The Denver Jewish news., 1921-09-28
Jews and Sculpture

of Welcome" in London to Prof. He'll
ryk Glicenstein, the famous sculptor,
Israel Zangwill, who was the chief
speaker, had this to say regarding Jews
and Sculpture:
"It is curious that we should be here
to break the Second Commandment. 1t
is valuable commandment, and, il OBJ
served, would have crippled Christianity
and prevented the italian masters from
The statues now being uncovered at
Askalon show that sculpture was well
known and probably well worshipped in
ancient Palestine. Nevertheless, the
Second Commandment must be under
stood in relation to its context and
chronology and for centuries Passover
Haggadahs have contained illustrations
of the human form, though the futur-
lists and the cu5ists have recently rein
troduced the principle of avoiding a
likeness to anything On the face of the
earth. While Islam had stuck to ara
besques, the Jews had invaded the
graphic arts and swarmed in every gal
lery. 1t is remarkable evolution in
people that has lived so long without
pictures or statues. But then Jewish
brain power could adapt itself swiftly
to any function, just as theirs was not
a fighting people, yet it could turn out
V. C.'s and generals while you waited.
There have been no Jewish sculptors
for ages, but today the most famous of
living sculptors, Epstein, is a Jew, and
Glicenstein will become just as famous
i'm England as he Is on the continent Of
Europe"
Henry Glicenstcin was born on Lag
Bonner, 1870, in little village near
Kalish, Poland. He was to be a rabbi,
but his father, who had 4 fondness for
carving wooden things to adOrn the
synagogue and the Beth Hamidrash, en-
couraged his sons penchant for art.
Glicenstein, replying to Zangwill,
said:
"The real meaning of the Second
Commandment is not to turn the idea
of God into stone, that is to say, not
to convert the conception into material
ism A stony gOdliness is dead godli-
ness. But, on the other hand, to turn
the material into lofty ideal is an act
Of godliness. My own father, who was
not only very pious Jew, but great
scholar, had the highest opinion of art,
and was not at all disappointed with
my occupation Whenever other Jews
demonstrated that his son had drifted
away from the true path of the Jewish
religion, my father endeavOred to show
them that they were mistaken; that l
was, as a matter of fact, trying to serve
God in different way, attempting to
give expression to the internal force
that is inherent in Judaism"
This is, of course, an Interpretation
from which many will differ. 1t is an
interesting concept, though, of the Sec
ond Commandment. In the first Temple
there were sculptures, the Second TEN
ple was devoid of them. There has al
ways been the feeling that sculptures
are contrary to the Jewish spirit, and
Notwithstanding Jews have produced an
Antakolsky, an Epstein and a Glicen-
stein.
Gliccnstein's most famous creation is
ing figure. a German poet has de-
scribed it thus:
His fist is closed because his time is far,
With sunllcn head in grief he sits and
sleeps,
Above him shines SO weakly David's
star,
He hears not, though his people sobs
and weeps.
Yet can he never die, and when one day
He wakes and puts the Shofar TO his
lips,
Then shall the chains of Exile melt
away,
And all our sorrows vanish in eclipse.
Now, calls the people, rouse, thou sleep
ing lion,
And lead us back to liberty and life;
Bring us once more unto our loved Zion,
And through us put an end to man
kinds strife.
Who will say that this does not OK
press Cilicenstein's Interpretation of the
Second Commandment?
It is remarkable, too, that the great
est Jewish sculptors have come from
the Russian Pale. From out of misery
and wrctchedness has come the spirit
OF the beautiful. Jews are indeed the
riddle of the ages-Jewish Gazette.