Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
University in Jerusalem.
That Jews Establish One in Holy City Is Project
Discussed in Europe Favored BY Rabbs.

NEW YORK, March ol-A project that
Is regarded as having great significance
to all students of religious thought has
just been brought forward by one of the
foremost Jewish scholars in England. 1t
is a plan for the establishment of a great
Jewish university in Jerusalem Though
the scheme had previously been discussed
by Jewish writer's. it is now for the first
time presented in tangible form by Prof.
Israel Abrahams reader in Rabbnic and
Talmudic literature at Cambridge. and
author of Jewish Life in the Middle
Ages Judaism and other works
The project. news of which has
just reached this country. is presented by
the Jewish Chronicle of London as IAN
epoch making proposal and this paper
publishes a symposium on the subject
with contributions by DIR. Adler. chief
rabbi of England; DR.. Dreyfuss. the
grand rabbi of Paris; Prof. II. Gollancz.
Prof. q. Margolouth. Rabbi Norris Jo-
seph of London, Sir Francis Mcntefiore.
Mr.. Israel Zangwill and Herr y. Soko-
low. secretary of the Central Zionist
Bureau, Cologne. and several other MEM
bers of the Jewish ministry in England.
There is also cabled contribution by
Prof Solomon Schecter of the Jewish
Theological Seminery. New York. the
ma jority of those whose opinion has been
sought in the matter are in favor of the
proposal though they seem to be aware
of the difficulties confronting such an I'M
dertaking All are. however. deeply i'm
bued with the great spiritual and cultural
possibilities in the establishment of a
seat of Jewish learning in the ancient
city of Jerusalem.
X X
Prof. Abrahams' proposal is in part as
follows: What is the case in favor of a
Jerusalem university? The first argu-
ment-it appeals to me first-may be de-
rived from the present condition of Jew
ish studies throughout the world. There
are a fair number of Jewish seminares
In various countries, but their influence
Is in almost every case local. There was
a time when the Breslau Seminary at
tracted students from every part of the
world The fame of Frankel and Graetz
was partly accountable for this, but so
also was the fact that the Bres!au Sem
inery (founded in 1S5D was the first in
the field. and for several years the only
one. Gradually. however. Budapest, Ber-
lin Vienna London. Cincinnati Flor
ence New York and other cities erected
their colleges. and hence it comes that
scarcely any of them is international. The
students of each belong in the main TO
one nationality only. None of them a
the present moment stands head and
shoulders above the rest. There is no
hegemony. for they all tend toward the
same level of respectable mediocrity. The
skill and learning are divided among sew
eral institutions; great name here and
a great name there. may be found on a
teaching staff but no teaching staff as
whole is representative of the greatest
learning and genius of the community;
none is. a whole. great enough to
make the student feel that he must go to
1t and nowhere else.
but If effort could be largely concen-
trated on one great center what glori-
Gus staff could be got together. There
would be something like an attraction for