The Denver Jewish news., 1920-11-17
Concluding Proceedings
of Ninth Convention
tContinued from Page Five.D

that every man will understand his
neighbor. A quick mastery of the
common language of the country
not only makes for earlier and mor
helpful understanding of our insti-
iutions but Is of direct and immediate
economic value to the immigrant. Pend
ing an understanding knowledge al
English language, the Immigrant Pun
!ication Society. OF which John Foster
Car is Director. makes it possible for
| ilie Immigrant TO lie furnished with
| information concerning our laws and
customs and history in languages
\ which are understood. The libraries
ut the country have proven big factors
in spreading the doctrine of Ameri
canizatioa. Cleveland Public Library
has very notable collection of for
eign language books and aims to pro
vide books for every foreign horn res
iient of the city. Each language col
lection is centralized at the branch
library where its use is greatest Ten
languages were represented in their
Capitalization points: II languages
were administered thru the Foreign
Division. of Main Library. Each
branch library has assistants who
speak the language of the neighbOr-
hood. In April 1919 "a nationalities
were represented in "Homeland EN-
hibit" of the library's patrons. 1,50O
men attended citizenship classes con
ducted by the Cleveland Americana
zatiOn committee in 1919 in the branch
libraries of the city. and the Federal
examiners gavev those who were ready
their examinations at the libraries
thus effecting great saving in time
and convenience ana putting the can
didate SO much more Mt their ease
that they We're able to appear to better
advantage.
The City immigration Bureau OF
Cleveland has been one of the most
active and most constructive municipal
agencies functioning in the country.
Thru its suggestion ana appeal the
Cleveland Federation of Women's
Clubs accepted into its membership
organizations of foreign born women.
significant of the efforts of the
school Ofthecountry are the facts that
school year of 1915 opened with 3S
communities pledging their school sys-
tens comprising hundreds of classes
TO the spreading of the doctrine of
.Americanism aud the school year of
1910 closed With 2.24O communities
representing many thousands of
classes.
Philosophers of all times have told
us that without education there can
he no hope of n lasting nation. As
earnestly have real thinkers told H.
that religion plus education is needed
for the highest type of citizenship. II
is an accepted theory that us man
becomes better jew. better Pro
testant or better Catholic. he be
comes better American. And in this
connection should we women of the
Council ponder and take stock of our
work. Have we sufficiently stressed
the religious end in our Immigrant
Aid and Americanization efforts? Are
we consciously making our Jewish I'M
migrants feel that becoming good
American citizens is not incompatible
with the faith of their fathers? Are
we consistently tying up the service
| of our sections thruout the country
/ with indications of our respect for the
traditions and laws of our people? Ar"
| the missionaries, the proselyting eff
forts alone responsible for the large
amount of apostasy amongst Jews on
this country? Do we Jews not share
in this responsibility by our passive
and our negative attitude? In the he
wilderment of the Jewish immigrant
gradually throwing off the traditions
CT his old home. old customs and old
country. he needs the gentle cncour-
J ngement of the American Jew to make
secure and consistent his old time
faith.
How has the industrial world re-
acted to the acknowledged necessity
| Of assimilation and Americanizing its
workers. Statistics acquaint us with
the significant fact that no large iu-
dustrial plant in the Cnited States of
America today could keep its doors
| open for Is minutes without the labor
of the fOreign-born. The very fOunda-
tions of economies and prosperity in
cur country literally lies in the hands
Of the foreign-born. IT. is the story of
Babel reversed When on the plains
of Shinar, men attempted to build such
IL sky-reaching structure as many of
our big cities now support in consid.
cradle numbers. their labors were halt