The American Jewish world. [volume] (Minneapolis ;) 1915-current, 1915-10-29
1S1

It includes all the character and ability and
insight of the person who feels it. Per-
haps no part of the Zionist movement needs
more explanation and enforcement than this
fact that instead of reducing the patriotism
of the Jews who live in other countries 1t
will leave that patriotism at least equally
strong and with much finer idealistic and
intellectual background.
The position of the Jew in England Of
fers a problem of particular interest. 1t
is one that will not be affected by the war
directly, as the problems in other countries,
such as Russia, Poland, Austria, Roumania
and Turkey, possibly may be affected. Fiji
teen years ago there was almost no anti
Semitism in England. Now there is an
amount that is at least discernible. In
the last dozen years there has been heavy
Jewish immigration to England Whether
that fact has any connection with the in
crease Of prejudice is matter on which the
most intelligent Jewish observers differ.
Some day that pre- JUDGE begins wherever
there is a large compact separate mass;
others attribute it to a change in the at
titude of the more conspicuous Jews, those
who are getting on in the material strug-
Slc anu nave SOIIlc IItcuOIH Ill uCCAu1hS "
what extent their ambitions and ideals shall
cease to become Jewish and shall coincide
with those of the surrounding Gentiles. At
any rate, it's bearing on the subject Of the
present article is decidedly less than in the
problem of tle Jews in the United States.
The Jews, who have been amazingly able
to exist through persecution, are new
threatened with greater danger. Can they
exist in freedom? It is a question never
asked of them before since the dispersion.
It is being asked now by circumstances:
notably in the United States, with voice
to which the most thoughtful Jews are Civ
ing troubled attention. [ do not mean
primarily the ordinary dangers of liberty
acquired suddenly. The vice question will
no doubt be settled before long, either by
a strengthening Of the Jewish traditions or
Gf those traditions are not strengtheneD
by habitual familiarity with the higher
Gentle standards. The Jews will not remain
separate and non-Jewish. They will either
reinforce their Judaism or they will cease
to be a separate race.
The danger which they see in liberty is
the danger of ceasing to be separate peo-
pie; the danger of losing the long line of
tradition; the disappearance of special char
acteristics The most final and easily I'M
derstood form of disappearance Of these
race traits is, of course, in intermarriage.
That form Of marriage was forbidden by
law almost everywhere up to the French
Revolution. 1t is now permitted nearly
everywhere, but is still forbidden in Rus
STA, Austria Except with agnostics), Spain,
Portugal and Mohammedan countries. Scan
dinavian countries show the strongest ten
dency toward crossing. :. In Sweden Jews
mary Christa more than they marry
their own peop.e. In Denmark the precent-
age is climbing rapidly, and now almost
half the marriages of Jews are mixed. In
Hungary, where mixed marriage has been
permitted for twenty years. they amount
to about 20 per cent Of the Jewish total
in Ho11 ohout