The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1920-06-30
Vocational Glooms
BY RABBI DAVID GOLDBERG

/ have come out here with no special
object In view, not even for my health.
and am thus literally spending my
time instead of making use of 1t, as
if I were retired capitalist. l have
chosen that city firstly and lastly he
cause in it, I thought, had neither
friend nor foe to engage my attention
not a single acquaintance among the
heads of the various Jewish institu-
lions with which the city of Denver
abounds, 30 that I could pass my few
DAYS incognito, without running against
formal entertainment or sudden
impromptu speech" had pictured
Denver as city of refuge where one
so insignificant and SO unpretentious
IL little rabbi as myself could enjoy the
hiss of total oblivion.
Alas, could manage to remain Oh
scure as long as l wanted to, but
minus the perfect peace Of mind which
I had sought to obtain thru the medium
Of obscurity. How does the humor OF
| the Talmud run? Cast a stick into
the air, and it will land IN its root
on its heavier side" Calamity Jane
finds trouble everywhere because cal
nmity Jane looks for trouble every
where. How would she he Calamity
Jane otherwise? And a rabbi on va
cation may have his, mind as easily
upset as when he is at home, because,
altho he. has no ministerial duties to
perform while away from his congrrI
CATION 1T is impossible for him to di-
vest himself completely of his larger
responsibilities as rabbi, which trans
cend the prescribed duties of minister.
insofar us the rabbi belongs to Israel
at large, and not merely to one par
ticular congregation in Israel.
am tapping angrily on my little
Corona, altho it is now past a. m.
and should have some regard for my
neighbors in the adjacent rooms. Also.
I should have been myself asleep for
the last four or five hours. as l am
on vacation, fast determined to brush
aside all worries. But how am ! re-
sponsible for my mentality? re-
tired at about II o'clock. rather ali
early hour for a night hawk, with the
midnight edition of the morning pa
| per as sure means to lull myself into
slumber. Curses on the midnight edi.
ton of the morning paper. I am up
on account OF 1t, at II. III. my mind
disturbed and my feelings high.
The morning papers have published
n protest over the signatures of one
hundred prominent citizens of Denver.
headed by the eminent Rabbi Fried
man. against very, ugly behavior of
hi Judge duriiik a trigi betweepsn Jew
and non-Jew The facts may be brief
ly stated thus 4 certain Mace. hav-
! ing grievance against certain Cohen
the names IRE meant to be typical
came to the lattcr's house and bull
leted his heart. lungs and abdomen
| The bullets that killed Cohen were
fired from the back. which fact Is In
itself ample attestation that the Jew
here was killed as resalt of the ah'
solutely righteous Indignation of the
Christian Mace As IL fit farewell.
and for good measure, Mace. also
wounded, albeit not seriously, n broth
err of the murdered Cohen, who chanc-
cd to be ut the time on the premises.
The jury, however. acquitted Mace,
because of tire .lack Of conclusive evil
dencc in the casc," whatever that may
mean. Moreover in charging the jury.
the judge expressed his Indignation at
the effrontery of the prosecuting al
torney in preferring so serious Il charge
as manslaughter first degree against
the accused. with the insufficient evil
dence available. At the conclusion of
the trial the Judge personally fclici-
tated the defendant on his acquittal, as
if he were the victim of Il frane-up.s
I'll the while Cohen was dead AMI
Mace. was the one who killed him thru
his back.
This atrocious behavior of Il Denver
Judge agitated me no less than if the
incident had happened in my own
| town. and to regain self-possession. i
sought forgetfulness in vaudeville
show which the papers of the day have
widely advertised. Indeed, the pro-
gram was so well balanced that
should have enjoyed it were it not
destined otherwise. Ill luck gave me
q seat near "honey-mooning' couple
who chatted, Gathered, and generally
behaved as if the whole world were
| theirs. At last the "headliner" was on.
and my nosy ncighbors subsidized to the
relief of everyone about them. The
act had all the pep and ginger which
the Jewish and Irish comedians alone
can give to a performance. At last
the Irish comedian asked his Jewish
sta pe-mate. and can YOU speak Jew