Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-09-16
Controversy Between Chicago
Orthodox and Reform Charity
Organizations Wakes Vehement
Federation Unwilling to Accept Challenge Oh
Montefore Hebrew School to
Rabbinical Trial
Gcwish Telcgraphic Agency

| Chicago, Sept. 1.-THE method
adopted by the Jewish Charities to
subjugate the Moses Montefiore He
brew school and force ii to accept the
tenets of the education committee of
the charities was called "autocratic,
not Jewish and un-American" by Rab-
oi Saul Silver Of Congregation Anshe
Sholom. who is also president of the
Jewish Theological college and a
leader in Orthodox jewry of this city.
stopping the budget is an auto
cratic idea," Rabbi Silver said. at is
neither Jewish nor American. No
ioubt neither the Moses Montefore
school nor the Charities is 100 per
cent right in its contentious, but dis
continuing the funds is not the means
by which the end can be reached.
Patience and education are the way.
| Forcing starvation will not help us
attain the goal in Jewish education,
nor Will ii help us to maintain a har-
monious Jewry. If the men compris-
ing the education committee are edu-
Gators they know that Jews have
never been frightened by the threat
of starvation.
"There is no question that the
Moses Montefiore School ought to
make some concessions. Procedure at
the Talmud Torah is not all agree
able and acceptable, and in some of
its demands the education committee
of the Charities is right, but the
wrong means has been taken to gain
the end desired"
Home Refuses Bounty
Referring to the case Of the Marks
Nathan Jewish Orphan Home which
is at deadlock in dispute with the
Charities regarding the accepting of
an annual bounty of $4,000 from the
county Rabbi Silver asserted that the
orphan home is right.
Before the orphan home was under
the auspices of the Charities it de-
clined to accept county and state aid,"
the Orthodox leader said, land it de-
mands its full autonomous right to
continue to refuse such help. The
home was founded twelve years ago at
which time it adopted the principle
which it now wishes to maintain"
The controversy has aroused consider
able agitation in Chicago, giving rise
to the charge which others declare is
unfounded, that the Charities now be-
ing dominated by the reform element
is seeking to strangle the Orthodoxy
of Chicago's Jewry. The action in at
tempting to withhold support from
the Hebrew school is considered as
the beginning of fight to the finish
to determine whether or not Orotho-
doxy can maintain its rights and posi-
ton. 1t is stated that the fight will
lead into other branches of activities
of the Charities.
Din Tordh Not Likely
The likelihood of Din Torah,
rabbinical trial between Montefiore
School and the Charities seems at
present somewhat distant. No date
has been set for such trial, nor has
the Charities accepted "service" that
is, it has not yet admitted its desire
to be party to such Il hearing.
DR.. Alexander NJ. Dushkin, chair
man of the education committee of
the Charities, when asked for state
ment, said that he is waiting for
number of officials of the Charities
who were out of town to return, at
which time an official statement would
be issued outlining the organizations
position in the matter.
Need for Change
A firm supporter of DR.. Dushkin is
Rabbi Felix A. Levy, leader among
the Reform Rabbis of Chicago, who
declared that the action taken by the
education committee was no doubt
based on thorough investigation
and understanding of the situation,
and if DIR. Dushkin thought it was
right at must be all right. Last
spring | heard that all was not we'll
between the Charities and the Moses
Montefore school," Rabbi Levy said.
"At that time the report was that the
Talmud Torah was unorganized in an
educational way and that DR.. Dush-
kin was trying to modernize their
methods. 1t was charged at that time
also that the Moses Montefiore
school had broken faith with the
Charities by failing to keep certain
promises and agreements made when
the two charities, Orthodox and Re-
form, were united"