Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-01-07
Sixtieth Birthday OF
A Jewish PHILOSOPHER
Continuation

'N' ildllNH lhhguhgr' here - us uua
swcr.
Il have not had the slightest doubt
that Niddish has a tremendous future
before Il wherever there are large
bodies OF Jews Of East European origin,
whether In Eastern Europe or In PaIes-
tine. In the United States or Argentine.
or South Africa. Since the Jewish
people have entered upon the period
Of progressive nationnlism. and since
religion has ceased TO he the cement
which Yields all Jews together Into one
NATIONAL body, the Jewish people must
provide another spiritual cement to
hold the Jews together as national
entity without forcing this or that faith
upon every one. This spiritual cement
can he supplied only by common
cultural and social language, and the
question is which language can he
come the common cultural tongue of
all the Jews of the world. II there
We're any possibility that this language
might hc Hebrew. | would he n fanati.
cal Hcbraist. Actually, however. this
language can be only the one that is
already prevalent and growing among
the great majority Of the people, and
tina is Niddish. Hence IL j. as clear To
me as n mathematical axiom that us
long rs there are large bodies uf Jews
who live n progressive national life to-
gcthcr, their common spiritual life will
have To rest on the foundation of q
living Yiddish language. And | am
happy" added DR.. Ihitlowsky, who has
written in Niddish on the history Of
philosophy. on the philosophy of his
tory. ON Einstcin's Relatively Theory.
and on numerous other abstruse aud
scientific subjects. that here. too.
have done something during my forty
years of active life to demonstrate this
language is capable of taking over this
national progressive role"
My next question was whether Dr.
Zhitlowsky noticed any change in
American Jewish life since he first Wis
as fellows;
'In American Jewish life. too. | dis
ccrn great changes which show that
this country is also entering upon the
third, the national progressive. period
Of Jewish history. on the one hand
the religious elements are becoming
more and more imbued with modernist
views and secular learning: on the
other, the assimiIationists and the rad
J icals are drawing nearer to Jewish ma
tionalism. \ more important and
striking indication is the truly remark
able, one might even say colossal. eff
/ horcsccucc of Niddish culture In Amer
/ icu. as is evidenced both in the theatre
/ in the press, in literature, and, of late.
also in the establishment of secular
system of popular education with Yid
dish as The language of instruction
Passing TO less speculative and CON
trovcrsial matters, I asked Dr. Zhit-
/ lowsky 10 discuss the Jewish situation
in Eastern Europe, which he visited
recently.
According TO him, the condition of
the Jews there is getting worse every
/ day. The reason for this. in his opin-
ion. Is that the Jewish social organism
I there Is in an unhealthy state; too
many middle men and brain workers
I This ccuuilicts with the social organ
/ ism of the nations they live among.
] especially the new nations who have
7 emerged from the ruins of war. In the
/ rcconst rUctlOn states new class of
7 brain workers is arising; the local no
bility. shoru of It's old privileges and
possessions, is forced to find new CT
rccrS Tor its children in commerce, in.
dustry and the liberal professions
/. e., IN the urban cupations-which
mt present are in Jewish hands. Hence
the growing mti-ScmitiSm in these
countries. which aims to oust the Jews
from these professions in order 10
make room for the sons of the nobility
and gentry. Hence the nmcrus
clausus. which is being applied not
ouly in the schools hut wherever pos
Sihlc. The better elements would allow
the Jews 10 remain in the urban pro
fcsslonS hut only in proportion TO their
actual numbers The worse elements
would like TO gel rid Of the Jews alto
gethcr, and are taking advantage of
the present Zionist movement to say
\ to the Jews on all occasions: go to
Palestine" AN argument which is alb
Surd ON the fncc of IT and which Dr.
Zhitowslly believes. will bc abandoned
when the true situation in Palestine
becomes known.
The situation is quite different in
Russim An urban occupai ions have
i l..