Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-03-25


We can tell from the results. Let
Us, for instance. take the home for
the aged in which our charities are so
much engrossed. Would there be a
necessity for such homes had our
children been properly educated! In
former days, when God was still in
the home. at table as we'll rs at pray
ers, in joy as well as in sorrow, We
knew nothing of home for the aged.
This has become necessary only in
latter days. And why should the old
people be secluded from the life of a
world which they have helped to
create? The hardships they suffered
in order to bring up great children,
are they to be forgotten? They find
room for buffers and maids, for dogs
and for cats, but for their parents,
whose blood and life is in their veins,
there is not room, but sort of con-
finement. During the hours when
youth is singing, these old men and
women must go into home where
they hear groaning and tales of sad
ness. They see funeral after funeral,
and from their hearts an echo calls,
my turn is next"-like sheep in the
slaughter house. Who would say that
every such building is not an indelible
blot upon Jewish pride? The Fifth
Commandment has not only been dis
regarded but desecrated.
Why is it that of the one million
Jewish children of school age in this
country, 100000 never see the inside
of Hebrew school? Why is it that
of the four and one-half million dol
lars just raised by the Federation of
Jewish Philanthropic Societies in New
York City, less than five per cent is
devoted to religious instruction? This
sum, raised within but few months
time, is probably not raised for all
the Jewish educational institutions in
the entire United States during
whole year! The most godly people
leaves too many of its children with
out God, without a religionl
Catholic schools make Catholics of
their children-do Jewish schools in
this country make Jews of theirs
Catholics utilize their schools the
whole day. Have we such economy in
the case of Jewish schools? The
Catholic school system in America
provides for 100000 children in T.
900 parochial schools; about 100000
pupils in over 1000 secondary schools;
II 900 students in rs normal train
ing schools; over $4,000 students in
1862 seminaries; and l2l colleges and
% universities caring for $1,000 stu
dents. The Jewish population of this
country is about one-fifth that Of the
Catholic. In what proportion to these
figures have we established Jewish
schools? The answer is quite obvious.
The so-called charity for which mil
lions are raised can at best benefit the
limited few who are in trouble. But
there is not Jewish home in the
United States that is not affected by
the problem of Jewish education.
Spend more for proper Jewish educa-
ton and less will be needed for hos
pitals, for poor relief, for juvenile de
linquents, for the undoing Of immoral
habits. While the Federation Of Phi
lanthropies is not entirely palliative,
curative and transitory in character,
Jewish education is essentially spiri-
tual and constructive. And even when
it comes to the support of education,
why is it that hundreds of thousands
Of dollars are given to colleges and
for secular instruction
under the auspices of sectarian de-
by the same men who