Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-04-15

| ers who have adopted the work as u
profession. Rarely do American Jews
of wealth or influence go TO the hea rt
of their fellow Jews and work with
them and aid them In their religious
development. II only for the foregoing
fact, Busil Henriqucs would he an III
uminnting figure to us Americans. He
Is an oxford man whose intellectual
training caused him TO he repealed by
what he terms the pseudo-orthodoxy
of the great mass Of English Jews" I"
Hcnriques is also great-grnndnephew
of Sir Moses Monteilore. and member
Of one of the great old Portuguese
families which have lived In England
for three centuries. His fathers family,
nearly century aco. were among the
founders Of the Berkeley Synagog. Lon
don.
Had all circumstances been equal
Hcnriques would have gone into Eng
lish communal work, lisintcrcsted in
any Jewish phase of 1t. He admits
that it was only the urging of his
father which propelled him into Jewish
work. In 1915, HenriQues initiated the
idea which has resulted in an insti-
tuition which influences more people
young and old. in English Jewish life
Board Of Guardians.
| Ifenriques may he called n liberal
Jew, although The adjective has diff
| fcrcnt shade of meaning In England
| than in the United States. When one
realizes that there arr only 100000 Jews
in England. and when one reflects upon
the size of that country. it becomes less
obscure as TO the reason for the bitter
antagonism existing between orthodox
and liberal Jew. Differences OF opln-
! ion become more personal, more close
at hand, more vital. even, because of
their proximity. II is doubtful wheth-
cr the keen animosity which has been
exhibited between England's Chief
Rabbi Hertz and men such as Rabbi
| Israel Maituck can he paraleled In
America. DESPITE all this. Hcnriques
has gone into the very core Of orthodox
Iewry. into Whtcchapcl, where he is
saving younger and older boys and girls
for Judaism. Not that this scion Of
| the great Mon,ciiore is intent upon in
Producing liberal BUDDHISM. He. even
l1Trcs the boys and giris' 'of his settle
mcnt to adhere to their orthodoxy
il they believe in it. He is the first
! one to urge them to discard it, how
ever. il he feels that it is interfering
with their sane conception of what
Judaism might be.
1t is the "hangcrs-on" in whom
HcnriqueS is primarily interested those
whom he classified as the problem in
every religion, whether among youths
or adults 1t is those who retain tradi-
tionalism or liberalism merely as n
habit, without any deep conviction. 1t
is for this tyne of Jews that Basil
IIenriques founded the st. Georges Jew
| ish Settlement in the East End The
Settlement must not be regarded as an
institution where religion is inculated' -
The Jewish religion is instilled hut not
as such. The various activities of
| the Settlement reflect its Wardcn's
earnest belief that religion must per
wade all of life. As IIenriqucs would put
it "a wcll-playcd football game is also
prayer TO God.
| II was in commenting upon the Free
! Synagog Of New York that Henriques
euCidatcd his remarkable views on re
| ligjon. What | have found particular
| ly inspiring in American Judaism is
that the community life around the
synagog is completely fine, commun
ng from any of our English ccnters Of
religion. At the Free Synagog. for OK
ample. was made to feel that public
worship * not the final object of re-
ligiou. II is u part of religion, hut one
neither particularly potent nor signif-
| icant. Ii is the everyday life in all
It's phases which gives play for the
proper domain of religion. Life prop
crly lived is religion. The social service
work in connection with the Free Syna-
cog is one of the finest aspects of any
religion
In explaining the objects Of st,
Georges Jewish Settlement, lIcnriducs
| says: ~ settlement must provide for
all the social and religious needs of
the ncichbors who dwell around 1t. II
must also he II centre for research and
for ryporimcmt always with view to
reform. II has 10 deal with problems
IT religion. Of education and of health.
behind all of which looms ont the econ
unc problem Of wealth. 1t must be
n place at which all sections Of the
community can meet on an cqual foot
ing. Part Of its work is purely Jewish,
| nnrt nf II * civic II has To trcDt Will