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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
^ Magazine Perpetuating Jewish Ideals
v<
ume VI
October 31, 1931
Number 11
77. Death of an Artist
Arthur Schnitzler’s death at the age of 69 will be mourned
by ill true lovers of literature. He was the genuine master in the
realm of drama and fiction, and was considered by critics as on a
par with Thomas Mann and Gerhardt Hauptmann. His works
en ed great popularity in Europe before the War. After the
Wai an enterprising American publishing house tried its utmost
to ntroduce him to American readers. The attempt was not
particularly successful. The sales of his books never reached one-
tent!! of the circulation of the books by Ludwig Lewisohn and not
one-tenth per cent of the sale of, let us say, Sinclair Lewis. Yet
few critics will maintain that Schnitzler’s novels are inferior to
those of the two aforementioned authors. The reason why Amer
ican literary circles respected the Austrian-Jewish author and
why the masses never accepted him is most probably due to the
fact that Schnitzler never surrendered to the moderns. He re
mained to the very last a dignified representative of the fin de
si< eh literature, an Austrian or perhaps Jewish edition of Guy
de Maupassant. A skillful story teller, a dignified stylist, yet
somehow out of step with the tempo of the twentieth century.
To us Jews, outside of his literary career, Schnitzler was signifi
cant as one of the first Austrian Jews who refused to accept anti-
Jew ish prejudices silently and who spoke out courageously when
ever his race was slandered or contemned. Arthur Schnitzler
was an aristocrat, a Jewish aristocrat.
* * * *
The Most Popular Jew
A most interesting popularity contest was conducted by
Variety, the amusement weekly. It asked two hundred average
Chicago citizens how well they knew certain men and women in
the public eye. The outcome of the symposium is rather startling.
The best known Jew to emerge out of this contest is Benny
Leonard, the prizefighter. Albert Einstein runs a poor third and
Otto H. Kahn and Julius Rosenwald, the latter supposedly the
most popular individual in Chicago, come out in the “also ran”
class. A strange result indeed. It speaks volumes for the men
tality of the average American citizen in Chicago. Names do not
mean much to him unless he understands the man behind it.
Rosenwald’s gigantic business undertakings, Einstein’s theory of
relativity, Kahn’s cosmopolitan versa
tility are Greek to Mr. Average. He
has seen Leonard in the ring and has
appreciated his footwork and fist sci
ence. Does it mean that the average
Chicagoan is less educated than his
brother in New York or even in Ber
lin We doubt it. We are willing to
W;1 -er that Schmeling, Germany’s box-
■ 1 ■ idol, would easily defeat Einstein
homas Mann in a popularity
| contest.
* * * *
hhson and the Jews
1 bison, America’s Uncrowned King
' 1 nnil Ludwig calls him, is mourned
” all the world as the greatest me-
w. lical genius of our age. The press
| ’ted pages to his life and career,
outstanding public figures of the
:V if l expressed their sympathy to the
; on family and commented on the
lendous significance of ' Edison’s
, • There is no Jewish angle to
°n, even if we strain our resource
's to the breaking point. Yet the
stable has happened. Articles are
7, Wr itten on “Edison and the
• To the editors such contribu
tions are welcome. It is a fine thing to reflect in a Jewish publi-
cation the big news of the day, and add to it a Jewish tinge.
In the Edison case, however, it w r as a bit too far fetched. He
had many contacts with Jews. Who, living in this modern world,
does not. But there was no tangible, patent relationship between
Edison and the Jews as such. Jews can mourn Edison without
insisting that he bore some relationship to them.
♦ * * *
Jesus in the News
In the past few weeks the name of Jesus has been involved
in the news, in such a way as to excite the interest of Jews too.
I he Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America has an
nounced that it will attempt to secure a change in the preamble
of the United States Constitution which will give proper homage
to “the Lord Jesus Christ’'. President Hoover, in his nation-wide
plea for gifts to the unemployment relief funds, also referred to
the fact that American civilization is “builded and can alone
survive” upon the philosophy of the “Savior”. We have no quarrel
with the Reformed Presbyterian Church, except that as citizens
of the Republic we have an equal right to combat the inclusion
within the Constitution of what amounts to religious sectarian
bias. But, despite the delicacy of the question, it must be said
that something of bad taste was displayed by the President in
making his reference. He could have made his point just as
vigorously without impinging upon the religious sensibilities of
millions of his fellow-citizens. We Jews have become accustomed
to such references by public figures. We ought not, however, to
let such occasions pass without some dignified expression of our
disagreement with the wisdom and fairness of remarks that, in
one sense, are calculated to divide the country into Christians
and Jews, with the latter somehow seeming guilty of some
major offense.
* * * *
Interesting If True
In the anti-Soviet newspaper of Paris, “Poslednia Novosti”,
Madame Kuskowa, the wife of a minister in Kerenski’s Cabinet,
makes a startling statement. The lady contends that the recent
change in the policy of the Soviet Government toward the engi
neers and so-called “Spetzi” (specialists) has been brought about
partly by Stalin’s alarm at the growth
of anti-Semitism in the factories.
According to Madame Kuskowa, from
60 to 70 per cent of the “specialists”
and engineers in Soviet Russia are
Jews. The entire non-communist Jew
ish intelligentsia has rushed into the
factories as the only place of refuge,
and has taken to the engineering pro
fessions as the only means of sub
sistence. But the campaign which was
previously conducted against the spe
cialists, accompanied by the sensational
sabotage trials, has inadvertently re
coiled against the Jews, and has serv
ed to bring anti-Semitism to the boil
ing-point in some of the leading fac
tories. This alarmed Stalin and the
leading Communists and was partly
responsible for the new decree. We do
not take much stock in political views
expressed about Russia in the columns
of the organ of the defunct Kerenski
party. But if Mme. Kuskowa is cor
rect, we surely take our hat off to
the Stalin Government for energetic
measures to kill the poison of anti-
Semitism.
CONTENTS
Editorials
5
Atlanta's New Temple
6
When a Great Author Dies
By MIRIAM STERNER 10
A Day With the Jews of North Africa
By SYDNEY OPPENHEIM 11
Social Notes
12
National and Foreign Notes
13
In the Limelight
13
Highlights and Sidelights
By MARTIN GOLDE 14
Southern Notes
16
The Work of the Hebrew Orphans' Home
By MRS. ARMAND WYLE 17
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