The Denver Jewish news., 1923-02-21
The Ne1u York Convention
Three Notes Particularly Were Sounded---the Reli-
gions, the American, and the Optimistic

! political ties. and in all historic time
that all these factors are incidental
to. and II means towards. the dominant
purpose TO which Israel has been con
sciously dedicated from the beginning.
namely. the development of the Jewish
religion.
In accordance with the spirit of onr
whole history we declare that ii is i'm
perative for the welfare of Jews every
where as great religious community
with ii universal message for human
| ity that Israel dedicate itself not TO
any aspiration for the revival of
Jewish nationality or the foundation of
Jewish state. but to the faithful and
consistent fulfillment of its religious
mission in the world. We. therefore.
do NOT seek for israel any national
homeland il being our conviction that
Israel is at home in every free country
and should be at home in all lands.
Nor do we approve of the demand for
specifically Jewish national rights in
any land. but we demand equal rights
for all inhabitants of all lands regard
less OF race or creed.
We reatfirm the declaration made by
the Union of American Hebrew Con-
gregations twenty-one years ago that
we are Jews in religion and Americans
in nationality.
We reassert the ideal to which this
Union owes its being and to which it
has been steadfastly devoted. namely.
the promotion of the Mission of Israel
to serve mankind through the propaga-
ton of the great moral and religious
principles first cnmciated by our
prophets.
These official declarations. together
with the action of the New York con-
vention indicate clearly the stand Of
the organization Oh this issue.
The delegates to the 1929 convention
ataOptetl resolutions on many vital qncs-
iions of the day. They denounced In
no uncertain terms the traffic in 40
called sacrn mental wines by conscience
less. profiteering individuals il reiig-
ious guise who are bringing the Jewish
mime into disrcpute: they declared for
n uniform national marriage. divorce
and desertion law: they adopted resolu-
tions on the Harvard proposal to de-
limit the number Of Jewish students
and roundly denounced the Ku KluS
movement: they declared for the re-
ligious equality Of woman by passing
n resolution favoring the election OF
women us members of the Executive
Board of the Union. thus placing the
capstone on the religious emancipation
of woman. one of the great achieve
ments of the reform. movement in .Iuda-
ism
The New York convention will go
down in history as remarkable
achievement. The very fact that in
these jazzy times hundreds and hun
dretls of busy men and women left
their vocations and duties to devote an
entire week to earnest discussion and
debileration on religious and spiritual
themes is enhcartening to the highest
degree Although the dispiriting symp-
toms of the times were recognized. still
there was n noticeable absence of the
despairing and pessimistic attitude. of
one thing the convention convinced us.
and that is that idenlism is not dead
among us. The religious spirit is still
strong, all signs to the contrary not
withstnnding. There is "a large saving
remnant Israel is not entirely welded
to the worship of material goods. The
prophets cry is still needed. Seek We
God and We shall live"
Three conventions of the Union stand
out particularly during its existence of
half n century. the Cincinnati conven-
ton of 1883. held in connection with
the ordination of the first class of rab-
bis graduated from an American rab-
binical seminary. the Hebrew Union
College the dream come true of the mas
ter builder of American Judaism, Isaac
NJ Wise: the Cincinnati convention of
1913. whose feature was the dedica
tion of the beautiful new buildings of
the Hebrew Union College; and the
golden jubilee convention in New York.
just ended and which in point of num-
bers and far reaching influence must
be written down as the supreme gath
ering thus far in the history of Ameri-
can reform Judaism, Truly. lSanc NJ.
Wise builded better than ever he knew.
He builded for the ages.
DAVID PHILIPSON.
The American Israelite.