Daily Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

[The purpose of the Digest is informative: Preference is given to papers not generally accessible to our readers. Quotation does not indicate approval. Editor.]

The American stage has abolished green Irish whiskers-now let it stop presenting the Jew as “a jargon-speaking, hideously shrewd bargain-seeker,” urges Alan Dale in an article in the New York “American” of Sunday, wherein he expresses his surprise that the Jews do not protest against being ridiculed on the stage.

“The New York theaters,” writes Mr. Dale, “could scarcely continue to multiply and grow fat if it were not for the tremendously enthusiastic patronage of the Hebrew theatregoers. New York audiences look sad and lean and monotonous when anything occurs to keep the Hebrews away from their favorite pasttime. They go to see everything — and particularly it seems to me they go to see themselves parodied, libelled and rendered ridiculous and ugly, in the cheap, tawdry, undefined and garish affairs in which their race figures in the theatre.

“They never seem to rebel at the abominable caricatures, at the senseless jests, at the obnoxious characterizations, and, curiously enough, when the Jew is – as very rarely occurs – treated in a dignified manner, there is no response. Therefore, it must be concluded that the Hebrews like to see themselves burlesqued, and have no scruples.”

Referring to the case of the Irish, Mr. Dale continues:

“With Hebrew theatregoers, it is otherwise. They resent nothing. They go to see plays in which they are held up as a jargon-speaking people, innately commercial, hideously shrewd, each ready and anxious to ‘do’ the other. They are set forth as bargain hunters, as money-mad, as coarsely funny and indelibly illiterate. Moe, and Rachel, and Abe, and Rachel, and Abe, and Rebeeca, and Izzy, and others are placed in a set of ‘situations’ that give certain traits full scope, and ruthlessly ignore any worthier traits.

“As a sop to the insults entapulted toward the Hebrews, the characters in these plays are always placed in some ‘situation’ supposed to call forth tears, and compassion. The situations of this ilk are ali foolish, and garish, and Indicrous. Either the son embezzles, and dear old Popper has to give up his hard-earned savings to save his chee-yild, or the daughter is about to bring disgrace upon her family by wedding a counter-jumping Gentile. It is all so silly, it makes one heave.

“It is the theatre.” Mr. Dale points out in conclusion. “that will ultimately offend the very patrons that keep it alive, for there is no doubt at all that these plays have started on their downward path, gathering a momentum that will land them in the pit before very long. Ike and Moe and Izzy have still the ‘joke book’ in which to flaum their festive humor, and their brilliant repartec, but the stage, as time goes on. will become more difficult. In the meantime, the educated Hebrew should put the kibosh on these plays, and ‘drawing himself up to his full height.’ reject them.”

VLADIMIR JABOTINSKY’S POSITION

The arrival in America of Vladimir Jabotinsky. the noted leader of the Zionists-Revisionists, who are opposed to the present administration of the World Zionist Organization, is commented on by the “Day” of Jan. 31.

“Jabotinsky’s coming anywhere is always an event, whether the purpose of his coming he polities culture or communal activity. He is the man of elegant but firm words. He is also the man of resolute will and clear understanding of what he wants,” the “Day” declares.

“You may be his opponent, fight him, but always he will evoke your respect, because he is an open opponent, honest and frank.

“He arrived here only the other day and already our friends and enemies have altered their attitude to him. Our opponents who waited for Jabotinsky and hoped that he would ‘settle the Zionists,’ have, now that his statement has been published, abandoned their hopes of building through him. But the friends, too, who, because of devotion to Zionism, did not look at Jabotinsky with a welcoming eye, have now been calmed somewhat, following the aforesaid statement. They have become convinced that he has not come here to fight and destroy, but to enlighten. To prove and convince is his purpose. And he is also ready to help the present Zionist enterprises. This should have been clear before. Now it is still clearer, still more certain. His appearance here will waken and stimulate Jewish thought.”

Jacob Fishman, in his daily column in the “Jewish Morning Journal,” of Jan. 28, expressed the opinion that Jabotinsky’s arrival should be welcomed here despite his oppositional attitude in the Zionist organization.

“Of all oppositionists in Zionism,” Mr. Fishman wrote, “we like Jabotinsky best, because he concentrates his program on Palestine and devotes himself little to Golus politics. He is a fiery oppositionist because he is completely imbued with the Palestine ideal and the tempo of the present reconstruction work is too slow for his temperament.”

ANTI-ZIONIST ARABS SEEK NEW ARGUMENTS AGAINST ZIONISM IN OLD TESTAMENT

Reference to Old Testament text in an attempt to make out a case against Zionism is made by the Arab paper “El Carmel,” organ of the anti-Zionist Arab Executive in Palestine. The paper writes thus:

“The Torah says explicitly that Allah gave to the children of Israel Palestine to punish her inhabitants whose abominations and idolatry contaminated the land–and what are British lords doing? They fill the land with infidel Jews who are freezing out the honest and plous Arabs and Christians who fought in the last war on the British side when Great Britain was in a terrible lurch, and tremblingly had promised us complete independence for the blood we have spilled together with the Moslem Hindoos, our brethren in faith.

“Allah ordered Moses, says the Torah, to let the Hebrews wander through the desert forty years, in order to prepare them spiritually, to love the promised land devoutly–and what are the Balfours with their lieutenants doing? They bring in all kinds of irresponsible Jews in a hurry to make our people miserably distressed.

“Allah said to the Hebrews–assures us the Pentateuch–you build the land with your hands and get possession of property with your own money (?) and what are the English administrators doing? They compel us to pay taxes in order to benefit the Zionistic administration and the newly immigrated Jews.

“But, will there come the day when the British will serve equally the Arabic cause as they serve the Jews with English soldiers, guns, airplanes and lanks?

“Let us hope, insha Allah al-Kabir, that this miracle will come when we will have such excellent leaders as the Jews have in abundance, energetic leaders who know the secret of wire-pulling in royal palaces and in executive mansions.”