that heterogeneous people get the floor. The leaders do come—the greatest leaders we have—none has held aloof, and the record of participants is a proud one. But it is not their Assembly only; it is a people's Assembly first of all, and they listen when that alone is in order, and when the occasion is proper they are given the floor. Sometimes mistakes are made—where is there a perfect record of any man, or any organization, or anything? The character of this second article, betraying a similar sour cast of mind as the first, is well illustrated in the mention of Dr. Hirsch's work, who is dismissed with: "Dr. Emil G.- Hirsch, whose thoughts are kaleidoscopic, occupied the lecture platform quite frequently and he pleased his audiences." It would have been common fairness to have mentioned at least that Dr. Hirsch's three lectures on "Fundamental Questions of Judaism," in which he considered Judaism as affected by higher criticism, by evolution, and by study of comparative religions, were of most powerful Jewish appeal and import, winning the approval of Jews of many shades of opinion, evidenced by a spontaneous movement upon the part of those who heard to raise a fund and spread these lectures broadcast.
It would have been proper to mention the notable work of Mr. Gerson B. Levi, who conducted a study class in Hebrew of about a dozen persons every day of the session, doing in the limited time most valuable work and laying at least the foundation for the class to follow up the work so well begun.
Incidentally it may be said that it is proposed to do more and more of this serious class of school work as occasion permits.
And so a dozen other things might have been mentioned of permanent value and strength. But the writer, in his wisdom, chose only those things upon which he might become epigrammatic or otherwise funny.
“To conclude then,” says our critic, “the great lack of our Jewish education is the neglect of the Jewish spirit.” To inspirit the Jewish spirit by the strong nourishment of Jewish knowledge is the purpose of the Chautauqua. That it has not been able to build Rome, or acquire Jerusalem, in a day is true; that it has laid some unpretentious foundations for Jewish study is also true. The rest will come; it takes time. The Chautauqua believes it has some claims to the perform-
ance of a modest work, which it will continue to do in greater and greater proportion according to its strength and its inevitable natural growth. After all, the critic’s purpose is made plain at the end of his criticism. The nigger lurking in ihe woodpile is Zionism. I should be the last to decry Zionism as a lever of telling force in Jewry. But it is not necessary in presenting its claims to belittle other movements cqually sincere and equally Jewish in their purpose. Such attempts can only iniure the. Zionist cause, which its overzealous champions so often thus misrepresent. It is unfortunately true that fenced in by the single ideal of Zionism, Zionists of a certain kind cannot see any good beyond, and with monocular vision seeing only one object, ignore or traduce other things with which Zionism must feel a sense of that sympathy and brotherhood which comes from common Jewish aims. All persons, rightly or wrongly, will not agree that Zionism is a cure for all our ills. Most persons of varying ideas and tenets agree that Jewish education is essential as a remedv for present conditions. *
So on the platform of the Summer Assembly, in furtherance of its Jewish educational work, have appeared Jews of all kinds and shades of Jewish belief and Jewish practice, to catalogue them tritiely, orthodox, conservative and reform, Zionist and Anti-Zionist, indifferent and devout, but all uniting for a common Jewish end. Is not this a broad and worthy accomplishment?
I must believe that the articles in THE MACCABÆAN are the product either of the wilful ignorance or the mental dyspepsia of their author or authors.
Respectfully yours,
ISAAC HASSLER.
A Reply to Mr. Hassler
All values are comparative. To the provincial mind the thoroughfares of the great city are like the golden streets of its dreams. When one has been dozing in the fields of the commonplace, an ounce of accomplishment weighs a pound on the register. Inflation has been the policy of the American Jewry for the last fifty years. Genuine progress has halted in the face of outrageously exaggerat-