RABBI Stephen S. Wise, whose sixtieth birthday is being celebrated, has achieved distinction as one of the foremost leaders of world Jewry today. As a Zionist, as a Rabbi, as the founder and president of the Jewish Institute of Religion and as leader of the American Jewish Congress, he has impressed himself upon American Jewish life as no other Jewish spiritual leader. As an orator, he ranks high among the greatest in America. As a champion of civic righteousness and social justice, he exerts a far-reaching influence. As a tribune for the Jewish people, he is courageous, fearless, endowed with the fire and zeal of the prophets of old.
Dr. Wise has made enemies, but he has made a vast multitude of friends and admirers. He is one of the most popular of the Jewish leaders and spokesmen.
While Dr. Wise has on several occasions committed errors of judgment, he has been on the right side of vital Jewish problems most of the time. His outstanding qualities are his sincerity, his wholehearted devotion to Jewish ideals, his boundless love for the Jewish people, and his indefatigable work for human rights and equality for the oppressed and the downtrodden.
Dr. Wise is one of the most colorful, dynamic personalities in Jewish life today. As an American and as a Jew, he occupies a high place of honor in American life. He is still brimful of enthusiasm and zeal, he is energetic and youthful. May his inspiring leadership and his vigorous battle for the right continue for many years to come.
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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.
