Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-09-16
Glimpses of American
Jewish Communities
by JoHAN ]. SMIRTENKo

/ his recent lecture tour Dr. smertenh a
deals with Buffalo. Cleveland and Madi
son, wls---Edltorl
ST. LOulS.-The Jews Of st. Louis
have had good cause for iubilation this
year. Through the efforts Of Rabbi
Stephen Wise and Mrs. Irma Lind
helm. the barrier has been broken
which has kept fine and powerful
minority away from the most vital
interest of the Jewish community. In
eidental to their work for the United
Palestine Appeal, these two represen-
tatives of Zionism were able to bring
to that cause and to closer coopera-
tion with the Jewish masses In St
Louis n group of Reform Jews who
not only form the elite clement by vir-
tue OF their wealth, but justly deserve
their position in st. Louis through
culture and character. This element
has entered the Zionist ranks zs work
ers, most notably through special
chapter Of the Hadassah, which is en-
phasising the cultural aspects Of Zion
ism but which is in no way neelecting
financial support to Zionist activity.
Another form of unifcation of the
community has come through the fact
that for the first time Russian Jews
t!se been invited to cooperate in the
Federation of Jewish Charities and
the older Jewish citizens are thus
brought into more intimate contact
with the majority Of the community.
These encouraging signs must not be
interpreted AS the coming in Of mil
lenium. There is still good deal Of
snobbish impatience on the one hand
and offended intolerance on the other,
which keep the two groups from com
plete unity and endeavor. Moreover.
each of the groups has not been able
to hold all of its own factions together.
the Reform element losing many of
the amateur Gentiles" while the Con-
servatives are drifting farther apart
from the unchanging Orthodox groups
Nevertheless, a tremendous amount of
energy has been released to the ad-
vantage of Jewish activities and espe-
cially to the development of Zionist
work through the steps toward uni
fication that have already been taken
It is my hasty Judgment that in St
Louis the work of reconciliation and
cooperation will come through the &C
tivities of the women rather thar
through the efforts of the men. Among
the former have found an unusual
spirit of detachment from the custom
AIRY social cliques in the desire tc
achieve truly worthwhile result il
\ their Zionist work. 1t is of course IN
their power to bring about complet,
understanding between these group:
through the educational and social &C
tivities that lie in their hands. Ant
they seem in fair way to do it.
In St. Louis as in Cincinnati ano
other old Jewish communities, | hav,
found very definite feeling among the
Jews who hitherto had been blind as
similationists that their salvation lie:
in development of their own culture
and in self-respecting stand whicl
will establish the value of the Jewisl
social groups in the Gentle environ
ment. Not until now have they realized
that despite their efforts at assimila
tim the non-Jewish world has KEEP
very definitely apart from them ant
has permitted little nter-relationship
Ludwig Lewishohn's Israel" / be
lieve, brought this clearly to their at
tcntion and, once awakened TO tn,
fact, they have been intelligent enough
to adopt the only effective solution t,
their position.