The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-25
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD \ ',)l
THE UNEASY CHAIR

NEWS VI The BOOk WORLD
TIE UNEASY CHAIR
.THE READERS QUESTION Box; A !
NEW DEPARTMENT. BY THE UNEASY
cHAIR.-The Uneasy Chair was created
for the use Of Journal readers who wish
to keep track of what is going on in the
world of letters. It realizes, perhaps bet
ter than any one else, how far short it has
come of the realization of its aim. Yet it
has tried, and intends to keep on trying,
to get nearer and nearer the goal set be-
fore 1t at the outset. Heretofore it has
limited itself to "sampling'' new books
and magazines for it's readers, interfering
here and there notes Of special interest
about books and writer's, This, it has
seen, does not enable it to fulfill it's whole
duty. With such limitations The Chair
leaves unanswered many questions that
| readers would like to have answered. It
| is now going to try to meet this need by
! establishing as regular department a
| readers question box. l 49, !
1.-THE Readers Question Box as it will
be headed, will undertake to answer Sc
rious questions relating to books and
magazines. For example, if a reader is
making special study of any subject,
from geese to ghosts, or from wireless
| biography to voiceless oysters, and needs
| help in obtaining information, let him
write to The Uneasy Chair, in care of The
Minneapolis Journal, and The Chair will
endeavor to tell him where to get the in
formation he wants. 1t will also strive
just as hard to assist the reader who Is
on purely literary quest 1t will how
Y ever, be unable to meet the needs of those
who want old poems reprinted, ct cetera,
but live questions, seriously put. by postal
card or letter, property signed, viii
ceive prompt attention.
SEVEN MILLION JEWS IN sERV.
tube, SAY THE EDITORS OF THE
JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA, THE NINTH
VOLUME (which is JUST oUT.EThe
editors Of The Jewish Encycop edia, sum-
marlzing the contents Of the ninth vol
'ume of their monumental work, lust from
the presses, are authority for the state
ment that "even today 1000, 900 Jews do
not enjoy those liberties usually granted
by broad-minded administrations their
condition is one Of political, economic and
social slavery"
Titles such as Moscow "Novgorod"
and Odessa in the volume in hand are
t IN sr u of the statement
trasted with the condition of the Jews in
Russia is that Of the Jews in America. at
Newport, New York. New Orleans, Phila =.
delphia and other places.
Jewish Mortality.
Fitting in closely with the subject Of
Jewish servitude is the article on tina
MORTALITY OF the Jews" which shows
that, despite the adverse conditions under
which the race fights the battles of life.
It's members thrive and multiply The
TACT that majority of Jews are known
to live in overcrowded and unsanitary
sections of Europe and America would
| that l.;
tallty prevails among them than among
their Gentle nefghbors, but the statistics
available show cOnclusively that the death
rates among the Jews are much lower
than those of the races and the peoples
among whom they dwell. Infant mortality
among the Jews in comparison with the
mortality of infants of other races is very
low. Nearly one-fifth of all the legitimate
children of Gentiles die before they attain
thelr NTH year, yet the mortality of legit-
innate ana 1llegitimate children of Jew
ISM parentage is less than one-sixth of the
number OF births. In Verona, italy, the
| INFANT mortality Of the Catholics is near
~ double that Of the Jews. In London
the death rate among Jewish children
from 1 to 5 years of age is onlv 10 nov
cent, but among Gentle children of the
same age it reaches IA per cent.
Inls low mortality among the Jews is
ascrlped TO- social causes confirmed bv
the TACT that the death rates are smallest
IN countries where they live isolated from
their non Jewish neighbors and pursue
i their mode of life according to the fra
dltlons of their belief. Yet, wherever
Jews mix and assimilate with their Cen
/ tie nelghbors and adopt their mode of life
their death rate increases.
An article on Jewish magazines adds a
literary item of interest to the good things
contained in the volume
H. 49, Moses In Legend.
Inc article on Moses leads one into
most Instructive and important field or
| Jewish legend. The legends centerine on
the giving of the tables of the law for
4 example, snow the reader how strange
acters.. '
i Many Haggadot describe in detail how
Moses assembled into heaven: and received
the Torah. According to one of these.
when Moses reached heaven the angels
asked God: What does this man, born
OF woman desire among us?' God replied
that Moses had come to receive the Torah
Whereupon the angels claimed that God
I ought to give the Torah to them and not
i 10 man God commanded Moses to an
sWer them; but Moses was afraid that the
angels might burn him with the breath
} or their mouths. Thereupon God com
manded him to hold on to the throne of
60 0AoSeS- IlleIl proved to the angels
that the Torah was not suited to them.
since they had no passions to be sub.
dued. Thereupon the angels became
friendly with Moses. each one of them
giving him something.
Il Jewish View Of crucifixon.
In modern biography the volume is
rich, also in theology, under which head
come the Jewish views of the crucifxion.
Jewish scholars hold that the older and
more genuine the records of the doings
| and teachings of Jesus, the more they be-
|: tray a close kinship with and friendly
relations to Jews and Judaism With re-
=. gard to the crucifxion, the older versions
show only that the chief priests and
scribes constituting the Sanhedrin con-
, demned Jesus to death and handed him
over to the Romans, who Knocked.
scourged and killed him. H
The volume, from these fllustra lions.
will be seen to be one Of the most in
terestins and important of the entire set.
, 1t covers titles from Morawczyk to Phil
t 1ppson, contains wealth of material of
wide general value and is continued evil
dence Of the great worth of the encyclo
pedia as whole - II
Funk & Wagnalls Company, New York.
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