The Denver Jewish news., 1924-08-28
Holders of Jewish Public Opinion
Their Life Their Work and Their Views-Peter Wiernik
Historian and EditOr-Anti.Se at Least so Far
as the Sharp and Violent Forms Are Concerned Never
Could Root Itself Very Deeply in These Countries.
By WILLIAM u. SpIEGELMAN
Copyright 1924. Jewish Telcgraphlc
Agency

Agency
The impression seems to prevail In
some circles that the Yiddish press Is.
sued In This country is mainly devoted
To the advocating Cf more or less rad
icnl doctrines Jews are as u rule
considered to bGlif not sponsors Of pre-
cisely radical ideals, at least sponsors
Of liberalism. That there is large
class. II not the largest part Of Jcwry,
which Is deeply rooted in conservative
practice is n thing which would sur
prise one who has only superficial
knowledge Of real Jewish life. or
course. this tendency In Jewish life,
standing with both feet firmly on the
ground, large In numbers and strength
cned by the antiquity of thought. is moi
obviously compelled To fight for domin-
ance. II is fact. and merltoriouS
facts do not need any exaggerated pub
licity. However. the growth of the
Niddish press in this country with its
tendencies toward modernism caused
the reaction. There appeared Jew
ish conservative press. II would he
transgrcssion against accuracy to call
this powerful factor In Jewish life re-
hctionnry What II really is is con
servative.
The advocate of this conservative
tcndcncy-no. | should say. fact in Jew
ish communal life is the Jewish Morn
ing Journal. 1t is distinguished by its
age, circulation and sphere Of in
flucnce II has been in existence for
over 20 years aud has not only brought
informatio nand strength TO the older
Yiddish-speaking generation, but also
10 large part of "A younger generation
of Jews who adapted themselves TO
the American environment and did not
nj the same time abandon their inter
est in Jewish affairs. H..
The living force of thoughtful con-
servntism, n combination of modern
knowledge based on the wisdom and
experience of ages. is given to this pub
lication by its venerable editor. Peter
Wiernlck. Readers of the Jewish
press when looking for the purely lew
ish view of any matter that happens to
occupy the minds of men. have neces-
sarily to look 10 the editorial comment
If Peter Wiernick. His pen finds in
tercst not only in matters purely re-
ligiouS: his attention is devoted to mat
terS of politics. Democratic or Re
publican, social reform political ap-
probation Gf any given complicated sit
uation in any country, and to the latest
expression in modern philosophical
thought naturally comparing 1t with
the incxhmlstible sources of the Jew.
monidcs. Yehuda IiaLevey. Ramban,
the mystic self seeking and self ey-
pressing reflections of an Ari and Boal
Shem Tov.
Peter Wicrnick thinks in terms Of
tradition. Nothing that has any ma
tcral moral or aesthetic value can
spring from nothing. There is a be
ginning and an origin to every mat
ter: its beauty lies in its continuity.
The new must have its roots in the
ancient. History is his hobby. If
you happen TO be interested, lei me say,
In the history of the Jews In this
country. YOU have to turn to pages of
Peter wiernicks History of the Jews
in America
Peter Wiernieli represents an entire
~ new type in Jewish literature and
journalism Although born in the
midst of the heated fight that went on
in the middle of the 10Th century be.
tween the two dominating tendencies in
Jewish life, "Haskalah' and "Chassid-
ISM" he was never caught in the whirl-
wind of this struggle. The course Of
his life marks departure from the
then usual routine. He did not spend
his youth in study alone: did not fight
against the darkness" did not cher
iSh high ambitions for saving the
world from its troubles. He simply
sat down to work from the very be-
ginning.
The son of n travelling Magid
tpreacherl, having the privilege of see
ing his father only at rare intervals,
perhaps once year, he did not have
70 resist parental education. 20 through
flIc usual conflict between Fathers
aud Sons and could not naturally in
duge in theor.zing on account of ma
terial abundance. Being harnessed at
hard work at the age of i3 in Riga
he found the joyful and enthusiastic at
titudc Of the Chnssidim on Saturdays
und holidays a great redreming feature
Being welded to the prose of everyday