The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-01
Christianizing Influences In tho
Ghetto.

Christianizing Influences In tho
Ghetto.
The Jewish question, now pushed into
Importance in this country and In New
York, more particularly. by the great
and continuing Jewish immigration,
with the consequent development Of a
densely populated Ghetto on the east side
of the town, IL brought into a new light
by discussion now going on among cor
respondents Of the American Hebrew.
In these letters loud complaint "a made
OF the agencies at work In the Ghetto for
the propagation Of Christianity, or, at
least, for the introduction Of Christian
practices and the infusing OF Christian
sentiment among the younger genera
ton OF Jews. Pernicious influences to
proselytize Jewish children are oper-
ating there, according to an inhabitant
Of the Ghetto, through organized Chris
tian institutions established in the dis
trict, aided even by the tone and spirit
OF the teachings in certain Of the public
schools attended almost wholly by Jews.
Christian settlement houses" 1nurs-
cries, clubs, schools and kindergartens, =
says this writer, are attracting our
children by the hundreds, aye, Thousands,
under the cloak OF non-sectarianism.
These missionary agencies, he says,
have been unspa ring, even to the point
OF extravaganza, in their distribution OF
toys. dolls, candies and the like and
the little ones come home from the
kindergartens singing songs Of praise
to JESUS
Another Ghetto correspondent spea ks
OF the growth OF the observance OF
Christmas by Jews, as result OF these
influences and OF disposition. gene
raj among the Jews. to adopt Christian
customs at that holiday time. He gives
an incident in an East Side school, in
which nearly all the pupils are Jews,
as an illustration. As an exercise in
English composition. the teacher, when
Christmas was at hand, asked every boy
In his class TO write letter Of farewell TO
his parents, az II he were about to leave
the city for the holidays; and it is
rather an astonishing fact that. with one
single exception. every boy closed his
letter by wishing his parents Merry
Christmas The time was. saws this
representative Of the Ghetto, when
Christmas was a Christian holiday, pure
and simple but now there is grow
ing popularity OF Christmas as Jewish
holiday and the first step in the
revolution was for Jewish parents to give
their children Christmas presents II
the Smith family next door received
presents on Christmas why should the
Cohen family be deprived Of a similar
pleasure' When the children awoke
on Christmas morning and made for the
fireplace, 10 and behold. Santa Claus
had found his way past the mefuias on
the door posts passages Of Scripture
and the Law. more especially for the
instruction OF children) -and the Cohen
children were almost as happy as their
Christian neighbors.' Nett. Jews
bought Christmas trees; and from
year 10 year the practice grew and the
infection spread from Riverside to York
vile. then back to Harlem. and two or
three years ago appeared in the Ghetto.
In the heart Of the greatest Jewish COM
munity Of the world
Under such influence. and the innu-
enoes ~ American institutions and
civilization generally. the American
Jewish boy has l,~sn Developed into q
dis,inctiyely new Jewish type. desoribed
by DIR BoRis ID. Bo0ss. In ths AMERICAS
Hsbgss, - proud of hi. American birth.
exceedingly ps,riaic, anxious Ia sue
ossd v',hou, shor and with q 'spof,ins'
disposition In everything. be u study,
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