The prediction that the American Jewish community “will survive if it will remain faithful to the basic dogma of Jewish existence, “was voiced by Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver last night at the closing event of the Tercentenary celebration in Cleveland. More than 3,000 persons crowded into the Public Music Hall to hear Dr. Silver, other speakers and the world premier of a dramatic cantata by Norman Corwin. “The Golden Door: A Mosaic,” which tells the story of American Jewry over the past three hundred years.
Dr. Silver told his listeners that “the American Jewish community is not an escapist community, it is not running away from itself. It wishes to remain Jewish.” He added that he believed that the synagogue will be the institution primarily responsible for the survival of the American Jewish community.
Dr. Silver expressed pride in the American Jewish community because: it had not ignored or forgotten its religious heritage, but had remained faithful to it; American Jewry has built up “noble institutions of philanthropy and service”; it never isolated itself from Jewry in other parts of the world, but “remained bound to them in fraternal solicitude,” and “when the historic moment of the consummation of the millennial national hope arrived, American Jews rallied” to its support.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
