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The Southern Israelite
Rabbi Herman Lissauer of Los Angeles
and Rabbis Abraham Feitibcrg and Mitch
ell Fisher of New York have withdrawn
from their pulpits during the past year,
saying that the pulpit has b?come the
puppet of the pew. This point of view
was sharply criticized by some of the
older rabbis, who dismissed the indictment
as youthful vaporings. Rut Prof. Israel
Davidson, of the Jewish Theological
Seminary, one of America s great
Jewish scholars, added substance to the
charges when he declared that tlv average
rabbi today is forced by his congregation
to be a lecturer, dramatic critic or book
reviewer. Mis obligations toward scholar
ship are ignored by the congregation, he
said. Dissatisfaction with Jewish religious
leadership expressed itself during the past
year in a manner that is likely to demand
early reforms. In the meantime, however,
huge temples continue to be erected. I he
most imposing one in America was dedi
cated in April of this year with the open
ing of the $1,750.(100 Temple Sholom at
Chicago. Other congregations throughout
tlu- country are assuming the, burdens of
heavy mortgages in order to compete
in this religious “keepiug-up -with-the-
Joneses.”
With the passing of Louis Marshall,
who was the dominant figure in the
American Jewish Committee, more
prestige and importance has come to the
American Jewish Congress, in which the
most active figure is Bernard C. Richards.
Fundamentally the Congress has been a
newspaper institution. That is to say, it
has conducted its diplomacy through pub
licity. In several instances this type of
statesmanship has proved more efficacious
than the older and more respected methods
of direct negotiation. The most important
activity of the Congress during the year
was its campaign against the Soviet anti-
religious movement. Co-operating with a
number of other Jewish and non-Jewish
institutions, it succeeded in attracting
nation-wide attention to conditions in
Russia. Within three weeks, however,
the whole anti-Soviet drive collapsed. In
the first place, it was proved that many
of the evil conditions which had been de
scribed were highly exaggerated. In the
second place, many of the incidents com
plained of were remedied. There can be
no doubt that Russia did respond to the
pressure of international public opinion
with respect to its attitude to religion.
The only important national Jewish
drive launched during the year was the
$(>,(XK),0(H) Allied Jewish Campaign for
the Joint Distribution Committee and the
Jewish Agency. The campaign got off
to ?. late start. Non-Zionists are not giv
ing it the support that was expected from
them. Thirdly, economic conditions have
been a serious obstacle. As a result the
campaign has not yet really started. Pre
sumably the fall will see a new spurt to
raise the money.
1 he past year saw Zionism in America
at its lowest ebb. This was due to two
factors: the disturbances in Palestine and
their aftermath, and the assumption by
the Jewish Agency of those tasks which
had heretofore been the prerogative of
the Zionist Organization. American Jewry,
quick to respond to a relief situation, for
got differences of opinion with regard
to Zionism and succeeded in raising pract
ically $2,(XX),000 for the Palestine Emer
gency Fund. It must be borne in mind,
however, that this took place before the
financial upheaval. It is generally ad
mitted that the Jewish Agency has not
been able to widen the influence of the
Palestine forces.
But as the year ends an entirely new
situation seems to be in the offing. The
nine-year conflict between the Zionist ad
ministration beaded by Louis Lipsky and
the group headed by Supreme Court
Justice Louis I). Brandies ended at the
last Zionist convention, and a coalition
of forces was effected. It is believed
that the Zionists will take a more aggres
sive attitude toward the Jewish Agency
and demand a greater insistence on the
political aspects of the Agency. Whether
the initial enthusiasm that was generated
during and after the Cleveland conven
tion will result in greater financial sup
port for both the organization and Pales
tine cannot be foretold.
Every year during the past decade lias
seen greater contributions to philanthropy
by Jewish millionaires. This year, de
spite the depression, lias been no exception
to the rule. The outstanding gift was
the establishment of the $10,000,(XX)
Maurice and Laura balk Foundation for
charitable purposes. The Falks of Pitts
burgh have threatened to challenge the
philanthropic leadership of Julius Rosen-
wald of Chicago, The Louis Bamberger
and Mrs. Felix Fuld endowment of a
$5,000,(XX) foundation for the Institute of
Advanced Study is one of the greatest
gifts that has ever been made by an
American Jew and rivals Julius Rosen-
wald’s contribution of $5,000,000 for
Russian Jewish colonization. Rosenwald,
however, has been almost as active as
ever in aiding various causes. His
$20 (MM),000 Foundation continues to sup
port Negro schools as well as other
higher institutions of learning. Whether
he is offering $500,(MX) as part of a Louis
Marshall endowment for the Jewish
Theological Seminary or $50,000 for the
purchase of Hebrew books for the Library
of Congress, lie is constantly displaying
a deep interest in every phase of Jewish
life as well as in the general civic life
of the community. It has been estimated
that philanthropy by Jews during 1920
reached a figure of more than $50,000,000.
It is very possible that this figure will
be repeated in 1930. If it is it will be due
to such gifts as that of the late Conrad
Hubert, whose estate of $6,000,(XX) was
bequeathed to a variety of institutions as
determined by Julius Rosenwald, Calvin
Coolidge and Alfred E. Smith. Among
the more notable philanthropies of the
year was that contained in the will of
Louis Marshall, providing that a tenth
of bis $5,(MM),(MM) estate should be dis
tributed to charity. Others included:
The IVailuiy ll’all
$250,000 to the United 1
Hospital of Brooklyn by M r \\ r
Morris Goldberg ; $4(MI.(MM) b\
Jr., and Maurice Falk for
clinic at the University 0 f
for which the late Leon Fall
viously given $5(M).(MM); $3J-
model elementary school at tin
of Pittsburgh by Mrs. M
Levy and her brother, Leon I
by Frederick Brown of \«
fellowships at the New V
for Joint Diseases; bequest -mu.
to charity by the late Samti
New' York; an outright gift .
by Ralph Jonas of Brooklyn, t
merger between the Brookbi
York Federations of Jewish
S2(M),0(M) to the Pittsburgh Y
by Mrs. Edgar J. Kaufman;
Yale University by Paul Block
ing a course in journalism; sionm*
Mt. Sinai Hospital by Louis N Kram •
of New York; $3<M),(KM) to tin Frank'-:
Institute of Philadelphia for a p
by Samuvl S. Fels; $15(),(MH) to tin Alin
Jewish Campaign by Felix \\ irburg c
$1(M),()()() to the same cause In r ul Ir
wald.
It is interesting to note that eve
though the standard of Jewish omtrilni-
tions to philanthropy continue t ).-■
maintained there seems to be no inert t
of the desire to give some of th m ,, 1
sums to Jewish causes. With the
ception of the $1,(XX),(MM) contrihutna !
Ralph Jonas during the past year imt
of tin great philanthropic gestures add-
to Jewish communal wealth. Some t
servers have interpreted this a> an cx
aggerated effort on the part i —m
wealthy Jews to show their inter rati
with American life. In the tin anti
Jewish institutions grow poorer and gr
under the burdens of mortgages and
ficits. Anti-Jewish discrimination in t
very institutions which receive ‘•"tin
these large sums is on the up grad
One of the few landxmannsi lui ’
America interested in the fate >i th
brethren across the seas which havi ;
active during the year was tin h I r it'
of Polish Jews. On the whole it h
assumed an apologetic attitude t P
officials both in this country and ahr
but, with the assistance of the \m rn
Jewish Congress, it has succec
focusing attention on deplorable *'■
tions in Poland. Its protest against
nomic injustice to the Jews in Pilsud
country has at least called tin attu'
of Polish authorities to the situnP n <
if nothing remedial has been d m
Two statements, one by a Jew. the <•’
by a Christian—one made at the earl> <
of the year and the other more r cent
have called attention to one Mum
Jewish life in America that ha-
nored. Judge Nathan Layton
ington made the charge that J<
more than their share of crim
J. Loesch of Chicago. Chaim
Crime Commission, has asserti
furnish the brains and Ital
of gangsterdom in America
charges there has been a rus
Prison statistics have been qu'
ical records have been cited.
currence of Jewish names m
records of Chicago and Nev.
well as of other large cities
to be proud of. Prohibition at
on the national morals have a
(Continued on page
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