To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
Mr. Smolar’s attitude toward the modern rabbi is based rather upon medieval and pre-modern conceptions. He idealizes the rabbi in medicine, but criticizes his meddling into politics, economics, sociology, etc. He would limit the “spiritual leader” to “eternal truths” and “harmless subjects,” not with problems here but here after. This conception is no longer tenable in modern times.
While idealizing the rabbi who is also a physician, because Maimonides was a physician, he forgets that the Prophet Isaiah was the greatest statesman, as were other Prophets, who fought for social and economic justice and even meddled in foreign policies. He forgets that spiritual leaders too must distinguish between right and wrong in social, economic, and political problems. We dare not leave such matters to politicians and to Big Business any longer, unless we wish more depressions and more political corruption. Social righteousness is part of spiritual life.
As Jews we should study Communism, capitalism, Democracy, and Fascism, etc. to see wherein they affect us, adversely or favorably, from the standpoint of adaptation and our future survival. The old Rav was a saintly Talmudical scholar, little concerned with the present world but with ritual law. Today the rabbi must be not only a leader of the community, but must also participate actively in our changing social order, to help advance God’s Kingdom upon earth.
Rabbi Samuel Horowitz
Temple Beth El
Sunbury, Pa.
CLOSE PULPIT TO POLITICS
To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
In taking Mr. Smolar to task for his criticism of permitting a Communist propagandist to address a Jewish congregation, Rabbi Louis Newman misses two salient and pertinent points.
They are: first, that ninety-nine per cent of the American people are opposed to communism, fear its sinister influence and regard it as a menace to our existing democratic institutions. And, second, that the Jews are being accused, often by persons not at all unfriendly to us, of harboring and encouraging Communism.
These two facts ought to be a sufficient reason for Jewish leadership, and particularly the Rabbinate, to give Communism and those who advocate it a wide berth. It is true that Communism, Fascism, the different economic systems, the monetary situation and kindred sciences are interesting subjects for study and investigation but the places where these studies should be pursued are colleges and universities and not our synagogues and temples.
I. D. Morrison.
AGREES ON RADIO HOURS
To the Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin:
As a young person actively interested in Zionism and other phases and movements of Jewish life, I was intrigued by your articles on Jewish radio programs. Let me commence by saying that I agree with everything you say.
As I write my parents are listening to a so-called musical program, Jewish only in that announcements are made in Yiddish. In one hour’s time one is able to listen to six programs sponsored by the same number of companies. The program just completed was one sponsored by a well-known bread company, the “Aryan” owners of which were lately accused of anti-Semitism by a number of retail grocers. Are the radio station owners annoyed? Not at all. They are interested in the commercial advantages only.
A young friend of mine, a professional man, complains bitterly that he does not remain home nights because his mother always tunes in on the Jewish programs. He asserts that the programs are terrible.
I pray that the sponsors of programs of the type described above be chased from the air.
I close with the observation that there are too few Hebrew programs. For this I blame the Zionist organization for not recognizing the value of the radio for Zionist work.
More power to you and more of your articles.
Seymour Brener.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
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.
