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IEDETROITIEWIS/1 RONICLE
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
Pebile►ml Weekly by The Jewish Chronicle Pubilahisig Co, Ws
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Sabbath Readines of the Law.
Pentateuchal portion—Number 13:1-15:41
Prophetical portion—Joshua 2.
Rosh Chodesh Tammuz Readings of the Law, Mon-
day and Tuesday, July 4 and 6—Number 28:1-15.
Sivan 27, 5692
July 1, 1932
Justice Felix Frankfurter.
On January 15, 1932, Oliver Wendell
Holmes, who recently retired as Associate
Justice of the United States Supreme Court,
addressed the following letter to Governor
Joseph B. Ely of Massachusetts:
"Your Excellency:
"If the vacancy on the bench of the Su-
preme Court left by the death of Judge Car-
roll has not yet been filled I venture to rec-
ommend Prof. Felix Frankfurter for the
place. I am quite confident that he is su-
perior in learning and ability to any one
else available and that his character is
equal to his gifts. He has been a dear friend
of mine for many years, but I am confident
that the judgment I express is not the child
but the parent of my affection.
"With much respect,
"Your obedient servant,
"0. W. HOLMES."
Such tribute, coming from one of the
greatest legal minds in the world, is the
highest honor that could be accorded to
any man. It is no wonder that Governor
Ely acceded to the recommendations of Mr.
Holmes, Justices Brandeis and Cardozo,
and others who are great in the legal pro-
fession, and appointed Professor Frankfur-
ter to the Supreme Court bench of Massa-
chusetts. •
Naturally, Professor Frankfurter's ap-
pointment is reason for rejoicing in Jewry.
His elevation to this high post is a recogni-
tion of genuine ability and is distantly re-
moved from unpleasant political patronage.
Furthermore, Dr. Frankfurter's position as
a Jew and as a Zionist leader in many re-
spects causes his new honor to shed some
glory upon his people.
In congratulating Profestor Frankfur-
ter, we congratulate ourselves that he is one
of a group of able Jewish jurists who know
how to honor their professions and their
people by their achievements in the field of
law and at the same time devoting them-
selves to the cause of Jewry.
,
A Literary Contribution.
To the Jewish Publication Society of
America must again be accorded the credit
for exercising unusual care in the choice of
the volumes it publishes, and for providing
the English-speaking Jewries with the finest
titles of instructive an cultural value.
Zev Vilnay's "Legends of Palestine," the
latest Jewish Publication Society volume to
be circulated among its members, and just
placed on sale to the general public, has
the value of being not only instructive, but
entertaining as well.
The 217 legends incorporated in this
volume are a veritable storehouse of Jew-
ish folklore with relation to Palestine. "De-
rived from Hebrew and Arabic sources,
both literary and from the spoken word,"
we are informed by the society's publica-
tion committee, these legends "cover the
entire period of Jewish history, being adap-
tations of Biblical, Talmudic and Midrashic
stories and coming down to modern legends
which grew up as late as 1929."
In their English translation from the He-
brew, these legends, now made available
to a larger audience, reveal the ancient He.
brew spirit as translated in the stories by
the story - tellers — Arab Fellahin and
Bedouins as well as Jews. The book is
made especially vivid by the 70 illustra-
tions depiciting historic sites in Palestine.
Here is a volume which should be in
every Jewish home. Young and old will find
delight in its stories. The Jewish Publica-
tion Society is to be commended for issuing
this as well as other important Jewish vol-
umes. Such works make the position of
this society of greatest importance to Eng-
lish-speaking Jewries.
Leon Blum at Sixty.
M. Leon Blum, leader of the Socialists of
France. was signally honored by his consti-
tuents when he was re-elected to the Cham-
ber of Deputies. It was a deserved birthday
honor—M. Blum having just celebrated his
sixtieth birthday—and is a welcome tribute
to the Jewish people in whose behalf he has
devoted himself loyally and unselfishly in
the past decade.
The triumph of the Socialists in France is
to a great extent the triumph of M. Blum.
Consistent in his battles for the principles
he has been advocating, he has won the re-
spect of the people of France, and thereby
greatly aided the cause of his party. Stand-
ing firm against all threats of impending
wars, he has battled for peace and is per-
haps one of the most influential leaders in
the peace movement in Europe.
A correspondent of the New York Times,
writing from Paris, points out that it was
M. Blum who decided the fate of the mora-
torium on June 27, 1931. Premier Laval
was bitterly attacked by members of the ex-
treme Right for yielding to the "importun-
ities of the American capitalists." Laval's
only chances the New York Times writer
tells us, lay with the Socialists, and here
is what M. Blum did, to quote this writer:
At midnight Leon Blum mounted the rostrum.
For more than an hour he talked, pointing out
that neither the conditional nor the uncondi-
tional payments would be worth much to France
should Germany be allowed to go into bank-
ruptcy; urging that the causes of friction be-
tween nations be removed; and finally uttering
the hope that the offer of J'resident Hoover
might mark the beginning of a real peace—
"a peace of liberty and security for all nations."
When the votes were cast there were 386 ayes
in favor of the government's action, and 189
nays; and of the 386 ayes, 108 were from the
Socialist bloc. This was the first occasion on
which the Socialists had ever supported the
Laval government.
The presitge won by M. Blum among his
opponents, "even though his doctrines are
anathema to them," is thus described by
this writer:
A Roman Catholic abbe, who was a deputy for
a good many years, was his great friend, and
when M. Blum one day declared passionately
from the rostrum, "Socialism is to me a re-
ligion," the abbe and a number of other clerical
members applauded delightedly. At present,
M. Blum represents Narbonne, a grape-growing
constituency in Southern France, although, para-
doxically enough. he himself is a dry.
Naturally, it is Leon Blum the Jew who
interests us most. A leader in the move-
ment for social justice, an ardent pacifist,
M. Blum has not forgotten his people. Nu-
merous Jewish causes have found in him an
ardent supporter, and Palestine particu-
larly has gained his help and encourage-
ment. He has lectured for the Keren Haye-
sod and is the representative of French
Jewry on the Council of the Jewish Agency.
He is also a member of the French Pro-Pal-
estine Committee,
It was at the first meeting of the Jewish
Agency Council at Zurich, in 1929, that M.
Blum, pointing to Professor Albert Einstein
sitting on one side and S. Kaplansky, leader
of the Poale Zion on the other side, said:
"Here we have sitting together the greatest
genius of the Jewish race and my friend
who represents the Palestine Workers on
the Second International. Such a meeting
must evoke the admiration not only of
world Jewry, but of all mankind."
M. Blum is a leader who ably combines
the elements of service to the world at large
and to Israel. As such we honor him.
The Palestine Boom.
A local newspaper recently published a
lengthy story, under a Jerusalem dateline,
revealing what has been emphasized for
several months in the columns of The De-
troit Jewish Chronicle: that there is a boom
in Palestine, that as a result of Jewish effort
for the upbuilding of the National Home
there is a shortgage of labor in the Holy
Land, and that Palestine is perhaps the
only country on the globe to experience a
wave of prosperity in these days of de-
pression.
As a result of the publication of this ar-
ticle, several Gentiles, one a Hindu, came
to The Chronicle for information regard-
ing the advisability of making investments
in Palestine. It was a healthy sign of con-
fidence in the stability of a project spon-
sored by Jews.
But how will Jews react to the new Pal-
estine boom? Will those who are still in
position to do so make investments in Pales-
tinian projects? The danger is not too re-
mote that if Jews do not take advantage of
the possibilities offered in Palestinian in-
dustrial developments, others will. English-
men already are directing their watchful
eyes at Palestinian industries. It is the re-
sponsibility of the Jewish people to be on
guard lest we are defeated in this great
Death of Noted Non - Jewish Zionist.
• The recent death of Albert Thomas, di- chance in a people's lifetime.
rector of the International Labor Office,
American Chalutzim.
robbed the Zionist movement of one of its
most devoted non-Jewish friends. Not only
The assignment of the 2,000 immigration
has he defended Jewish rights in Palestine, certificates to Palestine by the Jewish
but he has on numerous occasions eloquent. Agency Executive includes' 26 visas for
ly signified his keen interest in Zionism, American settlers. It is understood, of
speaking in its behalf at important Jewish course, that these certificates are assigned
and non-Jewish gatherings. In a message to Chalutzim—to workingmen pioneers—
to the Zionist Congress of 1929 he recalled and not independent middle-class settlers,
how, for 10 years, he worked together with of whom more than 800 left this country
Dr, Nahum Sokolow in the interest of Zion- for Palestine thus far this year.
The depression has proved a driving
ism. He then wrote in part: "How many
difficulties we had to overcome—prejudice, force towards Palestine, on a par with the
contumely, lack of knowlegde on the part force of anti-Semitism in European lands.
of Frenchmen and even of Jews, obstacles Should Palestine benefit from this migra-
and reluctance on the part of our ministers. tion movement—and there is no reason to
I had the privilege and satisfaction of help- believe that it will be otherwise than favor-
ing to secure the victory of the Zionist able—then both the depression-sufferers
cause." Naturally his name will long be and oppression-sufferers will benefit from
remembered as a great friend of the Jewish the great experiment In the Jewish National
people and the Jewish cause.
Home.
No Illusions About Spain
Our Film Folk
Jews Must Not Place Great Hopes in Prospect of
Jewish Revival in Sepharad; If Too Many Jews
Come and Create Economic Problem Present
Philo-Semitic Feeling Would Soon Turn
To Something Different.
By HELEN ZIGMOND
DR. 0. BRACHFELD
•
•
(Copyright, 1912, Jewish Telegraphic Agency. inc.)
Dr. Samuel Danon was till
recently the official head of the
Jewish community in Barcelona,
and ho is still, as he has been
for years, the outstanding Jew
in this great city. In official
quarters he is regarded as the
spiritual head of the Jewish
population. If you go to the
authorities, government or mu-
nicipal, the first question they
ask is "Have you seen Dr. Danon
about it?"
Dr. Danon is a Sephardi who
was born in Bulgaria and came
to Spain about 12 years ago, es-
tablishing himself in medical
practice in Barcelona, and he is
today one of the best known
doctors in the city.
All these years that he has
lived in Spain Dr. Danon has
busied himself with Jewish af-
fairs, and if one wants authori-
tative information about Jewish
life in this country, Dr. Danon
is the man to go to.
"There are about 2,000 to
3,000 Jews in this great city
with its population of millions,"
Dr. Danon said to me. "Offici-
ally, however, there are only
150 to 80 enrolled as members
of the Je ish community.
"I had always hoped to
straight
out the differences
that ex' t here between Jews
and Jews," Dr. Danon went on.
"I had dreams of Jewish unity.
Unfortunately, my dreams have
not been realized.
EXPLAINS DIVISION
"The Jews who live here have
come from various parts of the
world," Dr. Danon explained.
"Most of them are recent immi-
grants, and the great majority
have come from Poland and
Germany, particularly Frank-
furt and Berlin. They are
Ashkenazim. The present head
of the community, Senor Nesim
Arias, who came from Stam-
boul, is a Sephardi, like myself.
"There is unity in some mat-
ters among the Jews of Barce-
lona," Dr. Danon continued,
"and yet we are divided into
two sections. The division
started among us Sephardim,
but it seems now to have de-
veloped into a division between
Ashkenazim and Sephardim."
Often, he said, such a division
is beneficial if it results in
healthy competition, in rivalry
on each side to do more for the
Jewish cause than the other side
is doing, but in our case it has
not had that effect. It has
rather caused a considerable
amount of friction and diffi-
culty.
MIGRATION QUESTION
"For several years we had
been making progress to such
an extent," Dr. Danon said,
"that we were filled with hope.
The Barcelona Jewish corn-
munity has been in existence
for 19 years. We have a Zion-
ist federation, and we were in
close contact with the Jewish
community in Madrid. Ceuta,
and Tetuan. Now everything is
stagnant. We ought to find
funds for Jewish education, for
Hebrew instruction, but unfor-
tunately, nothing is being done
in this direction. The recent
death of one of our most gen-
erous donors, M. Metzger, has
hit our community very hard."
Then turning to the question
that is occupying so mucli
space in the Jewish press abroad,
Dr. Danon said:
"People are talking a lot
about a Jewish mass immigra-
tion movement to Spain, a kind
of repatriation of the Spagnol
Jews back to Spain from other
countries. I do not believe
that there is the slightest pros-
pect of anything of the sort. It
is altogether out of the question,
for two reasons. The first is the
economic situation in Spain,
which is by no means able to
absorb a large number of im-
migrahts and find employment
for them. Such mass Jewish im-
migration would result in ter-
rible hardships for the immi-
grant Jewish families.
"We do not want any poor
Jews in Spain. Rich Jews are
welcome, but we are not inter-
ested in poor Jews. We have
no means to help them.
"And the second reason is
that if we have any considerable
Jewish immigration movement
the present philosemitic feeling
that is general in Spain will
very soon turn to something
very different.
DECRIES ILLUSIONS
"At the moment the feeling
in Spain is one of friendship for
the Jews," Dr. Danon said, "but
the people should not build any
on that about Spanish
philosemitism. I know that peo-
ple are speaking and writing a
great deal on this subject at the
moment, especially abroad, but
they niust not run away with
the idea that Spain is going to
be the promised land, a kind of
paradise for Jews.
"Spagnol Jews can obtain
Spanish citizenship without dif-
ficulty. That is true. But that
is also all. Anything beyond
that is words, empty words. The
Spaniard is a very courtly gen-
tleman. Ile promises much, but
keeps little, of his promises.
Also we must not demand too
much of him.
"I ask you very seriously,"
Dr, Danon said, becoming very
grave, "to do everything you
can to make it clear to the Jew-
ish press abroad and to the Jews
of the world through the Jew -
ish
ish Telegraphic Agency that
Spain is not the promised Jew-
ish land, that they must not
build up the illusions that it is
likely to be.
"I repeat, Jewish immigration
to Spain is welcomed, but only
the immigration of such indi-
viduals who are in a position to
provide for themselves economi-
cally.
WARNS AGAINST AIR
CASTLES
H 0 L L YIW 0 0 D .—Alexander
Carr, the famous "Potash and
Perlmutter" star, has returned to
pictures. "No Greater Love" is
his latest and it is grossing nicely.
He tells of the time they were
picturizing "Potash and Perl-
mutter." An inquisitive onlooker,
a Perlmutter prototype, asked, "Is
this the same play that you played
in New York?" "Yes, it's the
same play," replied Carr, "and we
played it in Philadelphia, too."
"Oh, you played it in Philadelphia,
and that's the same story which is
now you going to make the pic-
ture?" This goes on for 15 min-
utes until the curious one finally
asks, "Mr. Carr, what are you
going to do next?" "Well, I hope
to play 'Othello'." "That's right,
Mr. Carr, I'm sure whatever you'll
do, you'll make them laugh."
•
•
Roberta (Clara Bow-like) Gale,
last seen in "Are These Our Chil-
dren?' is set for a series of col-
legiate comedies, after which
she'll be off to New York for a
Schwab and Wendel stage pro.
duction. Roberta's face is already
a little red . .. 'cause the show
will have its tryout in Pittsburgh,
her home town.
• • •
Eddie Cantor was a riot at the
afternoon tea given by his wife
for the benefit of the Jewish Con-
valescent Home. He was master
of ceremonies and had a great
time . . . among all those ladies.
In a moment of rapturous excite-
ment he hugged Jeannette Mac-
Donald, and then explained to his
wife that it was all for sweet
charity's sake!
• • •
You heard. of course, that
Louie B. Mayer was one of the
happy G. 0. P. family in Chicago,
but did you know that we have
him to thank for Curtis? . . It
was his fiery oratory in • private
meeting with the Pennsylvania
delegates that made them see the
light and turn the tide.
Vera Gordon is back in the
Hollywood merry-go-round after
an extended vaudeville tour. She
announces a house party but says
it won't take place until George
Sidney returns from personal-ap-
pearancing.
• • •
Irving Pichel is in hot water
. . . A $10,000 suit against him
for having given • reading of
"Green Pastures" before Rabbi
Lissauer's liberal forum without
permission of the play's copyright
owners.
•
By-the-Way
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
lso,t
THE FRANKFURTER THAT WAS NOT EATEN
The appointment of Professor Frankfurter of Harvard to the
Supreme Court of Massachusetts recalls a story, which as far as I
know, has never been printed. Every one knows, of course, that
President Lowell of Harvard is rather averse to Jews on the faculty
of Harvard, and when it was recently proposed to name some dis-
tinguished lawyer to the legal school of Ilarvard, Lowell emitted his
famous bon mot, "one frankfurter to the pound is enough." But
few know that Lowell even went further than this, and sought at
one time to have even Frankfurter removed.
The news of the proposed removal leaked out. Lowell had laid
all plans and the recommendation of Lowell for the dismissal of
Frankfurter had already been prepared for transmission to the trus-
tees of the university. At last, his plans for devouring Frankfurter
were consummated.
Lowell breathed expansively. Soon Frankfurter would be out.
With such a prospect in sight the day looked very pleasant indeed.
He looked out from his palatial home on the Harvard campus in a
spirit of thanksgiving. The sun seemed to shine brighter that day.
The birds that twittered over you boughs never twittered so sweetly
before. God was in His heaven and all was right in the world.
When in walked Roscoe Pound, dean of Harvard Law School,
probably the foremost legal mind in America—and the man who Is
largely responsible for the renown of the Ilarvard Law School.
In walked Roscoe Pound. He did not stop for any formalities.
"Mr. Lowell," said Pound, "if Frankfurter goes—I go, too." Saying
which, Pound left.
Those birds over there seemed now to he humming a dirge. It
wasn't sunshine after all outside, thought Lowell, as he looked out
of the window. Why, those were dark clouds overhanging.
Mr. Lowell took the recommendation for the dismissal of Frank-
furter lying on his desk and tore it up.
"Here, doggie, doggie," he said to the little pup which always
accompanied him on his meanderinga about the campus—"here, dog-
gie, doggie." The pup came up, for it had new read any of his
books.
(Copyright, 1932. Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
•
•
COLUMNISTS
These are hard days for the columnists. According to some
reports that are being whispered about, Columnist Sobel of the
Heart papers has recently been treated to a number of socks by some
indignant gentleman. And they say that another bodyguard now
walks about with a bodyguard.
Yes despite it all, the columnists go marching on, much to the
surprise even of Walter Winchell, who, when he first began his
column, had grave doubts as to how long the public taste would care
for it. He himself, it is said, predicted that the public would be
tired in about two years. But more years than that have already
passed.
•
•
•
ALWAYS WITH US
Personally, I believe the columnist is here to stay, even those
biting, personal ones. For the reason that, essentially, they have
always been with us, from the earliest days of newspapering.
There is only this difference: That in the old time newspapers
the spleen, and the drollery that characterized the modern columnist
was distributed throughout the newspaper. As the newspapers grew
more dignified, it became impossible to write news stories in the old-
fashioned personal way, so the columnist appeared, and all this jour-
nalistic vitamin was concentrated in the column.
Take up any of the newspapers of 40 and 50 years ago. You
will find hardly any story that is told in the modern manner.
Whenever the reporter could knock anything, you could see the
hammering in the news story itself. Slander and gossip ran through
all the columns of the paper. That is why, for instance, Murat Hal-
stead, one of the great old editors, always had a gun handy on his
desk and that is why Horace Greeley got so many licking&
WHY THE BANK FAILED
You may have heard all sorts of accounts and explanations for
the failure of the Bank of the United States, but I assure you none
of these accounts are true. The real reason is out—and I have it
from no less a person than Dr. Mordecai Grossman. Since Dr. Gross-
man is regarded as one of the best students that Professor Dewey
ever had, and since further his knowledge of the categorical impera-
tive is deemed one of the Most expert In the country , ther e
scarcely be any question of the accuracy of the story. Well, it
seems, according to Dr. Grossman, that this big bank really owed its
failure to a trifle. And that in itself should not surprise you. Even
the World War, you remember, was caused after all by a single murder
in Serbia. But to get back to the Bank of the United States.
Well, it so happened that Chayim in the days of prosperity had
had a rather good season, one season. He had saved all of $65, and
there was no telling—he might make $5 more for the season yet
had • good month to run.
Chayim began to feel that it was wrong to carry all this money
about him—but he really didn't know where to bank it. Going along
the street he peered into the windows of various banks—wondering
which was the safest. Of course, he came across the Bank of the
United States. Looking at the window sign, he read: Resources
;200,000,000.
Well, thought Chayim, after all , two hundred million is not to be
sneezed at. So ho didn't sneeze at it, but instead decided to bank
his $65 there.
A week later Chayim passed the bank. Ile looked at the sign.
Now their resources were increased by his $65, but he looked, and
looked. The resources still read: Two hundred million.
"Ganovim," said Chaim. That meant—thieves. "They are liars
and crooks."
Immediately ho went to the bank and withdrew kis money. Then
Chayim told others, and soon like a snowball the rumor gained force
and momentum—and whole lines of people began withdrawing their
money.
Did you know that in 1903 the
"Altogether, immigration to
Brothers opened their
Spain is becoming increasingly Warner
first
moving picture show in a
difficult. In 1920, for example,
I was able to register my doc- rented store? The place had a 90-
torate diploma and to practice seat capacity, the chairs being
medicine here. Today that is no borrowed from the town's under-
taking establishment . . . and on
longer possible.
"World Jewry should not days when there was a funeral,
to stand up.
place too much hope in the ro- the audience had
• • •
mantic repatriation movement
In the midst of an English la-de-
to Spain," Dr. Danon concluded.
"If they do, a terrible disap- da-don't-you-know conversation,
pointment will follow. To look Kenneth (Mielziner) MacKenna,
director, startles his listeners
forward to a great revival of the
bursting forth with a gush of
Spanish Jewry through the re- by
Yiddish.
turn of the Spagnol Jews to
• • •
Spain is a mirage, and those
After weeks of searching among
who entertain any such ideas unknowns
to find • spiritual type
are doomed to a very severe and for the lead in "Sign of the Cross,"
hopeless disillusionment.
C. B. DeMille has chosen .. . of
"Spain must cease to be a all 'music! .. Sylvia Sidney!
new Fats Morgana. We must
And Sam Coslow.
member of
not build castles in Spain about the fold, was offered ■ the job, with
a Jewish revival! They will be
■ time limit of two weeks, to come
built on air. Spain as the new pose the symphony for the pic•
Jewish land, as the land that is tore. Sam refused the assign-
going to atone to the Jews for ment, remarking, "Beethoven took
all the sufferings to which it nine years to write his."
subjected them centuries ago,
• • •
has no place in Jewish life.
There's a story about how Dr.
That illusion must be wiped out
and the sooner the better. The Hugo Riesenfeld, Rosy baton-
realities of life in Spain are wielder, got that "Doctor" title.
exactly the same as in other I It happened 13 years ago when
countries. There is an economic Rosy, the showman, was managing
crisis in Spain today, and any the Rialto. Rosy noticed that the MAJOR CONTRIBUTION
TO JEWISH HISTORY
Jew who is thinking of coming organist's name in the house pro-
to Spain must reflect very seri- gram was dignified with a pre-
ously before he steers his boat ceding "Dr." On inquiry he A Review of Philip Cowen's
in the direction of the ancient : found that the organist was en-
"Memories of an American
Jew" by B
Sepharad of his ancestors.
d Postal.
(Turn to Next ?age.)
• Books and Authors
Letters, diaries and reminiscences
are always major sources for his-
torians and it is therefore necessary
to hail "Memories of an American
Jew" by Philip Cowen (Interna-
tional Press, 121 Varick street,
0
New York,) as an important addi-
tion to the growing literature on
A NOBLE GIVER
opportunity to announce threl'ugh secretary of state, M. Tillea, and American Jewish history. in the
Usually when a man files a pe- this column that I was wrong when reports officially that the officials absence of an adequate history of
tition in bankruptcy, the world ac- I gave the Rumanian government in the village of Chatin, respon- American Jewry works such as
cepts it as the penalty of the loss the benefit of the doubt in the dis- sible for the torture of Bronstein, those written by Mr. Cowen assume
in the business game ... and dk- pute between the J. T. A. and the have been punished and he fur- great significance. Mr. Cowen, one
misses it without much comment. government as to the accuracy of ther, in the name of the govern- of the founders and the first pub-
But I can't help saying • word !the report sent out by the news ment, disapproves of the brutali- lisher of the American Hebrew , set
regarding such procedure in the agency of the torture of Samson ties perpetrated against the Jew- out to write his reminiscences but
case of Frederick Brown of New Bronstein, Zionist leader in Bess- ish inhabitants in Bessarabia and he has actually achieved what
York. I don't know Mr. Brown arabia. On May 28 the Bronstein will do everything in its power to amounts to a chronicle of American
personally, have never seen him torture was reported by the J. T. prevent their recurrence. So the Jewry from 1879 to 1906 because
nor corresponded with him, but ' A. and the Rumanian legation re- Jewish Telegraphic Agency has his association with the American
been vindicated and once more has Hebrew during those years made
when a man files this statement
must regret that he has been over- plied with the statement that the proven its great value to Jewish him a leading figure in practically
come for the time being by a "news is completely invented." life throughout the world. I seri- every lay movement of significance
financial tragedy. He petitions:
Now comes the Rumanian under- ously do not believe much would in Jewish life.
Mr. Cowen's narrative , which
have been done in the way of cor-
". . . among creditors various
rective measures had not the covers an epochal period in Ameri-
and sundry religious, charitable
can-Jewish
history, begins with two
Agency called attention to the
and educational institutonx to
atrocity.
informative chapters on the Jew-
which I have committed myself to
THE TALMUD
ish
community
in the 1860s and
make voluntary contributions from
QUOTING WARBURG
I870s. In these chapters we meet
which I do not desire to be dis-
By S. DUBNOW
Says Felix Warburg:
many personalities who later be-
charged."
"One cannot work in Jewish came leaders in American Israel.
The Jews, robbed of their po-
Frederick Brown has been most litical home, created a spiritual communal affairs and suit every- Possessed of an almost uncanny
generous in his giving. It is re- home for themselves. Through body. We are strong individual., memory for names, dates, facts and
ported that in recent years he has the instrumentality of the num- hyper-sensitive, and these quali- incidents, Mr. Cowen's vivid word
given three outstanding gifts berless religious rules which ties while being our strength, are portrayal of New Yorks Jewry 60
totaling two and a half million the Talmud has laid down, and also our weakness. The way peo- years ago recreates the Jewish life
dollars, a million dollars of which which
shaped the life of the in- pie like Bentwich, who surely tried of that day as no one else has done.
was a fund for the Jewish Federa- dividual as well as that of the his best, and Weizmann, who sac- us to the founding of the American
tion in New York. Two years community, they were welded rificed
Hiked fortune and health to the/ From this point Mr. Cowen takes
Hebrew. lie tells in great detail
later he gave a piece of property
into a firmly united whole. The Palestine ideals, have been treated
to the Federation valued at about Jewish
by their so-called 'followers,' is how and why it was founded and he
spirit—national
feeling
a half million dollars and later
and individual mental effort nothing to be proud of. I know furnishes unique sidelights on the
on two hundred thousand dollars alike—was observed in this hardly anybody among our col- founding fathers. His story of the
for its building fund. He hos pursuit of unification. Head. ' laborators who at one time or an- origin of the American Hebrew is
been president of the Hospital for heart, hands, all human func- other has not been driven to die- more important than he thisks, for
Joint Diseases and has been a tions of the Jew, were brought ; gust and despair by unreasonable, in those days the American Hebrew
most liberal contributor to its sup-
, not well-founded criticism of what was really the organ of a major
segment of American Jewry In
port. So I do want to say that under complete control and they tried to do for Palestine."
into fixed forms by these
its columns appeared the me.t im-
when business reverses overtake a cast
five
centuries
of
labor.
With
CRITICS EVERYWHERE
portant Jewish documents. Lesder .
man of this type that I am porry,
painful
exactitude
the
Talmud
Mr.
Warburg
is
right, but If he of American Jewry addressed them-
and I say it not merely in` per-
functory way, but from the heart. prescribed ordinances/ for all will turn to history, ancient or se yes to their people through its
the vicissitudes of life, yet at modern, and note the bitterness, pa s. The story of the American
This depression has been the the
same time offered sufficient the discord, the intrigue, the bru- Hebrewis also important bersuse
cruelest in the world's history.
leaving in its wake skeletons of food for brain and heart. It tality of unreasoning and un- of the role it played in initiating
ruined lives from the highest to was at once a religion and a reasonable criticism of those who Jewish institutons which are Way
science. The Jew was equipped
have been engaged In nation. among the best known in the land.
the lowest in the scale of financial with
all the necessaries. He building he will realize that what it is important, too, as a part of
worth.
could satisfy his wants from his he charges against the 7; , nists is the little known history of Jewish
—+-
own store. There was no need not peculiar to them but is nal- journalism in America.
J. T. A. VINDICATED
for him to knock at strange
Other chapters in Mr. Cowen's
I feel that I owe Mr. Jacob Lan- doors, even though he had venial. All one bag to do Is to
lee how our own presidents have Intensely interesting book are de-
dau, managing director of the thereby profited.
voted to sidelights on the many
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, an
(Turn to Next Page.)
notable Jews and Jewesses whom be
RANDOM 7HOUGHTS
Tidbits and News
by Charles
I H. Joseph
knew intimately, to the history of
Temple Emanu-El's early years, to
his years in the U. S. immigration
department as an inspector at Ellis
Island and to letters to and from
major figures in American-Jewish
life.
Historically we feel Mr. Cowen'o
book will loom largest because of
its chapter on the Jews of Russia.
In 1906, when Mr. Cowen was in
the United States Immigration
Service, he was directed to go to
Europe to report on the causes for
the large migration from Eastern
and Central Europe to the United
States, with special reference to
Russia, for the personal informa-
tion of President Roosevelt. This
phase of Mr. Cowen'. experience
constitutes an unwritten chapter of
Jewish history. On the basis of
the startling information he
brought back from Russia concern-
ing the treatment of the Jews,
President Roosevelt declined to ac-
cept an invitation from the Czar
to visit Russia when he was making
his tour of the world. Cowen's re-
port crystallized official American
sentiment against Russia, and when
the question of the abrogation of
the Russo-American treaty came
up, the American government,
through Cowen's report, was in a
position to confront Russia with
the first-hand facts of persecution
of the Jews. This trip of Cowen's
to the land of the Czar's was his
It produced the first
eye-witness American report, in-
cluding documents, of the Czarist
government's Jewish policy. Jews
did not need Cowen's evidence but
American public opinion did and
Cowen's report provided it.
The chapter on Rumania and
the Jews is scarcely less important
because of the fact that it contains
numerous official government docu-
ments and letters which are of un-
surpassed value to the historian.
Moat of these letters appeared in
the American Hebrew and by mak-
ing them available in a book Mr.
Cowen has rendered • splendid
service.
Mr. Cowen'a book of memories
is a major contribution to Amen-
can-Jewish history. He sheds light
on many unknown and forgotten
Phases of Jewish life in this coun-
try. He recreates forgotten epl-
des and brings to life such giants
is Israel as Emma Lazarus. Israel
Zangwill and Jacob H. Schiff. Mr.
Cowen has done an excellent piece
of work and we can only hope that
his book will be followed by others
from the pens of Jews In a position
to write about Jewish history which
they helped to make.