World Press Digest

Citing figures from Ayres’ Index of Publications, which show that the Jewish Daily Bulletin has more than doubled its circulation on the daily edition and has almost tripled its circulation on Sundays, the Spokesman, Louisville, Kentucky, regrets the decline in circulation faced by most of the Anglo-Jewish publications during the year. The paper writes:

Disappointing figures contained in Ayres’ Index of Publications for 1934 show no appreciable increase in circulation for the Anglo-Jewish press of the United States for 1934 over 1933. Although logically it owuld seem that the heightened interest in Jewish affairs of the past year nationally and internationally, would result in circulation gains for Anglo-Jewish publications, save for a few exceptions, figures for 1934 and 1935 are practically identical.

In 1933, twelve Anglo-Jewish weeklies, according to Ayres, reported circulations totalling 141,097 or an average of 11,758 readers each. In 1934, twenty-four of the forty-eight Anglo-Jewish weeklies reported circulations of 285,927 or 11,813 readers each. One or two weeklies “folded up” during the year, but the number remained substantially the same for both years. In 1933, however, only about one-fourth of the publications revealed their circulations, but in 1934 an even half turned in reports.

CRITICAL OF JEWS WHO FLIRT WITH FASCISM

The Jewish Ledger of Hartford, Conn., commenting on the growing Fascist movement, states:

There are Jews who also flirt with Fascism. These Jews we understand least of all. It strikes us as though such Jews are willing to sell their birthright for a mess of pottage, because even a cursory reading of Jewish history would teach them that the Jew cannot play with illiberalism, and if he does, it is with serious danger to himself and his people. Jewish history tells us that the Jewish lot was always easier under democracy and liberalism than under oligarchy, tyranny or dictatorship, and Jews flirting with Fascism are traitors of their people and its ideals.

It is well for us to think of these things in these days when, as Americans, we give thought to the lives, deeds and ideals of Washington and Lincoln, because Fascism is the exact reverse of the democracy of Washington and the liberalism of Lincoln. Fascism has nothing in common with the idealism of America as repreesnted by these heroes of American life and tradition. Fascism is a perversion of everything that is decently American.

JEWISH RELIGION AND CIVILIZATION

The Jewish Layman, organ of the Temple Brotherhood, speaking of Jewish civilization, says:

To assume that Jewish religion is the be-all and end-all of Jewish civilization would mean that Jews must not write books, paint pictures, compose music, or organize social institutions unless they have in mind to promote religion by so doing. Or else it would mean that whatever Jews do in any of these directions is not a part of Jewish civilization but a part of some other civilization, the American civilization, it may be. Is the Hebrew poetry of Bialik religious poetry and, if not, is it not Jewish poetry? Must we perhaps classify it as Russian poetry? If it is Jewish and secular, then there are elements of Jewish culture that are not religion.