The Denver Jewish news., 1923-02-21

ism i'll the United States, nay. III me
world. recently held in New York City
was the largest religious gathering Of
Two thousand or more delegates men
and women of affairs in all the cities of
the country assembled to discuss vital
questions affecting Jewish belief and
life in our American environment. Men
of national fame. great Americans of
the Jewish faith presided at the vari-
Gus meetings participated in the dis
cussions. 1t WAS primarily n layman's
convention. altho as II matter course.
well nigh every rabbi of the liberal wing
of Judaism. barring Il few notable ex-
ceptions who were kept away by i'll
ness. was present.
Three notes particularly We're sound
ed, the religious, the American and the
optimistic. Speaker after speaker de-
day was religion. The spiritual cle-
ment wsis dwelt upon constantly in the
brilliant papers that We're read. In
different ways il was asserted time ana
again that the only effective nntidote
to the disintegrating forces of the time.
is religion. more religion and still more
religion. And along with this relig-
ious insistence the American note went
hand in hand. These were Americans
of the Jewish faith who had come to-
gether for deliberntion upon and dis
ing them as Jews in religion and
Americans in nationality. At the last
session of the convention on Friday
morning there was an attempt made by
the Jewish nationalists, or as they are
usually known. Zionists, OF whom there
was comparatively small number in
the convention, to, secure the passage
of n resolution. which. while not NEIL
tioning Zionism. still might have been
Interpreted by Zionists. and. if passed,
would have undoubtedly been so inter-
preted and acclaimed as being sym
pnthetic with their cause. But the
delegates present would have none of
1t. 1t was laid on the table by n ire
mendous majority and the incident
ended
This great convention composed of
most representative Jews from all parts
of the country was evidently hostile
to any other nationnlism except the
American. During the discussion Mr..
Henry Morgcnthau. the ex-ambassador
to Turkey introduced as substitute
IA resolution which said briefly that the
convention favored physical reconstruc-
tion in Palestine hut opposed all forms
of Zionism. The motion to lay the
whole subject on the table necessarily
included this also Doubtedless ii was
thought unnecessary to adopt such
resolution. although ii expressed with
out question the sentiment of the great
majority because the Union has placed
itself on record twice on this issue
most unequivocally. the first time in
1888. at the silver anniversary of the
Union held ut Richmond. Virginia, and
the second time in 1919. at the Boston
convention held in honor of the one
hundredth anniversary of the birth of
Isaac NJ Wise. the immortal founder
ton reads:
I'VE are unaltcrably opposed to Po-
I;ti,aI IinpiStp The lows NOT a
ma tionality but n religious community.
Zion was n percious possession of our
past, the early home of our faith.
where our prophets uttered their world
subduing thoughts and our psalmists
sang their world conquering hymns. As
such ii is holy memory but it is not
our hope for the future. America is
our Zion. Here in the home of re-
ligious liberty we have aided in found
ing this new Zion, the fruition of the
beginnings laid in the old. The mis-
sion of Judaism is spiritual, not poll
teal. Its aim is not to establish n
State but to spread the truths of re-
ligion and humanity throughout the
world
And the Boston convention of 1919
made the ringing statement:
In this year of the Centenary of the
birth of Isaac NJ. Wise, founder of the
Union of American Hebrew CongreSa-
tions, we commemorate the event by
reaftirming our allegiance to the prin-
and created this Union.
While recognizing that the Jews We're
hound together in the far past by