THE JEWS OF THE WORLD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17080, 8 July 1926, Page 10

THE JEWS OF THE WORLD.

A NEW CHRISTIAN SURVEY. The world's Jewish population may to-day be reckoned at 10.000.000, about three-quarters of whom live in Central Europe. Warsaw ami Budapest have therefore been •chosen as the centres for holding two important conferences at Easter of next, year, as a part of a new Christian survey of the Jewish question. “The object of the conferences,” each of which will be strictly limited to a hundred delegates of standing from all parts of the world, wilt be not only to study tho relations of the Christian Churches to Jewish questions, hut to gain an insight into the changed attitude of an increasing number of Jews towards Jesus,” said fir. J. Macdonald Webster, in an interview. lie is acting as secretary of these gatherings, for the convening of which the International Missionary Societies are primarily responsible. “The duty* of the Church; in face, of tile still important anti-Semitic altitude of many, will also be closely examined, and naturally also the question of a Hebrew Christian Cluwch will receive attention.”

“New York is really the greatest Jewish city In the world,” lie said, “with at least 1,500,000 Jews in its population. It is estimated that approximately 80 per vent, of America’s Jews have cut themselves entirely away from the Synagogue. They are seeking sonic sort of spiritual satisfaction in Socialism, in Christian Science (there is also a Hebrew Science Church), and other non-Jewish movements. Just now a very stroug controversy is going on both in Jewish anil Gentile circles in New York arising out of an address Ivy Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, particularly based on the recent book by tlie inuueutial Jewish scholar. Hr. Joseph Klausnor, entitled ‘Jesus of .Nazareth.’ in which lie declares Unit Jesus was no myth,, and that this Jew i,s ‘Soul of ouv soul ami tho soul of his teaching is Jewish and nothing hut Jewivli.' Itubhi Wise regards the publication of Kla-u.s-uer's work us the first chapter of a new literature. Naturally a storm of pro test lu-s been raised m orthodox Jewish circles, but it illustrates a very real, change coming over the attitude of American Jewry towards Jesus.” I'll the other band, anli-b'emitism is h very definite fact io be reckoned with -'ll Aimeri'jaii life, Amerrc-a’a total HHeInvw population is somewhere between 3.000,C00 and 4,000,000.