A mericiur ,9ewish Periodical Carter

CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO

May 14, 1943

Ot7ROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle

KALLEN

ing implications of this pregnant
PROSKAUER
phrase, and he did this a full
SEGAL
generation
before
President
(Continued from Page 1)
(Continued from Page 4)
then makes more profound his Roosevelt's historic utterance.
It is within this frame of ref- thought
insight during this past decade
,. w and of Christian thoughts, hearing had used it in speakin b
into the meaning, and therefore erence that Kalien's Jewishness
e have a right to optimism, scornfully of Olivia.
takes root. He regards the Jews for we know that our Catholic
To know this didn't make Oli
the inherent
of a way
Fas-
a people,
inheritors
cist,
or other dangers,
totalitarian,
of as
religion
and the
a culture
wh of a friends were moved by the sub- via any happier, nor could Mr •
o but
can lime statement of Pope Pius XI: Thirkeitle himself feel happy
life. When in 1919 the New commit suicide if they will
Scho
even though he had been vindi

(Continued from Page 1)

nized, he was among the religio-cultural people have much tism.
tiaras Anti-Semitism
to take part in is
anti-Semi-
inadmis- way prejudices get going. That's
and to transmit to a contemporary s ihm. We
h way children start to
te
he is group.
the only one left of that world, much to improve upon in- ally:
are all Semites spiritu- sp ise other kinds of people even
first
group.
ternally in their own community,
Kallen is not
before they have met any of
professor.
"We know that our Episcopal them. The thoughtless or mali-
I have said above that a he
achiev- and much to build together with
friends
will
follow
the
declara-
epieorusis
for
ed a fine integration of his life other peoples,
olobrd as of ,i i i h parent, I an as-
a new world. tion of Bishop Manning that 'any
All of this is by way
y
b,0 1.
iii e
of
a
pre-
man
anywhere
who
is
anti-Jewish
around the meaning of the Jew face for as I have sid,
there
a
up things qu ticg ljy
Prejudices
as
citizen.
He
has
participated
is
hardly
a
Jewish
community
in
in
his
actions
and
his
feelingsis
aren't
things
children
are born
in the life of the total comma- this country that has
nity. He has worked for rood 11
w e know Unitmillions
ur t en-
p c_tne and profit of meet-
causes in cities, states .
How easy it was to plant the
low
citizens obey his exhortation
and na- ing with and listening to Horace
that
lip
service
to
this
creed
is seed of a hate. Thank goodness,
tion. He has lent of time and Kallen. But now another oppor-
substance
he thought, Debby still was so
to improving the ways rarity is afforded to all of us, a not enough and that we should young
and it should be possible
of labor, management, consumer. rare and privileged opportunity. show the 'spirit of kindness and for him to get at this seed be-
He has shed a calm benignity .
on For this truly distinguished son good will in our daily lives, in for e it g re w into the noisome
sorely tried opponents, achieving
o f Israe
l has written what is cer- our business, in the subway, in wee d.
not infrequently a cooperative tainly his most important book. our homes and our offices, and
From
this
Mr.
Thirkettle
give-and-take solution. And he It is called "Art and Freedom." everywhere we go.'
And Bishop McConnell of the came to the idea that it should
has also worked in the field of It is in two volumes. The fact of
be
as
easy
to
plant
decent
re-
Jewish struggle and achievement. its being in two volumes of 1,000 Methodist Church as
President spect as it is to plant prejudice
Early in life he recognized the pages written by philosopher
true importance of Palestine. His would ordinarily scare away the of the Federal Council of the and hate in a child's mind. Are
of Christ in America, our teachers less competent in-
book "Judaism at Bay," is still average reader. If you were to Churches
has reminded his people that Jews st•uctors than the stupid maid
one of the most frequently re-
have persistently sung the Lord's next door who so easily gave
ferred to books on Jewish life be scared away you would be
song in strange lands and 'have Debby her first lesson in prejn-
in Amercia, and deservedly so. missing an opportunity which you done
more than any other single dicial utterance.
• He has always supported those cannot afford to miss.
"Art and Freedom," Dr. Kal- people to make the Lord's song
Thirkettle had
tendencies in Jewish life, best
familiar to strange lands, and mg Mr.
suggestions
that been
after read-
the
typified by the late Justice Bran- len says, is "An Historical and have done more to lay the four- war the vict
deis, that would make for a de- Biographical Interpretation of the dations of prophetic, and after man people in
ors hand
take to the re-Ger-
mocratic Jewish community, and Relations Between the Idea of that of Christian
edu-
civilization, cate them for moral civilization.
he has done this knowing that Beauty, Use and Freedom in than any other single people.'
Western
Civilization
from
the
He thought our schools have
the solution to Jewish problems
"'We are to entitled
from
these
would come about through the Greeks to the Present Day." It ;s utterances
the pride
only
that ail important job of morals and
all
this
and
much
more.
It
is
for
instrumentalities used for the so-
conies from the knowledge that for
lution of other difficult problems. the most part an easily written our spiritual ideals we have with-
testament
of
faith
by
a
man
who
It may be worth while to re-
stood through the centuries since
state his basic conviction as to has seen much in the world and our forefathers wept by the wa-
the meaning of American life, studied more. It is an expression ters of Babylon the lash of the
for out of this re-statement will of a philosophy of life which can torturer and the exile of the op-
come an understanding of his give tone and value where drab- pressor. We Americans owe it to
profound convictions about Jew- ness abounds. It is seeing the our country to make the guar-
ish life. To say that Dr. Kallen richness of culture throughout antees of religious freedom con-
is a pragmatist is not to say history through the eyes of a tained in our Constitution some-
very much. To say that he is a sensitive critic who knows how thing real and vital in the every-
democrat is to add a little. But to express his criticism. It is a day life of this beloved America;
to say that he is one of the savoring of a democratic philoso- and above all, to stand steadfast-
original and foremost expounders phy challenged. If Dr. Kallen had ly with men of good will of every
of the concept of cultural plural- written no other than Book II race and sect and creed and main-
ism in America is to say a great (the two volumes are divided into tin against every assault a com-
deal. This phrase may still be 12 books) he would have givien mon brotherhood of man under
obscure in the highways and by- us something to ponder about, to a common fatherhood of God."
ways of our country, but its inner understand, to fight for.
I have played with the idea
meaning can be ignored only at
peril. Cultural pluralism means in writing about "Art and Free- Federation of Polish
that view of life and human dom" of giving you, the reader,
beings, that view of institutions a synopsis of the 12 books. Book Jews Call Emergency
and their histories, that view of I is such and such, Book II is
and so, Book 12 is the final Conference May 23
our country and its significance book, etc. If you want this in-
which negatively stands for a formation you can find it in
NEW YORK.—All societies
complete denial of and attack Professor Sidney Hook's review and landsmanscaften of Polish
upon any tendency which would which appeared in the New York Jews in America have been invit-
build up totalitarian sovereigm- Herald-Tribune Book Section of ed by the American Federation
ties, authoritarian ways of Ife, of April 11, 1943. But to give for Polish Jews to send repre-
dogmas imposed from without and you a synopsis of the chapter sentatives to an Emergency Con-
above, straigiht jackets upon the headings would be to falsify the ference called for Sunday, May
body politic. Positively, cultural picture, for this book is Horace 23, at 1 p. m., at the Man-
pluralism stands for the view that
i Kallen who has something to say hattan Center, 34th St. and
i America in to each of us, who is worth listen- Eighth Ave., New York. The Jew-
life in general, and in
particular, is made up of a num- ing to and who has taken great ish situation in Poland and the
ber of persons and things. These trouble throughout his life-time possibilities for relieving it will
persons best realize their human to prepare himself to write this be disccussed at the conference.
value, and these things and in- book for us. "Art and Freedom" The American Federation for Pol-
stitutions best fulfill their par- is nothing that you can pick up ish Jews in calling the conference
pose when they can co-exist in and put down as you do a mys- said:
freedom, not coercion, in coop- tery or a novel, nor is it even a
A heartrendiing appeal sent out
oration, not compulsion. Cultural best seller in a class with a "Ber- by the leaders of Polish Jewry
pluralism means that America lin Diary" or "Guadalcanal." But to the democracies of the world
in particular is made up of a when these books will no longer speaks of new executions and de-
number of peoples from many be other than records of a con- portations, and of imminent dan-
lands, each contributing out of temporary newspaper, "Art and ger of complete extinction for
the rich storehouse of their his- Freedom" will still be making its the last surviving remnants of
torical culture to the pattern that contribution to the understanding Polish Jewry,
makes up America, the national of and appreciation for a western
The Polish Jews of America
motto of which, be it remem- civilization familiar to us, acquir- must be the first to heed that
bered, is E Pluribus Unum— ing a sense of beauty and dedi- appeal. At the conference the
"from the many one." It is be- rated to freedom. It is in this urgent tasks facing Jewry will
cause America is such a society respect that Horace Kallen has be discussed. Important reports
,.. that Catholics, Protestants and given us the best that is in him will be given at the conference.
Vews and persons from every na- We would be derelict to ourselves
A report will also be given on
tionality under the sun can comeif we failed to take advantage steps taken to publish the Black
to our country, preserve the best of it.
1300k of Jewish Martyrdom in
of their past, invigorate their
Permit me to close this brief Poland. All available documents
present, and contribute to the introduction to Horace Kallen and on the oppression, torture and
common future. It was the Presi- his book, "Art and Freedom," by extermination of the Jews in Po-
dent of the United States who a quotation from Robert Biel•- land by the Nazis are found in
coined the phrase "Americans stedt's review which appeared in it. The book will serve as the
All-Immigrants All." But truly it the Saturday Review of Liera- evidence we shall bring forth be-
can be said that Dr. Horace Kid- cure of April 3, 1943:
fore the Peace Conference in
len, following Thomas Jefferson,
"Art and Freedom' is a tre- Jewish charges against Germany,
whom he calls the first cultural mendously learned book, but Mr. to demand the punishment of the
pluralist, was the first American Kallen wears his learning lightly, guilty, the restitution of our
of our generation to give a struc- and no academic dust disfigures rights and property, and the res-
tural philosophy to the far-reach- the countenance of his pages or toration of Polish Jewry.
Prominent speakers will ad-
4I11 ■•■■■■r, dress the conference.

social

ethics,
too—to
catch
American minds young and edu-
cate them for good will as effi-
ciently as dirty hands mold them
for prejudice and hate.
It seemed to Mr. Thirkettle
that such a course of instruction
is as important as arithmetic,

since it has to do with the prime
matter of people getting along
together in the world. Brother-
hood will not be established au-
tomatically by the hanging of
Hitler; it must be made to grow
in hearts and minds by public
education in the schools, by priv-
ate education in the homes.

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afflicts the nostrils of his reader.
There are a few footnotes, but
they are hidden away at the end
of the second volume. 'Art and
Freedom' is in no sense a ref-
erence book, but a book to read,
to enjoy, and to study. In sum
it may be called an intellectual
history with special relevance to
the arts and to the artistic en-
terprise. With the history of
Western civilization as his text,
Mr. Kallen has this above all to
teach, that beauty is a relation
whose consequence is use and
whose consummation is freedom.
Brilliantly conceived and beauti-
fully written, profound as well as
humane, it is as classic book, an
altogether excellent book."

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Il

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