Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

Page 8 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Israelite Rabbi Herman Lissauer of Los Angeles and Rabbis Abraham Feitibcrg and Mitch ell Fisher of New York have withdrawn from their pulpits during the past year, saying that the pulpit has b?come the puppet of the pew.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 crime nrk a> nothing > effect d Jews