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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE
A Magazine Perpetuating Jewish Ideals
Volume VI
December 15, 1931
Nun
»er 13
A New Jewish Magazine
James Waterman Wise, the gifted son of a gifted father, is
now editing the new Jewish weekly, “Opinion”, in collaboration
with Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Ludwig Lewisohn, John Haynes
Holmes, Maurice Samuels, Irwin Edman and Mordecai M. Kaplan.
We wish them well. There is indeed room in this country for
a magazine to voice unbiased opinion for the Jewish people on a
national scope. We hope that “Opinion” will not fall to the way-
side and become mercenary, thinking only of its advertising
columns, thus commercializing the Jew, a habit now so frequent
among the majority of our Anglo-Jewish papers and magazines.
Furthermore, we hope that “Opinion” will help to educate our
vast Jewish population in the need of an Anglo-Jewish magazine
in the home, and prove the worthiness of its honesty towards
improving the down-trodden field of Anglo-Jewish journalism.
The “Unanswerable 99 Argument
Authoritative observers insist that a Hitler regime is inevita
ble in Germany. Some foreign correspondents predict its advent
within the next few weeks. Recent developments in Germany’s
political situation, domestic and foreign, seem to confirm these
alarming reports. The only hope, then, would be that Hitler,
once in power and not in need of propaganda material, would
realize that the Jews in Germany are in the front ranks of
German citizenry and are willing to make their sacrifice to help
the Fatherland. It is extremely illuminating to note the explana
tion of Hitler’s anti-Jewish attitude as made by one of his adju
tants. This gentleman points out that when French pressure
compelled the abandonment of the Austro-German Customs Union,
the Frankfurter Zeitung and the Vossische Zeitung did not shed
tears but tried to minimize the misfortune. In Hitlerite circles
the Vossische and the Frankfurter Zeitung are labelled Jewish
papers because the ownership is Jewish. Thus, concludes this
wise man of the Hitler camp, German Jews are not patriotic.
It is because of such reasoning that the German situation as
regards the Jews is so difficult to deal with. There is nothing
to be said in reply to such an argument. It is as childish as to
suggest that President Hoover would be justified in turning
anti-Semite because Adolph S. Och’s New York Times had criti
cized the President’s message to Con
gress. When will Germany realize the
immaturity and consequently the dan
ger of the Hitlerite mentality?
A Practical Suggestion
The American Jewish Committee
is opposed to the establishment of
separate medical schools for Jews in
the United States. It recommends that
a bureau of vocational guidance be set
up, which would aid Jewish students
in choosing professions. There is much
to be said for this point of view. The
overcrowding of medical and legal pro
fessions by Jews is a problem which
Jewish medical schools would not
solve but rather render more acute.
While Jewish medical schools would
satisfy the numerous Jewish appli
cants who at the present time have
difficulty entering American universi
ties, they would not facilitate the ca
reers of Jewish physicians who, be
cause of the disproportionate number
of doctors in this country, are con
demned to a life of penury. It is a
well-recognized fact that too little
guidance is given to our youth and
Editorials
A Prince Among Jews
By Stanley Bero
European Revolving Stage
By William 7 ukerman . ...
Why I don’t Believe in Zionism
ny Clarence Darrow
Women and Their Leisure
By Mrs. Leonard Haas . .
The Voice of His People
By James Waterman Wise .
their parents in the choice of vocations. Too little at: ntion '
paid to statistics which prove beyond the shadow of a doubt
that the liberal professions have reached the saturate
A bureau such as that suggested by the American Jewish Com
mittee will be welcomed by all those who know that
shouting of “discrimination” does not remedy a state of affairs
due to economic conditions rather than to prejudice.
* * * *
The Jewish Problem in Europe
In Germany, Dr. Staemmler recommends that all Jews in the
country should be subjected to sterilization. In Lithunia, the
students, stimulated by anti-Semitic incidents in Poland, have
demanded the introduction of a numerus clausus; Jewish students
in Vienna, alarmed by the situation at the university, are form
ing a self-defense corps. In Rumania, the anti-Semitic propa
gandists, in order to drum up business, are spreading the news
that Magda Lupescu, King Carol’s mistress, will become Queen
of Rumania. From Moscow comes the news that the Commissar
of Eucation is calling a conference to stimulate Yiddish culture
as part of the Soviet plan to develop the cultural status of its
minorities. Thus, in recent times, Soviet Russia emerges as the
only country in the Old World which is tackling its Jewish prob
lem in a scientific manner. First the State used all its strength
to eradicate anti-Semitism and now the State is spending its own
money to help its Jewish population adjust itself to the new
economic conditions and to further its cultural activities. The
time does not seem far when world Jewry, regardless of its atti
tude to the Communist theory, will express in unmistable terms
its appreciation for what the Soviet Government is doing in the
successful salvaging of three million Jews.
"The Ghetto Crouch”
Cyrus Adler speaks directly to the American Jewish public.
As president of the American Jewish Committee, his thoughts
and acts are shrouded in mystery. That aloofness and indiffer
ence are supposed to be conducive to the best interests of
the Jewish welfare. It may or may not be true. But that attitude
toward public action has unfortunately served to obscure the
real personality of Cyrus Adler. He is a forthright, logical.
entirely objective thinker. That was
remarkably illustrated recently in a
speech he delivered before the Jewish
Theological Seminary, of which he is
president. Discussing the status of pres
ent-day Jewish life, he took a fling at
the bombastic, speechmaking type oi
Jew who always sees Jewish problems
in the form of headlines and noise.
Then, again, there is that type of Je"
who is never content unless he has th-
approval of the non-Jewish world.
That point of view was characterized
as “the ghetto crouch” by Dr. Adler.
When Jewish campaigns open, there
must always be a letter or a telegram
from some Gentile who gives his impri
matur orTthe worthiness of the project.
When Jews are about to celebrate then
most solemn holydays they must be in
formed by small-time politicians oi
Christian faith that the P^ 1C J
holyday is noble and sacred. 1 !11S
dency leads to self-depreciation am
corruption of real moral values,
wish that Dr. Adler would more
quently address himself to con 1 ' mpe ^
ry problems—and do so in suc v
manner that the public at la ! g e
overhear him.
THE MOSAIC LAW
2100 B. C.—70 A. D.
Early Hebrew civilization was originally nomadic and
pastoral, then agricultural, and only later commercial,
bach stage being reflected in the laws. At the beginning
it represented a much simpler and less advanced stage of
civilization than that of its neighbors and older Semitic
relatives, the Babylonians and Phoenicians. Through
Otvmy centuries the home of the Israelites shifted from
Arabia to Egypt to Palestine to Babylonia and back to
indnfT't \ ] US m u Ch , o/ Judea ' s laws Mere selected from,
hnJ l l l hy ' tk f Tu Qt those countncs in which the
Israelites sojourned. About H00 B. C. the Ten Com-
rc; „r re rT M ' frf ” ,o »«»«**
tZ Jf C °Z r r and although Jewish
Ten C developing for over 800 gears prior he
Ten Commandments gave moral direction to its futur-
grotvth. The system thus hull, up imparted a sofZ
warmer tin, to the cold light of law
CONTENTS
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