The Denver Jewish news., 1923-06-28
Joseph Krauskopf's
Monument
An Appreciation A
Ry A. II. FROMENSON

| thnt marks MIN man unique III ms
generation. u man of vision. statesman
like vision. as a great constructive
force. whose strivings and whose
achievements have not ended with the
cessation of the heating of his great
heart.
| II is true Of Joseph Krauskopf that
the good he did in life lives after him,
will live after him. and that his mem
ory will remain as green and golden MS
those broad. rolling acres near DOyles-
town. Pennsylvania, that embody and
symbOlize the vision and the purpose
to which, above everything else. he
gave the best years of his life: upon
which he lavisltsl the full measure of
his genius and the entire force of his
marvellous energy and capacity. The
red barns. the silOs. the lowing kline
the multitude nodding heads OF the
great fields OF corn and wheat. the
plough. or tending the cattle the dor
mitories. greenhouses and class rooms
OF the National Farm School-these
nre Joseph Krauskopf's enduring mon
ument. The scores of graduates.
many Of them tilling their own ncres.
many Of them imparting to others the
great. fundamental craft which they
acquired at. the school founded by
Joseph Krauskopf, these. too. are of
1.-THE structure of his monument.
Joseph KrnuskOpfs monument will
endure, and his memory will remain as
green and golden as the broad acres OF
that significant Institution and Its pur-
pose, with which his name will ever
farmer. every Jewish instructor reim-
parting to their kind that ancient
knowledge which the Jews have lost
through the centuries. will add to the
height as it will add to the enduring
ness of Joseph Krauskopf's monument.
Dr. KrauskOpf credited another with
the inspiration that gave birth to the
National Farm School. He liked to
tell of his visit in 1894. to Leo Tolstoi.
who laid upon his soul duty which
found expression in the founding OF
this Institution.
| Today. eight hundred acres In
rarely fertile Pennsylvania valley are
dedicated to the effort to direct Jews
back to che soil. But there are also
the congested cities. the liidcous tcne-
mcnt houses. the brutal sweat-shops;
There nre also a. score Of institutions.
filled with Jewish victims Of tubercu-
iosis = that moral fibre which was SYM
bolicaI Of Jewish devotion tc law has
been worn appalingly thin; ami the
portals of entry are hut 3 per cent
open. and likely. as easily as not. to
slam entirely shut the while anti
Scmitism in this country has become
grave menace.
Had the Jews of this country been
imbued with DIR. KrauskOpf's vision.
had they foreseen. as he forsaw. NIL
that we nre. confronted with In this
country now. and all that portcnds.
the National Farm School would have
had ample provision for thousands
NItTt II IttS ShuNe iVi phhs " ~" h"'A
dred now. A score of dOrmitories
scores of class rooms would have
| swarmed with an eager Jewish young
manhood. studying that profession
which is the most important In that
II is the most essential. of all-for
without the farmer the world cannot
live mt all. The philosophy Of back
to the soil would have been the jew
ish philosophy of America.
Joseph Krauskopf is dcad-hut his
vision lives. The great constructive
idea to which he gave the hest of him
self persists. 1t cannot dic-nay. 1t
must not he permitted to die. He did
not live to see the institution placed
beyond financial worry. He bequeathcd
1t to small group of men. who have
for years been endeavOring valiantly
to uphold his hands. to make the Ma
tional Farm School that mighty instru-
mentality for Jewish good that was his
life-dominating ambition. Not only to
these men did he bequeath it, hut to
the Jews of America.
Joseph KrauskOpf is dead. Many
culogies were pronounced over his
bier. Many eulOgics of him will be
spoken from hundreds of pulpits and
platforms. Many will lavish praise
upon him. upon his virtues. upon his
strivings. Possibly. men will talk of
setting up some great monument to his
memory. But Joseph KrauskOpf needs
no monument of marble and bronze
rHc needs no hcaven-aspirinS shaft of
granite TO inform pcsterity that he
lived-and strove. His monument ex-
lists already. 1t was builded out of his