Life, 1916-01-13 · page 14 of 44
Life — January 13, 1916 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains editorial commentary on Rabbi Joseph Silverman's criticisms of the Gary Plan (a progressive educational model) and broader tensions over religious education in American public schools. The cartoon at bottom depicts a scene labeled "At the Eugenic Meeting," showing what appears to be an awkward social interaction with the caption: "How providential that our dear professor's parents knew nothing of eugenics." The satire targets eugenics advocates—a pseudoscience popular in the early 20th century promoting selective breeding. The joke suggests that if eugenics proponents' own parents had followed eugenic principles, they wouldn't exist, thereby mocking the movement's logical inconsistencies and absurdity. The surrounding text debates whether public schools should teach religious content or remain secular, with Silverman arguing schools shouldn't promote specific religious doctrines.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
62 Rabbi Silverman Complains ae Gary plan does not suit Rabbi Joseph Silverman of New York. It provides, among other things, for religious teaching for school children, each child to get his own kind from teachers of the church its parents des- ignate. Rabbi Joseph is strongly op- posed to that. He considers that “to give time and place in the school cur- ricuium to religious education is a di- rect violation of our basic constitu- tional laws.” He calls such a plan “a wicked scheme to thrust theological prejudice upon children,” and segre- gate them into antagonistic groups. Not only that, but he objects to hav- ing chaplains appointed for govern- mental bodies, to the Thanksgiving proclamation issued annually by the President, to religious holidays like Christmas and (in certain cases) to the singing of Christian hymns. Whether the Gary system, including its provisions for religious instruction, can be made to work in so cosmopol- itan a community as this, is debatable, but as to these other errors that he points out, we are fallen so deep into them that he shows himself a bold man in suggesting even that they ought to be cured, Thanksgiving? Christmas? Shades of the Puritans, of the Virgin- ians, of all the founders that founded us, have we got to take thought anew at this late day as to whether Thanks- giving shall be a holiday and our children go free of school and hang stockings up at Christmas? We have been Puritan, we have been more or less Christian; has the clock struck now for us to become Rabbin- ical? The Jewish brethren seem to like this country. They come here in mul- titudes and settle and thrive and wax, but they are curiously irreverent in attitude towards what they find here and towards the faith and the tradi- tions of which this hospitable land is the expression. They would make us over without a qualm. Even Mary Antin, whose wonderful appreciation of American opportunity has been so remarkably set forth, has not lost a minute, since she got the use of words, in practising, not to shape herself to “le ENE * is, but to shape us to a better conform- ity with her ideals. The Jewish mind is a very remark- able instrument and useful for cer- tain things in all countries, but it has traits that everywhere get it into trou- ble, and of which Rabbi Silverman’s criticisms offer a very good illustra- tion. Judaism is never going to have its way with us, nor even modify our traditions enough to make it happy. Liberty and protection are all it will get here, If it wants a country it can run on its own model it must get in behind Mr. Brandeis and the Zionists, Now while the world is all mussed up is Rabbi Silverman's chance to detach from the scrap heap a country where there won't be any Christmas, and go there. There are two courses open to Amer- ican Jews: to merge and lose their religion, or be separate and keep it. The wish of some of them to eliminate religion from all public customs— schools, legislatures, public songs and proclamations—will fail. What is bred in the American people is bound to come out, and there are not nearly enough Silvermans in the country to E.S.M. A Brochure OUND in calf, or half-in-half, IMluminated by hand, Tied with a string, or some such thing, And closed with a golden band. Called “The Dim Dawn of a Sunless Morn,” Or “Light of a Deep Morass,” The heroine, a wild Gazelle— The hero, an aimless Ass. It’s purposeless, a general mess, And this is made quite clear, It has no plot, just driveling rot, But it has the atmosphere. Laurence Brooks Robbins. R. WILSON’S best asset just now is German-American opposition. Among his bad assets are Josephus Daniels and Mexico. Perhaps, however, he is rich enough politically to afford to have some bad paper in his box. ‘FF we put this case in the courts, will we get justice?” “No; but then we know that the other fellow won't either.” AT THE EUGENIC MEETING “HOW PROVIDENTIAL THAT OUR DEAR PROFESSOR’S PARENTS KNEW NOTHING OF EUGENICS”