The Denver Jewish news., 1922-01-04
"The JewIin'America and
America in the Jew

said that Americans would not toll
crate Oriental standards brought to
this country by the Jews l am not
quoting the gentleman verbatim. hut
l am stating accurately the eist of his
heated remarks.
What he meant by the Jew bring
ing Oriental ideas and customs into
america ] don't know. We don't eat
with chop sticks or wear queues. SO
far as ! can observe Anglo SaXonS and
Scmites in actual operation | am not
able to note many differences between
landlords and Anglo-SaXon landlords
both collect their rentals on the first
of the month in advance.
Perhaps that clergyman referred to
the gift of the Bible by the Jew to
Limcrica That was one Oriental con-
tribution which our fathers made.
They gave America the Old and New
Testaments. They inspired the Pill
grim Fathers with the courage to
make their historic voyage. They gave
them the strength and will to endure
the hard life of New England in tho
winters. They taught them the mean
ing of Thanksgiving. They inspired
the election sermons of the preachers
who paved the way for the adoption
of the Constitution. The colonists
went 10 Moses for their inspiration.
to Pharoah for n symbol of oppres-
sion. To the Promised Land for their
pattern of what America was to he
come. 10 Samuel for their warning
against monarchs. The political in
stitutiOns of America are Anglo-SaN-
on. but running through them like
the sap that sustains and nourishcs
the trees and plants is the Hebraic
emphasis upon liberty, freedom. jus
ticc. democracy. For America was in
the Jew long before the jew was in
America
And because America was in the
Jew long before the Jew was in Amer
lea. America needs the Jew and the
Jew needs America. The Jew has an
'NINtlaI uulN W All tilHl utftIl
citizenship implies and demands. L
cannot tolerate Jews who break laws
and disgrace our people and prostitute
our holy mission. They are traitors
to America and traitors to their faith
and their people. And | am glad to
say that most Jews are at least as
law-abiding as other groups and prob
ably give more to America in proper
tion TO their numbers and opportuni
ties than any other group
Persecution has handicapped us in
some respects. We lack mt times the
reserve and refinement of the Gentle.
tho ! know Jews who are the equal
oc their neighbors in refinement and
reserve and in all other respects. But
many of us have still TO learn what
polish and culture mean and these
things come with years Of emancipa-
ton.
But the Jew may remain true to his
Judaism and he good American In
fact. the better jew one is the bet
American the gentle is the more he
will understand the Hcbraic note that
runs throughout American institutions
and he friendly inclined toward the
Jew
The American who casts aspersions
upon the immigrant does not under
stand the very spirit of American in
stitutions. He is narrow and higoted
and thought he he born upon the soil
and was educated upon the soil he is
not descended in spirit from Washing
ton. Lincoln and Roosevelt
Before the DcclartiOn of Indcpcn-
dence was signed America was CON
ceived. Before the Pilgrim fathers
set sail upon that eyentful voyage
America was conceived Even before
Columbus left the shores of the Old
World and discovered New World,
America was conceived.
For America is more than acres and
square miles of land. 1t is more than
rocks and rillS and woods and hills
and mighty rivers that sweep ma
icstcally to the ocean. America is a
spirit. an eternal spirit conceived in
the hearts and souls of all the great
prophets of alt ages. 1t is the prom1s-
ed land spoken of by the lips of seers
and poets. America was conceived
when the Hebrews left Egypt and pro-
claimed n new God of Freedom.
America was born out of the flames
Of Sinai's heights when the mouth of
the Lord uttered the Ten Great Words
,,at have Sippp bpcpmn the fOunul ton