The Denver Jewish news., 1921-02-09
Ideals Cherished byAme-
rican Jews
EDUCATION, PATRIOTISM. BROTH.
ERLY LOVE ARE KEYNOTES OF
Ills ASPIRATIONS.

From an address by Albert NJ. Erie.
denberg,. ESD, corresponding secretary
American Jewish Historical Society.
Jews r:lme to America from the
earliest days. and have ever since con.
tinue1 to come here and dwell among
us with the notion, fixed and unaltera-
bic, of making this their permanent
future home for themselves and their
posterity Thus they embarked on
some form of trade or industry en-.
rolled even among the practitioners OF
different learned professions, and en-
gagged in sundry ways of earning their
daily bread honorably in the sweat OF
their brows.
But as man does not exist by bread
alone, but by bread also, we must oh
serve that the material development
of American Jcwry produced its ideal
istic development as well. The Jews
of America, in common with those of
other and alien faiths inhabiting the
United States, have made their due
contribution to the worlds stock of
ideas and ideals in education, in learn
ing, in science, in charity and public
life, just as they have advanced tn"
standards of the fields of commerce.
Of industry and of finance in gen
cral
The Jews of America have made
education their special concern. and
this subject does not embrace only the
training of youth in the rudiments of
knowledge to enable them properly to
fight the battle of life. but also in
cludes the proper instruction of the
Jewish youth along Jewish lines. They
have maintained on its usual higl.
plane their special conception of char
ity and taken abundant care of their
own poor. These they thereby pre-
vented from falling as burden on the
taxpayers and the community in gen
eral, thus realizing to the full the
promise mnde by the Jews of Amstcr.
dam in Holland. to the Dutch Wes'
India Company VIXEN permi ssion was
accorded their co-religionists to settle
and dwell in New Amsterdam.
Thus it is fair to. state that the es-
Sential attributes of the American Jew
are: first, the caring for ones poor
and unfortunate dependents; second
ly. the attentive maintenance of the
American principle of complete sep
.ration between church and state. and,
finally. thirdly, firm and unswerv-
ing loyalty to the state in mundane al
fairs coupled with an equal fidelity
to the dcathless heritage and tradi-
tions of Judaism as represented in the
concerns of the synagog.
The Jews of America preach and
practice the conception of Gods Faith
erhooI above all men, and. as II corol-
larry thereto, the brotherhood of all
men; for all are children of the one
Futhcr. Consequently state religion
were an impossibility under this view.
and Jews have ever been active to dis
courage all attempts at an establish
ment of a particular form of wor-
ship ut the expense OF all others.
Tho American Jews. as has been re
marked, have done their duty to the
full in time of war, they realize that
IsraeIs mission is peace" and thus
shine i'll peaceful tasks as well. Not
that American Jews are pacifists of
the stripe so justly condemned in re-
cent years they regard a war for com
,;,,I SaIfish Irnt tipnn1 nd
venture as contest grounded upon
impropcr motives. and labor earnest
ly to make America stand for the grea
ideal of peace with homo, and of wal
only for the right The Jew does MOI
shirk his Obvious duty in a righteous
struggle, yet believes that the progress
of mankind and the onward march OF
civilization are best expressed in and
properly command his allegiance to
the eternal principle that right alone
makes might.
Hence the Jew, who represents
civilization which stretches back to
the most distant ages in the history
of the world, stand for n great and
an enduring force in the life of this
country. This agc-Old civilization has
persisted thruout the centuries of jew
ish history, despite unexampled crisis
of persecution and oppression. and
has borne its fruit with new vigor and
efficacy wherever Jews have taken up
their residence in the world. Amer
ica has given new direction to jew
ish tradition. as the Jew has added
to the sum total of American life 50
that life has enriched the volume OF
Jewish experience.
May we not contend, therefore. with