The editors reserve the right to excerpt all letters exceeding 250 words in length. All letters must bear the name and address of the writer, although not necessarily for publication.
To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
May I refer to your issue of December 19 and more particularly the article therein concerning your prize for the best news letter on the events of the week? On reading this article I was very disagreeably surprised by a statement that I feel certain you would never had allowed to appear had you realized its possible effect on some of your readers. I paraphrase your statement to the effect that all letters must be in by December 24, 1934, and “maybe Santa Claus will come down your chimney.”
You realize, of course that all persons are aware of the significance of this present holiday season—Jew and Gentile. To the Jew it has no religious meaning, except as we might wish your Gentile friends and neighbors the compliments of the season. However we might wish to share in the joys of giving and receiving at this time, it comes as rather a rude shock to have a newspaper of the calibre and circulation enjoyed by yours, suggest that if we’re good letter writers we’ll get a Christmas present from a fellow religionist. I’m well aware that many Jewish firms and individual employers make the habit of giving their employees some token at this season of the year, and I rather imagine it’s in the spirit of appreciation for services rendered or because “it’s the thing to do.” No fuss is made about it. The surprising thing is to come face to face with the statement you made.
I don’t wish to appear carping or narrow about this. I pride myself on being as broad-minded as I possibly can—I neither love my fellow Jews or hate them—I’m a part of them as they’re a part of me. I believe we all enter into this holiday season, whether willingly or not. The thing is bigger than we and our enjoyment can be just as hearty as that of our Gentile neighbors, provided no such thing as jealousy creeps into our wishes and our beings.
I rather think that a retraction of your statement, if at all possible, should be given as much publicity as the original statement, for I am certain that my letter will be but one of many you will receive.
Wilhelmina Diamond.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Dec. 20, 1934.
YOUTH AND COMMUNISM
To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
The Jewish visitor from the provinces comes to New York City very eagerly and very trustingly. In his town he hears only the distant echoes of those events and decisions which stand “berumo shell olom,” from a Jewish point of view. He believes that if he would actually experience Jewish life in all of its phases he must come to the Metropolis. So runs the popular legend.
The Rabbinic dictum, “One does not rely on legend,” takes on added cogency when applied to the infallible omniscience which is supposed to emanate from this new Zion on the banks of the Hudson. One looks for a word of Jewish affirmation, for Jewish dignity and a realistic leadership and guidance in Jewish problems. Such words are all too few. For the most part, they are drowned out in the cacaphony of Communistic brayings that is the new gospel of our modern prophets.
Visit some of the numerous Jewish youth groups (why they are called. “Jewish” I will never know). Listen to them prate glibly about the “new proletariat society” and the “failure of American democracy.” It seems that in order to be “au courant” one must speak of Jews and their problems only in terms of economic determinism. Making compacts with “Soviet impacts” seems to be the order of the day.
What some of these zealots need is a first-hand taste of OGPU methods, whose peculiar brand of efficiency and “justice” was so well illustrated only a few days ago. Perhaps if they knew the terror of victims of Kremlin agents who raid private homes from midnight till dawn; perhaps if they had to destroy all their personal address books and letters in order to protect innocent friends and loved ones (N. Y. Times dispatch Dec. 16), they would not be so cocksure about their panaceas for the world’s ills.
No dreams of an ideal society of the future can be realized when the means employed are terrorism, brutality and the disregard of fundamental human rights.
Rabbi David J. Seligman
Atlantic City, N. J.
Dec. 21, 1934
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