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ATLANTA TENT and
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Sole Manufacturers
DISTINCTIVE
STYlebilT
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Plant and Office, Past Point, Go.
The Southern Israelite
lern in organized anti-Semitism which
puts in flic shadow all flie great his
torical catastrophes of the past. The
fate of the greatest Jewish population
ever domiciled in one country hangs in
the balance.
But anti-Semitism is so intimate to
the Jew, so close to the routine of his
life that he often docs not suspect its
existence or else is content to ignore
it—if it does not immediately place
the sword of Damocles over his head!
But the story of Jew-baiting, as re
counted by a Jew, is likely to smack
of self-commiseration, of the martyr-
complex. I jet I ley wood Broun intro
duce you to the problem:
“Prejudice seems to me more severe
right now than at any time in the last
twenty years. What has served to in
tensify the prejudice? It is hard to
put your finger on any one thing. In
ease of doubt it is always wise to look
for an economic cause. When jobs are
hard to obtain, job-givers are anxious
to disqualify some particular group of
applicants, and as many applicants as
possible. Naturally, under conditions
of hardship the job-seeker feels that
ho is better off if he holds a definite
advantage over his Jewish competi
tors.
“Discrmination against Jews in Now
York spreads all over the city, reaches
like a dark cloud into the narrowest
and most, remote streets, to the largest
and smallest lines of employment. It i>
practiced deliberately, and also un
consciously, by those who dislike Jews
and by those who don’t care, but who
yield to a supposed demand by the
public. It is of vast proportions and
it. is by no means decreasing.
“The employment field reeks with
prejudice. The amazing extent and bit
terness of the determination has been
confirmed by experts engaged daily in
watching the field. The Jew out of
work who is looking for a job in New
York faces odds of about ten to one
against him.”
And Broun cites examples. Most em
ployment. agencies even refuse to ac
cept the applications of Jews. “Office
work as a class is difficult for Jews
to obtain. The largest and richest
banks in New York have rules against
employing any Jews, except in unusual
cases. About ninety per cent of the in
surance companies notify the agencies
not to send Jewish applicants for po
sitions. The great corporations whose
stocks constitute the blue chips of the
Stock Exchange are for tin* most part
unfavorable. The public utility com
panies as a class, largely in control of
Gentiles and representing monopolies
against which the Jews could not hope
to make effective retaliation, are con
sidered the hardest fields of all for
Jews to enter. Among the more ex
pensive chain restaurants it is the prac
tice to employ few Jewish waitresses,
virtually no Jewish headwaitresses. In
tin* traditional Jewish business of
clothing manufacture there are shops
which do not take Jews, on a strict
racial classification. Another form of
the charge of discrimination is that
Jewish applicants for membership
cards are excluded. The unions in the
better-paid trades are closed corpora
tions.”
The foregoing are sentences culled
from various parts of Broun’s book,
which provide an excellent summary of
the fields of employment from which
Jews are excluded. And what of the
professions?
Medicine is restricted. “Engineering
is unpromising. Teaching is exclusive,
both in elementary an dadvanced clas
sifications; in some subjects there is
virtually a complete ban against Jew
ish instructors. Discrimination em
phatically does exist in the practice of
law in New York.”
There isn’t much left for the Jew to
choose from. But despite this fore
boding and gloomy picture there are
Jews who join in the hunt of their
fellows. Broun describes the situation
vividly:
“A high official of a large depart
ment store, which is wholly owned by
Jewish capital, said: ‘Yes, we have a
quota on Jewish help for two reasons.
Although we are Jewish-owned we do
not desire to be known as a “Jew
store” and tear to become such in repu
tation if we have too many Jewish
sales people; secondly, we do not want
our staff too much depleted on the
religious holidays.’
“.Many Gentiles justify their preju
dices against Jews by saying, ‘Why,
this exists among the Jews themselves.’
And there is no doubt of the tendency
of certain people to criticize severely
their own co-religionists. They do not
criticize them perhaps under the name
‘Jews.’ But tin* word ‘kike’ is fairly
familiar in the vocabulary of the ar
rived and successful. I remember a
friend of mine speaking of a mountain
resort to which he used to go and
saying. ‘Well, it was a nice place un
til so many kikes came there.’
' l ndeniably some of the most con
temptuous and fiercest prejudices has
ben visited upon the nouveau rich Jew
bv his fellows, who are older in the
attainment of success and fortune. As
vet, there has been small disposition
toward race or religious solidarity in
the matter of persecution.
“In so far as charity goes, the rich
and influential Jew is good to his own.
lie will subscribe money to help the
down-and-outer among his own people.
But he is much less ready to extend the
social hand ot fellowship to those who
have just emerged from below the sur
face of fierce economic struggle.
Among the leaders in New York af
fairs arc many Jews who have taken
over much of the familiar Gentile jar
gon in regard to the nascent graduate
of the Ghetto.”
“Christians Only” is likely to crys
tallize the Jewish realization that the
Jewish problem in America is just as
acute, just as terrirying as anywhere
else in the world—perhaps more so.
The time may come, and that not so far
away, when great national conferences
will he called to deal—not with perse
cution abroad, but annihilation at
home.
Copyright 1931 by S. A. F. S.
Charles Sutro, of Old Jewish
Fam'ly, Dies
San Francisco, Calif.—Charles Sutro,
scion of a pioneer Jewish family of
Claifornia, and prominent financier,
died here at the age of 65.
St. Louis, Mo.—Vladimir (,
mann, who was guest conductor
St. Louis Symphony last seasoi h, t .
been engaged as regular conduct. r
two years, it was announced
Warrington Baldwin, president
St. Louis Symphony Society. C.
mann was born in Russia in 18'-
received his musical educate
France, where he has been the
ductor of the governmentally spoil- re<]
concerts at the Sorbonne.
Wanted
A real ambitious young man—<, ne
that can appreciate an opportunity
when confronted—such as now. One
of the largest insurence companies
in this country is looking for a
conscientious Jewish person who can
make possibilities become realities
special training will be given so that
the future will he a certainty—all
you need is the ability to work.
Phone or write to The Southern
Israelite, care Box 1A, Atlanta.
DORTCH'S
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"The Cake that Mother Used
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Only Vegetable Fat Used
1499 Gordon St., S.W. RA 0212
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GAGE BROS. 8 CO.
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Wholesale Mil11nery
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EDGAR M. HOWELL Mgr.
103 Pryor St., S.W'.—W’Alnut 8104
ATLANTA
Cabinet Shop
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Bodies Built to Order—
Auto Tops Rebuilt and Repaired
TELEPHONE
Jackson 3510
591 Edgewood Ave., S.E.
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3184 Peachtree Road