Friendly competition of men of all creeds in sports makes for better understanding, states the Pittsburgh “Jewish Criterion,”in an editorial in its current issue headed “A Good-will Medium.”
“We were intrested in the amateur and professional golf games played by contestants for the championship of Western Pennsylvania at the Westmoreland Country Club this week, from purely a Jewish standpoint,” the paper writes. “Discussion of athletic supremacy belongs more properly in that, through just such coming together of men from all walks of life, men of all creeds in friendly competition, makes for a better understanding of each other. It’s really a good-will medium which, if elaborated, is sure to be beneficial to the social relationships of Jew and non-Jew.
“It is unfortunately true that only on the rarest occasions do we meet with our neighbors of other faiths outside of business hours. We may have a business associate with whom we are friendly enough to spend some time in a social way, but generally the rule obtains that Jew and Gentile take diferent paths when their business desks are closed for the day.
“So the Westmoreland Country Club does, perhaps unknowingly, render a distinct service outside of its contributions to the athletic life of our community. And speaking quite frankly, we are glad, having in mind the subject under discussion, that the Westmoreland is a club of such exellent standing and reputation, and conducted on such splendid sportsmanship lines. The president of the club, Chester H. Lehman, has done much to place the club in its present high position among the country clubs of this section of the state. And it was no small compliment to his standing and to his personality that he was chosen as president of the Western Pennsyivania Golf Association. Men of this type and clubs of this type do become good-will ambassadors to our neighbors.
“Perhaps as time goes on and our friends get to know us better, then Pittsburgh will not be so completly narrow and intolerant in its attitude towards the representative Jews of the city in the matter of social intercourse. Every time we think of the policy of the exclusion of all Jews from the University Club, we are more convinced that the name ‘University’ should not be permitted to be used by a group of men so completely intolerant and prejudiced. But even they may in time come to see light and realize their responsibility in the premises,”the editorial concludes.
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.
