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June 10, 1932 - Image 10

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Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish Chronicle and the Legal Chronicle, 1932-06-10

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TimikrRorrjeasn (A For

and

liFE D ErRonj Ewisfi etRora ctz

,

advantage of promoters. He has given time
and energy such as few men ever divert to
public service." And Professor Hart adds:
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
"I am not in a position to judge of other
Published Weekly by The Jewish Chreniclio Publishing Cm, Low
men of the same religious community who
Metered ea second-clue matter March 1, 1916. at the Poet-
have rendered distinguished services dur-
wee. at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 2, 11171.
ing the last year. Doubtless many have
General Offices and Publication Building
deserved the dignity of your vote, and
525 Woodward Avenue
will in due time receive it; but I do know
Telephone: Cadillac 1040 Cable Addrew Chronicle
that Sol Bloom has done a masterful work
Office:
Lent
14 Stratford Place, London, W. 1, England
in arousing in the minds of the American
$3.00 Per Year people the sense of what a great man like
Subscription, in Advance...
Washington can do to raise the mental and
T. incur. publication.all correspondence and news matter
oust reach this office by Tuesday evening of each week. moral standards of his countrymen. Per-
When mailing notices, kindly use or.. side of the payer only.
sonally it will be a pleasure to me if your
The Detroit Jewich Chronicle invitee correopondence on sub.
Peet. of interest to the Jewish people. but disclaim. responsi-
committee sees fit to bestow this honor upon
bility for an indorsement of the views ems eeeee d by the writer.
him ; for Sol Bloom is not only a good public
Sabbath Shabuoth Readings of the Law.
servant—he is a good soul."
Pentateuchal portion—Deut. 14:22-16:17; Num.
We honor the judgment of Professor
28:26-31.
Hart, who, as historian of the George Wash-
Prophetical portion—flab. 3:1-19.
ington Commission, was in close touch with
Sivan 6, 5692 the work done by Congressman Bloom. We
June 10, 1932
honor the eminent scholar for his sincere
The Feast of Weeks.
friendship for the Jewish people, particu-
Shevuoth, the Feast of Weeks, is the holi- larly in support of our claims for deserved
day set aside by tradition to commemorate tribute for Haym Salomon, financier of the
the presentation to and acceptance by Israel American Revolution. Nevertheless we
of the Torah on Sinai. It is the festival cannot agree that the Gottheil Medal this
which marks the birth of the Ten Com- year should have gone to Congressman
mandments and the handing down to man- Bloom. And we have one reason: because
kind of the foundation for 411 moral law.
our choice is Dr. Cyrus Adler, president of
More than thirty-five centuries after the the Jewish Theological Seminary of Amer-
birth of these moral laws, we find the world ica, president of Dropsie College, president
remaining in need of teachers to interpret of the American Jewish Committee, leader
and reinterpret these commandments anew. in the most important Jewish communal ef-
On the verge of demoralization, the world forts, to list all of them becoming a virtual
needs to hear again the message from Sinai. impossibility.
Even though the world has long ago ac-
It is true that Congressman Bloom has
cepted these commandments, Israel re- reflected glory upon American Jewry by
mains the standard bearer of these moral his activities as associate director of the
teachings, and Shevuoth, now perhaps more George Washington Commission. But how
than ever, challenges Israel to be strong does that compare with Dr. Adler's bur-
in its adherence to its age-old holy heritage, dens as head of two important institutions
and to retain its position of spiritual and of higher Jewish learning; as the leader of
moral leadershrip.
the important American Jewish Committee;
Interestingly enough, it is a Shevuoth as an outstanding figure of the American
hymn that best expresses the Jew's alleg- group in the Jewish Agency for Palestine,
iance to his God and to the teachings that etc., etc.
have been handed down thousands of years
Perhaps it is best that no medal should
ago. It is part of the Akdamuth poem, have been awarded this year, in view of the
written in the eleventh century by Rabbi wide difference in the judges' opinion. But
Moir ben Isaac Nehorai of Worms. The if our judgment were to dominate Dr. Cyrus
portion we allude to is the following classic Adler would today be the possessor of the
Gottheil Medal.
verse:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
Were every blade of grass a quill,
Were the world of parchment made
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love
Of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor would the scroll
Contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky!

Writers throughout the centuries have
copied and emulated these sentences, but
the sentiment in Akdamuth, uttered on She-
vuoth, remains the crowning jewel in relig-
ious fealty and adds emphasis to the tradi-
tions which are honored on the Feast of
Weeks.

No Gottheil Medal This Year.

There will be no award of the Gottheil
Medal this year, officers of the Zeta Beta
Tau, national Jewish fraternity, report.
There was a lack of unanimity on the part
of the judges, thus occasioning this de-
cision.
Without divulging confidences—the bal-
lots of the judges, who are the editors of
the English-JewiSh publications in this
country, having been secret—a few inter-
esting elements assumed importance as a
result of this year's contest for the medal
which is annually awarded to the person
who contributed the most to the American
Jewish community.
In the first place—and the facts we
quote are revealed not in the correspon-
dence between judges and officers of Zeta
Beta Tau, but in the columns of the Jewish
press—there were so many candidates for
the honor that judging by the imposing
list of names mentioned in this connection
we should have had a period of great pros-
perity in communal service. In the second
place, for the first time, to the knowledge
of the present writer, campaigns were con-
ducted in behalf of certain candidates for
this coveted honor.
It appears to us that the imposing array
of candidates rather speaks for hero-wor-
ship and reveals the sacred awe in which
we stand at the mention of titles. Other-
wise, why should there have been such a
division of opinion, whereas in previous
years, which were marked by far greater
Jewish activities, it took so little effort to
select the winner. For instance, we were
approached by several readers who asked
us to cast our ballot for Justice Benjamin
Cardozo of the United States Supreme
Court. And we questioned the choice. We
grant that a considerable amount of glory
reflected upon the Jewish people in the
selection of this eminent jurist for the high-
est court in the land. For his extreme
honor, honesty and ability as a jurist, for
his brilliant legal mind, we honor him and
are proud of him. But what were his di-
rect contributions to Jewish life and to the
betterment of the American Jewish Com-
munity?
There is much greater justification for
the selection of the lion. Sol Bloom, mem-
ber of Congress and associate director, with
Lt. Col. U. S. Grant 3rd, of the United States
Commission for the Celebration of the Two
Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of
George Washington. Professor Albert
Bushnell Hart, eminent historian, writing
from Cambridge, Mass., urged that the
Gottheil Medal be awarded to Congress-
man Bloom whom he lauds for his "good
judgment, good temper and patriotic spir-
it." Professor Hart tells us that Congress-
man Bloom "has steadfastly declined to
permit the service of the Commission to be
carried on with reference to the profits or

An Important Anniversary.

Canadian Jewry is at present observing
an important anniversary. June 5 marked
the final enactment of the law which defi-
nately proclaimed the emancipation of the
Jews in tho Dominion of Canada, and guar-
anteed to Jewish citizens equal political
rights.
The act of emancipation, as passed by the
Assembly of Lower Canada, was first pre-
sented "for His Majesty's assent and re-
served 'for the signification of His Majesty's
pleasure thereon' " on March 31, 1831. On
April 12, 1832 it was "assented to by His
Majesty in His Council." On June 5, 1832,
royal assent was "signified by the proclam-
ation of His Excellency the Governor in
Chief." The act itself reads

"Whereas doubts have arisen whether persons
professing the Jewish Religion are by law en-
titled to many of the privileges enjoyed by the
other subjects of His Majesty within this Prov-
ince: Be it therefore declared and enacted by
the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with
the advice and consent of the Legislative Council
and Assembly of the Province of Lower Canada,
constituted and assembled by virtue of and under
the authority of an Act passed in the Parliament
of Great Britain, entitled, "An Act to repeal
certain parts of an Act passed in the fourteenth
year of His Majesty's reign, intituled, 'An Act
for making more effectual provision for the Gov-
ernment of the l'rovince of Quebec, in North
America' and to make further provision for the
Government of the said Province of Quebec in
North America;" And it is hereby declared and
enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all per-
sons professing the Jewish religion being natural
born British subjects inhabiting and residing in
this Province, are entitled and shall be deemed,
adjudged and taken to be entitled to the full
rights and privileges of the other subjects of
Ilia Majesty, his Heirs or Successors, to all in-
tents, constructions and purposes whatsoever,
and capable of taking, having or enjoying any
office or place of trust whatsoever, within this
Province.

This one-hundredth anniversary of the
final enactment of this law, grantng our
people civil rights,- is important for many
reasons. The fact that it antedated by
twenty-four years the granting of equal
political rights to Jews in England; coming
as it did a decade before the actual politi-
cal freedom even in liberty-loving Holland,
and sixteen years before emancipation in
Germany, the Canadian centennial celebra-
tion acquires special significance.
The story of the manner in which Canad-
ian Jews won the battle for emancipation
reads like a romance. The experiences of
Ezekiel Hart, who was the first Jew to be
electd to the Canadian Legislature, in 1807,
later had its parallel in the election to the
British Parliament of the first of the Roth-
schilds. Both Hart and Rothschild insisted
on a Jewish oath taken with covered head.
Both were rejected by the Christian assem-
blies to which they were elected. Both were
returned again by their constituents. The
determined efforts of both later led to
emancipation acts in their respective coun-
tries.
We greet Canadian Jewry on its current
celebration. Its triumph one hundred years
ago was a triumph for the entire people be-
cause it blazed the way for freedom and
equal political rights in other lands. The
present anniversary should be an occasion
for rejoicing on the part of Jews every-
where.

Endek (anti-Semitic) students in Poland
demand that Jews be barred even from the
agricultural academy of Lemberg which
was established with Jewish funds and en-
dowed by L. J. Burger, Jewish philanthro-
pist by whose name the institution is gen-
erally known. It is the old anti-Semitic de-
mand of the Jew: give all, get nothing.

THE LEGAL CHRONICLE

JOSEPH COWEN

Our Film Folk

rsissr•ssis agency, Inc.)

By the death in London on
May 24, at the age of 64, of
Joseph Cowen another link with
the Ilerzl epoch in Zionism was
broken. Of the men closely as-
sociated with the great leader,
there survive now about a dozen.
Kremenetzky, Schnirrer a n d
Shalit in Vienna, Bodenheimer
of Cologne, Adolf Friedmann
and Dr. Heinrich Loewe of
Berlin, Kahn of the Hague, Gas-
ter and Herbert Bentwich, Sir
Francis Montefiire, Leon Kessler
of London. Zlosicti and Sohkin
of Palestine, Gottheil and Ste-
phen Wise in America. There
were, of course, many others
who knew Ilerzl, met him at
Congresses, like Reuben Brain.
in, Berthold Feival, Sokolow,
Weizmann and Ussishkin, or
knew him in London or else-
where, but they were not closely
associated with him. Perhaps
did not share his views—stood
afar off wondering.
Joseph Cowen occupied a spe-
cial niche. lie was a fervent
acolyte in the llerzlian priest-
hood. A native of the south of
England, and a successful pio-
neer in the shirtwaist industry,
he came to Zionism via his
cousinship to Israel Zangwill. In
his youth he was interested in
English politics. If I mistake
not he was a devoted follower of
Charles Stewart Parnell, the
leader of Irish Home Rule 40
years ago and had only the most
perfunctory association with
matters Jewish.

UNDER HERZL'S SPELL

Zangwill had in 1895 first in-
troduced Herzl to the London
community but in 1896 retreat-
ed from the advance he had
made from assimilation and the
"melting pot" theory. In the
summer of 1897, however, the
two cousins toured Switzerland,
and the Congress in Basle thus
appealed to them as something
worth observing. It was in this
wise that they came as visitors,
and Zangwill slowly edged him-
self, with growing enthusiasm,
to the press table. I still have
in mind Zangwill excitedly wav-
ing a great bandana handker-
chief in the closing scene, and
prior to that haranguing me, be-
cause I had not distributed suf-
ficient kadbudim among the
handful of English Zionists.
Zahgwill took no further part
in Zionism till 1900. But Jo-
seph Cowen, who knew no Ger-
man or Yiddish—at that time
he could muster a sentence or
two in French—came under the
spell of the leader. Of a
stocky type, rubicund, typical
Anglo-Jewish business man, at
his best when smiling, he passed
overnight from Irish to Jewish
Home Rule. The Jewish state
appealed to him. It was pal-
, pubic and clear. A thousand
ideas now incorporated into
Zionism probably never reached
him. But the organization of w
political foice to gain a politi-
cal end appealed to him over-
whelmingly. In the fall of 1897
he invited me to meet him. The
third man presented was Leo-
pold J. Greenberg, who al-
though at that time on the peri-
phery of Jewish affairs knew
much more about them than
Cowen. There and then we
formed a triumvirate for ac-
tion which lasted 'till I left
London in 1902. At times with
Dr. Gaster and Sir Francis Mon-
teliore the group was five. but
we three held the fort in those
ardent and arduous days. Under
our pressure the Chovevi Zion
practically dissolved in 1898,
and political Zionism became
the dominant factor in Anglo-
Jewry.

A GENEROUS ZIONIST

Cowen was for a time treas-
urer of the new organization,
and he toured the country for
the cause, but from his business
office in St. Paul's churchyard he
conducted a great deal of Zion-
ist business daily. Cowen was
practical, also he was wholly
master of his own time. When

in doubt he went to Vienna. Ile
constituted himself a devoted
and obedient aervant of Herzl,
sharing in this with Wolfsohn.
In a quiet and unostentatious
way he was generous with his
means. The most Englishmen
of the group, his bearing ap-
pealed to Herzl. He is the
"Tschoe" of "Altneuland," the
man who is told what is wanted
and gets it done. He was ever
ready to do. For years he had
on his desk a steel letter file, in
which he kept all his Zionist
memoranda. He made notes on
little slips of paper. When
acted upon his pencil made a
huge cancellation mark. Later
he reviewed them and destrowed
them. On the platform he would
look at a small notebook, and
stop to cancel a point where he
had made it.
His loyalty to Ilerzl did not
always mean agreement. But
when it came to arguing the
matter out he was always mind-
ful of the burdens of the leader.
The personal regard, Herzl'a
health, his family affairs, his
financial position, these matters
exercised Cowen a great deal.
In 1901 he came to the front
because he accompanied Herzl
to Constantinople, and because
he took an active part in the
organization of the Jewish Co-
lonial Trust. 'Till then he was
at least publicly overshadowed
by the brilliance of Gaster and
the political resourcefulness of
Greenberg, to whom Zionism
owes so much that has never
been recorded.

(Coorricht.

By HELEN ZIGMOND

By JACOB DE HAAS

(Coo) right, 1972. Jewish

.8y- the-Way

HOLLYWOOD.—Helen goes a
hunting . . . and look what she's
found! The Bennet girls—Con
stance, Joan and Barbara—are of
Jewish extraction. Their mother'
(Adrienne Morrison) father was
Jewish ... making the girls one
fourth (25 per cent, to you) He
braic via the grandfather route
Just thought you'd like to know

Al. Golfton, former theater-
owner of Detroit, has bought the
Novelty Theater in Los Angeles.
• •


Tidbits and News

By DAVID SCHWARTZ

1552. Jewish Telegraphic Agency, tae.)

THE HOMELESS POET •

"I see," commented a New York 'old timer the other day, as we
quaffed the tea in an East Side kibetszarne, "that you devoted some
space to Cyrus L. Sulzberger recently. "Did you know that Sulz-
berger once offered the vagrant author of 'Hatikvah,' Naphtali Herz
Imber, a room in his own home, but Imber preferred to remain on the
Bowery?
"I cannot say what it was, whether Imber couldn't stand luxury
or that probably he was afraid that Mr. Sulzberger might seek to
reduce his drinking rations—if he were under the latter 's eye. "
That Imber should have written "Ilatikvah" ("Hopei"). What
could be more ironical? Ile, whom everybody regarded as hopeless!

.


NOT A PROHIBITIONIST

What drama could mat his life. The times he would go to Zionist
meetings. That is—he would start out to go, but would stop at every
That certain feathered creature saloon to get a drink.
left seven pounds of bouncing boy
One day he started out—but before he got very for he was rolling
at the Ralph Blum's (Carmel on the sidewalks. Two Salvation Army lassies helped him rise.
"I want to go to that meeting over there," said Imber. The Sal-
Myers).
vation Army lassies, one on each side, escorted Imber.
Other Zionists were walking towards the same destination. There
Patricia Ellis, a recent New
York import for talkie reels, was was Imber, author of the' Zionist national anthem, walking arm in
birth tagged Patricia Leftowich.
arm with these ladies. "Shteitz—Imber. Shemm sieh."
.
• *
But it made no difference to the poet. As they approached the
Rouben Mamoulian, the Syrian meeting hall, the women let Imber go alone. Ile walked up the
Jewish director, will megaphone steps. The strain of his song, "Ilatikvah," being sung by the audi-
the filming of "R. U. R." ... and ence, penetrated to his ears.
if you will believe Arthur Caesar,
Ile walked up to the door.
there are plenty of actors around
The doorman knew him not. "Get out. You can't come in here.
Hollywood who can play the ro- You're drunk.!'
bots.
"I am Naphtali Herz Imbed" shouted the drunken poet.
"1 know. You're the king of England. Get out. No drunkards
allowed
in here."
hs
ago
a
Jewish
au-
A few mont
The audience inside took up the second stanza of "Hatikvah."
thor sold his Broadway play to ■
"Do
you
hear," exclaimed Imber, "that song they are singing—
west coast studio that wanted it
for • particular femme lead. When that is mine—I wrote it."
"Get
out,
you're drunk," came back the answer again.
the script arrived the studio head
Now the chorus sounded through the door, rising in greater
became so enthusiastic about •
male character in the story, • volume.
Imber stood still—and on the outside began to join it.
rough and ready sailor, that he
"Get away," shouted the doorman.
was all for twisting the story to
Imber went away—to the saloon, under the balm of whose spirits,
give this character the lead. Well,
an author doesn't like his brain- at least—"lost is not our hope of yore."

HIS MISSION TO U. S.

In the spring of 1904 Cowen
came to America. He had come
almost directly from Vienna and
told me Herzl'a days were num-
bered, and he had no heart for
the job he came here to• study,
the organization of a branch of
the Jewish Colonial Trust. Af-
ter the seventh Congress he re-
fused to follow Zangwill into
the Jewish Territorial Associa-
tion through another relative
Dr. Eder was associated in it.
During the World War he came
here also on a Zionist mission,
but he found the Americans
singularly lacking in support for
what he wanted to do. I believe
it had to do with the Jewish
Colonial Trust. In 1918 he
joined Weizmann in the Zionist
commission to Palestine, and
whatever his criticism he was
singularly loyal to the leader-
ship. With others in England
he was swept aside in the peace
negotiations, and the confer-
ences that followed.
He may have been present at
the London Conference of 1920,
but I do not recall him at a sin-
gle session. Caster and Green-
berg were equally conspicuous
by their absence from these ses-
sions. In the fall of 1920 he
came to America and attended
the Buffalo convention, but in
no way influenced the situation.
After that he appeared some-
what fitfully in Zionist affairs,
as president of the English Fed-
eration, but he was out of tune
with his surroundings. On the
other hand, by taking office in
the formal organizations of the
London community he was able
to butress Zionism in England.
At the time of his death he held,
I believe, the office of director
in the London Jewish Chronicle,
which his friend Greenberg
edited. But he made no at-
tempt to wield any influence
over its policy.
He had made himself respon-
sible for flans Ilerzl's educa-
tion, and being childless and
well off the burden sat easily on
him, but Hans, when he dis-
cussed it with me, did not like
the association. But Hans was
a tragedy for which nature and
not Cowen was responsible. My
last long talk with Cowen was
in 1925—in the last few years
he had long spells of serious
illness. He told me then "they
don't want me around, and
have crept into my shell."

child mutilated, but he finally gave
his consent. Sin weeks later at a WHEN IMBER REPENTED
And the time that Imber was sick and was taken to some non-
preview he anxiously watched the
film unwind, foot after foot, hope- Jewish denominational hospital, where the Sisters sought desperately
ful to the last reel that the old to convert Imber to their faith and lead him to repentance.
They argued and pleaded with him to repent and get right with
salt would appear . . . Now some-
where around Hollywood wanders God. Imber enjoyed their pleas and played along with them to some
extent
but adamantly refused to get right with Eternity—as they
an author in search of a character.
• •
conceived it—or to repent.

"Why should I not drink?" Imber would say. "Didn't the Lord
Both Sam Ornitz's "Haunch,
Paunch and Jowl" and Lester Co- create drink, and if He created it—it must be good. Take it from
me,
it is good. I bless the Lord every day for having created a
hen's "Sweepings" will be cinema-
drink."
tired this year.
" 'Baruch atah Adoshem Elohenu asher boray peiri ha-gofen.'
Do you know what that means? That is a blessing for wine. We
If you doubt the Semitic lineage
bless the Lord for having created the fruit of the grape. That is one
of Doug Fairbanks, the elder, you
of the blessings we Jews have—and it is my favorite blessing.
should se e • photo of him taken in
"But you," Imber shouted, "you are atheists—that's what you
1915. . . it'. on the wall of the
Writers' Club . . . Is he Jewish? are. You are infidels. You are worse than atheists. An atheist at
least
does not insult God. But you insult God. You say that that
. . . Are you asking?
which God created is no good."
So
Luber would tantalize the Sisters, But the Sisters persisted.
. Will Irving Fineman, who au-
thored "This Pure Young Man," Ile must stop drinking. He must accept the one who, they told him,
had
died
for all mankind—he must repent.
the Longman-Green prize-winning
Finally, Imber gave in. So he announced to the Sisters. He wan
novel, succumb to the lure of low-
ready
to
get
right with God.
brow, but high-paid, movie writ-
"Praise the Lord," sang the Sisters. "Praise the Lord that he has
ing? He's here working on a
directed
your
heart to the ways of repentance."
book, and—well, we were just
"Yes, I repent," said Imber, "but I must repent as a poet should
wondering.
repent. I will write my affirmation of repentance in a poem. Sis-
ters, will you hand me paper and pencil?"
Ben Lyon's little daughter, Bar-
They did. And Imber wrote:
bara, was on the set the other day,
There are still beautiful roses
watching papa's performance be-
With aroma blessed,
fore the grinding cameras. Sud-
There are still handsome maidens
denly the gangsters on the scene
Whose lips I have not pressed.
began to get rough with hero Ben,
This has me affected—
and baby Barbara let out a scream
I am full of remorse
that ruined $500 worth of sound
That of late I have neglected
film.
The girls and the roses.
. • .
I see near me the green table,
Do you remember Bobbsi North,
The gamblers play aloud,
Hebrew comedian of vaudeville
And I am sick and unable
and "Follies" fame? No more
To mix with the crowd.
acting for him ... he's raised him-
And so it went on. Imber repented—that he could not gamble
self to the higher (?) status of
more—and
that
he
had
neglected the girls and the roses.
associate picture producer.

still on that
Mitci Green . .
footlight tour . . . received •
huge basket of flowers in St. Louis.
The attached card complimented
her as "the greatest of young an-
tresses" and added that the sender
missed one of her pictures.
It was signed, Madame Schumann
Heink.

• .
Teddy Hart, brother of Larry
Hart, the song-writer, was given
a small part in "On Your Mark."
It was his first picture work, but
he proved to be so comic that they
are altering the script ... writing
In extra scenes for him!
_
• • •
Did you know that Adolph
Zukor was in the fur business be-
fore he entered the movie field—
some 30 years ago?

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Coeur
were celebrating their fifteenth
anni y. A friend asked Mrs.

(Turn to Next Page).

RANDOM THOUGHTS

BLOCK'S INVESTMENT
act there should be such a lack of
Being generous has its price, Christian tolerance. While it is
too. I have been toting the skep- quite true that scholarships are
ticism with which Paul Block's in- given by Jews to Jews yet on the
vestment for the mayor of New other hand a great deal of money
York netted the mayor without in- is left by Jews for scholarships
vesting a cent some $250,000. without such restrictions as the
Everybody accepts the statement late Miss Dibbles placed upon her
that Mr. Block was influenced to gift. These scholarships, by the
do this generous act because of Way, are available at Columbia
University. I am always glad to
the suggestion of his 10-year-old
son "Billy." Strange to say, record such bequests which are on
knowing Mr. Block, I believe the broader lines but thus far I have
story exactly as he told it. That is not beet obliged to work over-
just what he would do. For years time.
he and the mayor were intimate OUR NEIGHBORS' ETHICS
friend and I am absolutely sure
It would be extremely foolish to
that Mr. Block didn't need any
the fact that thus far very
financial favors in return from the stress
few
Jewish names have appeared
mayor of New York. He has en-
in the investigation now going on
joyed a big income and anyone in
the Senate of Wall street
who knows him knows that he has
it must
been most generous in his attitude manipulation. But at least
our co-religionists with food
serve
toward those near to him. But it
ou
for
thought,
and
perhaps
seems that that kind of generosity
is always open to suspicion to neighbors as well, when they dig
cover
that
some
of
the
most
flag
those who cannot conceive of any- rant violations of ethical conduc
body being so open-handed. I sat
one day in a room with two men,
both of whom were very well
What Makes a Jew?
known to me. One agreed to do
for the other exactly what Mr.
"Judaism is something more
Block did for Mayor Walker. The than a badge, something more
offer was accepted and whatever than a birth-mark; it is a life.
profit that was made from the To be born a Jew does not de-
transaction was turned over by clare any of us to be of the
man No. 1 to man No. 2, and the elect; it only designates no for
latter did not invest a cent. It enrollment among the elect.
was a gesture of generous friend- God signs the covenant., but we
ship.
have to seal it—seal it by a life
of service. "What makes a man
VARYING BEQUESTS
• Jew?" is a question that is
Perhaps it is not fair to criti- often asked. The answer is,
cize but I can't help feeling that two things: membership of the
in the will of one Charlotte Dib- Jewish brotherhood, and loyal
ble'', a spinster relative of the fulfillment of the obligations
Marshall Fields, that $18.000 which that membership imposes.
should be left for scholarships to To be of the Jewish race but to
asyoung man and young woman trample upon Jewish duty is to
who must be "white and Chris- be faithless to lorael."—Morris
I It seems too bad that in Joseph, 1903.
the doing of such a "Christian"

Joseph

THIS AND THAT

Herz! Weizmann, nephew of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, has just
arrived in this country, for a visit.
Justice Brandeis is now established at his summer home in Chat-
ham, Mass., and the usual summer trek of Zionists to Chatham will
commence.

National Council of Jewish
Women Answers Its Critics

By HILDA KASSELL

"The policy of the National Coun-
cil of Jewish Women has always
been one of co-operation." Thus
spoke Mrs. Blanche Baum Gold-
man, newly elected chairman of the
executive committee of the National
Council of Jewish Women, in an
exclusive interview with a repre-
sentative of the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency.
"In communities where Sister
hoods are doing certain pieces of
work in connection with Jewish en-
deavors, we try not to over-lap
them. however, the National
Council of Jewish Women still has
considerable work to do in small
communities where there are no
congregations, and also among
those individuals in large cities
who belong to no particular con-
gregation," Mr. Goldman continued,
in reply to criticisms levelled
against the council because of its
alleged "ostrich-like indifference"
to what is actually happening in
Jewish life and the Jewish world.
At first Mrs. Goldman and her
staff felt it would be undignified
for them to reply to warranted crit-
icisms levelled against the Council
as to hating "devoted itself only
to loose ends aruond the periphery
of Jewish life," inasmuch as the
National Council of Jewish Wo-
men's accomplishments for the past
few years can well speak for them-
selves.

in business have been committed
by great names in great institu-
tions SOME OF WHICH WILL
NOT EMPLOY A JEW UNDER
ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. As a
minority group which has to suffer
constantly for the shortcomings of
its weak members, it is at least
consoling to know that sharp prac-
tice is not the exclusive property
of the Jew, as some of our ene-
mies are eager to point out. Where
is the vaunted SUPERIOR ETH-
ICS of our neighbors holding high
positions? One is astonished to
read the tactics adopted by lead-
ing bankers and leading banks in
New York which caused the gul-
lible public relying upon the repu-
Aided Under-Privileged.
tation of the men and their insti-
As an indication of the important
tutions, to lose all they had with
no more chance to win than at a achievements to be credited to the
National Council of Jewish Wo-
three-shell game in a circus.
men in the course of its long career,
Mrs. Goldman cited the Council's
U. S. JEWISH LEADERSHIP
Someone suggests that we need accomplishments not only in its so-
cial service work, its educational
more democratic and unified lead- program and cultural achievements
ership In American Jewry. The but its position as a recogniztil
American Jewish Congress appar- force in combating or aiding legis-
measures touching directly or
ently takes it for granted that it lative
indirectly upon Jewish problems.
fills the need very nicely. I see
The Council of Jewish Women
that on June 12 delegates to the has long been one to fight in be-
Jewish World Conference, be held half of the rights of the under-
this summer in Geneva, will be privileged, and through its member-
nominated at the New York City ship and representation on the Wo-
conference called by the Ameri- men's Joint Congressional Commit-
can Jewish Congress. Perhaps tee at Washington, D. C., it has
other delegates will be chosen by been known to:
1. Support the legislation to reduce the
other organizations. The trouble, I
fem.
find with the Congress, that it does hig I. b ;I:Nr..11.'1.
posus re•trietive irnmigrstion
tattoo.
calms edequate provwn I. made
not seem to attract a broad enough
representation, its personnel be- f 1." gpos
ionelgPrortd hef.ree
rnilin;atioo of
ing limited largely of those who . Ilene.
4. OW.40 the Calendar Reform pro-
are in sympathy with Zionist as- gram.
5. Support Maternity and
pirations. I don't believe that
leaner
those responsible for the Congress Legislation.
a. Work for the Protection of Child
planned it with the idea that it Lebo. Law.
This is but a cursory review of
should represent only one element
in Jewry, but unfortunately it the vital issues upon which the
seems to have worked out that Council has taken difinite stands.
Nor must we forget the significant
way.

role it played in fighting, and fight.
ing hard, to achieve such legislative
bills as the Old Age Pensions,
Mothers' Pensions, and the like.
Social Problems.
These are all social problems,
having a direct effect upon Jewish
life. Problems, which, for all its
surface value, and its obvious
achievements in Jewish institution-
al and cultural direction, go even
deeper in its ultimate effect upon
the Individual—the Jewish woman,
whose voice is the National Coun-
cil of Jewish Women.

Educational Work.

Since the passage of the Cable
Act, giving independent citizen-
ship to women, special activities
have been carried on by the Council
sections throughout the country to
assist women to become naturalized
citizens. Loan funds have been es-
tablished In many communities to
aid those women who are unable
to pay the present high naturaliza-
tion fees.
The Council has also issued pub-
lications of special Jewish interest .
Outstanding amongst these are
"Course of Study on Jewish Pray-
er," "An Introduction to Jewish
Music," "Musical Service for the
Synagogue," "A Prayerbook for the
Jewish DOeaf," "A Harvest Festival
Service," and "The Tower of Dav-
id,' a book of stories on Jewish life.
For the cultural development of
the indvidual members, study cir-
cles for the study of the Bible,
Judaism, Jewish History and cur-
rent Jewish events, have been or-
ganized and are functioning sc.
tively in many Council sections.
When the question of Palestine
arose, Mrs. Goldman Once more
repeated that any constructive
work the National Council of Jew-
ish Women would undertake, would
only duplicate the activities of such
organizations as Hadassah, the
Women's Zionist Organization of
America.
The National Council of Jewish
Women, as far back as 1920, had
established a Farm and Rural De-
partment to assist farm women liv-
ing in scattered rural communities .
Maurice Bisyger, president of he
National Association of Jewish
Center Executives, referring to the
National Jewish Ledger of Wash-
ington, said in part: "The Council
has, more than all, furnished the
sinews for the various institutions
in the way of leadership. Most of
the women who are in the field of
Jewish welfare as volunteers have
secured their first training in the
membership of the Council, or on
their various committees."

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