The Denver Jewish news., 1924-09-11
Ey WILLIAM u. srIEGELMAN

this doctrine. The exponent Of thi,
doctrine, lis creator. promulgntcr ant
protector became the Jewish Daily
Forward
Confronted with The old problem
adoption To the taste Of the masses OF
nm attempt 10 deyclon and elevate tn,
latter the Jewish Daily Forward, In
the course of its development in pc.
riod of over twenty years, made cx-
cnrsions into both directions. 1t now
represents II combination of both
While having clear-cut tendency
which places in the center of human
activity, the historic ma terialistic view.
point. dcvoiing widc-awnke attention
10 every detail cf the labor movement,
the Forward gives to Its readers both
political information and general edu.
cation. In fact II serves for its read.
ers, who never had in their native
countries any educational facilities.
both as nm elementary school, high
school and college Furthermore. il
became for the large group OF American
immigrant citizens. n college OF civics,
n college which not only thcorizes. but
gives its instruction by lessons taken
from the political life of the country.
The Forward Is more thnn n paper.
II is movement and an organization.
Officially, general manager Of the For
ward, Il. &. Nladeck is one Of the most
active leaders in this paper-organiza-
tion.
There is n romantic touch Of herolsm
in the life Of Il. c. Vladeck.
Born in an ortholox Jewish family in
Dukov. Gov OF Minsk. Russia. he has
received, together with his older broth.
er. the weil.known literary critic, s.
Niger. the usual Jewish religious train
ing. Studying in YcshivRh in Ninsk
his mind. at nm early stage. underwent
the exercises and discipline of Talmudic
scholasticism. He found however n
greater appeal in the poctical cry of
the Prophets. especially Isiah, against
the social injustice of the frudel sys-
TEN OF ancient .Iudaea, than in the
hair-splitting and sharp-minded theOr-
izng Of the later exponents of abstract
Jewish thought in the schools Of Baby
Ion and awakc, when yet youth, To
the problem of economic inequality in
the country of his nativity. White
Russia. the place where Yladeck grew
to maturity was. II seems. particularly
fit TO cause such. an awakening. The
tremendous chasm between the poor vii
lage population on one hand and the
owners on the other: the llmltless pow
erty Of the city dwellers and the eX-
trayagent life of the then powerful
higher Russian officials was too great
a reminder Of social difference that
should not set in motion mind and a
heart which had inherited capacity
for understanding and feeling. But
Nlndcck is not mere dreamer When
obseSsed with an idea he strives to turn
Of the Jewish city population In that
region Of the former Russian Empire
was the attaining OF n secular educa-
tion. Vlndeck, n young boyy, joined the
staff of some private library in the
city His first conflict with the Rus.
sian government WIS on account of his
activity, for which he had TO repent In
jnil.
At the early stages of the labor
movement among Jews. the Jewish
masses represented unique spectacle
The bulk of Jews in the former Rus
sian Pale of Settlement" consisted OF
one large middle class. Although di.
vidcd by the degree of possession there
was no such distinction as bosses and
workers (nlthough they were nothing
else hut wage earners. with the diff
ference that wnges We're paid to then
not by any employer, but by their small
cnterprises) The Jewish Labor move
mant. creating labor consciousness
had at the same time to create a work
ers class. 1t had when selling" ths
iden of Jewish workers organization
at the same time to 'sell" the statu,
of such class The "Bund." Mnrxiar
and international in principle, hui
granting concessions for the peculiar
cultural needs Of the Jewish masses
was the first and most important oi
Jewish labor organizations in Russia
in promnlgating this doctrine and IL
| spreading the idea of class conscious
ness. b. G. Vladeck Joined this organ
(CoDtinued on paRA ~