The American Jewish world. [volume] (Minneapolis ;) 1915-current, 1920-04-23

CraOfQlnary eagerneSS anu OVorSerl-
BUSINESS of purpose which led in two
directions in so far as the fate of
each individual was concerned. 1t led
to great success, and need not point
out how marvelously successful in
MANY directions the Jew has been. In
our own profession, since the Jew has
been allowed to participate in it with
in the last hundred years, there have
arisen the commanding figures OF
Henle, Cohnheim, Weigert, Enrich,
Freud and Barany, to say nothing OF
the Rombergs, Flexners, Loebs, and
the innumerable lesser lights without
whom no medical account of the nine
teenth and twentieth centuries would
be complete. But while this intensity
led to great success, it also LED 10
poignant failure. The Jew who mas
not succeeded or who is struggling
feels his situation the more keenly
because of the intensity OF purpose
that has been frustrated.
How quickly racial characters. can
be changed under fostering environ
ment may be exemplified by the de-
velopment of the last generation in
Jewish life in the free countries OF
Europe and America. Intermarriage,
especially in Germany, Scandinavia
and France, are so extraordinarily
prevalent that, unless checked, the
Jew will disappear in these countries,
to be merged into the general popula-
tion. The intensely religious charac-
ter of the Jew disappears in America
in one generation. He gives up his
kosher, his Sabbath, his traditional
religion in general, as if by magic.
What persecution could not do
throughout the centuries, federation
does in a generation. The aLegeo
stinginess and miserliness OF the I'M
migrant Jew can certainly not ne
charged against his children. OF all
the prodigal spenders in America. the
American Jew stands foremost. Moth
ing is too good for him or his, and
he is a sport of the first water, to-
tally and completely different from
his father. The dislike of the Jew
for athletics, and especially for all
combatant forms has been supplanted
by the surprising phenomenon OF the
Jewish prize fighter, who in the
weights, from the lowest up to the
light heavyweight, outclasses proper
tionately to his numbers any race.
The race that produces so many Phi
Beta Kappa scholars likewise pro-
duces the champion prize fighter. Nor
can any lack of gameness be charged
to these representatives of Israel.
Shrewd, scientific, and powerful, the
yellow streak is surprisingly uncom-
mon amongst the boxers of the race
that once wore the yellow gabardine.
This dissolution of Jewish life that
has taken place in America is also
responsible in part for the psychoneu-
roses that we witness amongst the
American Jews of the first generation.
A surprising change in ideals and in
governing notions works havoc
with the less stable Of the race. But
the second generation, brough up in
American methods, learning early to
fight physically, taking part in ath-
letics in ever-increasing numbers, dis
carding the intensely communal life
of the past, coming into contact with
the less emotional, more controlled
life of the neighboring Gentle, is be-
ing changed in character, has much
less liability to the psychoneuroses.
lover of his race will counsel con-