The Denver Jewish news., 1923-07-12
BY GERsHoN AGRoNsKY

One of New York's seasonal cam
| pnigns Is that announced from sum-
n.er by various associations endeavor-
ling to promote Jewish education The
Jewish Education Association, which,
helped In the Join Week Campaign n
year ago. announces one now ito take
ten thousand Jewish boys and girls
from the streets of New York and place
them in Jewish schools No less than
800 prominent business men have beer,
mobilized. SO that If the parents nre
unable to pay for their clildrcn's Jew
ish schooling. the expense will he met
by the organization.
In this connection the office of the
American Jewish Congress deserves to
he congratulated on having seen the
wisdom of announcing at the proper
time the approximate number of votes
polled in Greater New York during the
election of delegates on Sunday. Had
the Congress inclined to show more
discretion and less candor 1t had reason
to withhold this Information. Compar-
ed to the first popular elections in
1917. the vote this year was dishearten-
ing. except in the light of the expecta-
ftions then, and now.
What has been done by Jews and
their representatives in this country for
the Jewish refugees is not. by the most
liberal stretch of Imagination compar-
able to what has been done by the
Federal Council of Churches In behalf
of the Christian refugees in the Near
East. This Council speaking as it
says In behalf of 10 great denomina-
tions and philanthropic organizations,
/ submitted to President Harding recent
| ly that an increasing number of Amer
| lean citizens feel that the refugee sit
| untion In the Near East is part of the
wreckage incident to the great war,
and that our government share with
other Western powers n responsibility
i to take care of that wreckage. Those
| who feel in this way are ready to voice
effort that 1t may make in behalf of
the suffering peoples, Thus the
Church Council about refugees who nre
not of the kith and kin of the COM
municants Of the denomination for
whom the Council speaks. II anything
resembling such an appeal to the Chief
Executive has been made by leading
Jews In this country for our afflicted
people. 1t has not been reported. 1t
was clearly somebody's job to do it.
Certainly. no one shirked the job. But
equally certain it is that no one pre-
sumed to do It.
| But even in these days of apathy
and unconcern demands for the dem
ocratization in Jewish life, and that
not only in its political phases, loom
fairly large. Two significant state
ments were made in this connection the
last month by two men, Mr.. Leo Motz-
kin and DIR. Stephen s. Wise. Mr..
Motzkin. n visitor to this country, who
hns since returned to Europe, speak
| ing Mt meeting of the Art Society
In New York warned against the dam
ger of transferring the Joint Distribu-
ton committees activities in Europe to
the Jewish Colonization Association. 1t
was clear from his remarks that it was
not because he liked the J. d. C. more,
but because he likes the "ICA" less.
The ]. ID. c., he said was undemo-
cratic but susceptible to public opin
ion. The "ICA." controlled by group
of men who perpetuate themselves in
office is subject to no supervision what
soever. Speaking n fortnight later mt
n mass meeting for the last Congress,
DIR. Wise said in effect he welcomed
the announcements Of the approaching
liquidation of the J. d. G. After few
glancing references to its leadership, he
urged thel best thing to be done under
the circumstances was for the ]. d. G..
to step down and let the Congress take
its place.
That it is the intention of the J. d.
c. to have part of its labors taken
over by the "ICA' has been indicated
on several occasions, and within the
Inst week substantiated by a report
from Vienna. The ]. ID. c. heads are
said to have asked the "ICA' to take
over the formers activities in Central
and Eastern Europe. releasing more of
the J. d. C.'s funds for the agricul-
tural rehabilitation of Jews in Russia,
in accordance with the latest plan of
planting a large number of Jewish
farmers in Crimea, n venture which is
estimated to require million dollars.
While it is extremely doubtful if the
, Congress- given the ]. ID. C.'s funds,