The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-17
JEW AS A CITIZEN
TAKING HIS PLACE IN TIE WORLD
OF ACTIVE AFFAIRS.
OUTLOOK IS VERY BRIGHT.
ANTI-sEMITIsM is DISAPPEARING
FROM THE EARTH.

| Rev. DIR. Joseph Stiverman Discusses
Judaism in This Country and the
World and Finds Everything Con-
tributIng to Bring Encourage
ment-OnIy Few Countries
Where Strong Anti-semite Feeling
still Exists-ZiOn Movement IA
SpasmOdic Enthusiasm Doomed to
an Early Death-The Reform
Movement in the United States.
According to DIR. Joseph Silverman,
the world has never witnessed a saner
or more hopeful and encouraging in
terest in Judaism and the Jewish peo-
pie than is being exhibited at present.
DR.. Silverman is regarded as one of
the most brilliant leaders of the mod
ern Jewish thought and culture. He is
now visiting his brother, DR.. Charles
Silverman, in Savannah and last night
discussed for Morning News reporter
some of the matters of chief interest to
his race and co-religionists.
From the standpoint of Judaism one
of the most encouraging signs of the
times" said DIR. Silverman. sis the op-
ism that still prevails in some of the
still benighted countries of the CONT
nent of Europe. Gradually the whole
unhappy feeling is disappearing.
Russia still Persecutes.
mo country, for instance, has been
more unjust to the Jew than Russia,
which still bars it's doors even to an
American citizen. If he chances to pro-
fess the Jewish faith. 1 have been
pleased to observe that Congress has
lately displayed a disposition to take
| I'D this question and to protest against
| invasions of the treaty right of this
| country with Russia. In Germany the
anti Semitism that exists springs for
the most part from commercial jeal-
ousy, and is not very violent. The anti
| Semitism displayed in Paris during the
Dreyfusard agitations in that city was
limited at the time, and the feeling
now has become of no consequence.
/ There exist some instances of anti
/ Semitic class legislation in Roumania,
| but with these exceptions and the pos
slble further exception of Austria, the
| other civilized nations of the world
have shown themselves not only toler-
| ant, but even DESTROYS of opening their
gates wide to the Jewish people and
/ encoura ging their freest expansion in
+ every direction"
/ Dr. Silverman was asked his opinion
/ of Zionism, movement in which he
| seemed to have no particular faith.
| NA DIR. Silverman on ZiOnism.
1T is not worthy of being referred
| to as a movement he said. sit is
merely an organized enthusiasm for
| Palestiniah rehabilitation that has
manifested itself periodically in Israel
| during the past 1000 years DR.. Hert-
eel, who has fathered this particular
| agitation during late years, views 1t
more from the political than the religi-
| Gus aspect and neither in America,
England. or in Germany have any Of
the truly representative leaders of the
race identified themselves with Zion
| ism. With the avowed opposition Of
| the Sultan to any wholesale colonial
ton of Jews in Palestine, there is no
| doubt in my mind that in a few years
the whole fanatic enthusiasm will die
out"
OF the purely religious aspects of
Judaism, DR.. Silverman sDoke with
enthusiasm. This country, he said
| Hdu given d very COnSlueTdDl6 impetus
to the reformed or liberal wing of Ju-
| daism and the orthodox Immigrant
who lands in the United States very
soon becomes impregnated with the
liberal spirit.
"After all, the differences between
the reformed and orthodox Jews are
matters of ritual and observance.
father than doctrine. Reformed .Tuda-
ism has been largely unified recently
by the general adoption of the Union
| Prayer Book. The congregation at Sa-
vannah is among those that have be-
| gun the use of this book and thus join
ed the phalanx of progressive congre-
cations"
/ Hopes for Assimilation.
The Jews increase in population has
been very great. In 1881 there were but
$4,000 Jews in New York city. while
new there are 100000 or about one-fifth
Of the city's population. An almost
| similar average of increase is observed
in other localities throughout the coun-
| try.
THE Jew" said DR.. Silverman. "is
assuming and discharging his duties as
a citizen in every walk of life; he has
shown his patriotism in peace. as well