New-York tribune., 1915-03-08
JUDEANS SURVEY
YIDDISH ADVANCE
Hear Authors Trace De
veIOpment in Literature
and Drama.

More than one hundred prominent
Jews of New York attended tine meeting
of the Judeans at the Hotel Majestic,
Seventy-second Street and Central Park
West, last night. The different aspects
of "A Survey of Yiddish Literature in
the United States" were told by men
who are famous for their work in Yid-
dish and English literature. Morris
Rosenfeld. who is considered the great
est of living Jewish poets, rected some
of his own works.
Abraham S. Shomer. the American
playwright, spoke of the growth and
development of Yiddish literature in
this country. Mr.. Shomer said that it
was really no more than thirty-iiye
years old, and that since 1880. the
period of great immigration Of Jews
from Europe, it had developed remark
ably.
There are Jewish newspapers that
have circulation of hundreds of thou
sands daily" he said. 'To the Jew his
mother tongue, Yiddish, is very dear,
but while he takes his Jewish paper he
also purchases his English sheet. We
have many Germans, French and Rus
slams in this country, and yet none of
these races can maintain national
theatre on a sound basis. There are
five Yiddish theatres in New York alone,
and they are doing a fine business. We
have journalists that are fully as great
as Arthur Brisbane. who rs considered
one of the greatest, If not the great
est, of American journalists, but they
are not paid as much
Mr.. Shomer declared the reason why
Yiddish had been so slow in developing
in European countries was because OF
the hostility of Jews themselves for
written thought in that language, He
brew has been the great national Ian
guage "The Yiddish of even nifty years
ago was very crude in comparison with
to-day's," said Mr.. Shomer. I'm less
than forty years time we have devel-
oped a beautiful and lyric Iiddish."
"The Relation of Yiddish to the
Masses" was discussed by Leon s. Mois-
self. of the Bridge Department.
There was a time when the Jews
did not have an opportunity to read,
said Mr. Moisseiff. "All surplus men
tai life consisted in religious work and
study of the Hebraic laws. Beginning
about thirty-five years ago there was
a great flood of immigrants into the
united states, lHey Hdu ~ IeCiVdte
their language. At the same time many
of the educated young Jews came from
Russia, on account of persecution, but
they knew little OF Yiddish and great
deal of Russian and German. They
TO md they had a mission in teaching
their people and they learned the Iid-
dish language.
"Now the language is solid. II is not
a hothouse language, nor are there
any societies for fostering il. The jew
can learn his traditions. secrets and
strength only through his own Ian
guage. consider the growth Of Yid-
dish as part of the work Of creating
a Jewish people"
Louis Lipsky, chairman Of the ex.
ecutive committee of the Federation OF
American Zonsts. traced the growth
of the Yiddish drama He said that
the Yiddish stage had not developed
normally because the Yiddish popula-
ton Of this country has been con-
stantly changing by new immigration
Bernard c. Richards spoke of humor
in Yiddsh literature, while Morris
Rosenfeld recited "My Boy" a tragic
poem of the sweatshopa