The Denver Jewish news., 1924-10-09
BY WILLIAM 2. SPIEGELMAN

lhe Federation oil PollSh Jews IN
America, New York society, has
taken the initiative in matter which
cles than the Federation itself rep
resents. january 26, 1925 will mark
the one hundred and forfeit ami
versary of the death of one Of the
most illustrious figures in Jewish his
tory in America. Chain Salomon,
the first Jewish immigrant from
Poland TO America, made very hon
orable record in his new country. Over
there in Poland, fuch stress is being
laid on the activities of another Polish
refugee who came to America at that
time.
1t is the figure of Tadeusz Kos
ciuszko, the tragic national hero Of
Poland who, seeing the partition Of
his country and the collapse of his ma
ton, crossed the ocean to help in the
establishment of new nation and to
fight for its independence. Many dis
illusioned and disheartened Poles and
Jews-at that time united in sorrow
and in hope for better world-were
stranded all over the western world.
kosciuszko is the name which figures
in the history of both, America and
Poland. kosciuszko is the epitome
Of the best that Poland, in defeat, pro-
duced. In fact, Poland, after the ma
tional catastrophies, produced liter
ature which resembled in a way the
literature which grew out of the Jew
'ish genius after the national catas-
trophy in Palestine.
Polish dreamers, in exile, even re-
produced Polish version Of the Jew
Messiah idea. 1t is sufficient to men
ton the names of Miczkiewioz and
Towjanski. This stream of emigrants
from Poland, prompted by the same
high motives, included also number
of Polish Jews.
One of them, Chain Salomon, land
ing in America, proved to be a high
minded patriot of no small worth. At
the outbreak of the Revolution, a lin
guistically gifted man with great
knowledge of international affairs, he
gave his services to the revolutionary
forces. Arrested as a spy by the
British, he escaped from prison and
continued his patriotic services to his
adopted country.
His loans to the government
amounted to over s350,000 which was
never returned. A report of the
United States Senate committee made
in 185-says that Salomon "gave
great assistance to the Government
by loans of money, advancing liber-
ally of his means to sustain the men
engaged in the struggle for indie
pendence at time when the sinews Of
war were essential to success"
A street in Brooklyn, mostly in
habited by Jews, bears the name of
Kosciszko; the name of Chain Salo-
mon, Kosciuszko's country man, is
practically forgotten.
The suggestion to honor the name
of Solomon, by erecting monument
in prominent place in New York
comes at a proper time. Proceeding
the closing of the gates of America to
immigrants from Eastern Europe, a
term used only to conceal the real
meaning of it-barring against Pol
ish Jews-the qualities of Polish Jews
were broadly discussed and in not a
very complimentary way. Many still
remember the attacks of Burton Hen
rik on Polish Jewry as whole. Be-
side the pseudo-scientifc assertion
that the Polish Jews are not of Semi.
tic, but of Chazaran Mongolian orig.
in, the gravest charge made against
them was the unfounded opinion that
Polish Jews, as the East European
jew in general, has no conception OF
patriotic duty and love for his coun.
try. The name of Berko Joselowicz
contemporary of Solomon and cham
pion of Polish independence, highly
honored in annals of the Polish strug
gle against the partitioning powers
is convincing reply to spch state
ment. The name of Hanri Bergson
son of a Polish Jewish family dis
tinguished for its struggles for ma
tional independence, is another replics
to the charges of racial inferiority o.
the Jews.
The proposed monument to Chain
Salomon will be further telling evi
derce of Polish Jewish contribution
to America.
S25,0O0,000 is spent annually b.
Jews in the United States for charit