The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992, 1940-09-27

AlSCOIy nave taught Tie Jew CLldL
progress is not always straight
line. Progress proceeds more Of
ten on zigzag course.
The current lack of concern for
the welfare of others, poverty,
starvation, and social disillusion-
ment indicate deep incline on the
graph of civilizations growth. A
concommittant of such a regress-
ion has been a truncated human
spirit and a warped moral law. To
permit society to remain tn u S
would be cowardice. More than
that, it would be suicide.
We must, with all people Of all
other faiths, search some d
away from disaster. We must re-
construct mankind's plan for a
better society. That plan is found
only in compelling and coordi-
mating belief in the peaceful and
decent human goal which religion
has set for humanity.
Religion must carry on where
science and education have I'M
loaded their burden. It's spiritual
vision must harness all that is
worthwhile in the mind of man for
the betterment of the world. A
universe that has lost God permits
economic insecurity, reaction, in
justice, national exhibitionism, and
race arrogance.
We must, then, recapture the
spiritual Interpretation of human
destiny and use it as a weapon
against the false gods of cruelty
and aggression. That is in keep
ing with Rosh Hashonah's clarion
Shofar call for the establishment
Of the kingdom of God on earth.
In addition, the new year must
give us an opportunity to appraise
our position i'm America and plan
for the future. Our lot is mex
tricably bound with those demo-
cratic ideals which are an essen
tial part of Americas history and
destiny. We have a share i'm their
preservation and enhancement.
AS to our own inner life, the
path is clear. The neo-pagans who
would destroy us, actually fear
the spirit of the Jew, his religious
strength, his inner life. It behooves
us then to take up the challenge
by giving thought in the coming
year to adequate Jewish commun-
al organization, to the proper edu-
cation of our Jewish youth in the
religion, the literature, and the
history of our people. It should
stimulate us to add to our own
spiritual and intellectual wealth so
that our young people and our
adults may derive sustenance anu
pride from Jewish life. The new
National Academy for Adult Jew
ish Studies established this past
summer by the Jewish Theological
Seminary of America is a great
step forward in this direction and
oilers promise for the new year.
We must also keep before our
minds eye the responsibility we
owe to millions Of our people scat
tered over the face of the earth
and caught in the iron crucible of
affliction or living in the midst of
appalling disaster. Many will have
to be brought safely to the shores
of Palestine where a resolute band
of one half million Jews stands
today as a powerful bulwark for
the survival of the Jew and Juda-
ism.
This ROSh HaShOnal comes to
us laden with fears and miSgiv-
ingS. "The clouds are dark before
u.s." A stygian blackness of agony
and despair hOvers about the
world. The Jew must remain I'M
shaken, as never before, in his
new year determination to en-
throne God, the King of the whole
universe.
What does that mean? We must
consider this a destined hour in
which spiritual resoluteness, a be-
lief in human liberty, and the sur
vival of the Jew are bound up with
religion, the moral law, justice,