The Denver Jewish news., 1922-05-03
Why Not Give Up
Judaism?
BY DIR. STEPHEN S. WISE.

| The question, why not give up Ju-
daisn, is not rhetorical in character.
1t is n question which, if we be cap
able of rigid self-scrutiny, we will be
| under the necessity of admitting, has
| come to us at one time or another IN
our lives. The burden of proof prop
erly rests upon those who favor the
abandonment of Judaism. None the
less those of us, who are moved to
utter resounding NO" to the ques-
ton, shall we not give up Judaism.
are willing to accept the task of Civ
ing decisively, and, it may be, ade-
quately the reasons for our refusal to
desert the faith and life of Israel The
grounds which are adduced, or I'M
piled. for the giving up of Judaism
are in the main, three. First, the all
but ceaseless persecution of Israel is
pointed out as reason Suihclent Tor
deserving Il heritage of evil and SUI
fering. In the next place, it Is as
serted with some show of sincerity
and earncstness that the world
would be benefited by the dissolution
of the people of Israel and the subse
auent admixture of the blood of Israel
with that of the various nations OF
the world in word. through the as
similation by the human race of the
Jewish people. Lastly, it is frankly
and dogmatically stated by the would
be descrters that no special reason
any longer obtains for the perpetua-
tion of Judaism. that Israefs mission
has been performed. that 1srael's
| .'raison d'etre" has ceased. Are these
reasons, which are typical of the ar
gumentation of such as would con
demn Judaism to the limbo of obsoes-
cence, convincing. valid, even genu-
inc?
What shall be said in answer to
| those who urge that Judaism be given
up for the good of the world! Would
| this reason for the abandonment of
our faith be limited at. not to say seri-
ously presented. if economic repres-
| sion social ostracism. political perse-
| cution, loomed not so large in the
background? The greatest and most
| fatal disservice that we could render
| the world today would be to give up
| Judaism We could not serve the
world worse than by the demoralizilg
example of surrender under fire, than
by substitution of cowardice and
betrayal for ages of heroism and faith
fulness. Suicide is always cowhrdice,
! and we art' asked to lift up the race
by the craven betrayal of universal
suicide. We are to stcop to conquer
and who ever conquered by stoopi1sf
We are invited to consent to the pro-
cess of assimilation for the good of
the world. Let us inquire into the
causes of the worlds desire for jew
ish assimilation. 1t is that We may he
absorbed and merged or that we may
disappear? What is really sought :
| Our absorption or our disappearance! i!
| Our assimilation or our extinction:
Disappearance is the end in view. AS
| similation is but mask worn by those
who aim at the obliteratiol, vNtcrmina-
| ton. of the Jews. Does the world
love the Jew so well that it hungers
for the assimilation and absorption OF
the blood of Israel? Shall we today
mingle our blood with that of the
world. and thereby consent to he swal-
| lowed up and. lost in n world whicl
scorns. rejects. despises us?
To ask that we remain loyal TO Ju-
daism lest the censurc of the world
be incurred were as illogical as to
demand the descrtion of judaism
merely to crafty the wish of men.
why not give up Judaism! No need
| of addressing that question 10 hosts
Of Jews in this and every other lana,
who have given up Judaism though
they know it not. Judaism is givFA
up by whosoevcr lives not judaism,
supply an manswerable argument
| 10 those who contend that Jul
daism has no mission. The jew, VINO
| lives un-Jcwishly in the higher sense,
| gives the lie to our claims touchllS
| the mission of Israel. This is the
real faithlcssness, the worst of betray-
ais. the nominal adherence to Israel
coupled with the actual rejection OIL
the moral and religious teachings OF
Judaism, this loyalty of the lips by
the side of total remuneration of all
that is jewish in aspiration ana