Our Daily News Letter

(By Our London Correspondent, D. Magarshak)

The announcement of plans for the celebration next year of the centenary of the foundation of the London University College, is of particular interest to Jews, because this was the first institution of higher education in England to open its doors wide to the Jews.

The importance for Anglo-Jewry of the foundation of the London University, which originally consisted of the University College only, but today has seven large colleges with all the arts and science faculties and numerous other Colleges affiliated to the senate of the University, including the Jews College, was made clear in a lecture on its origin by Sir Philip Magnus given under the auspices of the Jewish Historical Society. Less than a century ago, higher education in England was practically closed to those whose religious convictions did not conform to the established Church. Jews were not admitted to Oxford or Cambridge and could consequently not engage in the liberal professions. It was only in January 1833 that a Jew was first called to the Bar. The foundation of the University of London was the beginning of a University free to all, irrespective of class or creed. When the University was founded it was agreed that there should be no theological chair and though today there are faculties in divinity, there is no religious rivalry.

It may be said for the Universities of Great Britain in general and the University of London in particular, that, unlike the Universities of Europe and America, they are absolutely free from the taint of anti-Semitism. There is a Jewish students union at the London University, but there is no anti-Semitic movement among the non-Jewish students to weld it into an important Jewish National body. The madness of ultra-nationalism has nowhere been so exhaustively demonstrated than at the universities of Europe and the absence of it in any shape or form, from the universities in England can be thoroughly appreciated by those whose misfortune it was to pass as outcasts through a European University.

Eighty-six members of the graduating class of the Hebrew Technical Institute received diplomas Wednesday night at commencement exercises in Cooper Union. Dr. Edgar S. Barney, Principal, presented the diplomas, and Dr. K. George Falk, President of the institute, the prizes.

Of the sixty-five students who received diplomas from the Institute of Musical Art at Aeolian Hall twenty-two were Jewish. Louis Greenwald was one of the five graduates to receive honor awards.