An international appeal to honor the memory of Baruch Spinoza, on the occasion of the approaching two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his death, February 21, 1927, was issued by the American branch of the Spinoza Society.
The fund, which will be administered by an international committee, will be used for the purpose of purchasing the house in The Hague where the philosopher lived, wrote and died.
The American secretary for the Society is Adolph S. (Oka) Oko, librarian of the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The foundation planned will be known as the Domus Spinozana.
A disciple of Spinoza, the society points out in its appeal for funds for the purchase of the Spinoza house in The Hague, is not a person pledged to observe the letter of the law of the philosopher’s teachings. A disciple is rather one who thinks with him, thinks freely and rightly and seeks greatly; one who realizes that Spinoza’s thought is living thought, vital thought–a method rather than a fixed system; a symbol rather than a set and static achievement.
Among the founders of the Societas Spinozana are such internationally known scholars and thinkers as Professor Harold Hoeffding of Copenhagen, Sir Frederick Pollock of London, Professor Leon Brunschvicg of Paris and Dr. Carl Gebhardt of Frankfurt-am-Main. The seat of the society is, suitably, at The Hague, where Spinoza spent so large and important a part of his life.
The Spinoza Society, numbering among its members some of the foremost thinkers in the world, has already entered on negotiations toward the purchase of the Spinoza house on the Paviljonesgracht. An option has been obtained and the purchase will be completed if sufficient funds are forthcoming for the purpose.
The society, however, does not intend to stop at this goal. There is no desire to establish a “dead museum” and let the work end there. The organization has let it be very clearly understood that it feels there is so much that is vital in the work of Spinoza that the house itself must minister to life and vital things. Whatever bears witness to his earthly career may well find a place there, it is felt-his portraits, letters and simiar memorabilia. But even more important, it is held, is the creation of a Spinoza archive in which his entire literary remains shall be collected, constituting a research library established to serve scholarship and learning in all countries.
Edgar H. Rosenstock of New York City, died Sunday in Mount Sinai Hospital of pneumonia following an operation for appendicitis. He was 54 years old.
Mr. Rosenstock was Vice President of the Men’s Club of the Free Synagogue. He was educated at Cornell College and Law School.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
