_Chancellor of the Intercollegiate Menorah Association_
I
THE MENORAH MOVEMENT is now in its ninth year. Starting at Harvard
University, where the first Menorah Society was organized in October,
1906, the idea spread to other colleges and universities in various
parts of the country. Societies arose at Columbia, College of the City
of New York, Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Minnesota, Michigan,
Chicago, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Before long a common
desire was felt for closer relationship and co-operation. This led to
the holding of two intercollegiate conferences early in 1912: one, an
eastern conference, at Columbia University, in January, with delegates
from six Menorah Societies, and another, a western conference, at the
University of Chicago, in April, where also six Societies were
represented. As a result of these preliminary gatherings, the first
national convention of Menorah Societies was called at the University
of Chicago, in January, 1913. Delegates of twelve Menorah Societies
from universities in both the East and the West came together, and
seven other Societies were heard from. At this national convention,
the Intercollegiate Menorah Association was formed.
In a period of less than two years since this first convention, the
number of Societies has grown from nineteen to thirty-five. There are
Societies now at the following colleges and universities: Boston
University, Brown, California, Chicago, Cincinnati, College of the
City of New York, Clark, Colorado, Columbia, Cornell, Denver, Harvard,
Hunter, Illinois, Johns Hopkins, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
New York University, North Carolina, Ohio State, Omaha, Pennsylvania,
Penn State, Pittsburgh, Radcliffe, Rutgers, Texas, Tufts, Valparaiso,
Washington, Western Reserve, Wisconsin, and Yale. New Societies are in
the process of formation at several other universities.
This development of the Menorah movement has from the very beginning
been a natural, unforced growth. The Intercollegiate Menorah
Association makes no effort to organize new Menorah Societies; its
policy is rather to encourage and assist the efforts of students who,
wishing to join in the movement, have undertaken on their own
initiative to organize Menorah Societies at their colleges and
universities. Hence every Menorah Society is the result of a
spontaneous desire among students to organize for Menorah purposes.
The first Menorah Society started with sixteen members. Now the total
membership of Menorah Societies approximates 3,000. The Menorah idea
is firmly implanted in leading colleges and universities throughout
the country, from Massachusetts to California.