Pertinent and Impertinent

We are back again to the idea of travelling in summer, which, although it has been a little over-discussed, is still an idea worth some thought. Travel can push back horizons in a spiritual as well as a physical way. There are opportunities for new thoughts, new experiences and new friends, and an opportunity to work for what must be every Jewish woman’s goal-a better understanding between other races and her own.

It is of this last point that we should like to speak. Many women whose charm and personality might ### them welcome in any sphere feel that in order to reach the social heights to which they aspire they must deny their religion. Such women do grave harm not only to their race but to themselves. If discovered, them have admitted to a sense of shame and inferiority, and they can hardly then blame the world for relegating them to the inferior position they have acknowledged in their owned hearts.

MANY MISS FINE OPPORTUNITY

If, on the other hand, their denial is never known, they are precisely the women who would have been best able to procure understanding, had not their renunciation put it forever beyound their means. The feeling we want most to foster is that, after all, the Jew and his Christian brother are very much alike, and many of those women who could most easily foster it are the very ones who heir to destroy it

What they gain by evasion it hard to sec. it must be most unpleasant later to contemplate their own cowardice, and the pleasure they derive from friendships so acquired must be quite counteracted by the bitterness of knowing that they have sacrificed self-respect. The prejudice that we labor under can prove a pretty accurate measure of people. To the truly great and the truly great and the truly noble it can make very little difference, while those bigoted persons whose prejudice are never moved can usually offer so little that no Sacrifice in their behalf is worthwhile. We may perhaps be justly proud of our history and traditions, but the acknowledgement of our faith is not a matter of pride. We are what we are, and neither pride nor shame should be involved. There is only shame when we stoop to lie for reasons that are at best thoroughly insignificant. It we can make the world realize that our people are charming and cultured and that charm and culture is not an exception but the rule, we will be very near the day when all denials will be pointless. and if we endear ourselves to those who in the past, from ignorance only, have looked on us with contempt we will be rendering a truly great service to our race. When we balance the gain against the loss, we can most easily see how blind are the Esaus of the world who will barter their birthrights for a measly mess of pottage.