The Jewish outlook., 1908-06-19

ish character, which is itself to be ex-
planned only in relationship with jew
ish historic past.
Therefore let us not too completely
turn against that which arises out OF
the past, in the eXuberant delight OF
our newly found freedom or in the ex-
cessive and abusive consciousness OF
recently attained Influence and
power. In our zeal for the rapid as
similation of the immigrant we should
not lose sight of the everlasting value
of some of the relics of his former
life in other and alien parts. We
might with profit save his language
and much of his custom and ceremon-
ial. That which is out Of harmony
with our ways of living and funda-
mental mode of though will of itself
drop out in time. The vital point
urged is this: we should not look
scornfully upon his way Of life.
There is beauty about the old life,
gentle poetry that can be breathed
in its atmosphere that many would
fain preserve forever. There is an
element of peace and quiet and kind
delight in the old time Jewish house
hold that might stand as an abiding
ideal for all time. This is what we
wish to conserve out of the life OF the
immigrant; we must not only leave it
undisturbed but must further fortlfy
it. that it may serve as a quiet pallla-
tive to many rampant influences
which tend to rob us in these busy
DAYS of our ideals. deaden our lives.
and reduce us all by Il common pro-
cess to common level of Philistinism.
We must therefore move with caution
and work with kindly sympathetic
hands
But the main reason for not en-
deavoring to break too suddenly and
too completely with the past, is an in
tensely practical one. The former.
while neither unreasonable nor far
fetched. will appeal strongly only to
those types of mind more mystically
and artistically and artistically in
clined. This further motive must
surely appeal to every man who knows
the part that Religion has played III
the everyday life of our people. The
reason is this-in the Religion OF old.
and in the past in general. the imml-
grant finds his moral sanction. 10
Religion with its customs. its laws and
it's ceremonials is he indebted for his
ethical forms: to Religion has he been
acc,,st tomcd continually to refer all
questions of right and wrong. We
must not. therefore. too suddenly I'M
pugn or destroy his moral arbiter. else
we leave him totally without moral
standard. with his normal conscious
ness hopelcssly and dangerously dis
organized.
The Jewish Religion of old has not
been one of individual thought and
Interpretation. The Old Testament,
the Mishnah with their Rabbinical
expositions and interpretations in the
Talmud have been IA dead hand on the
religious consciousness of our people
for many centuries past. The re-
ligious consciousness of the multitude
expressed itself not in high and right
thinking but in righteous living. This
is no Judgment at all upon the relative
merit of either the Jewish Religion
or Jewish Morals. but it is a signifi-
cant fact. to be kept well in mind.
when we consider any change what
ever under present peculiar social
conditions 1t seems nothing less than
suicidal To attempt too sudden and
too complete change in the religious
and social standards of the imml-