The Denver Jewish news., 1924-07-24
Our New York Letter
The Death Of Dr. Isaac A. IIourwich-
The Influence Of Russian Jewish
Intellectual.
By WILLIAM z. srIEGELMAN

Copyright by Jewish Tecgraphlc
Agency, Ltd. 1870
One of the most interesting figures
in American Jewish life, perhaps not
so well known to the country at large
but nevertheless of dynamic influence.
passed suddenly away in the city of
/ New York.
Philosophy, lawyer, American immi-
grafton expert, statistician and de
fender of labor's rights, died at the
age of "a. We are accustomed to
judge men by their achievement in
material wealth or by their popular
| ity; we often overlook those scholarly,
quiet workers whose efforts make n
deep impression on the environment
in which they live without causing
much noise outside of it. Brought to
America by the wave of Russian Jew
ish immigration "a years ago, Isaac A.
| Hourwich's activities and sudden de-
parture mark an epoch in American
Jewish life. Through his work in a
fermenting and new life-forming
period of Russian Jewish immigration,
he made his contribution not only to
Jewish life in America, but to Amer
lea as whole.
When the mass of mostly unskilled
Russian Jewish immigrants found ref
uge from economic barrenness and
political oppression and had to adapt
themselves to their new environment
they found economic potentialities for
applying their labor power, a Bill Of
Rights to protect their civil liberty,
and charitable institutions, perhaps,
to help those who were in need. To
the American Jewish community Of
German origin must be credited the
building up of great industries which
created the possibilities for the new
arrivals to be easily digested and as
simulated in the economic system of
the country. This same American
Jewish community has ON the other
hand provided splendid system of in
stitutions to extend philanthropic aid
to those who were either unfit for the
new kind of endeavor or who were
victims of the new industrial regime.
1t was left, however, for those intel
lectual leaders who followed the wave
of Jewish immigration from Russia,
to start a movement which would rem
edy the evil at its root.
No matter what our attitude may
be towards the doctrines of socialism
as remedy for the evils of the world,
one cannot help but admit that the
movement started and pursued with
so much energy, idealism-perhaps
exaggerated idealism - resulted in
much good for the large class of i'm
migrants. The betterment of the CON
ditions, in this respect the introduc-
tion of organization in these ranks,
the abolishment of the sweat shop
towards Improvement of the situation
of the Jews in America but also a
contribution towards the general
standard of living in America. In
this movement DR.. Isaac A. Hourwich
was in the lead.
Russian Jewish intelectuals of the
type of DR.. Hourwich, when fleeing to
America, did not bring with them
burning desire for individual liberia
tion alone; they carried with them the
care and thought Of the group. In the
service of the United States govern
ment as statistician DR.. Hourwich de-
voted his time not to the achievement
of a personal career but to the secur-
ing of correct and enlightening figures
on Jewish immigration Immigration,
especially Jewish immigration on
which opinions differ so much, always
required the dissemination of correct
information presented in the proper
light.
Fighting for liberal immigration
provisions, his last days saw this
country being closed to immigrants;
fighting for socialism all his life and
at one time reaching the heat of com
munism, he went to Russia, to return
a convinced anti-Bolshevik.
1t was a tragic figure, significant of
his generation, that passed away.
Russia will for long time hold the
attention Of those who have either
their matcrialistic or idealistic inter
est before their eyes. win the pres
ent regime continue in Russia, and if
not, what is going to happen when it
falls? This question was repeatedly
asked and with especial anxiety by
those who are interested in the fate of
a great number of Jews in the former
Russian Empire. This question was
asked as many times as there arrived
in this country some new anti Bolshe-
Vik mission or dplpvatiOr