New Britain herald., 1929-03-25
RABBI SPEAKS FOR
 COMMUNITY CHEST
Dr. Hadas Says Campien Is for
 Justice, Not Charity

The community CncSt lS the one gesture of charity and kindness in which we all can and must partici- pate," was the statement made to between 150 and 200 men at the session of Evefyman's Bible class yesterday. when that organization observed Civic Sunday" by Rabbi Gershon Hadas of the Congregation Sons of Israel.
 Members were present from civic clubs. the Chamber of Commerce and two Jewish congregations. Rab- bi Hadas took as his subject, "Liv- ing with my Brother"
 His sermon was as follows:
 'I am grateful to your commit tee for the invitation to address you. particularly on this Sunday morning. The class today. l understand, is made up largely Of members of the several civic clubs, and my talk ought naturally to deal with phase of our civic and communal life. And indeed I would be remise in my duty and careless of this un-
 
 to you on a matter that I as citi- zen, as a minister. and as Jew con- sider as most significant and vital in our communal and religious life. I mean. of course. our Community Chest campaign. For 10 my mind. the Community Chest is the one gesture of charity and kindness in which we all can and must partici- pate. It is the one important re- ligious and civic act which indicates our willingness to carry into action that most sublime of all religious concepts. the Brotherhood of Man.
 Ut was a very ancient Jewish prophet who formulated the doc Urine of the Fatherhood of God and its corollary, the Brotherhood of Man. For if God is the father over all and we the children of this father then are we not brothers all? Such has been the theory of re- ligion; such has been the formal teaching of the church and of churches throughout the western world. The practice Of these same churches and of their adherents, however, but very rarely harmonized with this fundamental religious be- lief. If the concept of the Father hood of God was zealously held and guarded the fact of human brother hood was wholly forgotten or neg lected.
 How else can we explain page upon page of the history Of western Europe? How otherwise can We un- derstand the killings and persecu- tions. the letters and fagots. the racks and dungeons, the autos da -fc and expulsions that were so freely and frequently employed in the name of religion? It was the empha- sis placed on God the Father while ignoring completely man the brother that distorted religion into an awful power for separation and division, disunion and disruption. TNS per- version of religion turned beliefs and believers into blind. bigoted. brutal forces for the suppression of mino- rites, the persecution of the less powerful and less numerous broth- CTS.
 Another result of the abandon ment of faith in man as a brother was-and still iS-the otherworld- iness of religion and its emphasis on the individual. Religion has been teaching that the chief concern of man is to seek salvation for his in- dividual soul. And this salvation was to be attained not here on this earth, not in this home of God and His children, but in some unknown. thadowy region in the hereafter.
 Because of these teachings. that the chief concern of man is not ad- Justment with his fellows but adjust ment with his God, and that rewards and punishment are to be meted out at some future time in a remote re- zion above-or below-the earth, be- cause of these notions human hearts were turned into cold and calculat- ing instruments for the attainment of personal salvation and human eyes were turned away from this world. This God-given earth of ours ItCdulc lOi llldll lIleIcly d pldCC VI temporary sojourn" where we pre- spare for the next world. And into what hell was this earth turned. This home of ours became for man 'vale Of tears. and Oh. how many were tears we caused to be shed.
 ''If the modern world. the new world of science and of thought has brought us nothing else it has re- turned our brothers to us. Our new knowledge has forced man to re- trace his steps and take hold anew of the greatest contribution of re- llgion 10 man, the fact of our brotherhood. Despite the mental Giscomforts that much of our mod ern science has brought us it is this science that has become mans Iedeemng angel, the Messiah that is rapidly freeing man from the fet-