The Denver Jewish news. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-1925, 1921-04-06
What is the Future of
the Rabbinate?
THE DESTRUCTION OF EAST
EUROPEAN YESHIVAHS BRINGS
INTRODUCTION OF PRACTICAL.
IDEAS IN TRAINING.
BY DIR. S. NJ. MELAMED.

about in Jewish life by the war, not
the least is that which affects the con-
dition of the Rabbis and Rabbnism. In
the East, the war may well be said TO
have been fought in the Jewish centre
of Poland, Lithuania, KOumania and
Hungary, and in its march at destruc-
ton it has completely ruined the Yes
hivahs the institutions which educat-
ed the Rabbis. The Ycshivalis can be
rebuilt, but the spirit of the East
European Yeshivahs, the wholesome
and wholchearted devotion of East
European Jewry, and. particularly so,
Lithuanian Jewry to Jewish learning,
that spirit has been destroyed. For
years the German canons kept up their
thunder within the heart of the jew
ish centre and they have succeeded in
awakening the Lithuanian Jew from
his slumber Four years of German
military occupation has demoralized
the general as well as the Jewish pop
ulation The German occupation OF
Poland and Lithuania las converted
the naive village Jew into IL sharp
and able politician, the most simple
and most faithful has now grown scep-
teal. and necessity has converted the
aItruistic Lithuanian Jew into util-
tarian. In short, the Jew has become
a practical individual. He has learned
TO think in practical terms, in terms
of power. property and force, etc. En-
+l.,,,
Of Jews learn to think and conceive
in terms of the practical and the use
full, then the Yeshivah loses its basis
for existence and completely disap-
pears.
One hundred years ago when the
Jews in Germany We're still faithful
and simple followers of the faith, there
were Yeshivahs in Germany. How
ever, as soon as the Jews of Germany
uwoke to practical life. the Yeshivah
in Germany disappeared. From the
,-point of view Of the practical. the Yes
'hIvah is a totally useless institution,
and it is far more practical to acquire
property and wealth than to enter up
on an academic profession: it is far
easier to found business than to
spend ten years in ieshivah. swim
ming in the ocean learning.
As long as the Jews in Central ana
Western Europe were separated from
their surroundings. they. too. had
their Yeshivahs, but just as soon as
they came in direct contact with the
life surrounding them. the Yeshivahs
disappeared and were replnced by
Rabbinical Seminary or professional
college. where professional Rabbis and
not men of Jewish learning were being
educated.
The Yeshivah can exist only there
where Jewish life is still entirely sim
pie. primitive and idealistic. The mo
ment this spirit of simplicity and ideal
ism in Jewish life is disturbed because
of contact with the general life, the
Yeshivah is doomed. We have had
this experience in Italy. in France, in
Germany and in Austria and we will
now have the same experience in FOL
and and I.ithuania, in Hungary and
Roumania. The Jewish generation in
Eastern Europe that has witnessed
The war in all its terrors and has been
subjected to all its accompanying
economic. political and social changes
is no longer a generation of simple,
primitive idealists but generation
of bitter sceptics and this generation
will not be able to create the neces'
sary spirit and atmosphere of the Yes.
hivah that spirit of quiet. peaceful
idealism.
1t is probable that the Jews of Lith-
pania will attempt to rebuild the
destroyed Ycshivahs and to re-estabiish
the Yeshivah as a living institution.
but the attempt is doomed to failure.
for the atmosphere of the Ieshivah
has been completely destroyed by the
war. The Yeshivah was not pro-
tessional school for the education of
Rabbis but a centre of learning for
all who were ready to imbibe it. But
n small percentage of all 1eshlvah
students ever became Rabbis. and
those who attained that title were
bich-minded fearing and scholar
" men. They did not assume the Rab-
binate for professional purposes bur
simply because they were idealists and
desired an opportunity to devote them
selves exclusively to learning. and the
main duty of the Rabbi was to sit
steadily at the fountain of Jewish
learning To decide upon questions of
the law and to render Judgment in
cases of dispute We're matters which
The ordinary scholar was in position
10 dispose of The Rabbi had to be-
Continued on Page Two.)