7i1EDLTROITIEWISfl CtIt01VIGLE
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
Federation Can Avoid an Error.
and THE LEGAL CHRONICLE
WmiW y 17 The J..ei.h aw•sOgle Publishing Co, la.
P eed u asses-slue matter March a, 1919, at the Pat-
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111lity fee an indorsement of the •Iews ea-preened by the waters
sm.
Eighth Day of Chanukah Readings of the Torah
Pentateuchal portion—Gen. 41:1-44:47; Num.
7:54-8:4.
Prophetical portion—I Kings 7:40-50.
December 30, 1932
Tebeth 1, 5693
Orthodox Youth and Palestine.
The convention of the mid-western or-
ganization of the Mizrachi Youth of Amer-
ica, taking place in Detroit this week-end,
draws the attention of the Jews of this
community to an unusually interesting
phenomenon in Jewish life.
Through this movement of American
boys and girls, a certain definite contribu-
tion is being made to the effort for the
reconstruction of Palestine as the Jewish
National Home. In spite of difficulties and
obstacles in their way, these Jewish young
people are conducting their work in a spirit
of observance and of adherence to Jewish
traditions. They honor the Sabbath and
aim to build in Palestine centers in which
Jewish traditions should be observed to
the letter of the law.
Mizrachi Youth combines in its program
the constructive and practical with the
traditional and religious. It lends roman-
tic touches to the efforts in behalf of the
Zionist movement, and its devotional spirit
acts as a leavening element in Palestinian
work. Certainly, the movement of the
Mizrachi Youth helps to add interest to
and to complete the picture of the Zionist
cause. •
Outstanding personalities are here to
join in the deliberations of this convention.
Rabbi Meyer Berlin, as head of the world
Mizrachi movement; Rabbi Wolf Gold,
head of the American Mizrachi, as well as
other American and Palestinian leaders,
are distinguished guests of Detroit Jewry
on this occasion. To them we extend
greetings of welcome; and to the conven-
tion we express the wish that it may be
successful in its deliberations,
The Jewish Welfare Federation of De-
troit announces that the annual meeting
of its 16 or more constituencies, as well as
the yearly get-together of the Detroit Ser-
vice Group, will be held on Sunday, Jan.
29. In view of the importance that is an-
nually ascribed to this event, it is well that
the community's important agencies should
deliberate in advance before they definitely
determine again to repeat the cut-and-
dried routine of a yearly meeting in the
form in which it was previously held. It
is one thing to have a social get-together
of the Detroit Service Group at a dinner,
followed by a program of entertainment.
It is an entirely different and far more
serious matter to attempt to dispose of the
community's important business in the rou-
tine manner in which it was previously
done.
Following the annual Federation meet-
ing last year, we expressed the belief that
such form of annual conference for the
purpose of deliberating on the efforts of
our important communal agencies is "a
bundle of errors." We again express this
view, far enough, in advance for the Fed-
eration's leaders to be able to deliberate
on their plans before such errors are re-
peated.
In our issue of Feb. 5, 1932, immediately
following yast year's annual meeting, we
expressed our views in the following ed-
itorial:
A Comparison in Nationalisms.
Outlining his views on the Ireland of the
future, and describing the vision he has for
the future betterment of his people, Eamon
de Valera expressed views to an inter-
viewer which served to remind Jewish
nationalists of comparisons that were made
a decade ago of Zionist and Irish aspira-
tions. To this very day, the views of
de Valera might, with the substitution of
"Jewish" for Irish," be used in propagating
the Jewish cause. To quote Mr. de Valera:
For a long time to come we must devote
our efforts to the recovery of the ancient Irish
culture, which we came to within a hair's
breadth of losing altogether, The endeavor
to restore the Irish language is only one aspect
of this cultural movement.
Foreigners sometimes make the mistake of
regarding the language movement as purely
linguistic. It is not. It is cultural and eco-
nomic as well. It is the starting point from
which we move toward the restoration of the
distinctive Irish State. We have no desire to
perpetuate the imitation of a foreign social
order which we have at present. Our task is
the creation of a new social order which will
have the distinction of its locality and of the
race that uses it.
We shall have to have our own industries,
for no nation can survive in the modern strug-
gle for exixatence without a healthier and more
balanced internal economy than we possess at
present. But the centralization of Industries
on the English scale is wholly alien to us. It
is not the Irish way to permit the man to be
enslaved by the machine. What we aim at is
the spiritualization of economics, the develop-
ment of an economic freedom, through village
industries in which every individual may re-
ceive a portion of the national well-being. Our
power resources are sufficient to provide energy
for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses
in our towns and villages and on our farms.
With this, we hope to develsp a balanced agri-
cultural and industrial economy which will
enable us to keep our people on the land.
This is our goal.
Substitute "Jewish Ilidneland" for "Irish
State" in this statement, and you have a
nationalistic plea easily transportable from
Ireland to Palestine. It will be recalled
that shortly after the issuance of the Bal-
four Declaration Zionist orators drew
freely upon Irish examples to point out that
Jews, too, have reason and right to aspire
to a cultural and political individuality and
to industrial freedom as a people.
Naturally it is pleasing to note that Mr.
de Valera's aspirations have a note of the
prophetic in them; that his hopes are for
social and economic justice. And this all
the more strengthens our comparison. The
Irish leader's and Jewish aspirations are
identical in that they aim to lift people out
of the rut of economic corruption into a
new system of economic living which will
"spiritualize economics" and which will
cause governments to be ruled by a social
justice that has for generations been
strange to the political philosophies of the
world's rulers.
The Irish'are considerably more fortun-
ate than the Jews. Their struggle for inde-
pendence was in behalf of a people resid-
ing on its own soil but ruled by others. The
Jew is compelled to work from without,
constantly overcoming obstacles and bat-
tling for the right to bring an additional
handful of settlers for colonization on
ancient Jewish soil. Because of this, the
Jew's glory of achievement when the battle
k tinally won will be all the greater.
Vachtangov and Habimah
Our Filth Folk
How an Armenian Influenced a Troupe of
Hebrew Players.
By HELEN ZIGMOND
By BEN ARI
tEditore NOW The author of this article
one of the organisers of the original Ha-
ah Troupe. Mr. wen-Art Is at present In
Detroit together with An. Haiti!, another
Hablmah star. Both sill appear here In con-
cert on Jan. 9. at the Maccabew Auditorium.
him
Last Sunday, the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion of Detroit held its annual meeting. Con-
vening simultaneously with it were 15 constitu-
ent social service groups. And attending this
joint meeting of 16 important communal agen-
cies were less than a hundred people.
Which inspires the question: Is such a meet-
ing Worth while an4 profitable? Does it serve
any purpose whatever that 16 spokesmen for
as many very important community groups
should rattle off facts and figures for a handful
of men and women, most of whom are either
social workers affiliated with these groups or
officers of these agencies who are of necessity
acquainted with the facts in advance?
Such a system, it appears to us, is a bundle
of errors. Not only is the number of people
who evince an interest in this routine practice
too insignificant to warrant the trouble taken
to convene the meeting and to berAld its im-
portance many weeks in advance, but the hasty
manner in which figures of the North End
Clinic are given one moment, and those of
the Hebrew Free Loan the next, etc., cause
such rapid blending of reports to lose the
entire purpose of the meeting.
In the event that last year's plan of con-
ducting the annual meeting is repeated
by the Federation, our Jewish leaders will
merely be perpetuating a farce. For a
hundred or less people, most of them of-
ficers of our agencies or office-holders, to
convene for the purpose• of hearing the
rattling, off of a mass of facts which are
never thereafter made public to the com-
munity is nothing more than a farce. The
more sensible, and certainly the more prac-
tical method, would be for each constitu-
ent agency to meet individually, enabling
it thereby to deivote an entire afternoon
for a discussion of its particular problems.
But when the work of the Hebrew Schools
is jumbled with that of the Jewish Social
Service Bureau, and the figures of the
United Jewish Charities building fund with
those of the North End Clinic, within a
period of less than two hours, the event
becomes an uninteresting joke. Let the
Federation avoid such an error in advance.
Israel Querido's Burial.
The recent article in our columns about
the late Israel Querido, great Dutch-
Jewish writer, may now be supplemented
by rather scandalizing news about the
manner in which this author was buried
in a Christian cemetery, the interment thus
resulting in heated controversy in Holland.
Jewry was outraged by the burial of this
Jewish writer in a non-Jewish fashion, ac-
cording to reports now reaching Us, and the
London Jewish World, commenting on
these incidents, states:
The significance of the biblical phrase and
he was gathered unto his people" has sunk
deeply into the Jewish organism. Which ex-
plains in some measure the shock to Jews if
■ member of the race, whatever his relation
to his people during his life, has not, in the
very end, "gathered unto his people." We
can, therefore, appreciate the keen annoyance
of the Jews in Holland that the late Israel
Querido was buried outside the pale of lasting
Jewish settlement. The distinguished writer,
it is true, held himself aloof from immediate
Jewish affairs, but his works leave no doubt
that he was fully Jew-conscious. One recalls
the Spanish-Jewish grandmother, in one of
Querido', powerful dramatic works, who, proud
of her glorious Jewish past, stands Immovably
firm at the Jewish gate barring the way of
her offspring, who, haunted by the call of the
present lures, desire to cross the barrier. It
is not merely a family tragedy; it is symbolical
of the Jewish people, and reveals Querido's
spiritual contact with his fellow-Jews. There
is also sufficient evidence on record that he
was opposed to the avowed assimilationist ten-
dencies of that other Dutch-Jewish dramatist,
Heijermans, who, being of German-Jewish
descent, had not that innate pride possessed
by the Sephardic Querido. But, apart from
the spiritual and moral contact with his fellow-
people, it is pointed out that the deceased
author was even a member of the Amsterdam
Spanish Congregation. Yet, without much
ado, a gentleman who made himself responsible
for the funeral, with or without the consent
of the family—there Is some controversy on
this point—separated him from his people.
Of particular significance in this contro. l.
vergy, of course, is the craving for Jewish
burial even among irreligious Jews. For
ages, the threat of a possible refusal of
burial in a Jewish cemetery and under JeW-
ish auspices has served to secure the sup-
port for Jewish committees from men who
were otherwise antagonistic. It is proof of
the existence of a bond between Jew and
Jew which is not to be broken even by
death.' The controversy over Querido's
burial koves it.
Books have been written about
Vachtangov. His name, life and
works are now a symbol of the
theater that is slowly displacing
the old conceptions of the tradi-
tional Russian theater. Even
now there is a playhouse in Rus-
in& bearing Vachtangov's name,
and working in the [spirit of the
deceased teacher. His followers
are legion, and his influence is
almost legendary, however, his
work in connection with Habim-
ah has not as yet been adequate-
ly discussed.
While it is true that Ilabinia
has carried Vachtangov's name
to all corners of its wide tour,
it has not had the °cession to
sufficiently impress its admirers
with the tremendous influence
wielded by this Armenian regis-
seur of the Dybbuk. It would
not be exaggerating to state that
if it weren't for Vachtangov,
there would be no Habime. Of
course, the group might have
been in existence, but it would
never have reached that high levs
el of artistic attainment for
which it is now noted. It is only
Vachtsngov's indefatigable labor
which made Habima what it is,
and now as a student and follow-
er of Vachtangov, will relate a
few episodes concerning his con-
nection with Habimah.
COMES TO HABIMAU.
The years 1918-1920 in Mos-
cow were years of hunger, po-
grom, revolutions—and in a cor-
ner of this stricken city, a group
of youths from all parts of Rus-
sia gathered to study theater.
Everybody • was in search of
something-something that would
keep the human from spiritual
decay. With energy and love, we
betook ourselves to our difficult
task, but we soon discovered that
it was next to impossible to work
without a leader. Around us there
'were companies boasting great
artistic accomplishments, institu-
tions with years of tradition, ac-
tors with world-wide reputations,
leaders whose achievement grac-
ed the pages of theatrical his-
tory, And we? We were with-
out tradition, without a policy,
and without a leader. However
this condition was soon remedied.
Upon the recommendation of
Stanislaysky, his pupil Vachtan-
gov was accepted as regisseur of
Habimah, so that our lot was
completely cast into the hands of
this man.
At the time that Vachtangov
came to Habimah, he was a de-
voted disciple of the Stanislav-
sky system. It was the system
spiritualized experiences and one
hundred per cent realism. Dur-
ing his apprenticehip in the Mos-
cow Art Theater, he absorbed all
the teachings of his master, even
as a member of the studio of the
Moscow Art Theater, he played
and directed performances ac-
cording to the Stanislaysky meth-
od, but he felt that something
was lacking. It was only natur-
al, therefore, that upon chance
observance of Meyerhold's exper-
imental work in Petrograd, he
was impressed so deeply, that it
reacted upon his manner of act-
ing and directing. He formed a
group, experimented, sought and
created.
Vachtangov was not yet aware
of the object of his researches,
but his intuition led him to be-
lieve that somewhere there must
be another way. It was then that
he came to Habimah, whose mem-
bers listened with breathless at-
tention to the explanation of his
theories. All of them, the old,
who were more or less grounded
in the study of the theater, and
the younger ones who had to
start at the very beginning via-
ioned a new world before them
and a new leader. All the mem-
bers of Ilabimah were then ad-
herents of Stanislaysky, and they
could not conceive of a style or
method superior to his. Vachtan-
gov was aware of this fact, and
he tactfully prepared a concert
with Habimah, arranged in the
Stanislaysky style.
WORKS ON DYBBUK
Vachtangov soon got to work
on the Dybbuk, and Habimah
will never forget those days and
nights spent on rehearsing this
play. They were truly the pleas-
antest and most beautiful times
of our lives. Work would last
for hours at a stretch and final
rehearsals extended to early
morning. Every rehearsal was
a distinct performance. It was
interesting in the sense that
Vachtengov never came to the
rehearsals with a definite plan,
or with a previously conceived
opening and closing of acts. He
groped about for new ways, and
these extemporaneous gropings
were breathtaking and fraught
with the greatest suspense.
We had to rehearse the first
act over and over. Even when
the act seemed perfectly com-
plete and in the best of shape,
Vachtangov found fault with it.
As was Usual, after the lowering
of the curtain we gathered
around him and listen to his crit-
icism. Ile would not utter a
word, but order us to go on the
stage and begin to act again.
Immediately the whole act was
radically changed. Scenes created
over night were immediately dis-
placed. Some parts were elim-
inated, and new ones were cre-
ated. The whole act soon as-
sumed an entirely different color.
Ilia imagination was no great,
that he used to play with the
scenes. We were like putty in
his hands. After a night of study
and strained creation, when the
rays of dawn crept through the
crevices of the narrow windows,
we gathered around Vachtangov
fatigued and hungry. He then
sang his favorite Armenian
song, a song replete with sad-
ness and subdued ecstasy. Vach-
tangov sat at the piano and we
grouped around him. Louder and
louder and louder became the
tones of this lugubrious melody,
stronger and stronger became
our echo through the confines of
the vacant little theater. When
dawn had finally come, we left
refreshed by this melody. At
night we gathered once more.
There was more groping, more
singing, and again creating .. .
It was then that Vachtangov
became ill. He could not sleep
nights because of his suffering.
Ile could not eat. His only relief
was soda. As soon as he entered
the theater, he took his custom-
ary seat, drank some soda, and
celled out "begin." We were im-
patiently awating the signal. We
began with the "batten" scene.
Vachtangov listened, halted us,
and commanded "once morel"
The scene seemed to us to be in
perfect shape, and we could not
understand what was wrong.
Once more, we sang the "Mipnai-
mah" and again the cry "once
more!" This repeated a few
times. The rehearsal was stop-
ped for a few moments and Vach-
tangov pointed out that the first
batten had ommitted the sigh
"01" in passing from one phrase
to another. This was nothing
compared to the pyrotechnics
when an actor ommitted a word.
Nevertheless, our rehearsals were
not mere exercises in diction or
expression. It was a matter of
finding a form for the Dybbuk,
and the batianim had set the
tone for the entire performance.
None of us will forget his wild
outcry of "Eureka" whenever he
(Turn to Next Page)
HOLLYWOOD. — How of t en
G. B. S. has said, "No, a thousand
times, nor Well, now England's
obstreperous Georgie is actually
coming over . . . and we are re-
minded of his little set-to with our
own Sammy Goldwyn. Sam wanted
George to make a picture in Holly-
wood. They discussed terms, con-
ditions, contracts. Shaw was in-
dependent . . . wanted full say
on stories, cast, etc. They argued
and argued. Finally the author
spoke up, "You see, Mr. Goldwyn,
we can't ever agree because you're
interested only in art, and I'm in-
terested in money."
• • •
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
(Copyright. 1952. Jewish Telegraohle Agency. het
A
The publishers are still wait-
ing for Sam Hoffenstein's book
which should have come out in
the fall, but Sam is too much
engrossed with a play.
. •
•
The finest friendship in movie-
town is that of George Sidney
and Charlie Murray. In all their
seven years of co-starring they
have never quarreled. They go
to panties and theaters together
and even play golf without dis-
cord. Sidney is a bachelor, so
feels his real home is at the Mut-
rays'. One time Charlie arrived
in town before George , . but
he wouldn't go to the studio till
his pal could go along. After tell-
ing us this, George Sidney sighs
and says, "I'm a sentimentalist, I
guess, but I wouldn't be other-
wise."
•
Tidbits and News
By-the-Way
• •
We've heard it said that Allen
Jenkins, the mirth - provoking
gangster in "Blessed Event," is
really Allan Jacob. and one of
the Brethren. He'. one of the
most promis:ngof recent finds.
CHAIN GANG FUGITIVE
I have long wanted to comment on the case of Robert Burns,
the chain gang fugitive from Georgia—because as a native of that
state, I was privileged to see some of the workings of the chain
gang system—but I was afraid 1 would be denied the opportunity
for want of a Jewish angle.
And yet it appears that there are all sorts of Jewish angles. In
this place, I could have found a pretext in the fact that it is the
Jewish actor, Paul Muni, who plays the stellar role in Burns' moving
picturization of his experience.
But there are better Jewish angles than that. There is the
Jewish angle in the fact that Burns' leading lawyer at the extradition
hearing is the Jewish lawyer, Arthur Garfield Hays. There is still
another Jewish angle in that one of the principal witnesses was John
Spivak, whose recent work, "Georgia Nigger," tells the story of the
Georgia chain gangs very effectively and very dramatically.
But best of all is the fact that the very man whom Burns is
charged with having held up and for which he was sent to the chain
gong was produced at the hearing and his name is Samuel Bernstein.
So it may be safely assumed that he is a Jew.
•
•
•
JEWS PLEAD FOR BURNS
It is an interesting fact while the State of Georgia so relentlessly
pursues Burns, the Jew, Bernstein, whom Burns held up, urged before
the state hearing that Burns be not returned to the Georgia chain
gang.
In my childhood in Georgia, I used to see these chain gang
convicts working the roads. With their heavy shackles—with the
man with the whip nearby—end the shot-gun. Most of them, of
course, were negroes, and generally las they worked, from sunrise
to sunset, you could hear them singing some melodies which, to my
memory, sounded very much like the negro spirituals,
It was a scene of horror, which left a terrible impression on my
mind, and I am thankful that the State of New Jersey has not hon-
ored the request of Georgia for the extradition of Burns.
•
•
•
THE QUALITY OF MERCY
But is it not striking that here so many of the principal forces
allied in this effort to save Burns from a return to the chain gang
are Jews! Evhn the Jew was robbed.
Strangely enough, we Jews immemorially have been lectured
by our good Christian brothers on being lacking in mercy. Even our
God, it is dinned into our ears continually, is a God of stern justice,
of revenge and jealousy, not by any means as sweet and merciful
as the Christian concept of God.
And, yet, it seems to me, that if there is one thing in which the
Jew stands above the Christian world, it is that he is more merciful.
We have our weaknesses. Sometimes our manners are not as good
as they might be. Some of us, it seems, speak too loudly, and so
forth. But as for as mercy is concerned, it is the rankest kind of
presumption for a non-Jew to attempt to lecture the hie on any
lack of that quality.
You know how proud Rosy is
of the marvels in his Radio City?
The other day he was showing a
friend all its wonders . . . "You
see this button," he explained.
"That can make a complete change
of scenery on the stage. And
this one controls the entire heat-
ing system. When I push this, the
whole marquee is ablaze." . . . A GOMPERS ANECDOTE
"Just a moment,!' interrupted the
I heard a good story related the other day of the late Samuel
friend, "which button do you press Gompers. Gompers, it seems, at the time was answering some con-
to bring in the customers?"
servative who insisted that labor should be content; that if a thing
• • •
had been good enough for the preceding generation, the later genera-
John Herta, Chicago taxi mag-
tion of labor ought to be content.
nate and initiate film nabob, is
Gompers told the story of a mule that protested to its master.
eager to get back to his farm
"My hours of work are terrible," said the mule, "and my rations far
and forget the migraine of pic-
from
satisfactory."
ture making.
"What are you kicking about?" said the master. "I worked
In ki ■ youthful days Heels
your
father all his life. His hours were no shorter than yours, and
was • sports reporter on the
I feed you just as I fed him, yet not once did I hear even so much
Chicago Daily News. He kept
as a syllable of protest."
the job just long enough to sign
up • fighter. Then be switched
"That may be true," replied th'e mule, "but please remember
to what he thought was his real
my father was an ass."
•
•
•
career—that of • fight manager.
• • •
A SUCCESS STORY
Movie misimpressions. Could
It's a long time since we have heard the old kind of success
you tell from their screen ap-
pearance that: Ricardo Cortez is stories. They perished, of course, with that crash in the stock
exchange of 1929.
six feet one inch in height?
It is the story of Harris Nevin, a real estate operator of Queens,
Irving Fiche' is also six feet
New York. He was well in the fifties when the crash came, so he
tall?
Harpo Marx weighs only 140 turned to other fields. He turned to bus operation. And today, the
Nevins Bus Line extends almost over the whole country. This week
pounds?
• • •
saw the announcement of Nevin's purchase of a great bus line through
Sue Carol and hubby breesed the Middle West, which has been added to the Nevin chain.
in from that vauda tour . . .
they just had to see their two-
month-old Carol Lee. The in-
fant is left in care of • trained
nurse while papa and mama
earn
living.
• • •
•
•
•
•
•
•
HUROK COMES BACK
And talking about come-backs after the crash, it seems that So/
Ilurok refuses to give in to the depression. He leaped into promin-
ence in the theatrical world by first bringing over Chaliapin and
such stars.
Josef von Sternberg flicked the
Then came bad times for Hurok—even before the crash—and
dust of Hollywood from his bi- Ilurok was forced into bankruptcy. But he's back again on Broad-
zarre, though picturesque, attire way with an Italian novelty of which much is being written.
and turned steadfastly to the east
. He'll be sailing the open seas
and doesn't know when he will BOXY'S CITY
return.
Since we've begun talking in this veil:, let's continue for a little
a
•
•
•
spell. Radio City is at last being opened—a triumph for the Jewish
"kop" of Rosy.
The gorgeous city within a city is a triumph of the vision of
the Jew who came from Minneapolis, and whose beginnings were no
ill-starred that he was forced to borrow chairs for his first movie
house from an undertaker. But today, Roxy is crowned king of the
city that Rockefeller built.
Great lights circle Radio City. Somehow I cannot help feeling,
as I pass it this Chanukah, of simple little candle lights that were
You heard Al Jolson's first burned 2,000 years ago in Judea. Little lights they were, but they
broadcast only once, but Al has have shown for 2,000 years. Will these great, big gorgeous lights
last that long?
(Turn to Next Page.)
•
•
•
THE CITY OF SUPERLATIVES
Harry Ruby, the tune-writing
fellow, is a baseball addict ...
he plays second base ... trains
every year with which over m•-
jor team is on the coast .. this
year it'll be with the Pitts-
burgh boys.
• • •
There is a good one being told these days of our Jewish brethren
in Hollywood. As you know, the city of Hollywood is famous for its
adjectives, which border on the superlative—or rather, transcend
the superlative.
Well the story goes, that the other day one of the Hollywood
magnates was accosted by a friend.
"How is busieess?" asked the friend.
generally speaking, I think such
"Colossal, but it's picking up," replied the magnate.
strikes are rather stupid, to say
the least. There must be a much
more sensible way to correct the
abuses in Poland than the one
adopted by Mr. Kraus.
• • •
RANDOM THOUGHTS
by Charles
H. Joseph
' many things that he fails to ap-
BOYD AND HIS VIEWS
Ernest Boyd is a writer of parts. preciate in the problem which he
He is quite a realist and very radi- attempts so casually to solve. The
cal in his approach to every sub- Jew does not want to be assimilated
ject. He writes in a magazine cal- and in certain situations there can-
led the American Spectator in this not be a common meeting-ground
between Jew and non-Jew, but
fashion:
"The Jews object to being accept- there are MANY from which the WHAT IS GREATNESS?
ed, assimilated and received on a Jew is rebuffed. That is the bone
I was asked the other day to
footing of complete equality with of contention. The Children of Is- name the ten foremost living Amer-
other citizens of the countries to rael can remain the Children of ican Jews. Now, that's some task.
which they belong. They insist upon Israel without the necessity for After all, WHAT is greatness? Is
having their anti-Semitic cake and ostracism of the KIND that the Mr. Warburg any more "foremost"
eating it . . . If they wish to re- JEW RESENTS which is NOT the than, let us say, George Kaufmann,
main Children of Israel then they kind Mr. Boyd has in mind.
who wrote "Of Thee I Sing?" Is
4 • •
need not be surprised if the world
Salmon Levison of greater value to
takes them at their word and treats KRAUS AND HIS FAST
the human race, or rather we
them accordingly. They should wel-
The gentleman by the name of should say, is be more of a per-
come ostracism and keep atricty Kraus who started on a hunger sonality than Jack Pearl with his
to Mr.
thmseves!"
Boyd thinks Jews choose to strike as a protest against Poland ' s Baron Munchausen radio eccentric-
oppression of the Jews, finished his ities? I confess I don't know. Da-
be Separatists . . they want their fast, but not himself. It's one vid Sarnoff of radio fame is per-
own land . . . they will not yie
thing for a Ghandi to perform that haps as much a figure and is en-
their customs or habits . . . they stunt but quite another for one not titled to as much consideration in
will not yield much that will en- uite so well known. No if Chaim such a list as Judge Cardoso. But
able them to live in complete har-
ask any reader of this column to
1%
many
and on
terms with
their
'el:mann
or undertaking
Stephen Wise
would name the ten foremost Jews and
neighbors,
yet equal
they complain
they
essay
such an
it wouldd
nine times out of ten will name the
would
are ostracized and discriminated mean something'
stop, look It
and
listen. ma
But, Brandeis, and the Lehmans and
against. He says that it is pro
the Cardoso. and the Warburgs,
posterous to assume that ■ ew
and all the rent of those in the us-
ceases to be a Jew when he aban-
order. The Warfields, the
THE MESSIANIC HOPE ual
dons Judaism . . . as preposterous,
Mayor of Hollywood fame, Eddie
says Mr. Boyd as to assume tha t
Cantor and others off the beaten
a German is not a German when
"When the harp of Judah track of our thinking may in ef-
he ceases to be • Lutheran.
sounded, thrilled with the touch feet be entitled to the honors we
It can't be settled so easily, Mr. of inspiration Divine, among the accord those in different and shall
Boyd. It is true that the Jew is echoes it waked in the human we say, more conservative walks of
willing to go lust so far and no heart were those sweet sounds life? '
• • •
farther in meeting his neighbors on whose witcheries transport the
• common ground ... it's quite true soul into realms of happiness. ATTACKS EVERYWHERE
he doesn't want to be assimilated That melody has been our source
I was very much interested in
because if that happens then it will of courage, our solace and our
be the case of the cat swallowing strength, and in all our wander- looking over a copy of the Jewish
the canary . . . in this case the Ines we have sung it. It is the Daily Bulletin on Christmas Eve
Jew being the canary. Naturally, I music of the Messianic age, the when the whole Christian world
he is opposed to intermarriage, he- triumph-hymn to be one day was preparing to celebrate the
cause that would, if carried to its thundered by all humanity, the birth of the founder of their faith;
logical eonclueion, wipe him out. It real psalm of life as mankind that one who taught love and mer-
cy. From one end of that little
it hardly a fair statement to place shall sing it when Israel's world-
the Jew and the German religious- task of teaching it shall have journal to the other, in all parts
ty speaking, on the same basis, as been accomplished. Its harmony of the world, I found attacks and
Mr. Boyd has. There Is no GER- is the harmony of the families attacks on Jews. Mard-r, • and
MAN religion in the same r.frise as of the earth, at last at peace. at pillage was the story! Isn't it
there is • JEWISH religion. It is last united in brotherhood, at last strange that religious teachings
unfortunate that space peevents happy in their return to the One seems Gmbh to Influence the daily
life of people and that In most
a enenplete discussion of the subject Great Father.'
—H. PEREIRA MENDE& part they remain only lip worship?
with Mr. Boyd because there are
I
MESSIANIC PERSONALITIES
Cleveland Journalist Writes Interesting Volume on the
Messiah Ideas of Leading Figures
in Jewish History.
MESSIANIC PERSONALITIES. He Joseph Ohs-
Piro Published by the Reefer Printing Co.
10534 Soper. avenue. Cleveland. Ohio.
Joseph Shapiro, member of the
editorial staff of the Cleveland
Jewish World, is eminently suited
for the task of writing a volume
on the Messiah ides and Messianic
personalities in Jewry. A leader in
the former Zeire Zion, and in the
present Peale Zion-Zeire Zion
movement, as one who has devoted
himself whole-heartedly to the task
for Palestine's reconstruction, he
writes not only from the point of
view of • scholar, a journalist and
a man of research, but also as one
who feels deeply the need for the
upbuilding of ■ Jewish National
Home, and for the realization of
the Messianic dreams of hie people.
"Messianic Personalities" thus
becomes a fairly valuable work on
Jewish nationalism and national-
ists. Mr. Shapiro doe. not limit his
work to a discussion of certain per-
sonalities. His work approaches
completeness from the point of view
of his exhaustive study of the en-
tire story of Messianic aspirations
In Israel. In a chapter on "The
Chief Foundations of the Messianic
Ideal" he discusses the universal
searching for a savior and the mys-
tical powers in back of it. This
learned discourse Is followed by
chapter in which is discussed"T
Messianic Ideal in the Bible a r l i
the Talmud." and here we are taken
back to the period of the Exodus
and have the theme developed down
to the age of the Talmudic period.
The discussion is throughout sprin-
kled with authoritative quotations.
Guide Calculation..
A complete chapter Is
devoted to
a discussion of Bar Kochba, who
was looked upon as the Messiah by
Rabbi Akibah. Thereafter, Mr.
Shapiro launches into • discussion
of Messianic aspirants under hh-
mael, of the false Messiahs Sharini,
Abadya Abu-Issai, Yudgan of Ma-
madan, Simeon ben Yochai.
Another interesting chapter deals
with the "Messianic Calculations
of the Gaonim," and with the man-
ner in which eminent rabbis fore-
told the coming of the savior of
Israel. Rabbi Saadi* Gaon, Rabbi
Hai Gaon, Ilasdai Ibn Shaprut are
among those quoted.
A chapter is also devoted to a
description of the Messianic move-
bent in the days of the Crusades,
and in this chapter references are
made to the attitudes of Rashi,
Maimonides and others.
In another chapter Mr. Shapiro
speaks of the ihfluence of the kab-
balah on the Messianic ideal.
Fels. Messiahs.
False Messiahs to whom separ-
ate chapters are devoted include
David Alroy, Abraham Abulafia,
Osher Laemmlein, Reuben Reubeni,
Solomon Molcho, Sabbattal Zest,
and Jacob Frank.
Other chapters deal with the Kab-
batiste In Safed, with the Messianic
foundation In Chassidiern, and fin-
ally with Zionism as a Messianic
ideal.
Mr. Shapiro's volume has great
value in the study of false Mes-
siah, and Messianic aspirations in
Israel. It is • worthy contribution
to the literature on the subject,
and as such has earned the fine
commendation given the book in art
Introductory letter by Dr. Chaim
Greenberg, noted Jewish scholar.