The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, March 29, 1929, Image 17
The Southern Israelite
Page 17
I do try to keep mentally alert with
the aid of cold towels and hot coffee.
And since my middle name is “Hom
er” I do not occasionally, despite the
most careful watchfulness. There is
something spooky about that Cleve
land business for I am as sure as my
name is Joseph that they had a Good
will gathering in Cleveland. But how
I got Rabbi Gup out of his bed in
Rhode Island and placed him in Cleve
land, Providence alone knows. As for
the Faunce attitude toward the Jew
ish Fraternity issue at Brown I have
written several times on the subject
I think that the good Doctor got
foggy.
Well, here’s another one of those
missionary magazines or pamphlets
or what you will. It’s called the “He
brew Messenger” and published in
Baltimore. I see that they are going
to put a Mission Building to the
Jews of Baltimore. I always believed
that Baltimore Jewry was quite a sol
id group. Not easily moved by mis
sionary efforts. But they’d better
watch out. Quite an imposing lot of
names on this committee of the Board
of National Missions of the Presby
terian Church, U. S. A. The Rev. T.
Roland Phillips, Rev. Andrew Neilly,
Rev. VV. J. McMillan, Rev. William
Gumming, Rev. Bruce McDonald and
others. What do I think about this
business of Jewish missions? I will
let Dr. E. L. Hunt, director of the
American Good-Will Union answer
for me:
“I indict Christian missionary
work on the score of its futility.
One must search far and wide for
a bona fide Jewish convert to
Christianity. Those that we do
have are merely social climbers
seeking to sell their birthright of
Israel for a cup of afternoon tea.”
Of course, those are very harsh
words and I am not sure that I would
have uttered them.
The quarrel I have with the world
is that it is so undiscriminating. Take
for example the world’s attitude to
ward the Jew. Whenever a half a
dozen Jews affiliate themselves with a
movement then it becomes a Jewish
movement—-that’s what the average
man thinks. Here we have Commu
nism trying to get a foothold in Pal
estine. So what’s happening. Commu-
jnists and there are Jews among them
|of course, are trying to arouse feel-
ling against JEWISH capitalists,
|against Arab capitalists, against
Zionist land purchasing companies.
But do you believe for a moment that
the eye that reads as it runs and the
piind that stands still considers that
Khe Jews are divided on this question
as on every other? Of course not. The
pmpression will continue that every
ICommunist is a Jew whether he is in
pussia or Palestine. Just because a
p EW are associated with it. That’s
Khat makes me so impatient. The
ose and ragged thinking or really
|he lack of thought that creates so
hiany embarrassing situations. I am
korry, dear world, but it so happens
fhat as Shylock says the Jew feels the
pame as his neighbors, if he is hurt
F e feels it; he has the same loves and
rates and passions, and all the rest
K tumble-jumble of emotions and
Instincts that one finds in human be
ings. So w’hile I do wish that we could
make all Jews perfect human beings
r quite impossible. So if we have
Jewish communists so we have Jewish
capitalists; we have Jewish money
lenders and Jewish philanthropists;
we have Jewish radicals and Jewish
reactionaries; we have cultured Jews
and illmannered Jews; we have all
sorts and kinds and conditions just
like there are all sorts and kinds and
conditions of every other species of
the human family. So let’s not tar
them all with the same stick. It takes
time, of course. We are still in the
stone age of Reason. Some day wo
may be discriminating.
I note where the National Federa
tion of Temple Brotherhoods are
meeting in Washington in April. That
movement has gained strength in the
past few years, with and in some in
stances without the help of the of
ficials of Congregations. One would
imagine that if a body of young men
could be encouraged to take an active
interest in Jewish congregational life
that the trustees of the congregation
would make every sacrifice, exert
every effort to do it. But I know
some Congregational Boards who
haven’t the sense to understand the
value of such a movement. I have al
ways believed that if there is a re
form necessary in American Jewish
life it is in reforming the type of
trustees who direct our congrega
tional activities. That’s one of the
weak spots. We still adhere to the
ancient, or shall I say, the modern
traditions of selecting “heavy” citi
zens; the substantial element; those
who give weight and prestige to the
congregation. What we need is to
get a different slant on what a Trus
tee should be. Too many of them are
chair warmers, and meeting attend
ees. They are the budget-makers.
They represent too much the BUSI
NESS side of the congregation. They
should be the LEADERS in INSPIR
ING a deeper interest in congrega
tional life. They should PERSONAL
LY interest themselves in developing
congregational spirit. Most of them
don’t do it and don’t know how to do
it. There are so many influences that
enter into the selection of Trustees
that are wrong influences. In other
words there is not a sufficiently intel
ligent approach to the situation. Too
often we select men because they may
be in a COMMUNITY asset rather
than a definite asset to the congrega
tion. What many congregations need
is a vacuum cleaner to sweep the
dust off their Boards.
VIENNA KEHILLAH ASKS GOV
ERNMENT TO ALLOT SUBSIDIES
FOR JEWISH RELIGIOUS AND
CULTURAL PURPOSES
Chancellor Seipel Grants Demand in
Principle, Will Seek Advice
Vienna (J. T. A.)—The Government
of the Republic of Austria stands com-
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I
Hotel
DeSoto
Savannah, Ga.
mitted to the principle that it is
obliged to include in the budget sums
for the support of Jewish religious
and cultural institutions, but it is
seeking advice on the size of the allo
cations and the beneficiaries to be se
lected.
The opposition charging the admin
istration with indifference to the eco
nomic problems of the profession in
New York brought about by changing
conditions, polled an unexpectedly
high vote gaining 453 votes for Dr.
Rongy. The administration ticket,
headed by Dr. DeWitt Stetten, was
victorius with 823 votes.
Compliments of
is Bank & Trust
Company
SAVANNAH, GA.
ASSORTMENT OF PACKAGE SUGARS:
STANDARD GRANULATED
FRUIT AND CEREAL
XXXX POWDERED
TABLETS, CUBES, BROWNS
Savannah Sugar Refinery
Port Wentworth Savannah, Ga.