Jewish Relief Day - 07/21/1916

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{ Jany 21^st 1916 }

A word regarding "Jewish Relief Day"

"They found a city to dwell in. Hungry & thirsty their souls fainted within them." (Ps. 107 ^4-5)

I am impelled to say a few words tonight regarding President Wilson's designation of Jany. 27^th as "Jewish Relief Day". As far as I have been able to investigate this matter, I can have been able to find no formal proclamation issued by our President. It seems to have been brought about through one a single individual Mr. Harry Fischel, Treasurer of the Central Committee for the reflief of Jews suffering through the war. This gentleman prevailed upon Sentator Martine of New Jersey to introduce in the Senate certain resolutions regarding the terrific plight of the Jews in the warring countries of Europe & Asia, & these resolutions were unanimously adopted. Hence the apparent desegnation by the President of a special day Jewish Relief Day. Only yesterday I happened to receive a paper Jewish paper containing the resolutions adopted. For your information I shall take the liberty of reading them. "Whereas in the various countries now engaged in war, there are 9 millions of Jews, the great majority of whom are destitute of food, shelter

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& clothing, and, whereas millions of them have been driven from their homes without any warning deprived of an opportunity to make prevision for their most elementary wants, causing starvation, disease and untold suffering &, whereas the people of the United States of America have learned with sorrow of this terrible plight of millions of human beings, & have most generously responded to the cry for help whenever such appeal has reached them, therefore, be it resolved that in view of the misery wretchedness & hardship which these 9 millions of Jews are suffering, the President of the United States be respectfully asked to designate a day on which the citizens of this country may give expression to their sympathy by contributing to the funds now being raised for the relief of the Jews in the war zones." Whatever we may think of the self imposed task of Mr. Fischel, we cannot but feel a deep sense of gratitude to Senator Martine for the beautiful true brotherly spirit that prompted him to make this plea in behalf our brethern. The The non Jewish people in every city town & hamlet of this great country so peaceful so free so rich & prosperous, are will thereby be given an opportunity

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of expressing in some concrete manner their deep sympathy for a people millons of our coreligionists whose sufferings of body, mind, heart & soul it are indescribable would require a modern Dante to depict in graphic colors. True it [ ] must have been somewhat perplexing to our beloved President to concede to a request in which the entire Country is called upon to interest themselves in a specifically sectarian people. But the voice of one common humanity seemed to ring so loud in his ears, that he was brave enough to disregard precedent & pronouce the Word. Unless I am greatly mistaken there are thousands of people in this Country who are awaiting this opportunity to do something of a concrete nature for a people who have done so much in helping to build countless Christian Churches, Colleges, Schools & institutions of Every Conceivable nature. At that almost historic meeting of Jewish people recently held in the city of New York & at which nearly one million dollars was there & then subscribed Bishop Greer was among the notables present in order to raise his voice in a plea for the suffering starving Jewish peoples. In the course of his address he

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said in effect that he came there not only to record express his tearful sympathy for an illustrious downtrodden people, but for also to register a plea for Common Justice that has been denied them these many Centuries. The Christian Church said he owes a debt to the Jewish people. It is a reparation debt for its persecutions of them & for the Cruelties and Crimes it has inflicted upon them. They have everywhere been the victims of that accursed racial animosity which still possesses the minds of men. In this his bitter hour in this his starving & suffering hour, now is the time to pay it. The debt is due, it is overdue & the payment should now be made, & I appeal to my Christian fellow citizens in this land to pay & discharge promptly & generously this reparation debt to the Jew. And this apart from the tremendous debt which our civilization owes to that marvellous minority that has received invaluable service to in every sphere of human thought from the very [ ] light of history down the long ages until this very day when in which the influence of the Jew in the commercial moral & spiritual progress of the world is a factor that cannot be disregarded without violating

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the common principles of justice. In fact the debt owing to the Jewish people is not merely the Christian's debt; it is broader than that, it is the debt of humanity. But even apart from these historic considerations it may be asked why a specifically Jewish Relief day, when millions countless others are similarly suffering. Why? I will tell you. Because the starving, suffering [ ] among the Jews & the tortured violated outraged maddened Jewish women have none to look to for help except the Jewish people, & they have furnished proportionately a larger share to the contending armies than have any of the fighting nations. As a result the relief brought to these humble & hounded [ ] creatures is not adequate enough to keep body & soul together, of one thousanth part of the sufferers. Exiled from one town whether Kovno Grodno or any other town with from eight to 24 hours notice they arrive at another town only to be ordered refused admission & even food while & this long army of hundreds of thousands of God's creatures -- God's chosen people, as they have been called, are packed like cattle in worn out rickety freight cars mothers, babes, [ ] wild eyed innocent boys &