Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-14
THE JEWISH RACE PROBLEM is
COMPLICATED BY RELIGIOUS ISSUES
Sydney Nyburg Has Written Searching Study of the Conflict
Between the Rich Reformed and the Poor
. Orthodox Sons of Abraham
THREE per cent of the population Of

THREE per cent of the population Of
L America is Jewish The 100000 de.
scendants of Abraham here are about equal
IN number to the population OF the United
states when the Constitution was adopted,
Next to Russia, this Is the strongest center
OF Judaism in the world. Russia has 6,O0O.-
900 Jews. There are ,7O0.0 In Poland,
100000 In Austria, 100000 In Hungary,
10000 in Germany. 100000 in the United
Kingdom and 10000 in France There are
as many Jews in Philadelphia as in Lon
don. and there are more in New York than
in any other city.
The prejudice of the Christian races. con-
tinuing over period of centuries, has
forced the Jews into a most peculiar posi-
ton They live among us. but they are
not OF us. They have their own social life
and they mantain their own historic GUS
toms and practices In the business world
the men and women come in contact with
the rest of us. but they are unknown in
the social world And this is so in spite
of all our pretensons Of democracy and
social equality. Vet. when we think of the
race problem in AmeriCF. 1t never occurs
to us that the Jews present such problem
or that the Jews themselves have any
problems the solution Of which perplcXes
their best thinkers
ono cannot read "rhe chosen People"
sydney u. NNburg's new novel, without get
| ting "A broader view of the problems that
|
| better undt. anding of the race which gave
| to us our :egiou. Mr. Nyburg is Il Bati-
| more lawyer who published his first book.
| The Final Verdict" in 1915. when he was
/ thirty-four years old. II was followed by
| THE Conquest last year His work has
| exhibited him as a serious minded man. not
| content with the mere telling of II story.
| '"Thp Chosen People" is a searching study
| of the conflict between the orthodox and
| the reformed Jews and a revelation of the
| lack Of sympathy between the Jews of Ger
| man descent wh'n have acquired wealth and
| assured social position within their own
| community, and the Russian Jews. who have
| fled from persecution to find liberty in
| America The German jew is the employer
| and the Russian Jew IL the employed
| The "havc notS' among the Jews are as
bitter against those who have rs among
any other race And the orthodox Rus
sian Jews feel the same hostility TO the re-
formed Jews that the conservative Presbyte
rians felt a few years ago toward sucl
liberals as the late Doctor Briggs Of the
Union Theological Seminary
Mr.. Nyburg has made his tale revolv'
around the attempt OF a young liberal
minded rabbi in Baltimore to arouse thu
rich and comfortable German Jews Of hi
| congregation to a realization Of the mean
ing of their faith and to bring about
feeling of sympathy and cooperation be
| tween the employer and the employed base,
| on a common obligation of loyalty to
| common racial and religious heritage. TIL
book will he cnlghtening to jew and Gen
| tile alike for II reveals the Jews to them
selves and compels the thinking Gentle
to consider issues which most of them hay
ignored Running through the narrative
| an interesting love story with some un
| usual complications, but this is embroder
on the solid fabric of serious economi
and sociological study. The book is likel