tl
CAN
1928
'',*..' "* \" ' ' ' Cv ery f "-J Inday
Last week the Sisterhood of Goel Tzedek Synagogue received word from the Women's League of the United Synagogue of America of a resolution passed by the Conference Committee of National Women's Organizations. This resolution says thai at all dinners and public functions under Jewish auspices which make their appeal to Jews of all shades of religious opinion the dietary laws should be observed; also that the Jewish Sabbath should be strictly observed in all public functions and public institutions maintained by and for the Jewish community. The Women's League is an organization of orthodox women. For its committee to go into session over the dietary laws and Sabbath observance seems sort of pointless unless things are not what they should be. This resolution may mean that orthodox women should demand that kosher food be served at public dinners for the whole community and that the Sabbath be observed as it should be according to their ideas but it also must be a reminder to the orthodox women that they observe the rules themselves. Kashruth keeps on being the chiefest concern of orthodox sessions, although it is as old as the hills. Every one knows that an orthodox Jewish married woman should wear a sheitel and that a Jew should not shave his face but it is rude to bring up this obligation of orthodoxy because no one wants to observe it and most slide out of it. ' Resolutions are completely silent on this subject but they can speak freely on the observance of the dietary laws and the Sabbath day. These are easier to observe or easier to appear to be observing and no
questions asked. Meantime, Where is that Younger Generation?"
* * *
From Israel's Messenger, Shanghai, China:
"Our contemporary The Canadian Jewish Review, Toronto, maintains a column under the title "every friday" conducted by f.f.c. which helps to serve as the best dish for Sabbath eve with which to welcome Queen Sabbath. We are assured that 'the column exercises its glorious and inestimable privilege of taking things lightly' whereas when it made reference to the 'low ebb' of Jewish journalism in the land of the gold dollar, we took things seriously and passed our honest and candid opinion of how things look from far-off Shanghai. The Jewish Review in reply said a few words to serve as 'oneg Shabbath' to its readers which we reproduce.
"By 'low state' this column meant the fact that it is getting increasingly more difficult for one Jewish paper to appropriate articles from another Jewish paper without getting caught. It must be confessed that this irreverent structure was poking fun at Jewish journalism of which it is such an inconsequential part. Among the editors, who, sadly enough, have never learned to laugh, is one, Mr. Ezra, of Israel's Messenger, Shanghai, China, a gentleman given over to Things Worth \Vhile. From an editorial, taking up twice the floor space of this colum^ the following is an excerpt."
"At the time we read the article, we must confess we did not see anything in it to provoke mirth or laughter as we often do when we celebrate our Purim semi-festival. We were rather sadly affected, for the future seemed to us and still seems to us somewhat alarming. And yet f.f.c. credits the present writer as 'one of the Editors who sadly enough have never learned to laugh.' Very nicely put! On the other hand, we would like f.f.c. to point a way for us to'learn to laugh, and a quick method at that. We agree with our mirthful colleague in far-off Canada that laughter is a necessary and useful exercise, for it is appositely said, 'Blessed be he who can indulge in laughter, but thrice blessed is he who can cause it, conjure it up at
will.1 "
* * *
\ The conference of Jewish social workers and educators held last
tnonth in Cincinnati was interesting because it took up at least one
other problem besides those which affect the young' chiefly. At a
meeting of community centre secretaries, for instance, Dr. Arthur
�. Morgan, speaking on adult education, said: "The normal span
of life to-day is sixty-rive years. Because of this and because
individuals to-day have more leisure than in former years, we must
develop a programme of adult education for adventure and fine living
in mature life." Here is something to'provoke thought and approval.
'A young girl graduate of Wellesley College, when asked last year
what she was going to do after graduation, said succinctly: "Enjoy
life." To some this may have sounded like the flippant remark of
fa heedless flapper. Instead it was the reply of a student who had
tsorae inkling of what education is for.
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This present restless generation is a powerful argument in favour of education for adventure and fine living in mature life, particularly as far as women are concerned. Modern appliances and mode of living have so simplified the duties of even the moderately well-to-do, that women uneducated for it find themselves with plenty of leisure for beautiful adventure and fine living if they only knew how to go about it. But in the lamented, halcyon days before the flapper age the adults of to-day may not have been educated in a way that would lead them to fine living now. Education meant an accumulation of facts and was gone through for some special purpose as a rule That purpose was not beautiful living. Young people, if taiujit, heard that they should be upright, noble, holy, honest, do good, he self-sacrificing, etc., and they then would naturally be happy. To-ciay the young might answer back: "And that ain't all." They l^rn to express themselves a little, to laugh and play, and to leaven hte thereby.
Their parents with plenty of leisure have nothing to do anci no place to go except to amusements and diversions no more naturally stimulating than a roulette wheel, They have no resources stored up within themselves and can stand any company better than tneir own. Pathetically they confuse pleasure with joy and entertainment with happiness. Their leisure moments are spent in losing the sands of life, in killing time. Social conferences are so worried over them that they plan programmes for adult education in some self-express ion. This idea sounds very promising, too, but what a pity it is necessary Some day, perhaps, the educators will know how to help people to the full enrichment of the individual personality, to glorious adventure and fine living in mature life. It may not be to-morrow or the day after, but it U in the air. f'ftC*
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