The Denver Jewish news., 1919-12-03
THE NEW AMERICAN.
Rabbi Wise Gives His Views on
Americanization.

Don't treat the Immigrant rs IL
problem and don't call him .'the for.
cigner-call him the new American
I the Free Synagogue in an address be-
fore the League of Political Education
on Saturday in Carnegie Hall in de
yeloping his topic. Characterization.
True and False
DIR. Wise made 1t quite clear to be-
gin with that he held well-ixed ideas
on "the unwise, unjust and un-Ameri-
cam use of the word foreigner" as
applied to the recently arrived. He
gave it as his opinion that three ways
not to Americanize Were through reg
ulation, standa rlization and Christian
ization As agencies to nut our ideals
before the immigrant the rabbi gave.
in the order of their Importance, the
public school, the Theatre, the press,
proper city government and just ap-
plication of the law
with respect to the Anericanization,'
he said. lis that the Immigrant must
not be viewed nor designated as n
problem. No human being enjoys be-
ing looked upon as Il problem. No
foreigner can be Americanizcd or
helped to attain Amercanization
through being dubbed II foreigner.
The first step to be taken in helping
~ mn NJ. ..ap
is to treat him as Il man.
Il would have America either shut
foreigners out or take them in-not
leave them dangling in spirit at our
doors. physically admitted to, but cx-
clnded spiritually from the life of our
country" he said. IF you would Amer
icanize the foreigner, remember that
he must be met>not with condecension.
OF patronage or even pa,ernalism. but
of trust and fraternalism.
1T is easy to define what American
ization is not Augmentation is not
regularization Americanization is not
Christianization. In declaring that
Aunericaniation is neither regulariza-
tion nor standa rdization. am think
ing of the unwisdom of such Ameri-
cans as imagine that every foreigner
who comes to Amesiea nust pass
through the processes OF being reg'l-
lurized. that he csinnot enter into the
life of America until after he has di-
L.; .,f,, n..t Y
thing that he brought with him from
his native land. America is stand
nrd, but AmericanizatIon must not he
standardization. Standards eNalt !;
a process is always down and never
up.
Neither is Amcrlcanization the
equivalent of ChristianiZation for th''
forcign-born. Speaking for my own
people. know that the greatest as
service that could be rendered Ameri
ca is to attempt the rehabilitation OF
Jews and their ChriStianization. 1on
cannot rest Il new loyalty upon us
LOYALTY to the old. The new allegiance
will find itself rock-hottoined upon the
ancient and unimpaired allegiances-
That Jew is less likely to become IL
good American who is indifferent 10
and scornful of the precious and con
secrated things in the life and falth
OF his people.
There are certain methods or in
strumentalities sf Americanlzatioh
which must be utilized and magnifled
the school, the press. the Church
the theatre. The school must he Kept
free from every political entangiemeht
rnd every sectarian bias. The press
must not be an instrument in the
hands of power, but Il medium OF ifee
and untramelled COMMUNICATION ne
tween all groups and classes i'll the
republic. The pulpit of every faith
like the press. must keep itself free
from the domination of any class ana
serve ON spiritual symbol of the
unity of the republic.-Tageblatt.