The twentieth anniversary of Young Judaea, national Jewish youth organization, was celebrated last night with a mass meeting at the Forrest Theatre where several outstanding leaders of American Jewry, under the chairmanship of Dr. Israel Goldstein, President of Young Judaea, lauded the achievements of Young Judaea in educating the Jewish youth of America to a sense of communal responsibility.
Founded twenty years ago as the first, and today the largest, Jewish youth organization in America, Young Judaea, Dr. Goldstein pointed out, did splendid work in Americanizing the Jewish youth as well as in making them appreciate Jewish cultural values.
Among those who spoke at the meeting were Clarence Y. Palitz, Chairman of the Committee of One Hundred which sponsored the celebration; Mrs. Archibald Silverman, vice-president of Young Judaea, and outstanding Jewish woman leader; Judge Julian W. Mack, of the Federal Circuit Court; Morris Rothenberg, vice-president of the Zionist Organization of America and former Congressman William W. Cohen.
Due to ill health Nathan Straus, the philanthropist, who is honorary president of Young Judaea, was unable to attend but he sent the following message:
“I am delighted to learn that Young Judaea has attained its twentieth birthday. I know that Young Judaea even after many more birthdays will always remain young because it is instinct with the spirit of youth and is inspired with the vigorous spirit of the new Palestine.
“May Young Judaea continue for many years to continue to bring to the Jewish youth of this country the high optimism and prophetic purpose of the Jewish rebuilding of Palestine.”
In the principal address of the occasion, Dr. Goldstein, who is Rabbi of Temple Bnai Jeshurun, declared that one of the greatest factors in keeping Judaism alive among the American youth today was the contact that was provided between the Jewish National Home in Palestine and this country. Reviewing the twenty years that had passed since the establishment of Young Judaea, Dr. Goldstein pointed out that the youth of today is the first post-war generation to personify the changes that had been caused by the World War, and that Jewish education would have to adjust itself to these changes.
During his address, he said in part: “Young Judaea’s twentieth anniversary is a significant milestone in the march of youth and youth ideals. 1910 and 1930 are separated by a distance which cannot be measured merely in terms of years. This period has witnessed the World War and the tremendous consequent upheaval in social, economic and religious tendencies. The youth of today is the first generation to personify these changes.
“It is called upon to make good use of the new and better opportunities in the field of Jewish education. It is summoned to respond to the greater call for Jewish service. There are manifold communal activities in which the supply of manpower and woman-power is inadequate to the need. Jewish young men and women must supply the needed human resources. Last and foremost it must share the responsibility of Palestine upbuilding.
“At the same time, the Jewish values which are being created in Palestine, and the example which is there being set by the Chalutzim, the young pioneers, provide additional stimulus to the Jewish youth of America, to exercise those qualities and to expend those energies which will make the contribution of the Jewish youth to American Israel at least as approximately as great as the contribution of the Jewish youth to Palestinian Israel.
“Young Judaea has, in its program, during these years, taken cognizance of the situation, and points with pride to the thousands of young Jews in whom it has cultivated and is continuing to cultivate a sense of American and Jewish responsibility, rooted in an understanding of Jewish life, and in an emotional response to the Jewish problem.”
The Committee which sponsored the celebration included as honorary vice-chairmen: Dr. Cyrus Adler, Hon. Herbert H. Lehman, Justice Irving Lehman, Louis Lipsky, Judge Julian W. Mack, Clarence Y. Palitz, Hon. William W. Cohen, Dr. Jacob Kohn, Dr. David de Sola Pool, Mrs. Sol Rosenbloom, Mrs. Zip Szold, Dr. Israel Goldenstein, Mrs. Archibald Silverman, Samuel J. Borowsky, Hon. Herman Bernstein, Hon. Albert A. Cohn and Samuel C. Lamport.
The program of the evening included a concert in which prominent artists participated.
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