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T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
April 1929
ground to powder as between two mill stones. Culturally Polish Jewry is much better off, but Dr. Tchernichovsky finds that just now it is exhausted; there is apparently no creative power left. Only two virile and energetic Jewish centers remain—America and Palestine.” He has just arrived in America and is studying conditions here. At present he declines to discuss conditions in American Jewry. He does, however, say that American Jewry possesses something that no section of Jewish life, Palestine alone excepted, has, which is “energy, and a will to create.” Nothing but the new life of Christ which is received by accepting Jesus as a personal Saviour and following His teachings, can give Judaism a new lease on life. J ewish N ews N otes Labor conditions in Palestine are im proving. “The Jewish Federation of Labor in Palestine is preparing to hang out a ‘Help Wanted’ sign.” * * * Mussolini, according to reports, is rather puzzled concerning Italian Zionism. He says all they talk about is “the He brew race, Ihe Hebrew people, and the Hebrew nation,” without any reference to religion. * * * The Mayor of Tel Aviv, Palestine, David Bloch, is in America to raise $500,- 000 for institutions sponsored by the la borers in Palestine. * * * New colonies ofJews areexpected to be made in Germany this Spring, accord ing to reports from Berlin. ♦ * * The Jewish National Fund has bought Haifa Bay for $750,000. This purchase is to stimulate industrial conditions in Pal estine. ♦ * * A budget of $1,010,000 has been author ized by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Economic Corporation to buy ' more land, encourage the orange-growing industry, arrange for agricultural and in dustrial credits and housing, and for the construction of a first-class hotel in Jeru salem. ♦ * * During the week ending Friday, Jan uary 25th, death claimed three outstand ing Jewish citizens: Dr. Joseph Gold- berger, a scientist seeking to preserve hu man life by various experiments in his laboratory; Sophie Irene Loeb, an out standing social worker who has been in strumental in causing much legislation for child’s welfare throughout the world; and Felix Fuld, merchant and philanthropist. ♦ * * The significance of the Sabbath in the faith and life of the Jewish people in Germany, was stressed at a mass meeting under the auspices of the Berlin Commit tee, which seeks to organize a Sabbath Observance World Federation.
f “ TO THE JEW F IR S T ” ! I - By D avid L. C ooper
A S eminar for G ood W ill “A Seminar for good will in which Jews, Catholics, and Protestants partici pate is held monthly in Columbia Uni versity, New York City, for the purpose of promoting good will and brotherhood through understanding.” The Editor of B’Nai B’Rith Magazine does not feel that such an effort, though good within itself, is adequate to eradicate the feeling of anti-Semitism. He styles this anti-Jewish prejudice as “a rank weed that persists in growing,” which cannot be destroyed by tearing it out. He suggests that the only way to pro mote good will between Jew and Gentile is the following: “The responsibility rests largely with the ministry as the directors of religious education and also with the leaders of public education. Prejudice against Jews flows from religious miseducation such as suggests that the Jews crucified Jesus and that Jews are without sympathy for his ethical teaching and that Jesus was a cru sader against the sins of all the Jews. To revise the religious education of the past is the function of the ministry.” By following the above principle he hopes that within twenty years anti-Sem itism will be removed. From a human point of view the sug gestions appear very fine, but practically they are impossible. The only possible method of bringing good will and proper understanding between the Jew and Gen tile is by the Scriptural method: the new birth and Biblical teaching. According to the prophets of Israel, the Jew will be a hissing and a by-word among the nations until he accepts his Messiah when He returns in glory. B righter D ays in R oumania Since the defeat of the Jew-hating gov ernment in Roumania and the rise of the Peasant party, which claims to champion civil rights of minority nations, there appears to be a brighter day for the Chosen People in that country. The new Minister of Education is quoted as having spoken in an address to the party leaders as follows: “Do not forget first of all to combat anti-Semitism. You should make it your duty to tell the peasants that anti-Sem itism as a movement is a political folly, outside of the fact that it is poisonous.” It is sincerely to be hoped that the anti- Jewish rise in Poland will be a thing of the past, not only in Poland but through out the world. T he L onging of J ewry According to B’Nai B’Rith Magazine the Union of American Hebrew Congre gations felt the pulse of Reformed Juda ism by putting various questions to its membership. The composite desire of the average Jew is summarized thus: “He wants Jewish choirs to sing to God for him. “He wants more Jewishness in the tem ple service, his heart yearning for the symbolism that dramatized Judaism.
“He wants a friendlier atmosphere in the temple, for if he is of Orthodox or igin he remembers the fervor of the syna gogue. “He wants, above all, a Judaism that shall be translated by Jews in the service of everyday life. His desires might well serve as a pro gram. It will be seen that he does not want less Judaism but more. His soul thirsts for the refreshing wells from which his fathers drank. He does not want a medieval Judaism but a modern Judaism clothed in some of the more beautiful garments of the older faith. Re form Judaism answers the questionings of his mind, but he wants a warmth to comfort his heart.” The quotation given above shows that the present-day worship of Reformed Judaism does not meet the spiritual long ings of the soul. There is but one place where the spiritual aspirations can be sat isfied; namely, in coming to the Lord and Saviour, Jesus, the Hebrew Messiah. ,T he N ew . Y eshiva C ollege at N ew Y ork C ity Below appears a statement of the open ing of the first building of this center of Jewish orthodoxy in America: “Twenty thousand people wandered through the beautiful marble corridors of the new Yeshiva College last month and then stayed to hear the dedication exer cises of this unique educational institution in New York City. The cornerstone of this first group of buildings, located on a hill overlooking the Harlem River at 186th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, was laid in May, 1927. “Here religious and secular education will be blended, so that not only bachelors of arts and sciences will be graduated, but also Orthodox rabbis. The first group of buildings dedicated last month cost $2,500,000. “Vice-President-Elect Charles C u r t i s sent a congratulatory message. So did 25 of the largest universities in the land. “English, Yiddish, and Hebrew were heard from the speakers’ platform, from which many learned professors and lay leaders spoke.” D r . T chernichovsky ’ s V iew of J udaism Dr. Tchernichovsky is a self-made man and is recognized as one of the finest Hebrew stylists alive. He has traveled extensively in various countries and is conversant with the condition of Judaism especially in Europe. He “manages to keep in close touch with the affairs of World Jewry. He visited Palestine, Po land, Lithuania, and now, America. What he has to say about World Jewry is nothing over which to become elated. He is pessimistic about the condition of the great Jewish communities of Soviet Rus sia and Poland. Between the anti-re ligious, which in the case of Jews means also anti-cultural, policy of the govern ment, and the growing anti-Semitism of the masses, Russian Jewry is being
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