The Denver Jewish news., 1925-08-13
Last of the Vieforians
by SADIE GEM

Every jew "a whom Judaism Il dear, /
should rejoice that Mrs Kohut has at
last given To the world the story of her |
life, TOO long have the forces of the |
opposition been active in literature. |
The necessity and the incvltnbllity Of |
assimilation have been the keynote of
practically every book on Jewish life \
IA Americu. Mary Antin sloughs of |
her Judaism like garment outworn |
Sarah and her daughter Pearl, In the |
novel of that name, although born Jews |
aud showing the lneradicablc traits OF
those reared in the Ghetto, live their
lives as If Judaism is no longer In cN-
istonce, as If Jewishness Is a stain
that must he gradually removed from
the fabric of their personalities. David
Levinski, too ,-.--clng or seemingly
unaware OF the world OF Jewish life
and thought, plungcs exclusively into
the world Of trade and finance. True,
he retrains from marrying Gentle
woman, but he never realizes that the
ache in his heart and the loneliness
in his soul are due to the starvation of
those elements In his being which are
ineXtricably bound up with his Jewish
origin. Need David in the Melting
Pott.' be mentioned who finds his joy
ultimately in his music and in Cen
tile wife? David symbolizcs the silver
lining in the cloud of assimilation. The
darker aspect In all Its loathsomeness
and hideousness is lndelibly portrayed
in the unforeettable "IIaunch, Paunch
and Jowl,' where the Jew, cut OFF from
his ancestral faith by his own volition,
all the finer instincts of his being
atrophied, his ideals dead, the restraint
OF ages loosened, absorbs the vllest ele-
tmcnts of n decadent, pseudo American
civilization, and is transformed in the
process into a strange and monstrous
cancerOus growth In the fair body of
the Jewish community. \ ccaseless eff
fort to suppress indomitable, inherited
traits, a spirlt-crushing struggle with
an unyieldlng alien environment twlt-
ness Ludwig Lewisohn in up
| Stream''D. and bold defiance of an
enemy openly challenged as in SAM
uel's You Gentiles," are the charac-
tcrlstics of even the most modern lit
ernry studies Of the jew in America
American Judaism seems a field of war
and the jew pitlful combatant in II
losing hattie
III this disheartening scene of con-
tlict, trumpet call is sounded, Il. note
clear and loud and long, the voice of
II woman declaring the way to victory
| like Deborah Of old. She shows the
way not in hollow rhetoric. not in
morals drawn from life misspent aud
wasted. but in the simple narrative of
the incidents of Il long, busy and hap
py career. The daughter of n rabbi
and the wife of n rabbi, active all her
life i'll Jewish communal life, she re-
veals not trace, not Il hint of malad-
| justment or the emotions associated
with it-constraint, hostility and re-
sentiment. Her enthusiasm for Juda-
ism grows stronger with time, yet her
tolerance is cosmopolitan in its scope,
hemmed in by no barriers of sect or
creed. She, her father and her hus-
band moved easily and proudly among
the GentiIes winning the respect and
the love of all
What Il refreshing and delightful
contrast to the transitional woman Of
this period OF self-sufiiciency. nerves
and pleasure, She represents the flow
Ter OF the Victorian period. She has
been nOurishcd ON ethical Judaism and
on ideals of the era chat produced
Emerson, Carlyle and Ruskin, mighty
champions of individual righteousness.
The guiding stars of her life have been
duty. loyalty and service. She has at
lained n richer self-eNpression than
ever the modern woman will who is
obscssed with sex, who is enamorcd of
license, who is avid of sclf-indugcnce
1t is an inspiring and absorbing tale.
You must read for yourself how
young woman of twenty-five success
fully assumes the responsibility of
marrying n scholar twice her age and
Of becoming the stepmOthcr of eight
children, while at the same time taking
an active part in the life of the com
munity.-rhe Jewish Forum.
Matthew Marsh, Is. will he the