Daily Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

[The purpose of the Digest is informative: Preference is given to papers not generally accessible to our readers. Quotation does not indicate approval.-Editor.]

The report that Lord Plumer is planning to limit Jewish immigration to Palestine, as a result of an economic depression in that country, is regarded by Jacob Fishman of the “Jewish Morning Journal” as a warning to the Jews of America, upon whom the economic development of Palestine largely depends.

Pointing out that further restriction of Jewish immigration to Palestine would be a calamity as it would mean a “death blow to many Jews in Poland and Lithuania whose condition is tragic and whose only hope lies in emigration to Palestine,” Mr. Fishman observes:

“It is to be hoped that this will not happen, but it must be admitted that the situation is serious.

“The reports state that the economic depression in Palestine is a result of the decrease in the income of the Keren Hayesod during the past few months. We cannot ascertain whether this is so. As regards America it contributes its usual monthly share. In Europe the Keren Hayesod income has in all likelihood been reduced.

“Still we doubt whether this is the cause of the economic depression in Palestine. The large sums will come in all events from America. The bad economic conditions evidently are due to natural causes, such as the weakening of the building industry in Tel Aviv because of the winter season, etc,

“There are no reasons to be pessimistic. Conditions in Palestine were even worse than now in the winter of 1923-24 and yet the following spring there was a new boom and immigration started again on a large scale. But Zionists in particular and Jews in general must understand their duty to the United Palestine Funds Appeal. Any digression from the main object to side issues means abandoning Palestine in its need.”

RABBI SCHULMAN PREDICTS BREAK IN REFORM PULPIT

The prediction that a break in the Reform Jewish pulpit in America is imminent as a result of “attempts made to bring the recognition of Jesus into the Synagogue,” is voiced by Rabbi Samuel Schulman in a booklet reproducing his sermon at Temple Beth-El on “Judaism, Jesus and the Decadence in the Reform Jewish Pulpit.”

“Let me call your attention to something which will prove to you that we are really facing a crisis in American Judaism,” Rabbi Schulman declares. “We are on the parting of ways. If Reform Rabbis are to continue to urge the acceptance of Jesus as a teacher, with all that this implies, there will be a break in the Reform Jewish party of this country. One aspect of this very question came up before the Central Conference of American Rabbis at our last meeting in Cincinnati. And the decision was altogether different in spirit from that which animated Dr. Wise’s sermon. I read to you a certain statement made about a certain society, and it was urged that we endorse the purposes of this society. I am not naming the society. But this is the statement. I am reading from a document presented to the Conference: ‘The purpose of the — Society is to find and demonstrate a common spiritual understanding and ground for Jews and Christians, and on this basis to formulate and propagate the principles of social and international justice; to propagate the two-fold fact that the enlightened leaders of Judaism through the centuries have followed in the footsteps of the Hebrew Prophets and that the fundamental religious and moral teachings of Jesus are in complete harmony with the utterances of the Prophets and the traditions of Judaism. There is therefore a common ground between the Synagogue and the Church for the establishment of a permanent reign of social justice and universal peace.’ You see that there is already a Society for bringing Jews and Christians together. Now I have always held that Jews and Christians can work together for social justice and for universal peace and for every good object, without committing themselves to a merger of Jundaism and Christianity. Above all, I deny that the fundamental religious and moral teachings of Jesus are in complete harmony with the utterance’ of the Prophets and the traditions of Judaism. Now, what became of this statement? It was presented to a large Committee of something like twenty representative men of the American Rabbinate. And without much discussion, it was unanimously rejected. And, furthermore, we decided not to discuss this matter at all on the floor. We killed it with silence. And an arrangement was made that it should not appeal in our official Year Book. We did not do this because we were not in favor of social justice and universal peace, but we did it because we did not wish to accept the statement made about the relation of the teaching of Jesus to Judaism.”