The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-29
Earlier Efforts Fruit
less Because Psy-
chology of Peoples
Was Not Studied
By K. BERcovIcI.

that the foreign born part OF the popula-
ton must be Americanized. Each and
every institution of every race represented
here started out to Americanize. A
hundred new agencies sprang up and be-
gan to Americanize.
But il was new work. There was no
programme, no. method, no technique. So
the crudest means were adopted; exhor-
tations, eoaxing, flag waving.
"You must be patriots!' heard one
speaker shout at the top of his voice
This is the best country on Gods earth !!
Who says otherwise deserves to be shot
is traitor. And now. friends, let's all
sing 'Thc Star Spangled Banner
This was the tenor and calibre of hun
dreds Of speeches. Those were the days
before conscription and volunteers were
expected TO come forward after such APP
peals.
In this work | was called on by the Ed
ucational Alliance TO do my bit-to help
AmericaniZe the Jews. The Educational
Alliance is one OF the oldest Jewish insti-
tutions in this city. With capaciouS
building on East Broadway in the heart
of the Jewish quarter, il should have be-
come the cultural centre of the Jews, but
unfortunately il WAS known from its in
ceptlon as conservative institution. Ii
autagonized the younger, more radical ele-
ment and settled down 10 a sort of rou-
tine from which only a cataclysm could
bulge it. The war did it,
True. the chief object of the institution
had always been 10 Americanize the Jews.
bui 10 do this il was thought necessary To
discourage the use of Yiddish, 10 regard
Hebrew as the national tongue of the Jews
and to institute classes in English: The
antagonism of most Of the people 10
the institution arose from the fact that
while the youns people acquired a slight
smattcrinS of Hebrew they never learned
enough 10 hold converse with their par
ents, and were thus estranged from them
His Own Good Assets for the Job.
Myownassets for my new job, in addition
to my good will, were, first, that the Jew
ish people knew me as writer with a
radical inclination and would therefore
listen to me; second, the fact tina, know
them, love them and understand them.
What they needed most was true and
lucid explanations in their cwn tongue o.
daily occurrences. America and Ameli-
can ideals had 10 be explained to them.
This is where DIR. Nathan Peyser, the ex-
ecutiye director of. the Educational AL
lance, comes in.
We were in agreement as TO how TO pro
coed right after our first conversation on
the subject We decided that while the
use of English was a thing to be very
much encouraged, it was necessary TO eS-
plain even Shis in fiddish.
The method adopted was 70 give as
many lectures as possible on pure Ameri
Fan subjects in Yiddi>h American litera-
iure, American art, American history,
American great men. American muse.
American agricultural possibilities. Amer
can ideals, the American Government,
we're 70 be our chief topics If the lee
n parenthesis. 50 mach the better. hut ii
vas not essential.
We decided 10 get as many Socialists As
possible 10 speak on these subjects, for the
implc reason that the people of the Eas'
Side trust them more They have made
themselves popular with the sweat shop
worker by pleading his cause We felt
hat If one nf tn, well known Socialists
would say something in approval of orr
ntrance in the war il would 90 twice as
ar "a If some one else said something ten
lines rs strong.
We SET about, DR. Pryser and myself.
. discover people who could talk with
IN Iiddi>h about American
literature We goi the people and fire.
uenty worked out the lectures with
hem. Then We advertised the lectures
n the IIddish papers.
The first lecture kept me excited the