The San Francisco call., 1906-12-24
HEBREW SCHOLARS
THREATEN STRIKE

NEW YORK, Dec. 23.-Christmas SER
vices were general in the Christian
churches of the city today. and In sew
eral synagogues the religious anniver-
sary was touched upon, especially in
reference to Its observance in the pub
lie schools.
Preparations for Christmas exercises
in the public schools OF the city have
been under way for some time and
have resulted in formal protests TO the
Board of Education by the parents of
Hebrew pupils. The board has failed to
interfere, and 1T was announced that
there would be a strike OF Hebrew
scholars on the East Side tomorrow, the
boys and girls refusing to enter the
schools unless the Yuletide exercises
were abandoned. The matter was then
taken up by the hebrew press and the
pupils of both reformed and orthodox
syna gogues-
At Temple Emanu-EI and Temple
Bethel today conservative views of the
situation were taken. DR.. j. L. Magnes
told the congregation of the former
temple that the real Jew resented the
activity of those Jews who would strip
Christmas of all its beauty. The Jew
who is a firm one will find in Christ
mas he declared. something of beau
ty. Not because of the pagan mirth
which ii brings. but because there is
something of real grandeur and of real
depth to be found in the Observance
We Jews can. under the conditions. un-
derstand and appreciate. although we
do not observe the day"
The rabbi said in part:
In a very few days there will ring
the Highest: Peace on Earth Good
VIII to Men," and the Christmas carols
Will cheer many home. 1t Is the birth
day of a God who trod the earth in
would say. There Is perhaps in history
no religious day that has more prom
inence with religious men than this
Christmas day.
are not over-subtle. over-rich, or over
cowardly, those who are plain Jews and
Jewesses, hold ourselves aloof and do
not sing this song of Peace on Earth, :"
which has been said by Jewish teachers
before the times of Christianity.
Shall we forgive, shall we forget?
Let tara. us II w we IN may: Let US at this time
kinds of jews today. The one always
protesting, the other shrinking-the
before boards of education and com
ly protest against Christian influences.
would not be known as Jews. who seek
silently to bring in She trees and the
lights and the merriment and say the
celebration is no longer religious, but
national. as Thanksgiving Day. III We
were good Jews, firm, brave. construc-
tive. progressive Jews, we would see
no danger at all of the celebration
around us. 1t might, on the contrary.
give added Importance to our religious
life.
Judaeism and Christmas" was the
topic of DR.. Schulman in his sermon in
Temple Bethel. He said in part:
There is the spirit of the holiday In
the air. There is the appeal to the
good In human nature. No one cares
to shut himself in his creedal compart-
ment to escape being influenced by the
contagfon of the season. I can under
stand and sympathize with those teach
ers who desire to bring the YuIetide
spirit into the public schools. They
want to make the children and them
selves happy in doing this They wish
to add personal and moral touch to the
school routine. the function of impart-
ing knowledge. In order to do this
they sympathize with the air that en-
velops the American country at this
time. / sympathize with them. but as
a Jew and as citizen I say let there
mingle with festivities nothing Chris
tian. sectarian or Christological