The Denver Jewish news., 1920-01-21

success bears testimony to the mettle
Of the race, to what it can accomplish
when it is afforded scope.
OF paramount importance in con-
ncction with the standing; of the Rus
sian Jew and his manner of inter
course with his assimiliated corelig-
ionists. is the relationship which OBJ
tains between the prosperous reform
rabbi and his poorly paid orthodox
colleague. We meet here with an
anomaly, an illustration of undisguis-
ed. unblushing snobbery tnat ought TO
cdox circles. OF course. there are re-
cities, who live on genial. fraternal
form rabbis, especially III the smaller
terms with the spiritual leader or lead
ers of the orthodox floc;s; no special
praise whatever is du. Tor status
which is in accord. not oliy with ideals
Of Jewish fellowship, but with the sim
plest dictates of common interest, OF
professional and religious esprit de
corps. The more surprising and unnat-
ural must seem the fact that, i'm many
of the larger communities, the high
mighty leader of the reform congre-
CATION hardly knows .,is orthodox
brothers of the cloth otherwise than
by name. holds next to no intercourse
with them, has little or no touch what
ever with the veal or woe of orthodox
Judaism by his side. 1t is n symptom
of cold snobbishmess. of un-Jcwish. al
most inhuman Indifference, which re-
minds one of the similar fact that SO
many New York Jews of the prosper
Gus classes, even among those who
profess to be loyal to their faith and
people, are satisfied TO remain in
virtually total ignorance of the teem-
ing, many-hued life of the East Side,
of which they have bare inkling thru
the daily press. but which they have
no curiosity to examine for them
selves.
The attitude of the orthodox Jew,
on the other hand cannot, i'll justice,
te acquitted of all blame. In many
instances he has yet to acquire that
manliness of selt-respcct, that frown-
ing down of all scrvilc or cringing
modes of thought and bearing which
will conquer for him place of cs-
teen and influence in the communal
life. Only too often he stands, fig
uraiively speaking, hat in hand. be-
fore the superior wealth. modernity
and social status of his pre-immisrat-
cd brothers, bowling down. not so much
TO intrinsic worth, but to advanced
stages of assimilation.
One trustworthy remedy for these.
more or less transitory, evils will be
found in the strengthening and the
thoro organization of orthodox syn
rgoys and orthodox religious schools.
With the endowment of orthodox
seminaries, with the Increasing inrlu-
encc and, ,prestige of the orthodox pull
pit, with the modernization and adap-
tuition of orthodox instruction, with
the growing prosperity and benrficencc
Of orthodox charitable institutions.
with the expansion and leadership of
orthodox fraternal orders, with the
steadily approaching ascendancy i'll
all Jewish movements of the East
European elements, last, but really
foremost. under rapid processes of
thorogoing Americanization. these
orol,lpns; will largely solve themselves
partly the very memory of these dit
fercnces will become faint, until they
will pass out of popular consciousness
lartly such differences which may re-
main will have nothing TO do with
wealth, up-to-tlateness. or rank in the
social scale; they will resolve them
selves into conpleNioas of religious
belief and practice, accepted with
miituul respect and liberation.
1t is essential, above all things, to
the healthy growth of American Juda-
ism as II whole, that orthodoxy should
inanfully assert itself. that it should
Systematically take charge of perpct-
uniting itself with the younger gem
Grafton, that it should gain in courage
and vigor in authority and equipoise,
until it can take its place by the side
Of the progressive branch as equally
american There will he no further
occasion or excuse then for brotherly
condescellsions of any kind, from one
wing or set to the other.