insight into the life and aspirations of the
masses, return of the classes to the masses, participation in their
ideals, their traditions, and their common life. It is not by a
cutting off from the past, but by a development out of it that such a
reincorporation can be consummated.

If liberal Judaism is to be a living and growing force at all, it can
become so only by accepting the inevitable conditions which govern all
life. Life is organic; religion is only one of the many organs of
human society, even Jewish society. Its health and vitality are
dependent upon the health and vitality of the social residuum. The
hope of liberal Judaism lies in a reincorporated national life for the
Jews. That alone can preserve the Jewish religion, either from
petrifying as orthodoxy through resistance against environmental
pressure, or from evaporating as reform through submission to
environmental pressure.

_University of Wisconsin_

[Illustration: Signature: H. M. Kallen]

III

THE HEBREW GENIUS[D]

THIS little volume is five years old, but its review is always timely;
and for THE MENORAH JOURNAL very appropriate. The English language is
extremely poor in popular, yet scholarly and well-written books and
essays on Jewish literature. A great many of those who are thoroughly
versed in Hebrew literature, who regard the study of the original
Rabbinic sources as a work of love if not a profession and a life
work, have not a sufficient command of English or of systematic
exposition to be able to present the spirit of these writings in
acceptable form to the lay reader. The few scientific scholars in our
seminaries and colleges who could if they chose write authoritatively
and withal in an interesting manner concerning the course of Jewish
thought during the past two or three millenia, prefer to devote their
time and energy to the more technical aspects of the subject, which
are not designed for the uninitiated reader. And the men of
journalistic calibre and inclination, even if we had them, are not the
most desirable purveyors of Jewish knowledge. The truth of the matter
is, in the words of Nietzsche, that ears are still growing for the
intelligent American Jewish people so far as Jewish literature--Hebrew
classical literature--is concerned.

The cause of the paucity of works in English on Jewish literary
subjects is really economic. There is no lack of young men among the
people of the Book whose ideal of a well-spen