The Denver Jewish news., 1920-11-10

in Council work was OF tremendous III
tcrest. and promises TO be one of the
most important phases of work yet un
dertaken.
The evening session was held at
Temple Emanuel. the president. Mrs
Harris. presiding The evening was
devoted to the discussion of religion
c. w. Deems opened the program
with an organ solo. and was followed
by an address and invocation by DR..
c. f. Fl. Kauvar.
Mrs. /. Rypins. chairman of com.
fine and full report of the effort
made by the Council to give the unaf-
f:liated Jewish child religious instruc-
ton. She told at length of the work
which had been attempted and of the
fair success achieved. Mrs. Aaron
Morse rendered n vocal solo. French
hria. and responded to two encores.
Mrs. Max Margolis, of Philadelphia.
Pa. delivered the following inspiring
and scholarly address:
Judaism and Our Youth.
why are we asked to consider
Judaism in relation to youth alone?
Why must we artficially sever youth
from all the rest of life. from what
goes before and what follows after?
and what special significance can
Judaism have in relation to youth
which it has not in reln ton to all life?
What we mean to discuss if we are
the time has come for all
right thinking Jews to face the situa-
ton hOnestly-is, ''Why is Judaism
failing TO influence youth? What then
is wrong with youth? What is wrong
with .Judaism:'
Youth is today as it was yesterday.
md. we hope. as it will be tomorrow.
Youth is pleasure-loving. Youth seeks
those things which bring results
pleasant ones if possible. with the least
amount of effort. Youths philosophy
is expediency. If therefore today youth
presents on the surface greater defects
than it should possess, the fault OBJ
viouSly lies not with our boys and
girls, but with their parents. Youth
rnimics the life about it. 1t has the
,iccncSt eye for observation. Nothing
that we do or say escapes its attention.
We offer the example. What our grow
ing or half-grown children do or leave
undone lies on our conscience. We
should not condemn in the young the
things we do ourselves. If at present
The most glaring faults of youth are
careless iippancy with regard to the
precious things of life, surely youth is
not to blame. For decade or so, in
the form of sex hygiene and under the
.uiSc of academic discussions, we have
been talking to our children from the
xindcrgartcn up about all of lifc's
mysteries as we would discuss tn,
measles or chicken-poX. Today, on the
stage. sex relation is set forth in it,
most blatant and crude form. We have
robbed our children of mystery. Bu'
religion feeds on mystery.
Not so very long ago gentlcwomcr
the world over. no matter how up-to
date and in fashion, looked like ladies
There was something distinctive about
them, and that very thing they valued
and cultivated and brought to the
fore. Today it would be difficult t.
Judge a woman by her dress or appear
ance and the worst side of this laXity
is that the men (and women aiikej
seem to prefer and encourage the mode
which puts all women externally Oh n
par and leaves question in the mind
of the heholder. Is it any wonder thcI
that with such an example before them
youth rushes gaily in with all of Its
incXperiencc and in spirit of levity
born of practical ignorance backed by
book-knowlcdge proceeds to treat al
life with what they think is frankncss
and honesty? This is not paper ~
present morals and manners. But il
it not true that group of earnest
women should take n quiet hour il
which to search their own souls! II
may be too soon to know whether the
present attitude of naked franlncss- il
working for good or for evil in oul
youth-but had we not better pause
to think about it?
Since youth is youth and the hlamt
must rest elsewhere, what then is
wrong with Judaism? Judaism has not
changed. Fundamentally Judaism il
the same today as it ever was. The
great moral and spiritual truths which
made Judaism n living force for cen
turies are still the same today. Whal
II 10, In ,ll tlnt follows