The Denver Jewish news., 1924-06-26

pan luf iht preservation ol lh'
work uf the Jewish chautnuqnn So
ciety Of America Of which the late Dr
Henry Bcrkowilz Cf Philadelphia wa.
the founder and president, has been
suggested by Mr.. Ludwig Nogolstcin
one of the vicr-pr.Silents of the Union
~ American Hebrew Congregations
and also u member of the New York
Executive committee Of the Union, wh0
i> prominently Identified with many
phlunthropic enterprises In New York
This plan ccntcmplates the absorption
Of the essential features Of the re-
ligious and cultural work of the Chau.
tauQrn by the Union. and provides for
the perpctuation uf the name of Henry
HerkOwitZ.
Shall the name Of Henry BcIkowitz
diey
shall that great work-thc Jewish
Chautauqua-withw which his name has
of the man who founded II and who
carried 1t On so splendidly aud 50
scrviceably for the good OF the Jewish
people, disappear also?
These are questions which have been
not only in my mind. hut in the minds
Of many of the late Dr. Henry Bcrk.
owitz's admirers for some time" said
Mr.. Vogelstein rs prelude 10 his
proposal.
These are questions which every Jew
in this country who loves his people
and wishes to see them advance cul-
lnrally and spiritually, must ponder
seriously.
The late DIR. Henry Bcrkowiiz was
a beloved man" continued Mr.. Vogel-
stein. His love for humankind. and
his love for his people was 50 vast and
- marked that il created response
in kind in the hearts of all who hnd
the pleasure of meeting him and
knowing him. He was net one Of those
Rahhis content with 'parNiiinl exist
ence. His vision went beyond the lin
its of his own congregation and his
own community, and encompasscd the
whole Of American .Icwry. as it existed
some thirty years ago. He saw com
munitics struggling To find themselves
Intellectually. spiritually. Jewishly. He
saw them struggling without guidance
ms without leadership. and he saw the
possibilities of danger from the Jewish
stand point due to maladjuStment with
the American environment. The Jews,
rs he saw them, We're. either through
inclination or through circumstance,
losing the old Jewish mooring. In
their small communities conditions
We're such as to endanger affirmative
Jewish living. with no force strong
enough to present the drift away from
Judaism.
He saw also the Jews of America
yronment which did not understand.
ana he realized that parallel with the
danger of the loss Of Jewish values
in the life of Jewish communities in
this country, there was the danger
also of n hostility due to misunder-
standing
TO meet this two-fcld problem he
conceived the very brilliant idea of a
twO-fOld task The one phase of this
task was to create a better dndcr-
standing of the Jew by his neighbors.
and the other phase. to create better
understanding of Judaism among
American Jews. The Jewish Chautau-
qua was the instrument which he de-
viscd in order to meet this task. Its
purpose, aS he conceived ii. was to
establish lecture courses all over the
country both for Jews and for non
Jews. These lectures have invariably
been on Jewish subject whether his.
torical or sociological For the distinct
ly Jewish phase Of the Jewish Chau-
tauqua. he added also n teachers train
ing course Of qualify men and women
to bring the message and the lessons
Of Judaism directly to the smaller Jew
sh communities.
How well this work has been done
is uttcsted today by the finely develop.
ed Jewish consciousness that is nppar.
rnt In every community, however large
or small. The Jewish ChautauQua
crcntion of Henry Bcrkowitz, is n noble
cdifce reared in America for the glory
Of Israels God.
But DR.. Henry Berkowitz is dead
The question arises, what is to be-
come of the Jewish Chautauqua? II
must not he permitted 10 disappear. 1t
ought to he the aim and the desire
of the Jews of this country-as 1t is
The aim and the desire of those who