The Denver Jewish news., 1924-01-31
DR.. Thon Pleads For Reuiual OF
Jeluish Culture
States That Hebrew Renaissance Is Fundamental to All
Jewish Activties-AluSt Prepare and Train Future
Jewish Leaders-Sees Better Times For the Jews of
Poland.

unity We shall achieve with orr Jewish
Cducati ional activities. Do not be mis-
led The TASK is relatively easy. The
aSsimilationisis are pOwerless to stern
! the mighty wave of the Jewish pco-
pies spiritual awakening. Quite often
! you meet the children Of notorious Ger
J man or Polish assimilationists in the
! front ranks of our Jewish cultural or
national movements. The force of
events in all the Golus countries, the
steadily rising tide of antiSemitism in
some lands. drive back the Jewish
youth Ia their people The Jewish in
dividunliSt who before the war boasted
of his detachment from his people, feels
abandoned today. He must seek
strength in the ricn treasure Of his
;own history and culture The course of
| history is In the direction OF cultural
tradition. Never before have we had
in-all our erring brothers. and to pre-
pare The coping generation for a sound
and Noble Jewish life.
"Do not misunderstood me-" en-
pliatically said Dr. Thon. who is also n
member Of the Zionist Crosse Aktions
committee, and one OF the leaders of
tine Polish Zionists. Il do not mean
!, TO imply that this cultural work should
he made part of the activities of the
World Zionist Organization. 1t should.
OF course. like any other organization,
lend helping hand. But the burden
Of the World Zionist Organization is
! heavy enough as it is, without the adj
dition of the Tarbnth to the load.
AS Is see it, Jewish activities NIL
over the world fall into three separate
and distinct divisions. each of which
has its own nodus opcrandl, and is
directed and controlled by its own Gem
fral Executive. :
First. The reconstruction Of Pales-
tine as carried on by the Zionist Kercn
Haycsod .,
"Sccondly. the representation and de-
fense OF Jewish interests in all coun-
tries where the Jews are II minority.
as carried on. let us say. by the Jew
ish committee and the American Jew
ish Congress.
Thirdly, the spiritual rehabilitation
of our people. us attempted, for ex-
ample. by the Taybuth and similar or
gnniZations
"These three essential activities con-
verge nS a matter of fact. and COM
plete each other. There is no doubt
that when one is weakened. the others
suffer. In practical execution, how
ever. they are vastly divergent. and
to lie successful must be sharply diff
ferentiated. When 1 look back on the
last thirty years, and see all the
ground we have covered. cannot help
| feeling optimistic. What tremendous
difficulties we have overcome! TOday's
status far s,irpasses the fondest ex-
pectations of our youthful days. What
then appeared distant hope is now n
| reality: but. of course. the more we ad-
vancc on the read of practical achieve
mcnt the more we meet with petty
bUStutltS, WIFI an" 'i'N''''''
, II we want to keep the ground we have
gained, we must prepare the younger
generation TO carry on our work, we
must develop Jewish leaders with the
in,lomitable idcalism of the leaders OF
our generation. This is why the Jew
ish spiritual revival is the foundation
for all other activities"
| | thought the moment OppOrtune for
another attempt And the Jewish sit
uaiion in Poland, DIR. Thon?'
The enthusiasm of this dynamic per-
sonality had acquired too great mo-
mentum to halt at even so sad ques-
tion. DR. Thon answered, though with
| less v:vacity THE anti-Icwish eycesscs
are a legacy of CZariSt Russia. But
am sufficiently optimistic to hope for an
Improvement. to expect soundcr condi-
| iions. The Polish Constitution is guar
4 antee enough for the Jewish commun-
ity there; on the basis of this cOnsti-
tuition the Jews can fight for and obtain
civil and national equality. This is
being done with the full force of par
liamentary means by the Jewish rep
rescntatives in the Polish legislature,
Sejm, and Senate. If He have not
so far any renl results to show, this
is TO he ascrihcd exclusively to the
fact that in Poland, as everywhere
else in Europe. the present after-war
period is dominated by the reaction
aries. A party as powerful rs the
acknowledgements Party, undoubted.
ly the most reactionary in the world