Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-21

Or. Cyrus Adler Registers objection
to the Name Of the Y. M. n. A.,
PreferrIna the Word Jew Be Used
BY SARAH ID. LOWRIE

I READ an address of DIR. Cyrus Adler's
i that was sent me the other day which was
calculated to make one think over number
1t was apropos of a campaign for money
that was begun late last month for a build
ing to house the Young Mems Hebrew AS
sociation In Philadelphia. 1t gave a point
OF view, not perhaps familiar to the general
ity OF us. and It stated some facts that II
might be well to ponder from two opposite
viewpoints. / mean the viewpoint Of those
who fear the adherents Of one religious belief
VIII preponderate In ais country to the
detriment Of other sects and the viewpoint of
the rank and file Of the adherents of that
particular sect as to religion in general and
their own phase Of 1t in particular.
T ONCE asked DR.. Felix Adler what con-
i stituted a Jew--religion or race. He
aggeration asserted further that Enoch was
as typical Jew as Jacob, more SO, In fact.
And upon my astonished retort that Enoch
was an antediluvian parsonage, he was en-
tirely game" and said: Just so, and so
was Adam; yet Adam was Jew! |"
should Judge from DR.. Cyrus Adler's
dictum that religion, rather than race, Is the
determining factor Of Judaism to his mind
So that from that standpoint Judaism would
be like Presbyterianism or Methodism or
view not national nor racial one.
l am wondering how much DR.. Cyrus
Adler speaks for his race.
Since this speech Of his was sent to me
with view to my. feeling interested to
making It public before larger audience
than his original sectarian one, I have no
hesitation in quoting from it rather fully.
His facts, l would suppose, would be bound
to be correct since he himself is n very re-
sponsible authority and he is backed by a
engaged in a money campaign in the in
terests Of Jewish life in this city. His
structures on the name, Young Mems He
brew Association, arrested my attention in
particular. Part of his argument struck me
as being a decidedly new note. Whether
his standpoint in regard to the term Hebrew
is personal one or not have no idea, but
the fact that a large committee Is willing
to publish it is important.
D ELIGIOUS freedom - which is more
~ than religious toleration--has made nm
American type of Judaism, just as 1t has
made an American type of Episcopalians or
Catholics. certain bitterness and aloof
ness has gone with the change of atmos-
phere; there Is no longer the same defense
reaction More persons are keen religion
lists under persecution than under indiffer-
ence. The younger generation Of Scotch
Irish Presbyterians in this country, the
young generation Of New England Uni
tarans are more interested In the religious
ideas they have in common with young per-
sons of any religious sect than they are
with the points where they differ, chiefly
because there Is no ostracism with regard to
the differences and pleasant intellectual
sympathy with regard to the likenesses
That DR.. Adler has noted this trend
though without assigning a reason for it
in the younger generation of his own race is
not surprising therefore.
I quote his words on this subject as fol-
lows:
UTNIIE future of Judaism in America is
i largely a question of what the Jews
are doing or are willing to do for their
adolescents. They have done much. though
school system in America has been greatly
improved But, for some reason that is diff
cult to explain. all Jewish education in
America, and the exertion of Jewish in
fluence. ceases when the boy. or girl has
in some special cases sixteen. This is not
sufficient to maintain Jewish life in America.
And unless the Jews of this country begin
to deal in n better way. than we have done
ages of fourteen and twenty five Judaism In
America, except as It is re- enforced by i'm
migration, will decline.
ut may be urged that this should be the
of the synagogues in Philadelphia are deal
ing with this problem But-and I say this
without any thought of criticism-what
they are doing Is not adequate. 1t cannot
be, because even II every young person in
Philadelphia whose parents are members of
synagogues should be getting everything he
or she needs at the synagogue, only very
small percentage of the Jewish youth OF
this city would be reached. There are
for the high holidays 101 congregations
meet in public halls. Assuming that these
temporary congregations have an attend
ance ranging from 200 to 1900. It Is obvious
that more than 90 per cent OF the Jewish
by a steady and inspiring Jewish influence.
ttTT IS easy to realize with these figures
i before us. that further delay in launch
ing campaign for the erection Of proper
building for the Y: M. II; A: would be very
the future of Philadelphia Jewry is con-
cerned.
II wish that we could call the building
something else than Y. NJ. II. A. like the
name Jewish Community Center, because I
conceive 1t as building where by broadening
out our social intercourse we can arrive
finally at an understanding OF the community
as whole.
Names like Young Mems or Young
Women's Hebrew Association are mis-
nomers. The word Hebrew Is relic OF
TINT past when some were ashamed of the
word Jew But we prefer the word Jew
now, and It Is fitting that a building of the
Wind we are discussing should be called
Jewish
II should like to see the building. when
il is erected be common meeting ground
mot merely for the young people, but for
i"The interchange of ideas and the mutual
understanding and liberation that would
result would prevent the widening of the
cbosm between the generations. which Is
ono Of the tragedies OF Jewish life in
America"
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