Republic Of Syria Urged Upon Rabbis.

New York Times 100 years ago today, May 5, 1913:
But Prof. Schmidt Tells Them Jews Cannot Expect to Control the State.
EASTERN COUNCIL MEETS
Rabbi Harris in His Formal Message Says Jews, Reform and Orthodox, Must Work Together.
    The second semi-annual assembly of the Eastern Council of Reform Rabbis was opened last night at a meeting in Temple Emanu-El, Fifth Avenue and Forty-third Street. Rabbi Maurice H. Harris of Temple Israel, President of the council, read his message, and there were addresses by Prof. Nathaniel Schmidt of Cornell University on "The Interest of Modern Judaism in an Autonomous Syria," and by Rabbi William Rosenau of Baltimore, whose subject was "The Present Significance of Ceremonies." The assembly will continue to-day and Tuesday.
    A plea by Prof. Schmidt to the reform element among the Jews to do their part in bringing about the establishment of a republic in Syria was received with applause. He said he did not believe that the dream of a Jewish State in Syria would ever be realized. The Christian and Mussulman held the land in too deep affection, he said.
    "I look to the reformed Jews," he said, "to take an interest in the development of the resources, in the establishment of secular education as a basis of higher education and in the forming of a democracy. If it is possible to establish a Republic in a country like China then for Heaven's sake why not in Syria? This is a work which I think the Reformed Jews should take up."
    In his message Rabbi Harris spoke of the growth of the council and emphasized the fact that it was the duty of all Jews, whether reform or Orthodox to work for the common good.
    "One of the aims of the Council," he said, "has been to clarify our status as liberal Jews. Most emphatically reform's purpose is not to oppose conservative Judaism, but to supplement it. No better illustration can be offered than our efforts to maintain the dietary laws — to which we ourselves do not subscribe — in our public institutions.
    "Finally, we reformers reiterate that the Jew must not be our sole concern, and that indifference to the religious welfare of the world at large would be a mischievous heresy. Upon Jew and Gentile alike devolves the responsibility of promoting the protection of the laborer against occupational disease, insufficient wage, long hours, insanitary homes and food adulteration; ours equally the duty to safeguard women and children, to reinforce the sanctity of marriage, to isolate the degenerate, and to promote peace throughout the world.
    "We realize that the unattached Jew is our greatest problem. Dwelling in the midst of a majority of a different faith, to be loyal to the Synagogue is to swim against the tide; to drift from it is to move on the line of least resistance. Effort has recently been made to obtain legislation to prohibit caricaturing the Jew on the stage. This is well, and the undertaking should be commended. But let us see to it that we do not ourselves unconsciously caricature the Jew in presenting to the world a picture of half-hearted observance and playing with religion and temporizing with great issues.
    "Never since Jewish emancipation began with Moses Mendelssohn at the end of the eighteenth century has such interest been manifested in the Jew as to-day. Not merely fugitive periodical articles, but bulky books are written about him, some styling his influence as benign, others stigmatizing it as menacing. Political parties in great States are organized simply on the basis of their attitude toward the Jew. Yet comparatively few have the sympathetic imagination to understand him. He is the enigma of history. But it is our concern at least that the Jew should understand himself, and because of his varied gifts should realize to the full his tremendous responsibility toward the world."
    In pointing out the growth of the Council, Rabbi Harris said that its membership was now drawn from twenty Eastern cities, and that it had been called upon in important public matters, one the effort to obtain the passage of a bill in New York State favoring a Federal marriage and divorce law. The most important achievement of the coming season, he said, would be the appointment of the chaplain at large to look after Jewish interests in New York. He announced that the Lewisohn lecturer for 1913-14 would be the Rev. Harry S. Lewis, formerly of Toynbee Hall, London.
    The discussion following the address of Prof. Schmidt was led by Leo Mannheimer of Paterson, N. J. Rabbi Joseph Silverman, of Temple Emanu-El and a Vice President of the Council, attended. To-day there will be meetings with addresses at 10 o'clock and 2:30 o'clock, and a banquet at 6:30 o'clock at the Hotel Savoy in honor of the Rev. Dr. K. Kohler, President of the Hebrew Union College of Cincinnati, Ohio.