The Denver Jewish news., 1923-07-12
Council of Jewish Womer,
Ce,ne;. Combs.s Communal COmpeti-
Z tion. Civic Leader Urges Cooperation.

New York City-One of the recent ma
tional mvoements successfully further
ed by the Council of Jewish Women,
is that of eliminating wasteful compete
tion and rivalry among the many jew
ish women's organizations in COM
munity. To encourage increased CO.
operation, Mrs. Herbert Il. Ottenheimer
Of Louisville, KY, National Chairman
of the committee on Civic and Commun-
al Affairs, has issued an appeal to the
local sections of the Council to take
the initiative in forming Federations
of Jewish Women's organizations. Mrs.
Ottenheimer has issued the following
appeal:
"Why are we having this economic,
social, religious unrest that is shaking
the very cornerstone of the whole
cnrth?s And why does the condition re-
main so impossible of solution? One
sees in every periodical on every print
cd sheet, soundings of disharmOny. 1t
is denominational, interdenominationnl
national and international. And the
subject of the Jew is favorite target.
1--WE do not drift into anything Re-
suits come from certain causations.
There is much that it behooves us to
consider. BY some, Jews are accused
of being extreme internationalists.
working for world domination. BY
others Jews are accused of not being
able to pull together. The fact of the
matter is that all creeds and all de-
nominations are alike guilty.
Il shall quote few sentences from
the January issue Of 1.-THE Worlds
Work. from an article contributed by
Burton Bendrick. If there is one
thing Jews have proven in their age
old wanderings, 1t is the lack of power
of cooperation. Inability to cooperate
for unified purpose is their racial trait
There is an intense individualism. Each
man is an entity, even in matters of
his own religion. Each society is a
separate group, one having no relation
to the other. The Jewish mind lacks
two faculties-creativity and ability to
organize. Individualism passed out of
much, but that he has accomplished so
little
conscientious thinkers of all creeds
and all denominations are trying to
find a basis that will bring people to-
gether, SO that the habit. of Cooperative
relationship may evolve If what Mr..
Hendrick said of Jews he had said
alike of all denominations, should
unhesitatingly write attest.
in our Council program we have
Jewish forces. Secondly we believed
we should relate the Jew to inter
denominational forces doing community
service. The Council has for twenty
nine years BEEN made up Of members
who represent all phases Of Judaism.
There are no qualifying clauses to mem
bership. Through membership four
fields of activity are open-religion,
social welfare, education and coopera-
tive civic. All Sections have visualized
the fact that the Council has been the
opening wedge. the training school, the
great interpreter that has placed the
individual and the group with other
groups doing denominational and inter
UNCONVENTIONAL community work.
"Federations of Jewish Women's or
ganizatiOns are now being formed in
cur largest communities. In no in
stance have they come together as
Council adjunct, but merely at the call
of the Council, since there had to be
an initiator, and the Council, because
of its clientele, was n logical one. But
one purpose was at heart-to promote
IL better community spirit They listen
sympathetically, but do not endorse
controversial Questions-the platform
lis open"