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Cultural Changes in American Jewish Life During the Twentieth Century.Pdf 2 NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF JEWISH SOCIAL SERVICE CULTURAL CHANGES—ROSENTHAL 3 quent children, various health services which must be provided in every modern community, the organization of neighborhoods and community cen­ CULTURAL CHANGES IN AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE ters, and the education of our youth in the traditions of our people. All these are highly specialized fields in which we expect you to be the leaders and DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY to ask us to help only where we may properly be of help. I hope that your conferences in Boston will lead to even higher levels of A. W. ROSENTHAL professional standards and to the improvement of the scientific aspects of your work. While you are here, I hope you will also have some time for diversion. Considering the task allotted to a contemporary ex-pres­ A local committee, under the acting chairmanship_ of Mrs. I. K. E. Prager, ident, of writing the history of America in 500 words, I do has arranged a modest program of hospitality. If there is anything in addi­ not fare so badly when I am asked to describe in about 100 tion you would like to see or do, I am sure we will be only too glad to arrange it. words for each year the cultural changes in American To those of us who are concerned with the future of American Jewry, no Jewish life these past thirty years. subject of more vital importance could have been chosen for the discussion It may be of interest to mention that this is the 30th an­ this evening than the one that your committee has designated, namely, niversary of the first meeting of the National Conference of "The Social, Economic and Cultural Changes in American Jewish Life Jewish Charities in April, 1900. Perhaps, no other phase of During the Twentieth Century." We, the Jews of America, are confronted with a double responsibility. Jewish communal life in America has been as outstanding First, we must develop adequate programs for coping with the social prob­ in the past three decades as the cooperation of our charitable lems arising from the rapid changes in what is, perhaps, the most dynamic endeavors, their philanthropic insight and the solidarity country in the world. A great deal has been said in recent years about engendered thereby that has transcended religious dif­ the social and individual maladjustments arising from the ever-increasing ferences. mechanization of modern life. Some people contend that the machine has enslaved us; others, that it has eliminated drudgery from work and has If I have included data which has its rightful place in the made possible a richer life. Whatever may be the ultimate merits of mod­ papers of my colleagues, its repetition gives weight to the ern industrialism, it seems clear to all of us that its immediate effect has good judgment of my choice. I am sure that much more of been to create certain maladjustments. value which belongs in my presentation will be included in In the second place, we Jews in America have been catapulted by forces arising out of the Wo "Id War to the position of world leadership in Jewry. their offering. What is our responsibility as world leaders and how can we best discharge that responsibility with regard to programs of rehabilitation in Eastern II Europe and in Palestine? A discussion of what has happened in American Jewish life during the The work of a few leaders in any day or generation is not past thirty years should, at least, give some perspective as a basis of evalu­ ating trends and shaping policies for these two major responsibilities dur­ the estimate of the value of the contributions that a com­ ing the coming years of Jewish life in America. munity makes to the general weal. Labors of unnoted It is against an exceedingly romantic background that the speakers to­ hundreds and thousands make possible the achievement of night tell their stories. The stage of their play is the United States of the large results. Men and women of our faith have contributed twentieth century, the century which witnessed our coming of age as the to our country's art, drama, music, letters, journalism, leading industrial nation of the world; our transformation from a rural to an urban people; from an insular power to a world empire; from a debtor sciences, works of education, its benevolence, commerce, in­ nation to the creditor nation of the world, enjoying the largest home dustry, finance, jurisprudence and statesmanship. They market known in modern civilization and yet beginning to reach overseas have given their all to make enduring the virtue of liberty for outlets for a production that is rapidly surpassing the capacity of and the preservation of the Union. They have given their domestic consumption. It is against this background that the speakers to­ night will tell us what has been happening to a small segment of Ameri­ all to preserve for future generations the Hebraic and the cans—to four million Jews out of a total population of over one hundred American ideals of freedom, justice and equality. and twenty million. The first speaker is Mr. A. W. Rosenthal, President of the National Asso­ Ill ciation of Jewish Community Center Secretaries. He will discuss the "Cultural Changes in American Jewish Life During the Twentieth Cen­ Let us step back to the threshold of the 20th century and tury." Mr. Rosenthal. 4 NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF JF-IVISH SOCIAL SERVICE CULTURAL CHANGES—ROSENTHAL 5 review its first year with Henrietta Szold, in the first issue The first American Jewish Year Book printed by the of the American Jewish Year Book. The old world, she Jewish Publication Society is edited by Dr. Cyrus Adler. writes in 1900, has for many years been setting the new Efforts are made to reach the scattered communities of world, especially its Jews, difficult problems to solve. She Jews in this country through the Chautauqua and by the states: "It is significant that the President of the Leghorn available texts. Miss Szold complains that our communities Community in Italy has to send a call to the United States show no disposition to employ regularly-trained and salaried for rabbinical candidates to present themselves or be re­ teachers. commended." Two books are issued by the Jewish Publication Society: The blood accusation is pervading Europe. Germany, "They That Walk in Darkness" by Zangwill, and a transla­ Austria, France and Russia are rife with anti-semitism. tion of "The Ethics of Judaism," in two volumes, by Moritz Jews are converted by the thousands. The lot of the Jew Lazarus. in Roumania is indescribable. Professor Masaryk is indicted The American Jewish Historical Society published docu­ for writing a pamphlet, discrediting the blood accusation, ments of the Mexican Inquisition. which is confiscated. The Orient, Turkey, Persia, all seethe Dr. Morris Jastrow's Talmudical Dictionary grows with oppression and injustice to the Jew. toward completion. Only England and America hold out some hope. To Eng­ Morris Dolitzky's book of Poems, puts the United States land has come the inspiration to form a Jewish Historical in the rank of countries producing literature in Hebrew. Society. Also, Jewish study circles have been organized, The Palestine colonies pass from the stage of a private whose paternity is traced to the Jewish Chautauqua. charity to a world-wide philanthropy, with the taking over The relation of the countries is a give and take relation. of the colonies established through the munificence of Ed­ England sends America four literary lights: Israel Zangwill, mund de Rothschild of the Jewish Colonization Association. with his play; Joseph Jacobs, for the Jewish Encyclopedia; Dr. Charles S. Bernheimer, in his article on "Jewish Samuel Gordon, with a novel for the Jewish Publication Organization" reports a total of 791 congregations in the Society; Miss Nina Davis, with a book of translations of United States. Hebrew poems. A more colorful picture drawn by Rebecca Kohut in her recent book: "As I Know Them" gives this description of the At the Bnai Brith Convention, it is decided that they ally East Side at the end of the 19th century: with the Jewish Chautauqua as an agency of enlightenment to its 30,000 members. "Cantor's sons full of music which permeated their sons become Isaac Mayer Wise passes into the Great Beyond, having composers and singers. Sons of rabbis become actors, prize­ fighters, lawyers and journalists. Tailors' sons and daughters be­ firmly established that which he most cherished—the come teachers, the baker's boy wins distinction as a University Hebrew Union College. athlete, his brother is a mammy singer. Their cousin, who had a I add here that two years later, in 1902, a grant of over newspaper route, winds up in a University Chair of Philosophy. But there was plenty of vision and ambition amid squalor and $500,000. by the late Jacob H. Schiff insures for some time dirt, there was a fierce love of life, a relentless purpose to fight out the financial security of the Jewish Theological Seminary of it—and up." founded in 1886 by Dr. Sabato Morais. The Jewish programs of the Educational Alliance and IV Y. M. H. A.s of New York and Philadelphia are already in great favor. Hebrew free schools multiply. Yiddish news­ To compare and contrast, let us briefly review the year papers oppose the Rabbi as pastor and uphold him as scholar. 1929 with Harry Schneiderman in the American Jewish Year Jewish teachers form into a Union. Quarterlies are estab­ Book for 1929-30. There is mention of the blood libel in lished by the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Messina, New York, which was very effectively and ably Society of American Cantors.
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