The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-15

| These men perhaps more than the lit
erary aspirants of the Ghetto will inter-
est the reader of literary news for, in
the simple record of their lives, there
is more of the heart interest than in
the best romance of the year.
''Of such men," writes Mr.. HaDgood,
there are several in the humble cor
nerS of the New York Ghetto. One ped
dies for living, another has small
printing office in a basement on Canal
street, a third occasionally tutors in
some one of many languages and sells
a patent medicine and a fourth is prin-
cipal of a school in the Harlem Ghetto.
where he teaches the children to read,
write and pray in the Hebrew lang
uage-
Moses Reicherson is the name of the
principal. Man of Wisdom of the pur-
est kind, probably the finest Hebrew
grammarian in New York and one of
the finest in the world, his income from
his position at the head of the school
is five dollars 2 weak
When the national language and lit
erature live" he said, 1.-The nation lives;
when dead, 81 is the nation. The holy
tongue in which the Bible was written
must not die. If it should, much of the
truth of the Bible, many of it's spiritual
secrets, much of it's beautiful poetry
would be lost. I have gone deep into
the Bible, that greatest book. all my
/ life and l know many of it's secrets -
He beamed with pride as he said these
the Hebrew spirit and the Hebrew lit
erature led him to speak Wonderingly
| of anti-Semitism. All this
was sweetly said, for about him there
was nothing of the attitude of COM
plaint. His wife once or twice during
| the interview touched upon their per-
sonal conditions, but her husband Sc
verely kept his mind on the universal
/ truths and only when questioned admit
! ted that he would like a little more
money in order to publish his books and
| to enable him to think with more con-
centration about the Hebrew language
and literature. There was no bitterness
! in his reference to the neglect of He
brew scholarship in the Ghetto. His in
terest was impersonal and detached and
! his regret at the decadence of the
/ language seemed noble and disinterest-
ed; and, unlike some of the other schoI-
ars, the touch of warm humanity was
! in everything he said.
Contrasting sharply in many respects
with this beautiful old teacher is a man
who peddles from tenement house to
| tenement house in the downtown Ghetto.
to support himself and his three young
children. S BIS chwartzberg, unlike
most of the submerged scholars. is still a
young man, only 81 years old, but he Is
already discouraged, bitter and discon~
/ tented. He feels himself the apostle of
a. lost cause.-the regeneration in New
York of the old Hebrew language ana
literature. His great enterprise in life
I IiaS 1alled. lie mas now given 1t up, ana
the natural VlvldneSS and intensity of
his nature gets satisfaction in the
strenuous abuse of the Jews of the
4 Ghetto.
Three years ago Schwartzberg came
/ to this country with a great idea in his
head. He had a little money and he
decided he would esta blish a journal in
/ the interests of the Hebrew language
and literature. No laws would prevent
him here from speaking his mind in
his beloved tongue. He would bring
into vivid being again the national
spirit Of the people make them love
with the old fervor their ancient tradi-
tions and language. 1t was the races
spirit of humanity and feeling for the
ethical beauty, not the special creed of
Judaism, for which he and the other
scholars care little, that filed him with
the enthusiasm of an apostle In his
monthly magazine, the Western Light.
he put his best efforts, his best thoughts
about ethical truths and literature. The
poet Dolitzki contributed in purest He
brew verse. as did many other Ghetto
lights But it received no support, few
| bought it and it lasted only q year.