The Denver Jewish news., 1919-02-20
Cryrus Adler Addresses
Jewish Historical Society
SUGGESTS IMPORTANT WORK
WHICH SHOULD BE DONE TO
BENEFIT AMERICAN JEWRY.


ciety was held i'm Newark. y. J.. last
week; ~>a4
Al the opening session. thu. president
DR. Cyrus Adler. of Philadelphia de-
licercd an address, He said IN part:
To the members and friends of the
american Jewish Historical Society:
This society. founded in 1892. has
not heretofore had the privilege of
meeting upon the soil of New Jersey.
We are grateful for the cordial wei
come that has been extended to MS by
the citizens of Newark. and we take
this as an earnest that your interest
extends not only 10 our persons, but
aiko to the cause with which we are
concerned. This cause is scientific
one: TO collect and publish material
hearing upon the history of America.
and to promote the study of Jewish
history IN general. preferably so far aS
the same is related to American Jew
sh history or connected with the
causes of Immigration from various
parts of the world to this continent.
This programme is sufficiently
broad to cover the whole of Jewish
history. but il is our particular pro-
vince to cultivate the fields which lie
about us. Jews have been settled
upon the American continent almost
from the day of its discovery There's
were communities in South America
and in adjacent islands from the fiji
teeth century OH in Mexico from the
sixteenth century ON. and i'll North
America. especially in New York Mt
least as early as 1865. Jews have from
that time to the present contributed TO
the civic. military. economic. educa-
ticnal and scientific life of this coun-
try. They were found fighting in the
Colonial Wars. the Revolutionary War.
the War of 1872. the Mexican War. the
War between the Stntes. the Spanish
American War and in large numbers.
as you will hear later. in the Great
Wars now happily brought to an end
80 far as actual hostilities are con-
errned In the Cabinet of the Presi-
dent. in our Federal State and city
4 tOtITtS. III totu vi s's'-''''7' -
The Legislature of many States. In our
universities. and institutions OF learn
ing they have ut least done their
share. One Of our purposes is to bring
this record of achievement together
and to see that il gets II proper. but
not an undue setting in the general
records from which the history of onr
country Is from time to time written
1t is of the utmost Importance that
fucts such as have alluded to should
now bc brought 10 the attention of stu
dents and even kept before the public
mind. One can notice n growing ten
dcncy. in view of the large immigr;i-
tion of Jews to the United States from
lands of oppression during the past ~
wears and possibly the fact that the
Immigrant population by reason OF con-
sestion in a few of the larger cities
stands out as II particular feature III
their population. to identify Jews an"
immigrants. even on the part OF OIL
,inls of the government who might lie
expected to have II clearer conception
If the facts Only recently ! had occa-
sion to protest in connection with the
very laudable work of the Americana
zatiou Division of the Bureau of Edu-
cation of the Department Of the lnteri-
or. against the appointment of an OIL
r;al called n ''Spccinl collaboration ana
:.acial advisor on Americans of Jewish
origin. whose purpose was, as he ofli-
cialIy stated. ITO interpret to our tJcw-
ish) people the ideals. traditions.
standards and institutions of tins
great (Amcrican) Nation. and also To
;nterprct the ideals and contributions
cc the Jews to the land of their adop-
ton
You will see that in this official let
fer from which l am quoting there Is
an. underlying assumption that all the
Jews of America are recent immi-
grants and that this is the land OF
their adoption. whereas the researches
of this society and others prior to its
existence and since. have demon
strated what | have stated above. that
Jews have been here from the begin
ming and have taken their share in the
upbuiIding of the country. | may add
that. in spite of the large immigration
OF the last forty years. more than half
of the three million odd Jews in Amer
lea are American born"