The Denver Jewish news., 1925-03-05
An Answer To Dr.. Eliot
Assimilation to America Versus Assimilation by Amer
ica-Resentment and Criticism of DR.. Eli0ts State
ment Ksulted From misunderstanding of Term
ASSIMILATION" as He Employed it.
by RAEBI ISRAEL. GOI.DSrEIN
~ Congregation li'nHl Jeshurum. New York

lf'H 'ItaltN III llt JtNi~h camp as
has been occnsioncd by the recent ut
tcranco Of Dr, Eliot upon the question
ur assimilation. The position which
Dr. Charles w Eliot holds In Amcrl-
can life Is such that every statement
hr makes usually receives the broad.
oSt attention and deepest respect Not
only is he the President EmerimS Of
Americas greatest university, but he
has for long time been acknowledged
rs the leading exponent of American
culture and idealism, And therefore
his recent statement on the question Of
assimilation has been sped on the wing,
Of the press To every corner Of the
land.
| think n great deal of the resent
mcnt and criticism Of Dr. Eiiot's state
mcnt has resulted from misundor-
standing Of the term assimilation as
he has employed it, The term as
similatlOn' is used in tive senses. In
one sense, il means to he swallowed
up, To lose ones identity. to he rs.
simulated rs the Lamb IL assimilinted
by the lion or the worm by the word.
In the same way, n smaller group may
become asSmilatcd 10y n larger group,
and usually such assimilation is effect
ed through intcrmarriagh When n
member of the minority marrlcs into
the family Cf the majority, naturally.
the customs the habits the traditions,
Of the children will be of the ma jcrity
and thus In the course OF few gen
crations the minority group disappears
altogether. That is assimilation in the
first sense, which is the term in Its
most literal meaning
But there is also another sense in
which the term assimilation is employ
ed. 10 indicate the process of ones ad-
juStmcnt without losing ones identity.
That would be called being assimilated
To- an environment, and not by environ
ment That process of assimilation
goes on in Nature all the time-the
squirrel with its protective coloring
SO like the tree, the fish taking on the
hue of the waters in which 1t lives.
and 80 on. Through all Of Nature there
is constantly going on the process OF
assimilation or adaptation to environ
ment, whereby the essential character
of the living organism remains while
the external forms change to accommo-
date themselves to the particular en-
yironment.
The same nroccss applies to the life
of any group he it irish or Jewish or
whatever be its specific character Such
Il group can manage To preserve its
identity. while at the same time chang
ing some of its forms to accord more
naturally with its environment The
jew in America certainly cannot in NIL
respects live in the same way as the
Jew In Germany or The jew in Italy.
II is natural to suppose that from his
American surroundings he will absorb
and receive certain influences which
will be Characteristicaly American, and
that the same will happen in Italy and
Germany SO that in cach case. there
will be process Of assimilation to the
particular environment and yet in its
essentials Judaism in America may, be
the same as Judaism in Germany. in
Italy. or in England. Some of the eN-
1crnal forms may change. the essence
- Ia. IN
second sense of adaptation.
DR.. Eliot'S rebukc of course, is ad-
dressed net TO this group, but TO the
first group of nssimilntiOnists who by
their principle and practice actually
mean to give up their identity as Jews
and whose hope 1t is that the Jew
may become absorbed, swallowed. up.
asSimilated by the majority, body and
soul losing his sclfhood altogether
Tint is why they favor and practice
Interma rragC. That is why they
sIurn all the customs and traditions
Cf the Jewish heritage They do not
want to be known ns Jews and they
hnpc FOR n speedy extinction OF the
Jewish identity altogether.
Against such assimilntiOniSts DR.
Eliot directs the shaft of his criticism.
He says to them America does not
require that kind Of assimilation.
America will be best served If each
group within Its borders, cutivates its
own traditions, is loyal to its own cul-
turc and derives spiritual enrichment
from lis own resources. Therefore he
loyal nnd not assimilated."
1t is well deserved rehuke and
one that comes With all the great eff.
fectivencss because it comes not from