Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-08-12
Israel Zangwill, Dramatist, Poet, Novelist,
Essayist
THE Complete Works of Israel Zangwll, Published by
the Macmillan Coz


the Macmillan Coz
The death of Israel Zangwi has afforded pretext
to inAumerabe individuals clutch at moments lux
uriant glory Hundreds Of AmericanJewish writer's will
decaim the unqueness Of the dead leader but their
main purpose in ndting these eulogie will be to stress
their personal afilation with Zangwl. reminded
of Americas most popular Jewish philanthropist, who
when asked what he had to say of Zangwl's passing
said something to this effect: "Oh yes, Zangwil. A
greater writer the Jews had knew him per-
sonally Yes, dear friend Of mine" tt
Not since the days of Charles Kingsley has an Eng
ish writer been inextrcably bound up with the
tents of his writings. For Israel Zsngwill wrote to
something and rarely for the sake Of writing In
many wavs he is infinitely superior to Charles Kingsley
but doubt whether literary history will also arrive
at that conclusion.
ZaRswin the Nsvelht
Popular criticism will ascribe greatest merit to
Zangwill's novels Of which the most familiar "Chl
dren of the Ghetto Ghetto Tragedies" "Dreamers of
the Ghetto" "Ghetto Comedies and "The King of
Schnorrers."
Anyone who has received the slightest Jewish
education, dare is acquainted at least vaguely
with the subject matter of these tales of the Jewish
Quarter. Their thoroughness, well their keen
pathy and understanding, have become traditional. In
fact conscousJew born during the twentieth century
would invariably link any reflection the ghetto with
Zangwrs penetrating stories.
The Dranstst
Zangwl, far this writer is concerned. how
ever will live longer through his dramas than through
his stories of Jewish life. Structuraly, his plays
faulty that to say they not to be acted but
y be read AS matter of fact his most
play from theatrical point Of vew) is his most stupid
play, 1.-THE Melting Pot" despite the hte President
Roosevets reported enthusiastic approval of it, is
aduterated brummagem. Despite the fact that l Tin
common with those hundred others who will be writing
on Zangwil for the next month so) Zangwill
and introduced not in position to say it as
Jauth mi of"
Melting Pot probably conceived the wtiest hoax
he pulled on his public.
| Zangwills "Plaster Saints" or his "The Next Re-
| ligon" is brilliant, provoking any problem
drama that has been written in the last fifty
These plays sufficient to dsprove the charges of
those critics who claim that Zangwil lived beyond his
day, and that his ideas embodied in his novels and
dramas antiquated. Even superficial reading OF
the two aforementioned plays would convince that
hey embody all the elements of durability and that they
will prove interesting reading matter in hundred
years they were in 1914, 1912, when they were
written. Honest evaluaton moreover, will agree that
even his Ghetto stories will be outved by these plays
There is faint promise that the ghetto may disappear
and that those who lived in them will thus lose the in
terest that Children of the Ghetto for example, for
mery had for them The erecting of false idols and the
writing of codes eternal life itself
Ny humble judgment, therefore, is that Israel Zangwi
the author will be perpctuated not by his pleas for his
people contained in "The Voice of Jerusalem by
the skfull depletion of the squalor of con-
tanned in The King of Schnorrers and by his
animadversions "The Principle of Nationates, but
by his lucid, paradox packed, thought-fled, truth
charged dramas centering around universal permanent
human problems.
Zangwi the Poet
| Zang7v the most successful of his type Of
poets but the truth of the matter that he had real
competitors. One critic said of him, "Mr. Zangw
stands with something of the of Saul
the general tribes of novelists II this sentence were
applied to Zangwills art poet those others would
indeed be dwarfed His chief collection of poems
sists of trasatons from the Hebrew Of Solomon lbn
Gabirol Chauvinsm will not force to say that lbn
Ciabirol great poet despite Jewish legend for
well the aged members of the Sabbath, the out
eregation be experienced, conf with its non-Jey