The Denver Jewish news., 1924-10-23
BY wM. z. srIEGELMAN

! Wnlcn appeared ON the occasion OF the
Jewish New Year, tells the world that
there are million and n half Jews In
the city OF New York, II Is not known
bv what method the editor collected his
dnin and made certain of this figure.
| However, II there is time when the
approximate number Of Jews living In
New York can he asccrtaincd, II is none
other than the season Of the High Holi-
days
To non-New Workers., especially To
those who have read so much about
the supposed radicalism Of the East
Side, II may seem a paradox--it is none
the less n fact-that perhaps In the
entire Jewish history the recording nn-
gels who are, according to tradition ap-
pointed To welcome the prayers which
rise from our poor planet, have not
had such n busy spot as New York
during the present High Holiday
season.
Beginning with the rocky Hunts
Point section in the Bronx and reach
| ing even TO the loa ardwalk Of Coney
Island, thousands, tens Of thousands,
perhaps hundreds of thousands of Jews
were congregated during the High Holi-
days in the various improviscd Minyon-
MIN. Prayer Halls and Chazan Per-
formanccs. not counting the old, cstab-
lishcd congregations Of the purely orth-
odox. conservative, scm-rcformed and
reformed temples.
Is il possible that all this expression
of pious contemplation and religious de-
votion in stimulated by the enterprising
organizers of Ad Hoe congregations for
\ business purposes? Perhaps. Never
theless, 1t is n phenomenon Of great i'm
portancc. whatever the cause may be.
New York Jews pray, really and de
votedly.
Perhaps In all the history of the
Jewish synagog, passing through all the
stages of slow development, beginning
with the Peoples House in the time of
| the Great Assembly, extending through
the Beth Ha'midrach Of the Middle
| Ages, the Shtyhel Of the Chassidic
movement, to the Tabernacle on Broad
concert of prayers as in the city of
New York.
The angels We're. busy. An ancient
tradition says that what happens above,
finds its equal below-not only the an
giles, but also the Rabbis. Synagog
/ Judaism was at its height. Rabbis and
preachers. speakers and lecturers, did
not fail to take advantage of the oc-
casion. Was there any Jewish or non
Jewish problem which was not touched
upon from the pulpit? A list of the
themes, only partly published in the
metropolitan newspaper could fill n
program of college with special de-
partmcnts for: Philosophy Of religion,
poetry. historical research, politics and
civics. The old Satan who annually
appears ms n prosecuting attorney was
of as much interest as the utterly
young and not entirely successfully De
fense Test Day. Help for the stranded
! Jewish immigrants in the various
European ports presented as great
measure of appeal as the call of the
Kcren Hayesod; the strengthening of
jewish religious feeling was as fas-
| cinatng a subject as the always-dis-
cussed question of Jewish education.
Opinions may differ as to the prac-
| tical value of sermons and lectures in
| houses of worship, there cannot, how
ever, bc any doubt that preparatory to
/ the approaching season of Jewish Com
munal work it is "A valuable, education
al campaign.
Prince Antonine BiblescO, Roumanian
Ambassador to the United States, had
a unique experience last Tuesday eve
ming. The synagog of the congregation
4 of Jews of Roumanian descent. Sharei
Shumaym on Rivington street on the
East side, was over-crowdcd with peo
pie who listened to both the ancient
melody of Kol Nidre and to the polite
diplomatic Grafton of the Prince.
do not know whether the enlighten
ed Prince. after his attendance in the
synagog listening to the solomon cere
monies. reached any conclusion aboll'
the existence of distinctly Jewist
music, nor is it probable that the Prince
| vii now be able to explain to hi
c0untryman. the learned professol
Cuza, the leader of the Roumanlar
anti-Scmtcs. that Kol Nidrc is no
| carte blanche for the Jews to ignore
their obligations toward the Gentle.
What could he, however, think of the
people whose brethren are being con
tinually prosecuted in Roumanlo, who
permit the most solemn religious service
of the year to I've turned into place
where diplomatic apologies could b'
] Foo, u,ti,ns, which annppt he pN