The Denver Jewish news., 1921-10-26
BY HENRY HURWITZ

Aboht io,ouc ,IcWlSn young heu anu
women WILL by conservative estimate,
bc attending American colleges and
universities this fall Their proportion
10 the Jewish population OF the coun
~ ~ IIobably somewhat higher than
proportion of all college students
to the entire population. The Jewish
..fopUrtlon was considerably higher be-
tore the war, but there has been
very marked increase in college at
cAo,ancc generally during the lasi
year or two.
1t viii Also be found tLat, taken all
.., tnc Jcwi,h sCudents today are
Iot so noticea5ly different from the
i oi the student body as they were
.Orc the war The average of Jew
III achievement in scholarship, i'll
- AID other student activities
is of late much nearer the senar'.
average. 1t must be admitted thai
nsI..ercd as a group. the Jewish
tud2nts arc no longer as outstanding
~ they were in scholarship, tho to
a-.-c .tuore are always many bril-
aat ..choinrs alnCng them, as among
he other students. ON the other hand
cwish studonls will be found to par
lclpdtc much more in athletics ana
,thcr campus activities than some
caIs ago. IN fine, it may be said
.au .eA.sh stuaents are today very
Ike all other American students III
,Gcir Int, rests and activities theii
achievements and their failures. This
is largely because at the present tlme
tie immigrant type is becoming com
pararivcly less numerous and the na
tivc-born and sons and daughters Oh
natiyo-burn are evident more anu
more.
Social Distinctions
Which is nor to say that the social
distinction between jew ana hon-Je'
On the campus has disappeared. Fal
from it. But if you consider the mat
ter calmly, without the prejudice ant
hyStcria usually bestowed upon it, you
will see that this sort OF distinction is
almost in the nature of things. For
take them all in all. Jewish students
are different from non-Iewish student
by pretty nearly all the marks tina
Ginorentiale jew from non-Jcw III the
community at large. Indeed, perhaps
IKE most salient ,hlns. about American
universities today is that they are st
faithfully, in their outlook and i'll
tcresGs and values, reflection of the
great community beyond the academic
walls. This is well or not. depending
ON ones conception of modern uni
vorsity.
1t is. then, but natural that for so
cinl. religions and similar purposes
Jewish students wherever they find
themselves in con siderable numbers
should have rheir own organizations
There are quite II number of national
;,s wcll as local Jewish frntcrnities
and sororitics. student congregations
Zionist societies. Niddish clubs. DO
rot conclude, however, that there is q
Chinese wall, social or even religious,
between all Jewish students and all
INT ItSi. 10 iA'Aits VI
lobnobbing between mutually aitrac-
tive Jews and non-Jews. And jew
ish students have been known TO at
tach themselves toitcn as leaders, to
non-Jewish religious organizations, tho
the reverse would be hard 10 seek
Ii is true TO say, none the less, thai
the natural law of the attraction OF
like to like, and he natural human
prejudice Of dislike for the unlike,
prevail among our ci,llow youth no less
than among the pillars and ornaments
aud common stone of society at large.
The Hope for Tolerance
Where thcsc all-tooluman barriers
tend to break down is among the more
serious minded students, who go thru
college. on their heads and not on
their dancing feet In inteiiect"ai
groups whether Informal or organized
Jews will he found cheek and jowl
with non.Jews in true fellowship and
coopcration--in the philosophy clubs
literature clubs, history and economies
clubs and so ON. III the strengthen
ing of such groups and what thcs
stand for, in making them more ana
more important and seductive to me
average studcnt-in one word i'll max
ing the American student more anu
more of II student in the real sense
OF the word lies the best hope iof
tolerance. genuine friendship and com
mon activity between jew and non
jew.
Without doubt the most important
contribution dat Jewish students can
make as Jews is. to enrich the inter
lectual life of The universities by pro
noting "A more adequate knowledge OF