Evening star., 1923-09-30
NEWS OF THE JEWISH WORLD
BY RABBI JACOB S. MINKIN

Egypt must always continue to
hold a place of supreme interest In
the life of the Jewish people. IL
was not only the cradle country Oh
Moses and the Exodus, but an uh'
broken series Of other events nave
forever endeared that country to the
heart of the Jewish people. But Oh
Egypt to Jews the most interesting
city is Cairo. Probably no other city
in the world, perhaps not even Jeru-
salem, can boast of so uninterrupted
a continuity of Jewish residence a
continuity not broken by adverse 1or-
tune and circumstances. as caro-
The Exodus did not remove the last
lew from Egypt, and q Jewish com
p,unity continued to flourish In CAIRO
long after Moses led the Hebrews
across the Red sea and the desert.
In a recent issue OF the JeWisli
Chronicle of London, England, lrlna
Kraft gives an interesting account
OF the Jewish community of CAIRO.
There are 10000 Jews today. IL
seems, in Cairo. They are wealthy
educated and charitable. The pro-
fessions are filled with large per-
rentage of Jewish doctors, lawyers
tba hest advocates in Cairo are Jews
writer's, proprietors of the theater
and the opera. One notable fact
through all Egypt, says the writer, Is
that the banking business Is IN the
hands of the Jews, as well as 4 gooo
percentage of the legal business ana
much of the ownership of news
papers and periodicals. Promlheht NJ
Jews are welcome everywhere III
Egypt. There are Jewish pasnas
and beys. who are similar to Englisii
lords and earls. and there mas peen d
remarkable increase Of Jews In gov
eminent officials. The new King OF
Egypt is said to be particularly In
terested in the progress of the jew
ish people.
The Jews of Egypt are noted for
the sanctity of their family hft
Marriages are arranged with great
care. and a decision once taken con-
tinues throughout life. There are
few divorces, and they are granted
only in extreme cases. Inere Is 'l
vast respect through Egypt for the
quality of Jewish home life. Jews
are seldom involved in politlcai lin .
hroglio or nationalist plots. content
that his sword is beaten into a prun-
ing hook, and grateful for the le-
niency of the Egyptian government.
In Egypt the sun of tolerance SHINES
equally upon the Jew and ms
Egyptian brother.
Tolerance for jews In China.
Mention has been made in these col
umns of the comparatively faVoraDle
position of the Jews in China. Dr.
Monroe Tang, professor in Teachers
College in Peking, China, and one OF the
leading delegates to the convention OF
the Kuo Min Tang, the Natlonal REQ
pies Party, recently held in Detroit,
declared in an interview granted 10 Il
representative of the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency chat there is no race prejudice
in China, and that every one, native or
foreigner, is placed on an equal 1ootlns
there. DR.. Tang said that the number
of Jews in China is uncertain, put is
communities in Picking. Shanghai and
perhaps in two or three other cr ~
Most of them are traders ana ''rs
chants and live on friendly terTs st.'
their Chinese compatriotS.
That intermarriage is 4 con. lSh 80
currence among the Jews of tTina is
the belief of DR.. Tang. The Chinese
know no racial prejudice. declared Or.
Tang, which is probably responsible Tor
the total absence of anti-Semitism in
China.
The Yiddish Art Theater.
Writing in the current issue OF the
Menorah Journal, Samuel S. Grossman,
formerly general manager of the Jewish
Art Theater New York city, states that
IN less than five years seyenty-odd pro-
ductions have been given in Yiddish
arts theaters. nearly all of them Amer
lean premiers. and one-half that number
were presented for the first time on any
stage. The dramatists ranged from es-
tablished playwrights like Andreuev,
Ash, Gorky, Hauptmann. Hirshbein.
Pinsky, Shakespeare, Shasv. Schntzler,
Sholom Aleichcm and Tolstoi to new
corners list which includes Levick, An
ski, Rosenfeld and Sackler.
In brief. the five years of repertery
represent IA wide assortment and a great
number of good plays-more and better
dramas than were available to the play
goer anywhere in America at any other
single theater during that period of
time. With proper support, the writer
contends, the Jewish Art Theater can