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tsZtaW4514.yttlAyetr,VVIV

,,f worship than ever before there are, at the same
more forms, or rather degrees, of faith than ever
.i. In the palmy days of statehood in Palestine,
freren•es between one sect and another often in-
I not only the forms of worship but even the very
pt of the Godhead. The concept of God was often
in each locality by religious notions taken over
the former inhabitants of the locality. There were
gods—gods of places, seasons and natural forces
t still exerted a powerful influence over the minds
people.
J day all these and many other religious notions
Attached themselves to Judaism during the middle
have been largely eliminated and there is a world-
unanimity of belief so far as the fundamental con-
of God is concerned.
sat there are new forms, new attitudes, new
mi. The house of Israel today is not divided by the
tip of many gods. It is divided by the varying de-
of faith—degrees that range all the way from
orthodoxy—the Jew who wears his phylactories
oth hands—and the ultra-liberal who wears no
actories at all, to say nothing of the frank, out-
out athiest. And these differences in the degree of
affect vitally our ideas of what constitutes Jewish
at ion.
Vhat, then, is Jewish education?
Ve can only answer: Jewish education is anything
satisfies the religious or nationalistic requirements
ny single group of whatever degree of faith. To
group it is essential that the Jewish child should
:tight how to don his phylactories in a certain pre-
ed manner. To another group it constitutes, for
lost part, a knowledge of Torah and Talmud. To
mother group it means little more than a knowl-
of Jewish history. To some it means the inculca-
if the habit of worship. To others it means the
ation of the spirit of nationalism and the hope of
al redemption.
vish education is like Jewish religion. Whatever
,s to satisfy the needs and desires of the group.
sing the case, we can hope for, at least, the same
ental unity in Jewish education as we find in
ish religion. Whatever forms it may take it
Jewish education. Its cause is the cause of
regardless of their special and peculiar ideas
content.
ation Month is not for one group alone. It is
roups in Jewry. For all practical purposes it
cessary (however desirable it may be) for all
u agree as to•what Jewish education means.
n be and there should be the same mutual aid
peration in the cause of Jewish education that
today in the cause of Jewish relief and, funds-
!, in the cause of Jewish religion.

'?:iztzvszi.owtskumfuiydym

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The Mystery of Kol Nidre

cJOSEP Ifi=

Love may sometimes laugh at locksmith but it frowns
at religious differences. A chorus girl and a well-known
pianist became mutually enamored. The pianist was a
Jew, the chorus girl a Gentile. But she said she was a
Jewe-, They were married, but in a few days the Jewish
musiean, who is very devout in his faith, discovered that
he. had been hoaxed. So now he is suing for annulment of
the marriage. It is the first case of the kind that has ever
come under my notice, and it will serve as a warning to
other, who think that love is always blind.

I have always felt that the spirit and purpose behind
the creation of the American Christian fund for Jewish
relief, supplementing the work of the United Jewish cam-
paign, was far more significant as a good-will gesture than
the amount such a fund could realize. But nevertheless,
there has been some curiosity as to the amount of money
that was raised. And this has just been made public. Ap-
proximately $500,000 was contributed, of which amount
John D. Rockefeller, Jr., gave $100,000.
•
-

But we are in accord with David A. Brown's senti-
ments, which he expressed in this statement:

"The active spirit of mutual service and sym-
pathy that has been generated in this way by the
voluntary co-operation of Christians in a Jewish
task has made for a closer feeling among Jews and
Christians, both in this country and abroad. The
American Christian fund, and all those who through
that organization or independently participated in
this great humanitarian movement, have rendered a
service not inertly in terms of money but of good-
will and active fellowship which by far transcends
the value of the immediate material gift and has
carried the spirit of brotherhood throughout the
length and breadth of this country and of the
world."

It will he of interest to Jews in and out of the Chris-
tian Science church to read the statements made in a pub-
lished article by Lewis .1. Louis, a Christian Science prac-
titioner for many years, but who has recently withdrawn
from membership in the Mother church:

"I questioned the directors on racial prejudice.
Several times, to my personal knowledge, have those
who came out of Judaism and Roman Catholicism
bowed meekly under silent discrimination, espe-
cMlly around election time. In my own case, as a
first reader, I happened to have been a measlier of
a church where about 90 per cent of the members
were of the Semitic race. That accounts for one of
the rare exceptions. Of course it is needless to say
that Mrs. Eddy's attitude regarding Jews was dif-
ferent. Under her administration two were ap-
pointed on the board of lectureship. One still re-
mains but none has been appointed since her demise
to any important post in the movement."

TY

By RABBI LEON FRAM.

That atmosphere of the Day of
Atonement vibrates with a melody.
On the Eve of Atonement you hear
a plaintive, Oriental song and un-
der the spell of that pervasive east-
ern melody you remain throughout
the day. So important is this
melody that it has given its name
to the entire service of the Eve of
Yam Kippur. The popular name
for the eve of the Fast is not Yom
Kippur Eve, but Kol Nidre Night.
The beauty of Kol Nidre is ac-
knowledged not only by Jews, but
by music lovers of all creeds and
races. "Sing me the Kol Nidre at
my death bed," pleaded the Aus-
trian poet, Lenau. And that saint-
ly Russian novelist and mystic,
Graf Leo Tolstoi, once said, "The
Kol Nidre is of all melodies the
saddest and yet the most uplift-
ing." Nor is the charm of the Kol
Nidre melody something recently
discovered by modern seekers after
the exotic. In the diaries of travel-
lers who lived as early as the
twelfth century we read rhapsodic
descriptions of the fascinating mel-
ody which they heard when they
visited the Jewish synagog on the
Eve of the Day of Atonement. We
know that it was sung long before
the twelfth century.
The Kol Nidre is one of those
rare creations of the human spirit
which has caught something of
eternity and infinity. It cannot be
traced to any one composer at any
one time at any one place. It seems
to he the spotaneous utterance of
the Jewish soul. Its date of com-
position is therefore, all the ages.
Its place of composition is all the
g
U rn ei a vte . rse. It is one of those pro-
ducts of the human genius which
men instinctively apprehend as

The Disappointing Words.

Conscious of the beauty of the
melody many people turn eagerly
to the words with which the music
has been traditionally associated—
the words of the Kol Nidre sung by
the cantor in the Orthodox syna-
gog with such passion and such
solemnity and such power, while
all the congregation stands in awe
and the Ark of the Torah is opened.
They imagine—the people who have
What surprises me most is that there is a Christian
been so impressed by the melody—
Science church where 90 per cent of the members are Jews!
that the words which have accom-
-
-
panied it through all the centuries
Whatever else we say about Mr. Ford we surely can-
must be some sublime poetry, some
not accuse him of not being thorough. Recently, Mme.
verse of mighty rhythm and rich
Rosika Schwimmer, the Hungarian Jewess who is said to
significance. They search the trans-
have been responsible for making possible the peace ship
lation of the prayer book for the
adventure, addressed an open letter to Mr. Ford, asking
words of the Kol Nidre, expecting
that he retract the statements alleged to have been made
to come upon a literary gem. And
by Mr. Ford's associates, to the effect that the failure of
oh, how disappointed they are! If
the expedition was due to her. She asserted that she had
ever a song had words that were
been made the subject of public attacks which have seri-
apparently without meaning and
ously hampered her in obtaining writing and lecturing en-
without life, they are the words of
gagements. Frankly, I never expected that Ford would
the Kol Nidre! Ifere they are:
have even a meager idea of the significance of
pay any attention to her letter, but he seems to be in a very
"All vows, bonds, oaths, devo-
chastened mood. So, through his secretary, he has an-
tions, promises, penalties and obli-
I events it is necessary to possess at least a work-
swered Mme. Schwimmer to this effect:
gations: wherewith we have vowed,
sworn, devoted and bound our-
nowledge of many countries and their varying
"Any event which has for its ohiect the laudable
selves: from this Day of Atone-
grounds—political,
economic
and religious. Jew-
aims
which were written into of
thepeace expedi-
unto
the
next
Day
Atone-
tion almost entirely through your own sincere and
ment, may it come unto us for
livents are never simple. The significance of two
untiring efforts, could not he without its antag-
good: all these, we repent us in
onists. It is unfortunate, however, that you should
its, identical in themselves, wear totally different
them. They shall be absolved, re-
feel that persona close to Mr. Ford should in any
leased, annulled, made void, and of
ects when viewed in the light of their different en-
way be regarded in the light that your letter re-
none effect: they shall not be bind-
veals. If you can give definite facts and details,
ing nor shall they have any power.
mments. In one country a Jew is jailed for teach-
every effort will be made to correct any wrong which
Our vows shall not be vows: our
has been committed."
atheism. In another country a rabbi is jailed for
bonds shall not be bonds: and our
oaths shall not be oaths."
•aching religion, In one country the Jew is trying to
Well, we are progressing a bit in the direction of good-
It is a legal formula stated in the
will.
dry manner of the lawyer. It con-
get the Yiddish language. In another country he is
tains nothing that swings or stirs,
If the facts are as recited, then the Federal League of
hting to retain it. One-half of Jewry is fighting to
and what the legal formula is about
Jewish War Veterans were right in refusing to take part
—just what it is intended to effect
.n minority rights. The other half has them and
in the ceremony of the unveiling of the statue of Hinden-
—even the keenest and most analyt-
burg. which commemorated the Battle of Tannenberg. It
ical lawyers cannot discern. What
':isn't know what to do with them. Without a special
is said that a rabbi, who had been invited to take part in
can it signify—this prayer that all
owledge of the environmental factors in each case
the outdoor exercises, in conjunction with Protestant and
vows or promises which we make
Catholic clergymen, was later informed that he could offi-
between this Day of Atonement and
'e observer must often conclude that the Jewish world
ciate only inside the monument. It is impossible to fathom
the next Day of Atonement shall
the reason for this action unless it was a gesture in the
a mad world indeed.
be void and of no effect? There
direction of the anti-Semitic party. It seems that at a
seems to be no definite phase of
If the mad welter of events in the Goluth were the
time when every class in Germany unites to honor their
life, as we know it, to which such
president that racial or religious hatred could be relegated
a prayer for release from our vows
ily cause of the chaos in Jewish affairs it would not
to the rear.
is applicable.

The Jewish Scene.

;

ment

The season of the high holidays has an added sig-
nificance this year. For it ushers in the "Month of Edu-
cation"—four weeks of intensive propaganda for the
cause of Jewish education in America.
In Detroit, these activities are sponsored by the
United Hebrew schools and in our houses of worship
rabbis and laymen have made Jewish education the
theme of their sermons and speeches.
What is Jewish education?
Perhaps there was never a time in the history of
Israel when this question was as difficult to answer as
it is today. Judaism has never been without its schools
and schisms. Even in the great days of antiquity when
the religion of Jehovah was a state religion with all the
official authority that a government and a priesthood
could give it, there were dissenting sects. The Diaspora
created still other sects and forms of worship more or
less sharply differentiated from one another in different
parts of the world. And all these had their own forms
of education.
It is a curious paradox of history that today. al -
though there is more fundarm ntal unity of faith and

so bad. But, to add chaos to chaos, the Jewish world
and of itself is by no means a simple mechanism
her. Within the boundaries of a single country,
Acre one would expect to find a more or less homo-
•ieous life, one finds the same tangle of forces. Here
'tie trend of Jewish opinion that resents discrimina-
r f
apartment houses and hotels, for example.
ire is another trend of opinion that actually excuses,
At least, pretends to ignore discrimination. Here is
iciety for the preservation of Judaism and there is
vely and aggressive assimilationist group. Today
is importuned to fight back at the discriminating
tile employer and tomorrow one meets with Jews
openly confess that they bar Jewish employees for
far-fetched reason or another. One's ears are per-
rally assailed by the discordant choruses of
iuses," ranging all the way from the deep dolourus
is of the calamity howlers to the piping treble of the
Joy' warblers and the success venders. We can easily
imagine the amusement of that suave, self-contained
Roman, Pontius Pilate, with half of Jerusalem falling
prostrate before the prisoner from Galilee and the
other half denouncing him for a blasphemer and a
seditionist.
The reason for this chaos of antagonistic forces in
Jewish events is not far to seek. The Jews, even the
Jews of one single country, are not the steady, slow-
growing product of one environment and one tradition.
They are gathered together from every corner of the
earth, bringing with them—in addition to the authen-
tic Jewish tradition—the traditions and trends of the
countries where they resided for a few generations.
Met with new environmental conditions they react in
a thousand different ways. The result is that perplex-
ing crazy-quilt of ideals and emotions that is called
Jewish opinion. Let a hundred Jews meet for the dis-
cussion of common problems in a country like America
and you have an international conference. Even so
powerful a unifying force as Zionism has not yet suc-
ceeded in fusing this conflicting internationalism into
a harmonious nationalism. There were striking resem-
blances between the conference at Basle and the con-
ference at Geneva. The Jewish scene is the stage of
the world with all its contradictions and all its prob-
lems.

The interesting announcement is made that Philadel-
phia will have the largest orthodox synagogue in eastern
United States next year. It will be erected in the heart of
the city and will he completed next year. The fact that
Rosenblatt, the great cantor, attended the organization
meeting, indicates that he will he affiliated with the con-
gregation, which should assure a crowded synagogue nn
the holidays at least. It is astonishing to note the develop-
ment in the building of orthodox synagogues in this
country during the past few years. It indicates to some
degree that despite the lessened immigration, orthodoxy
is still a powerful factor in American Jewry.

America lost one of its most distinguished jurists, and
American Jewry was bereaved of one of its most illustri-
ous sons in the death of United States Judge Jacob Trie-
ber. Ile possessed an extraordinary legal mind and was
hiMored on Innumerable occasions by city. state and na-
tion. Theodore Roosevelt publicly stated that if he were
elected in 002 he would appointed Judge Trieber to the
supreme court of the United States. This is a bit of un-
written history that will be of interest to the Jews of the
country.

Judge Trieber never forgot the fact that he was a Jew
and he lived the life of a Jew devoted to his faith. His
greatness was only equaled by his modesty. And the trib-
utes that have been paid to him as a man as well as a jur-
ist indicate the fine character of this splendid member of
the House of Israel. He was born in Germany and came to
this country at an early age, and at the age of 22 he took
up the practice of law in Helena, Ark., and later he formed
a partnership with his preceptor, Judge Stephenson, of the
supreme court of the state. Ile was a delegate to many na-
tional Republican conventions and was one of the famous
who vot-d for the nomination of General Grant for
l'resident. The state of Arkansas never failed to honor its
outstanding citizen and to cite the activities and honors
that were his would take more space than I can afford to
give in this column.

ma

I would call the attention of the United States postal
authorities to the honk called the "Evils of Religion,"
written by a person by the name of Swift and published by
the Liberty l'ress of Boston. It seems that there is no
trouble, or very little, to suppress a book or magazine in
Boston that trenches on the obscene. though it must be
said that the question of obscenity is frequently debatable.
But in this book we feel that statements are made against
the Jew that should not be permitted to be circulated
through the mails. It's about time that this sort of irre-
sponsible writing should be limited. No one desires to
limit the freedom of expression of ■ in author. I certainly
would be the last one to suggest such a course, but when
such outrageous attacks are made as contained in the hock
mentioned then the hounds of liberty have been overstep.
ped, even though the press which issued such a piece of
trash calls itself ''Liberty Press."

This is the season of goodwill and forgiveness, and if
some of our Jewish leaders want to net an example they
should hire a hall and hold • peace meeting. We have so
much friction, so much discord, so much petty polities, so
much factionalism, that the Jewish cause as a whole has
not been benefitted. I sometimes think that we are suffer-
ing from too much leadership. And that we have too many
leaders.

The Kol Nidre Calumnies.

Indeed, as a result of the recita-
tion of the Kol Nidre the Jews of
many countries have been openly
accused of regarding their oaths
in court and their business con-
tracts as non-binding. It has been
charged that it is the chief purpose
of the Day of Atonement to give
the Jew religious sanction for the
breaking of his obligations and the
denial of his debts, that the Kol
Nidre is the ceremony by which
breaches of contract are blessed.
As a consequence of these ac-
cusations, bills have been intro-
duced in several parliaments to
prohibit Jews from reciting the Kol
Nidre. But while the accusers
could always produce plausible evi-
dence to substantiate their charges
in the Kol Nidre words themselves,
for these can easily he so inter-
preted, they never could obtain evi-
dence in fact. That is, it never
could be proven that Jews deliber-
ately or arbitrarily broke their con-
tracts. On the contrary, all the
evidence tended to show that being
engaged principally in buying and
selling and borrowing and lending,
they were on the whole meticulous
about commercial obligations. Re-
form Judaism in order to remove
every possible ground for attack
upon the integrity of the Jews, has
abandoned the traditional words
and aubstituted for them a fine
hymn entitled "Day of God," The
apprehensions of Reform Jewry
proved to he premature. The cam-
paign against the Kol Nidre is com-
pletely broken down and Orthodox
Jews—which means moat of the
Jews of the world—recite it to this
day. It is obvious that its clauses
are relevant neither to the world
of business nor to the sphere of
social relationships. How then has
such an enchanting, inspiring mel-
ody come to be associated with such
dry and tasteless words? How has
such a meaningless prayer come to
be given first and dominant posi-
tion in the worship of the holiest
day of all the year

This is the mystery of the Ks!
Nidre, and it can he solved only by
history. The search for the orig-
inal meaning takes us back to
the sixth and seventh eentur-
lea of our era when the Visigothie
kings had conouered Rome and hal
been converted to Christianity. In
their zeal for F.mnire they deter-
mined to root out of their dominions
all heresies all departures from the
Orthodox Catholic faith. "There

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is only one shepherd," they quote,
from the gospel of John, "There
shall therefore be only one flock,'
In the gospel this saying is intend
ed as a plea for tolerance and love
But in their lust for power the
kings pervested this principle o
brotherhood into a mandate to de-
stroy all men that did not agree
with them. And what more glar
ing departure from the creed 0
the church could there be fount
than the faith of the Jew? They
therefore concentrated all the ver
mon of their misguided zeal upon
the Jews in their dominions. The
sharp ultimatum was suffered the
Jews—either conversion to the
church or exile, either the baptismal
fount or the wanderer's staff.
The Year 1492.

This direct and virulent drive
against Judaism reached its climax
in Spain in the fifteenth century. It
was in the year 1492. The year
1492! The year when Christopher
Columbus set out upon his epic ex-
pedition to the West on three boats
supplied by generous Jewish mer-
chants, guided by a compass in-
vented by a Jew, with a crew whose
most important officers were Jews.
The year 1192! The year, when
guided by a wonderful providence
the little group of Spanish Jews
headed by Christopher Columbus
discovered the new world—Amer-
cia—was also the year when that
cruel alternative of conversion or
exile was presented to the Jews of
Spain and l'ortugal. Little (lid the
Jews striven from Spain, the land
of persecution, know that their fel-
low-Jews were at that moment dis-
covering the land of liberty. All
they knew was that they were faced
with a terrible choice. The braver
spirits among them packed up their
belongings, turned their backs to
Spain, and set out on the rugged
road of the exile to find new homes.
But there were a large number who
were just humanly weak. They
could not endure the thought of
wandering in strange lands. They
could not face the prospect of pov-
erty in exile. Yet not all their
fears could persuade them to give
up their Jewish faith.
The cruelty of the world drove
them to invent a horrible com-
promise. They were outwardly con-
verted to the church. They were
sprinkled with the waters of bap-
tism, they partook of the mass, and
they wore the symbol and made the
sign of the cross; but privately and
secretly they continued to observe
Judaism. They have been desig-
nated as Maranos or secret Jews.
Some of them held high offices in
the government and even in the
It was not long before the
church began to suspect these os-
tensible converts. A special court
called the Inquisition was estab-
lished to discover, indict, and ex-
ecute all who were guilty of the
practice of Judaism. Elaborate de-
vices were developed for detecting
the Maranos. We can read of them
today in the old records of the In-
quisition. If the spies of the In-
quisition saw a man buying bitter
herbs around the time of the Jew-
ish I'assover, that was a clue to his
detection as a Jew. If a man was
seen to look especially pale or hag-
gard at the time of the Jewish Day
of Atonement, or if he was seen
purchasing sweet things and new
fruits about the time of the Jewish
New Year—that was another clue.
Men who thus came under suspicion
were brought before the Inquisition
which sat in secret session. The
suspects were put to frightful tor-
ture until they confessed their
guilt, and when this was accom-
plished the victims were put to
death. A special form of execution
was used. Attended with great
pomp and ceremony in the presence
of all the dignitaries of church and
state, and before vast crowds of
people in holiday attire, the victim
was burned upon a funeral pyre on
the public street. This execution
was ironically termed—auto da fe,
an "act of faith." Every year hun-
dreds of Jews were thus executed.
The Secret Jews.
Now let me take you back fifteen
centuries to the Visigothic lands, or
if you will only five centuries, to
Spain. It is Yom Kippur Eve. We
are in a large Spanish city, let as
say Toledo or Cordova. We know
that many Jews live there, but we
shall find no synagogs, and al-
though it is the holiest day of the
year we shall look in vain for Jews
hastening to places of worship.
They are not to be seer.
Ah, but if we could look into the
governor's mansion yonder we
might see him and his sons locked
up in their rooms with the windows
curtained, putting on the talith and
the white mantle. If we could have
looked into yonder merchant's
house, we could have found him in
the same act. If we could have
looked in yonder university build-
ing, we would have seen an univer-
sity professor tearing up a plank
from the floor of his room and pro-
ducing therefrom the talith and the
kittel. Slipping oft' his clerical
gown, he clothes himself in the
ceremonial garments, replaces the
gown over them, and hangs the
chain from which the cross is sus-
pended around his neck.
Through the narrowest alleys and
the darkest streets. these Maranos
pick their way. Their heads are
lowered so they may not be recog-
nized. They tremble at every per-
son's approach. At every footstep
they hear behind them, the scene of
of the last auto da fe comes before
their eyes and they hear again the
victim shrieking from the flames:
Yisroel—Hear, 0 Israel,
the Lord our God. the Lord is One".
They meet in the cellar of an out
of the way house. They are afraid
to look upon one another. Any one
of them might be a spy who would
bring torture and death on the rest.
Now they throw off their garments
of deception and are clothed like
ancient Jews in prayer.
Their

sharIt't hae r y e%fi•ol l r ed
sh iwpitthhe G remorse.
od
Israel

fsirl
whom they had publicly and sham-
lessly denied? How shall they wor-
ship the God of all light in a place
of secrecy and darkness? And to
their anguished hearts there came
the consoling answer. Surely in

(Turn

to next rage,)

41;
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Cat.

