Today for each of us the choice is open. We may abandon the faith of our fath- ers, we may forget theirlong history of faithfulness to lhe right as they saw the right, we may forget in our days of freedom and prosperity the lessons learned in oppression and ad- versity, and say we are in all things as other men in this country, accept- ing its prevailing beliefs, following its prevailing standards, just because they are the prevailing beliefs and standards here. Or we may cling to our ancient faith and our splendid traditions, seeking in them inspira- tion and truth that is universal and immutable just because it is true. I say the choice is open to each of us, yet it seems to me that loyalty not only to our fathers but to our fellow- citizens of other faiths most dictate our choice. We may serve the world in a material svay in science, art, and business, as others serve. We must accept the truth wherever we may find it written in the rocks and earth, as well as in the stored books, dis- covered by scientists by painful la- bor as well as revealed by inspiration to Pets and prophets, formulated by men of other faiths as well as by our own Seers.' We may not abandon spiritual influence which would make our service to the world more de- voted, finer, more lasting. The. ex- clusive insistence in obedience to the minutiae of the commandments of the sacred law as the side or, at least, constantly compelling, duty of the Jew must, perhaps inevitably, be abandoned, but insistence on the im- portance of faithfulness to ideals and recognition that material success is too dearly bought at the price of spir- itual degeneracy, is embodied in our faith, our history and traditions. Let those who will boast of their kroad- mindedness in fleeing themselves front the fetters of dead formalities and outworn traditions, yet it seems to me that true freedom is shown by those who seek and find behind the letter of the law, the eternal spirit which made that law: a living force in the past; and the broadest service to humanity is performed by those who find in the sacrifices of their fathers incentive arid inspiration t" justify those sacrifices in their own lives. • We who love our ancient faith and traditions, who have round in them truth and inspiration, ate greeprng to find the way to keep them a living force here. We look to the rabbis of the future to point out the way. A 'iv* religion must be capable of constant change and development tee meet the constantly changing condi- tions of our lives. The. youth of to- day will not seek your guidance aa his fathers of •old sdught the guid- ance of scribe and rabbi to show the way through the intricacies of an an- cient law; he will not recognize your right to lead because you have ac- quired knowledge eif what other rab- bis, of whom he has never heard, have said, in days long past, in regard to matters in which he is not interested. You , must be able to make hint see that the ancient law created for a small nation, developed and observed by a people tiling apart, is founded upon these ideals of right and wrong which are universally true, is instinct with a spirit which is eternal . and in the truest sense divine, because it transcends the spirit of ordinary mor- tals. The Jews of America have come here from different parts of the world; they differ widely among themselves in their religious beliefs and observances. Seminaries are training rabbis with varying views as to how the Jewish religion may be maintained here; but all are looking to the past for inspiration and to the future for service. All are calling upon the Jews of today 41 _remain steadfast to the ideals of our fath- ers, though some are ready to aban- don commandments and customs to which others still cling. By different ways they seek the same goal; the preservation of Israel's heritage fur future generations. It is said that Only the future can show whether d religion developed to serve the needs of the Jews of the past can serve thee needs of the Jews of the future; that the Jewish religion must be tested and tried out under new conditions. Those who any that are men•of little faith. A religion which has given light to the world, which is founded upon eternal and immutable ideals of justice, mercy, and holiness, must everywhere serve the spiritual needs of men who will accept and follow it. Its form may change; its truth mus: stand forever. Not Judaism but we 'Jews are on trial. Are we willing ts accept its spiritual commune's and make them guides of our actions:' Our fathers Obeyed the minute com- mands of ceremonial law becau-, they believed that by so doing they were serving the Lord; will we obey his spiritual commands in order to serve mankind, His children? Joyously and triumphantly may the rabbi lead us, not by the force of his eloquence or learning, but by the force of the spirit of our ancient faith, if in truth he feels that spirit and can make it manifest to us. The Weizmann Days In Palestine By.S. SHWARTZ (Copyright 1926 by Jewish Telegraphic Agency.) Dr. Weizmann's last visit in Pales- tine, from March 29 to April 2:1, has left the Jews of Palestine with mixed feelings. There is to be observed a sense of disappointment that Weiz- mann's visit here did not result in the solution of a number of problems which are particularly aggravated at this time. Palestine is forever in a state of expectancy, waiting for something or someone that will bring in a panacea for its troubles, and this accounts, perhaps, at least in part, for the present attitude. It must be admitted that Weiz- mann exhibited great courage in de- ciding on this trip. Ile knew well that the situation in Palestine is not bright, that a feeling of depression prevails in the country and many vexing complicated problem, are cry- ing for solution. Nevertheless, he was frightened away by these things and came here, as if saying: I ant coming to face all dangers, with °pelt eyes and an open heart. There was one bright ray that lightened somewhat the oppressive atmosphere which accompanied Dr. Weizmann's stay here. That was the visit of the Egyptian teachers and educators, during the first week of Passover, which was turned by us in- to an actual national manifestation of Jewish-Egyptian amity. The en- tire- Yishub was happy and these was much rejoicing and celebrating wherever the guests (appeared, for this was the first time Hutt a Moham- medan Arabaic nation recognized our reconstruction work and sought our friendship. The invitatian to the: Egyptian teachers to come to Pales• tine was extendeed to them by Dr. Weizmann when he was in Cairo, just before he proceeded to l'alestine, and this move was highly successful. How- ever, this did not alter the general situation. There are two outstanding facts in regard to Palestine today: the eco- nomic crisis and the so-called Arab legion, The crisis began to make it- self felt last fall when the number of middleclasa immigrants with some means began to decrease, while the number of immigrants without mon- ey and • in need of work increased. The building industry- y slowed down and a number of industrial and com- mercial firms had to shut down. It was hoped that after the lapse of a few months the crisis would end, but -thee hope was not justified and today things are not much better. Three thousand unemployed is somewhat too much for.Palestine. Equally aggravating to the Yishub is the problem of the re-organized frontier force, which is regarded as an insult and a menace to the Jews. Herbert Samuel gave the Arabs 500.• 000 dunam of state lands, the best land in Palestine, perhaps. And now Lord Plumes has presented them with another gift which they could never have dreamt about, an Arab' army. The Jews in Palestine were shocked and astonished as if a bolt had struck them from the clear sky, when they learned of the reorganization of the (Continued on next page.) t.chWyl.'Z