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THE SOUTHERN ISR A ELITE
A Year
An Outline And
Of J ewish History
nterpretation Of Events During 5691
By JOSEPH SALMARK
Here, in a bird's-eye-view, are the out
standing events of the year as they af
fected Jewish populations. Some facts and
events, considered of importance at the
time, are glossed over, because the inten
tion of this article is to provide an index
to trends and ideas rather than to furnish
a complete statistical catalogue. The
reader of this comprehensive and, impartial
survey has equipped himself with a valu
able insight into the progress of con
temporary Jewish life.
The Jewish historian, in preparing his
materials for a resume of the year 5691,
will find little that is hopeful, less that is
encouraging. Never, as in the
past year, has it been so amply
demonstrated that the welfare
of the Jewish people and its
peace of mind are inextricably
bound up with the peace and
the prosperity of the rest of the
world. Every ill that is abroad
is accentuated tenfold by the
time it reaches the Jewish
masses. Problems of economics
take on a social and political
tinge when they touch the Jew
ish periphery. Financial disas
ter, industrial upheaval, politi
cal unrest inevitably find a Jew
ish target. It is not an expres
sion of chauvinism but the
recital of brutal fact to say that
if all’s ill with the world, it’s worse with
the Jew.
In the cycle between September, 1930
and September, 1931, world Jewry has
experienced a series of shocks, from which
it can recover only after a long convales
cence. Two years ago it was Palestine that
occupied the center of the stage. That
country, though containing only 172,000
Jews, has nevertheless had repercussions
on all Jewry. Its fate, for better or worse,
has been linked to the des
tiny of universal Israel.
The tension in Palestine
has not eased during the
past year. Rut other coun
tries have claimed the fo
cus of attention. Germa
ny, still on the brink of
chaos as this review is
written, looms up as the
scene of grave peril for
its Jewish population.
Oppressed by the econom
ic situation, frenzied by
the pressure brought to
bear by neighboring
France, the nationalist
elements of Germany are
waiting momentarily for
the reins of power. Should
that catastrophe occur,
the heads of innumerable
Jew's will be “rolling in
the sand,” as Adolph Hit
ler boasted only a few
months ago. Austria,
where the struggle be
tween the liberal Social
ists and the monarchist
Nationalists is steadily
becoming more bitter, has
made the headlines on
numerous occasions dur
ing the year. Socialist Vi
enna, one of the world’s
best governed cities, has
nevertheless permitted its municipal uni
versity to become a laboratory for violent
anti-Semitism.
Rumania, traditional haven for the most
vicious forms of Jew-baiting has become
comparatively quiet under the firm reign
of King Carol. Rut Hungary, and even
Czechoslovakia, can still be referred to as
the “benighted countries of the Ralkans,”
despite the reputation for liberalism en
joyed by President Masaryk. Rut it is
Greece, ancient home of Hellenic culture,
fountain of civilization, which provided the
year’s outstanding illustration of Anti-
Semitism and how it should be practiced.
Saloniki became the date-line for a series
of dispatches which told of outrages such
as had not occurred in Greece
in centuries. Where such pas
sions can be aroused, the predic
tion of tranquility in the near
future, is a cynical task. Poland
and Lithunia, lands of promise
—by government officials—hold
in uncertain balance the fate of
millions of Jews. So monoto
nous have become the reports
of discrimination, of poverty, of
suicide that emanate from Po-
i land that repetition, unfortu
nately, has the earmarks of
campaign propaganda.
The only light on the hori
zon is provided by the two coun
tries of revolution—Spain and
Russia. There is a small settle
ment of Jews in Republican Spain. It must
be a source of profound satisfaction to
them that they have lived to see a repudi
ation of the Inquisition. To w'orld Jewry
also the revolution in Spain must take on
the character of an act of vindication by
history. It is extremely doubtful, however,
whether Spain can become the magnet of
a returning Jewish population for many
years to come. Russia, enigmatic, contro
versial, cursed and blessed, has, beyond a
doubt, given a laudable
demonstration of how to
suppress anti - Semitism.
The land which was once
the mentor of all Europe
in the science of Jew-
hatred is now r an exem
plar of tolerance to
minorities.
Rut if the past year has
been notable for its ruth
less evidences that all is
not “peace on earth and
good will to men", it has
been even more important
for its forcible direction
of attention to the prob
lem of Jewish leadership.
Rarely before have so
many distinguishec Jew
ish figures passed away
as during 1931. Many of
them were leaders in oth
er fields, but they gave ot
themselves and ot then
counsel to Jewish
Several had passed the
stage of active lead' ship,
but their living nan was
a symbol. Lord Me nett.
Nathan Straus, Me niei
Schiff, Daniel G #en-
heim, Michael Fri ' anL
Lee K. Frankel, ‘hese
were names to c jjre
with. Many other
CONTENTS
A YEAR OF JEWISH HISTORY
A REVIEW OF THE A. Z. A.
By Joseph Salma rk
6
By Simon Wender
17
THE TEN BEST BOOKS
By Henry Montor
9
WHAT ASHEVILLE JEWRY IS
DOING
MY SUBCONCIOUS
By Edna Long Lichtenfels
18
JEWISHNESS
By Sigmund Freud
10
JEWISH LIFE IN ATHENS, 5691
THE CHOSEN PEOPLE
By Rabbi Abraham Shusterman 19
By Jacob Wassermann
11
JEWISH ART IN RUSSIA
A RESUME OF JEWISH EDU-
By Joseph Roth
12
CATIONAL ALLIANCE AC
TIVITIES
THE OLD HOUSE—Short Story
By Edward M. Kahn
20
By Vicki Baum ...
13
PENSACOLA, FLA., JEWRY
BUILDS NEW TEMPLE
WHAT JEWS ARE DOING IN
BIRMINGHAM
By Rabbi Martin Friedman
14
By Bcrnie Feld and Leon Levine
21
“THOSE POOR” ARABS
A NEW YEAR MESSAGE
By Theodore Herzl...
15
By Armand Wyle
22
A RESUME OF THE YEAR 5691
IN THE LIMELIGHT
25
OF MONTGOMERY, ALA.
By Rae Poke
16
COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN.
32
JEWISH PEDDLER QUARTERS MEXICO CITY
Recent center of anti-Semitic demonstrations