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 indicate approval.–Editor.]

The volume of Jewish business, in the form of banquets, weddings, parties, etc., at the large hotels in New York has grown to such proportions of late that a kosher kitchen is now part of the equipment of some of these hotels, we read in the “Forward” of Sunday, in an article by Samuel Tenenbaum.

“One-third of the business of the gigantic Hotel Commodore emanates from Jewish sources, according to Eugene H. Marcote, banquet manager,” Mr. Tenenbaum writes. “A high official of the Pennsylvania Hotel admitted to me that without the support of the Jews that hotel and almost every other hotel in the city would go under. The select Hotel Astor also admitted a tremendous Jewish trade, so large in fact that a Kosher kitchen and cooking utensils are part of the equipment of the hotel.

“This situation is a far cry from the old, shabby yellow-lighted halls that served as combination banquet rooms and ball rooms not so long ago on the East Side.

“If figures given by hotel men are correct, the East Side is conducting its festivals at the largest and the most sumptuous hotels in New York. East Side Jews are crowding the ball-rooms and banquet rooms of these hotels. This trade, say hotel men, has become so important that the big hotels, including the Astor and the Commodore, have arrangements to serve strictly Kosher meals.

“Arrangements to serve kosher food differ with various hotels.” we are further informed. “Several of the most select hotels serve Kosher food but not all. Those that do not will arrange to serve a “semi-kosher” meal. The usual method is to have a Kosher caterer officially connected with the hotel, and when a request is made for this kind of a meal the hotel puts the applicant in touch with its caterer.

“The Commodore Hotel has one official caterer, and all requests for Kosher meals are put under her charge. This particular caterer has all her dishes stored in the hotel premises.

“Of all the strictly Jewish banquets about one-half request Kosher meals, according to the banquet department of the Hotel Astor.”

THE FIRE COMMISSIONER’S “JEWISH JOKE”

The action of the Jewish War Veterans, who demand that New York’s Fire Commissioner. John J. Dorman, be taken to account for telling an insinuating “Cohen story” over the radio, is approved by Jacob Fishman in the “Jewish Morning Journal” (May 25.)

“If any other public official had told such a story.” Mr. Fishman writes, “it would be scandalous enough. But it is doubly so when told by the Fire Commissioner. Thousands and thousands of persons who heard it will not see in it a joke but an intimation by the Fire Commissioner that incendiarism is more prevalent among the Jews than among the other races. A responsible official who tells such an irresponsible joke should be called to account. It cannot be waved away on the score of Jewish ‘sensitiveness’. The evil intent was clear. We expect that Mayor Walker, who is a tolerant person, will not overlook this scandal.”

A different attitude on this incident is taken by the New York “World” of the same date.

After thinking it over, the paper says, it has concluded that the Jewish veterans “were not justified in demanding the scalp of the Fire Commissioner because he told a Cohen story. In the first place,” the “World” explains its views, “it is extremely doubtful whether Mr. Dorman intended to cast aspersions on the Jewish race. Politicians have done such things, but ordinarily they cannot be persuaded, or even bribed, to cast aspersions on any class represented by numerous votes.”

In conclusion, regarding the whole matter as not deserving of too serious attention, the “World” offers this facetious suggestion: “All things considered, we believe that every requirement of honor would be satisfied if the veterans were to appoint a committee to wait on the Commissioner and tell him, while the municipal radio broadcast the ceremony, a suitable Pat-and-Mike story. Then the committee and the Commissioner could attend a special matinee performance of ‘Abie’s Irish Rose,’ by which the public would know that a reconciliation had been effected.”

HOW JEWISH NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION COMPARES WITH OTHERS

Facts and figures published recently by the United States Department of Commerce dealing with developments in Palestine indicate, the Baltimore “Sun” finds, that the Jews have done as well as other nations in the way of national reconstruction since the war.

Terming the Palestine work a “fascinating experiment,” the paper writes:

“The Department of Commerce, in its bare, business-like way, tells us that repopulation of Palestine is proceeding rapidly, nearly as many settlers entering in 1925 as in the previous four years: that forty-two percent of the 1925 immigration had at least $2,400 per man to invest; that business, in factory and on farm, is proceeding apace, and that the River Jordan is to be harnessed for power and for irrigation. Further, the department reports that the Jews now number 130,000, or seventeen per cent of the population, and are still improving their relations with the elements in the old population that were dissatisfied. It would seem that relatively the Jews’ reconstruction of their ancient home compares quite favorably to other national efforts at reconstruction fellowing the war.”

RACIAL STRAINS AND SPORT

No one race has a monopoly in respect to liking or excelling in sport, declares the New York “Herald-Tribune,” referring to the field and track games of the Public Schools Athletic League in which 6,000 school boys participated.

“A glance at the list of competitors,” the paper says, “shows that athletic ability and a liking for sport are not confined to two or three or half a dozen racial strains. Almost every school had representatives of various stocks. The point is not that the games would afford an interesting subject to the student of national origins, but that in special ability honors were widely distributed and one and all practiced good sportsmanship. It is well understood that the schools are the surest agency of Americanization, and it is also apparent that the common field of sport is an invaluable aid.”