The Denver Jewish news., 1919-12-17
DR.. Joseph Krauskopf
on Sargent's S Art
THE SYNAGOG" SCORED IN SER
MON AT TEMPLE KENESETH
ISRAEL OF PHILADELPHIA.


is probably no other similar institu-
tion in the United States as frequent
ly visited and as greatly admired as
The Public Library of Boston: said
the Rev. DIR. Joseph Krauskopf in his
discourse at the Keneseth Israel Ten
pie recently. In point of architec-
ture, there are few that excel it; in
point of art, there is probably none
that equals it. OF the several artists
that have contributed to it some of the
best products of their brush and
chisel, John S. Sargent enjoyed special
popularity in that Library by reason
of his superb mural painting entitled
The Prophets of Israeli His lates.
contribution to that Library, however,
has not been so fortunate: on the CON
trary a loud request for its removal
has been raised by many of the citizens
of Boston, which request is shared
by citizens of sister-cities who, like the
BOstonians, do not wish to see the fair
name of our land sullied by an eN-
hibitiOn of piece of Dark-.Age bigOtry.
This much condemned latest pro
duction of Sargent consists of two
panels, one of them called The Syna-
gog," the other called ''The Church."
The panel representing the latter dis
plays u female figure, seated on n
throne. At her feet, sunk between
her knees, with his arms thrown across
her lap, is the form OF the crucified
Jesus, wearing the crown of thorns, his
pierced hands and feet, and his death
ly pale face, visible in the folds and
shadows of the garb of the cloaked
and hooded woman. Her face is quite
attractive; her expression. sufficiently
.Iun-like to give the figure ecclesiastical
dignity and character The other pan
ei, named ''The Synagog," makes it
difficult to realize that it is the work
of the same hand that wrought "The
Prophets" 1t is repellent in the eX-
treme, and insulting to those to whom
.'rhe Synagog' is as sacred and dear
as is "The Church" to pious Christ
ians. 1t represents semi-nude. semi
trouching semi-seated shrew. with not
trace of the Jewish woman. the
Miriam, the Deborah, the Esther. in
ANY of her features. \ black band
age encircles her eyes. A crown is
toppling off her head A broken scep
tire is in one of her hands; with the
other she presses against her bare. flat
chest what are probably meant to be
- r
about her is clutter Of ruins wrapt'
hy an impenetrable veil Of chaos.
So repellent is the Impression which
this picture makes, so unwomanly the
woman, so un-Jewish the Jcwess, so
historically and artistically false its
symbolism, SO antithetical to the I'M
preston made by its companion panel
that even If but spark of pride of
faith and ancestry glimmers in the Jew
who looks upon this picture, he can
not do otherwise than turn from it
with feelings of disgust. And the i'm
preston is especially painful when
bearing in mind that this piece of
Dark-Age bigotry is exhibited in so
u CITY us posloh' "ithhh '''
proud Public Library, that bears over
its entrance, in large letters, the in
scription. Built by the People" and
which people. who paid for it and
maintain it, are composed of followers
of The SynagOg as well as of The
Church. Little wonder that the deep
indignation among the Jewish citizens
of Boston should haye moved some OF
them to present to the authorities
petition asking for the removal of this
panel. on the ground of its being pre-
judicial and un-American. Had 1t
found place on the walls of a public
institution in Petrograd, or Warsaw,
or Bucharest. we would not have been
half as much panied, nor half as much
astonished. But, for it to have found
a place in the Metropolis of the New
England States. which since the days
Of Roger Williams have stood for re-
spectful regard for the rights and be-
liefs of followers OF all religious
creeds, is enough to make us rub our
eyes, and ask ourselves whether we
are really awake or but dreaming.
whether we are really living in the
twentieth century, or are still victims
of the ignorance and darkness and
bigotry of the Dark and Middles Ages?
The Panel representing '"rhe
Church" is quite enigmatic, and may
need expounding; the picture THE;
Synagog' IS self-explanatory. Any
one capable of seeing intelligently is
capable of interpreting it. Its mani
fest purpose is to tell that the reign
of ",rhe Synagog" is past and over,
That the position of honor she, at one