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~ IE 1)EntonjEwisit C RONICLE

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PIEVET-ROITIEWISH ORM I CLE

Published Weekly by The Jewish Chrono le 1..1,1.1e, I ,

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JACOB H. SCHAKNE
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Entered a

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To tow. kaaosnien. •Il corcrtionilence ant1

II.," matter no, , t reach thi.
°Mee by Toe•ilay even ing of eitch week. When noiling noticee,
kindly 11 , M One side of the vain , only.

The Detroit Jewinh Chronicle invite. rorre.toob1enre on subjects of Inter,t to
the Jewb.h people, but (U4(111071% renponnihility for an indorsement of the views
expree ∎ ed by the writers.

Reading of the Torah for Shmini Atsereth, Saturday, Oct. 6.

The Wailing Wall Incident.

A great deal of good is to be expected from the
unfortunate incident at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

on Yom Kippur morning. The outrageous attack upon

Jewish worshippers by Jerusalem police was caused
by the fact that the Wall, to which Jews from every
part of the globe look as a holy site, is located near
a public square which is open to all alike, and especial-
ly to residents in nearby Arab shanties. Efforts have
been made by Jewish residents in Palestine as well as
public spirited Jews in the Diaspora to purchase the
square and guarantee for all time worship by Jews at
the Wailing 'Wall. Unless we are totally mistaken,
we have reason to believe that the world-wide protest
by Jews to Britain as well as to the League of Nations
should help in compelling the final settlement of the
18113' sites problem in Palestine and the turning over
to the Jewish people of the Wailing Wall square. This
should be done as speedily as possible and as a matter
not of privilege but of historic justice.

GiAS . I+. doSE 1+

Heywood Broun, the two-listed columnist, is writing
for the Scripps-Howard newspapers. The other day I
conic across this statement of his which will prove inter-
esting to our readers. I am glad Broun feels the way I
do about uncovering incidents relating to prejudice, and
not eking what so many of our people would like us to
do, ignore discrimination. The way to crush an evil is
to bring it out in the open and tight it. Here's what Mr.
Broun thinks of the matter:

Pentateuchal portions—neut. 14:22-16:17; Num. 20:35.30:1,

Prophetical portions—I Kings 8:54-86.

A Jewish View on Prohibition.

The Book of Koheleth is read

Reading of the Torah for Simchath Torah, Sunday, Oct. 7.

Pentateuchal portions—Deur. 33 :1-34 :12 ; Gen. I :I -2 :3; Num.
29:35-30:1.

Prophetical portion—Joshua I.

Tishri 21, 5689

October 5, 1928

The Great Lesson of Simchas Torah.

Benjamin Disraeli, who, instead of becoming Bar
Mitzvah at thirteen was led to the baptismal fount by
his father, nevertheless made such fine literary con
tributions in describing Jewish ideals and traditions
that he is by virtue of that, better known as a Jew
than his father who was never converted to Christian-
ity. his pleas for a redeemed Jewish nationality and
his proud Jewish declarations, in spite of the fact that
he worshipped in a non-Jewish church, are rhetorical
masterpieces. On the topic of Succoth, the Feast of
Tabernacles, celebrated by our people this week, the
English , does not possess a more beautiful expression
than the following from Disraeli's "Tancred": •

The vineyards of Israel have ceased to exist but the

eternal law enjoins the that of Israel still to celebrate
the vintage. A race that persists in celebrating the vint-

age, although they have no fruits to gather, will regain

their vineyards. What sublime inexorability in the law!

But what indomitable spirit in the people!

It is easier for the happier Sephardim, the Hebrews

who have neverquitted the sunny regions that are laved

by the Midland ocean; it is easy for them, though they

have lost their heritage, to sympathize in their beautiful

/:

Asian cities, or in their Moorish and Arabian gardens, with

the graceful rites that are, at least, an homage to a

ti

benignant nature. But picture yourself the child of Israel

in the dingy suburb or the squalid quarter of some bleak

Northern town, where there is never a sun that can at any

rate ripen grapes. Yet he must celebrate the vintage of

purple Palestine! The law has told him, though a denizen

in an icy clime, that he must dwell for seven days in a

bower, and that he must build it of the boughs of thick

In view of the national controversy over prohibi-
tion, it will be of interest to both Jews and non-Jews
to quote from Maimonides' (Moses ben Maimon, 1135-
1201) "The Guide to the Perplexed" on the question of
drunkenness:

Those who desire to be men in truth, and not brutes

having only the appearance and shape of men, must con-

stantly endeavor to reduce the wants of the body, such as

eating, love, drinking, anger, and all vices originating in

lust and passion; they must feel ashamed of them and set

limits to them for themselves. As for eating and drink-

ing in so far as it is indispensable, they will eat and drink

only as much as is useful and necessary as food, and not

for the purpose of pleasure. They will also speak little of

these things, and rarely congregate for such purposes.

Thus our Sages, as is well known, kept aloof from a ban-

quet that was not part of a religious act, and pious men

followed the example of R. Phinehas, son of Jair, wh

i

never dined with other persons, and even refused to accept

an invitation by R. Jehudah, the Holy. Wine may be

treated as food, if taken as such, but to form parties for

the purpose of drinking wine together must be considered

more disgraceful than the unrestrained conduct of persons,

who in daylight meet in the same house undressed and

naked. For the natural action of the digestive organ is

indispensable to man, he cannot do without it; whilst

drunkenness depends on the free will of an evil man.

Republicans and Democrats, take note. Both par-
ties can learn much from this great Jewish doctor of
the twelfth century. They can learn still more, how-
ever, if they will make a study of Jewish temperance
which was achieved without constitutional amend-
ments or an army of prohibition officers and spies.
Force the people to total abstinence without educating
them to the values of temperance, and you have a con-
dition from which this country suffers today; teach
them the values of temperance, morally and ethically,
as the Jews have, and you will be able to scrap the
eighteenth amendment and at the same time make the
nearest approach to honest prohibition.

trees; and the rabbis have told him that these thick trees

are the palm, the myrtle and the weeping willow. Even

What Is There In a Name?

Sarmatia may furnish a weeping willow. The law has told

him that he must pluck the fruit of goodly trees, and the

rabbis have explained that goodly fruit on this occasion is

confined to the citron. Perhaps, in his despair, he is

obliged to fly to the candied delicacies of the grocer. Ilk

mercantile connections will enable him often at consider-

able cost, to procure some palm leaves from Canaan, which

.t

he may wave in his synagogue.

There is something profoundly interesting in this de-

li voted observance of the Oriental customs in the heat of our

Saxon and Sclavonian cities; in these descendants of the

Bedoueens, who conquered Canaan more than three thou-

sand years ago, sitll celebrating that success which secured

their forefathers, for the first time, grapes and wine.

tj

Conceive a being born and bred in the Judenstrasse
of Hamburg or Frankfort, or rather in the purlieus of our
Houndsditch or Minories, born to hereditary insult, with-
out any education, apparently without n circumstance
which can develop the slightest taste, or cherish the least
sentiment for the beautiful, living amid frogs and filth,
never treated with kindness, seldom with justice, occu-
pied with the meanest, if not the vilest toil, bargaining for
frippery, speculating in usury, existing forever under the
concurrent influence of degrading causes which would have
worn out, long ago, any race that was not of the unmixed
blood of Caucasus, and did not adhere to the law of Moses;
conceive such a being, an object to you of prejudice, dis-
like, disgust, perhaps hatred. The season arrives, and the
mind and the heart of that being are filled with images
and passions that have been ranked in all ages among the
most beautiful and the most genial of human experience;
filled with a subject the most vivid, the most graceful, the
most joyous and the most exuberant; a subject which has
Inspired poets, and which has made gods; the harvest of
the grape in the native regions of the vine.

He rises in the morning, goes early to some Whitechapel

market, purchases sonic willow boughs for which he has

;:(

previously given a commission, and which are brought

probably from one of the neighboring rivers of Essex,

hastens home, cleans out the yard of his miserable tene-

ment, builds his bower, decks it, even profusely, with the

The Shakespearean adage that "there is nothing in
a name" still holds true, at least if we are to judge
from recent news stories in which Jewish names are
accredited to the French, and a German convict is called
a Jew because his name is "Kaufman." A Berlin
Jewish Telegraphic Agency report, dated Sept. 20,
stated:

The Central Association of German Citizens of the
Jewish Faith has disproved another accusation recently
made use of in the German anti-Semitic Voelkische press,
in its campaign of contrasting facts with assertions. The
Voelkische press during the month of August carried on
a wide agitation in connection with the case of a merchant,
Kaufman, who was sentenced to one and a half years' im-
prisonment on charges of assault. The newspapers asserted
that Kaufman was Jewish. The association now announces
that it has established that Kaufman is not a Jew. He was
a group leader in the Berlin Stahlhelm.

Less than a week later, the United Press released
the following story from New York:

Immigration officials are puzzled over the nationality of

a baby born at sea. Its father is Isaac Kosman, a Pole, and

its mother is Chain Sara Kosman, a French woman. The
mother has named the child Samuel in honor of Uncle Sam.
The child reached New York aboard the Ile De France.

It was a peculiar coincidence that during the same
week our own Charles Joseph of "Random Thoughts"
fame should have been the victim of a similar error
when he referred to Dr. Julius Klein of the Department
of Commerce at Washington as a Jew. Ile isn't. But
Mr. Joseph's mistake is easily excusable. If a Jewish
Isaac can be labeled a Pole; if Chaja Sura is French.
and if Jews are to be attacked because Germans nil:-
take a Kaufman of their own for a Semite, why can't a
Klein be called a Ilebrew?

finest flowers and fruits which he can procure, the myrtle

and citron never forgotten, and hangs its roof with varie-

A School for Women Voters.

gated lamps. After the service of his synagogue, he sups

late with his wife and children in the open air, as if he

were in the pleasant villages of Galilee, beneath the sweet

and starry sky.

Benjamin Disraeli the convert understood the Jew-
ish people and its indomitable spirit. lie was a deep
enough stuaent to understand that when a people's
one great consolation is its literature, its law and its
ethics, in the case of the Jew the Torah, it is inevitably
unconquerable.
Take tne instance of Simchas Torah, the Festival
of Rejoicing in the Law, which we are to celebrate on
Sunday. There has never been an instance that the
Jew, even in most trying times of exile and privation,
should not rejoice and sing in praise of the Lord and
the Torah on this day. Supremely powerful in his
faith, nothing could beat this Simchas Torah spirit.

There is an old Jewish folk song:
"Simchas Torah! skip and hop
On your feet till down you drop!
In your mouth a merry jest—
And a burden in your chest."

Physically there has always been this "burden" in
the Jewish chest; spiritually and for the sake of his
Torah and the Jewish faith, "a-merry jest" has con-
quered sorrow. This is the great lesson of the Jew's
rejoicing in the Law. It is the lesson of our people's
indomitable will to live.

0..

14,411:4

The Detroit section of the National Council of Jew-
ish Women is to be congratulated on its inauguration
of a school for women voters.
It will be remembered that when the franchise was
first granted to the women, hope was expressed that
dishonest political methods will be removed through
the influence of the women. Political idealists pre-
dicted that the home will be fortified as a result of
woman's influence at the polls. and that old-time ward
politics will forever be given a death-blow as soon as
woman begins to mark the ballot.
We know the result. Man continues to rule the
political battlefield. Ile ignores the woman voter's
opinion after election, and recognizes her strength only
in point of numbers. There are some men who will
even tell you with derision that women are influenced
by a pretty face when they go to the polls.
The establishment of a school for women voters
can not completely and immediately remedy the disre-
spect of some males for women voters, but it may serve
as a stepping stone towards solidifying the progressive
forces among both sexes for a cleaner political life.
There are times when even the best informed among
the women may be benefited by such a political school.
But this holds equally as true for men. Many a male
has proved himself too unintelligent to cast a ballot.
Perhaps the school for voters should first have been
established for men.

,

-t;421'

For a long time I have felt that S01114. news-
paper or magazine could perform a useful public
service by making an accurate and dispassionate
survey of the actual extent of race ;prejudice in
the city of New York. I thought there might well
be an investigation of the tangible handicaps under
which Jewish citizens labor in regard to employ-
ment, education, housing and progress in the pro-
fessions. The customs of such clubs as confine
their membership to Gentiles only would not be an
issue. Such a barrier is certainly silly, but obvi-
ously a private organization has a right if it sie
wills, to decide that only one-legged men with
sparse red hair may be admitted,
Journalistic practice in this matter seems to
nie peculiar. When recently there rose a scandal
about the treatment of Jewish internes in Kings
County Ilospital the papers avidly carried every-
thing about the incident. And yet no paper that
I've tackled (I've tried three) has been willing to
make a personal survey of the whole underlying
background of the situation. I venture to say that
there are many American hospitals to which no
Jewish physician can get an appointment unless he
is 58 per cent more capable than his Gentile roll,
petitor. And there are some in which he would
have to be 189 per cent better.
It is no secret any longer that most of the col-
leges which employ a so.ralled psychological test
are merely using an underhand device to prevent
or restrict Jewish enrolment. In other words, the
had whose name is Rosenbaum is automatically
considered psychologically less desirable than some
other applicant who, name is Blake or Winthrop.
That is, if young Blake's father also bore that
same name. If there is any good reason for estab-
lishing a quota system in any school or college,
surely the question should be illuminated and dis-
cussed freely and frankly.
It is no secret that ninny large firms want
"Christians only" and that certain apartment
houses are completely filled up at the moment that
, some Jewish tenant approaches. But these things
are never discussed openly. It isn't good form,
or something.
Sometimes the fault lies with the person dis-
criminated against as well as the discriminator.
In talking about the series of articles suggested
above I ran into several Jews who were all against
any such undertaking. They felt that it was
better to let prejudice smoke and simmer than
uncover the actual flame itself.
With this I am in entire disagreement. Sun-
light heals wounds, and so does truth applied
direct and hotly. I am glad that Smith, a Catholic,
spoke out against the secret slanders. Ti' he sure,
I know that he was to some extent playing politics,
but I have no doubt that back of it all there rests
a sound sincerity. Many Catholics have warned
him to keep silent. They, too, believe the myth
that it is wise to walk circuitously and on tiptoe in
the land of dragons. St. George had a better way.
A wise man and a brave man, when he sees a mon-
ster, will point and say "Halloo!" and name it.

It so happens that much space is given over this week
to matters of Catholic interest because of the promi-
nence of Catholic questions due to the election. I am
asked by Walter E. Kennedy, State Deputy of the Knights
of Columhus Club of Baltimore, Md., to assist in dis-
seminating true information concerning the K. of C. oath.
I am very glad to do this, because it no happens that over
20 years ago I was among the first to have sent to me
from a printer a copy of what was purported to be the
oath taken by a Catholic who joined the Knights of Co-
lumbus. It was so infamous that I recognized immedi-
ately that it was a deliberate and malicious attempt to
poison the minds of the American Protestant people.
This oath has been revived at this time, and to my mind
it is shocking that such an evil thing can find such a
ready welcome. The real obligation taken by a K. of C.
is as follows:

I swear to support the Constitution of the
United States. I pledge myself, as a Catholic citi-
zen and Knight of Columbus, to enlighten myself
fully upon my duties as a citizen and to conscien-
tiously perform such duties entirely in the interest
of my country and regardless of all personal conse-
quences. I pledge myself to do all in my power
to preserve the integrity and purity of the ballot,
and to promote reverence and respect for law and
order. I promise to practice my religion openly
and consistently, without ostentation, and to con-
duct myself in public affairs and in the exercise of
public virtue, as to reflect nothing but credit upon
our Holy Church, to the end that she may flourish
and our country prosper to the greater honor and
glory of God."

Because of the discussion of the Christian Science
movement in relation to Judaism, which has been going
on in this column, the following letter has been sent to
me. It speaks for itself, and who can doubt but that the
rabbi was perfectly justified in his attitude? It deference
to the rabbi's wishes, all the names contained in the
letter have been removed.
September 13th, 1928.
Dear Mr. —:
No doubt you remember Mr. and Mrs.
formerly of New York City, and their charming
youngest daughter, who was confirmed by you
some seven or eight years ago, and to whom I
have the privilege of being engaged to be mar-
ried. I have never had the pleasure of meeting
you, however, and the occasion for this letter is
the wish of , in which I heartily concur, to
be married by you in the presence of our immedi-
ate families, perhaps in some hotel. Mr. and Mrs.
are now returning from Europe and are
fully cognizant of and approve our plans.
It is proper, I think, that you should know
that has for a number of years definitely
turned to Christian Science as a religion. My par-
ents were formerly members of the Congregation
B'nai Jehudah of this city and I attended its Sun-
day school until I was 12 years of age, but for
almost 20 years I have endeavored to be a Chris-
tian Scientist. and for over 10 years have been a
member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist,
this city. and also a member of the Mother Church,
the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston,
Mass. The by-laws of the Mother Church require
a marriage ceremony to "be performed by a
clergyman who is legally authorized." and if your
time permits and you are willing to perform the
ceremony without obliging us to pledge our faith
in the Jewish religion, which we nevertheless re-
spect, but in which we do not believe, I would be
sincerely pleased.
I trust that I may be favored with an affirma-
tive response, and beg to remain,
Respectfully yours,

Dear Mr.

In reply to your letter I beg to say that I con-
gratulate you heartily upon your marriage, but I
certainly cannot perform the ceremony. If you
are a member of the Church of Christ, Scientist,
I cannot, as a rabbi, with self-respect perform the
ceremony. It seems to me that the ceremony
should be performed by a representative of some
Christian Scientist Church.
With renewed good wishes, and confessing that
it is rather difficult to understand a request of a
man and woman who have abandoned Judaism io
order to become members of a Christian Scientist,
to a rabbi, to perform a ceremony for them.

Fraternally yours,

s:S=M-41ZMMI
a ' =4.;s1T-r

s:4,. ArsCr
I-

Books and Authors

Dr. Fosdick's Religious
Pilgrimage to Palestine

A PILGRIMAGE TO PALESTINE.
By Harry Emerson Fosdick, D.
ei D. Published by Meleimillan Co.,
New York and Chicago ($2.50).

The author, a doctor of divinity,
writes about the land of Christian-
ity's birth with a purely Christian
viewpoint. So much so, in fact, that
he places all too strong an em-
phasis upon the Christian and ig-
nores the Jewish efforts for the
rebirth of physical as well as spirit-
ual Palestine.
Dr. Fosdick opens his descrip-
tion by telling us that "Palestine
is a land of many tragedies." Ile
describes the lie of the land, 110W
it was laid waste, etc., and in the
very opening chapter pays a trib-
ute to Zionists when he says that
"wherever there is a Zionist col-
ony, the trees by tens of thousands
are being planted again." These
compliments, however, are few and
far between, for the reason
already quoted: that Dr. Fosdick's
pilgrimage was of an entirely
Christian nature. It is not until
the very last chapter, "Palestine
Tomorro•," that Dr. Fosdick de-
votes himself entirely to the Zion-
ist question.

able institutions. The senior men
burs of the family each had their
pet Jewish charity, which they re-
membered on each family anni-
versary. If these Jews had an:
religion it was their finniIy. .\ I
their lives were bounded Ity t! •
family and the only incident-
then were family anniversari.• .
Abby had ideals. She al,
had ambitions. She wanted to be
an architect. This was incompre -
hensible to her family, who cou! I
not conceive any career for one of
their women but marriage to een •
of their class—and more Re I
Damask.

In this last chapter he discusses
Zionism, rehashing the old and
the new arguments, expressing
doubt and lauding the efforts of
the pioneers.
When one is through with the
book, he inevitably feels that Dr.
Fosdick failed to see enough of the
great Jewish effort for Palestine's
reconstruction.

"The Conqueror."

CONQUISTADOR, by Philip Gue-
dalla, published by Harper and
Bros., New York ($3.00).

Philip Guedalla, Lord Melchett's
predecessor as president of the
English Zionist Federation, one of
the greatest living historians and
essayists, was 441 a visit to this
ccuntry last year to deliver I ser-
i• of lectures under contract, One
of the results of his visit is "Con-
quistador."
Subtitling his book "An Ameri-
can Fantasia," Mr. Guedalla ded-
icates this volume to "My Charm-
ing Guardians; The Pullman Por-
ters of America." In his descrip-
tion of America, Mn, Guedalla has
given an excellent description of
•
Americans in two ward.."Eager
race." Ile sizes us up" that it is
always "question time in Ameri-
ca."
Mr. Guedalla does not reach
conclusions. "A wise observer,"
he says, "does not reach conclu-
sions after three months of ob-
servation. His stay has been too
long for that."
Instead of the customary fore-
word, Mr. Guedalla has "Pass-
port" as the title for his opening
pages. Ile devotes a chapter to
Gettysburg, writes on the eigh-
teenth amend ment, discusses
"Southern Gentlemen," etc., and if
only he would tell us his conclu-
sions he might have improved a
great deal on this fine bit of writ-
ing.

A Superb Novel.

The family was tun, strong for
her ambitions. She was forced to
abandon her art career and devote
herself to the family—and do th•
right thing. And she wanted to
do right. She threw herself in!.
charitable work but the recipieni.
were unwilling to receive it. She
tried again and again to to the
right thing—but could not always
find it. In one thing after ac•
other she found disillusion but still
she went on trying.

Written with rare insight and
humor, "Red Damask" is a notable
piece of work of absorbing. interest
and a hook which should not ba
missed for anything.
Emanie N. Sachs, author of
"Red Damask," is a native of
Bowling Green, Ky. She says that
she has dabbled in juvenile court
work, women's club work, pain-
ing, quarter-professional dancing.
domestic science, substitute teach-
ing in public schools in Bowling
Green and book reviewing. She
was 811 active partner of the Little
Book Store in New York City, for
one 'year. She married several
years ago anti new lives in New
York with her husband and little
daughter.

e i

er6,

ct7

04'

tes

A Truly Great Biography.

BISMARCK: THE STORY OF A
FIGHTER. By Emil Ludwig.
Published by Little, Brown &
Co., 31 Beacon street, Boston
($5.00).

Mr. Ludwig's story of the "Iron
Chancellor" is one of the truly
great biographies of the past year.
Written in the masterful style of
this German-Jewish author, this
volume is rich in story and detail,
and gives the finest picture yet of-
fered of Bismarck.
For the Jewish readers there are
points of special interest in this
volume. Light is thrown on Bis-
marck's friendship with Lassalle.
We learn from Ludwig's biog-
raphy that "no sooner did they
meet than they recognized one an-
other's worth;" that "the thing
that brought the two men together
was the fight against the hour.
geoise. Bismarck wanted power to
use against the constitution; I.as
:lane wanted to mobilize the mass-
es. Bismarck had weapons in his
hands, weapons with which he for-
cibly equipped men; Lassalle had
men at his disposal, men who were
vainly clamoring for weapons."
The Kreuzzeitung is quoted as
having said about the two: "These
are real men; whereas the liberals
have at their disposal neither bay-
onets, nor fists, nor the charm of
genius."

At a meeting in Rhineland Lan-
RED DAMASK. By Emanie salle paid a compliment to Bis-
Sachs. Published by Harper & marck: "If we had to exchange
Bros., 49 East 33rd street, New volleys with Herr von Bismarck,
York. justice would compel us to say,
Although
Jewishness
of even while the shooting was in
Humor and the
pathos,
beautiful de-
progress: 'Ile is a man, and all the
scription and charming character
others are sold women.'" And Bis-
drawing are all interwoven in this
marck, in a return compliment, at
remarkable novel by the Jewish
a time when he had already dis-
author of "Talk."
carded his anti-Semitism, is thus
Abby Ilahl, the heroin , of the
quoted by Mr. Ludwig, who re-
story, member of a wealthy Ger-
veals in his book that Bismarck had
man-Jewish family, is introduced
a genuine admiration for Jews:
to us as one who, typical of lien
"The only people to whose con-
group, was brought up to see
versation Bismarck refers with
everything in terms of moral
pleasure in these days are Jews.
values, and these moral Jahels
Ile speaks of Lassalle as one of the
were so overdrawn and overempha-
most brilliant of men, as one from
sized that they lead to tragedy and
whom he is loath to part even
despair in her life, and inci-
when they have been talking far
dentally to the excellence with
on into the night. Bleichroder,
which the author draws her picture
whom he employs as confidential
as well as the characteristics of the
agent, always has the entry; re-
others in the Ilahl and Wendel
ceives the power of attorney for
families,'
the administration of Bismarck's
property, and, at the premier's in-
Abby and other characters dues
stigation, is raised into the ranks
not play too strong a part, it is
of the hereditary nobility. For
nevertheless an important factor
years a certain Doctor Cohen arts
in determining some of the issues
as both friend and physician, the
in the book.
relationship
until
continuing
Religion and religious observ- Cohen's death. Thus Bismarck en-
ances did not extend further than trusts both his health and his prop-
membership of Reform Temples erty to Jews. 'My intercourse with
and office in denominational chari- Simson is a real pleasure to me.

a

e

•

"The Jewish Thanksgiving"

A Monthly Sermonette

By RABBI LEON FRAM .

In that library of sermons called

senses neither grace or form nor
the Midrash the rabbis of 2,000
fragrance nor taste. It is typical
years
ago
have
set
down
their
in-
symbols, the Lulav, or palm of the individual who is possessed
terpretations of those Succoth
of neither outward beauty nor in-

ward gift.
branch, and the Ethrog, or citron,
"Why." they asked, "did the Torah
NOW, the homily goes on, when
(Leviticus xxvii, 40) select the
these four are brought together
palm branch, the citron, the myrtle
they form a harmony in which the
and
the
willo•-of-the-brook,
deficiency of one is made up for
rather than any other products of by the wealth of the other. Thus
the soil of Palestine, as the tokens do these four represent the ideal
of thanksgiving to be brought to community of Israel—a commu-
the Temple?" nity in which each person, no mat-
ter how great, has his contribution
Their account is as follows: to make and each person, no mat-
The palm branch is stately and ter how humble, has a share of
handsome, nor
though
has
neither
pride in the glory of the entire
fragrance
taste. it It
typifies
community.

the individual who is attractive in
appearance but is not distinguished
Another reason for the inclusion
for talent or virtue. The myrtle, of the drab willow-of-the-brook is
on the contrary, is very plain in probably to be found in the Mid-
appearance but its fragrance is de-
rash, where a rabbi is asked: Why
licious. It typifies the individual
did God choose a thorn bush in
who is not fair to outward view which to reveal himself to Moses?
but who is noble at heart and The rabbis answer: "To teach thee
gifted. The Ethrog, or citron, is that there is no place or thing so
both beautiful to look at and de- humble but God is there."
licious in fragrance and taste. It
It is one of the oldest and finest
is typical of that rare individual
of Jewish traditions that we thank
who is at once beautiful and gen- God for the plain as well as for
erous and brilliant. The willow-of- the beautiful, for the evil as well
the-brook, on the contrary, pos. as for the good.

ITZT

'41:4

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