=Cornell University=
THE Cornell Menorah Society has this year issued a prospectus which
has met with much favor among undergraduates, graduates and faculty,
and has been very helpful in our work. It contains an explanation of
"The Menorah Idea," accounts of the history and activities of both the
Cornell Society and the Intercollegiate Association, and the address
of President Schurman of November 24, 1913, by which he welcomed the
Menorah Society to the University. There is also included, besides the
general program for the year, the announcement of the Cornell Menorah
prizes. These are three prizes of $25.00 each, offered by the Cornell
Menorah Society to all the undergraduates of the University for (1)
the best essay on any subject relating to the status and problems of
the Jews in any country; (2) the best essay on any subject relating to
Jewish literature in English; and (3) the best essay or poem in
Hebrew.
The first meeting of the year, on October 7, was very successful. It
was attended by more than eighty students and several members of the
faculty. The meeting was devoted to an exposition of the purposes and
ideals of the Menorah movement. Professor W. A. Hurwitz and Professor
Hays spoke very enthusiastically of the accomplishments and the hopes
of the Cornell Menorah Society. About thirty new members were
enrolled, bringing our membership list up to one hundred. This number
includes five members of the faculty and about a score of graduates.
Several men who had come to the meeting to scoff stayed to enroll. The
subsequent meetings have also been well attended. Our organization is
gaining greater and greater prestige on the campus.
In the plans for this year, the work of study circles has been
particularly emphasized. As compared with two circles last year,
meeting more or less irregularly, we have at present six circles
meeting very regularly and doing really splendid work. More than half
of our members are now enrolled in one or several of these circles.
The subjects of study are: (1) Elementary Hebrew, (2) Advanced Hebrew,
(3) The Bible, (4) Jewish History, (5) Sociological Problems of the
Jews, and (6) Zionism. Though we have been feeling very keenly the
need of suitable syllabi and text books, each circle has chosen the
texts considered most suitable and available for its purpose. Most of
the men have bought their own text books, and have subscribed to
various Jewish periodicals. Thus, the beginners in Hebrew are using
Manheimer as a text; the members of the advanced Hebrew circle are
also using the Bible as a text and have each subscribed to the
_Hatoren_ (a Hebrew monthly of New York). The Bible circle is also
using the Bible as its text, and the Hebrew and Bible circles
contemplate procuring jointly several Jewish Commentaries, like those
of Rashi and Kimchi, for general reference in the University Library.
The circle in Zionism is using Professor Gottheil's book, and the
members have each subscribed to _The Maccabæan_. The history circle
has recently decided to use Dubnow's Essay as a text. It may be
mentioned here that the books of the Menorah Library are receiving
very good circulation and the standard reference works, such as
Graetz, Ginsburg, Schechter, and others, have been of great value to
the members of the study circles in their work. It is hoped that a
number of Jewish periodicals may also be made available in the
University Library.
It is planned to hold meetings of the Cornell Menorah Society in
conjunction with one or two other university organizations for several
lecturers whom we expect through the courtesy of the Intercollegiate
Menorah Association. One meeting in particular that is planned for the
future may be noted. Annually, in February, occurs what is known as
Farmers' Week in Ithaca. During the week thousands of farmers from
all over the country visit the College of Agriculture, where a most
elaborate program is arranged for their benefit, consisting of
lectures, demonstrations, exhibits, and addresses on the various
phases of agriculture and country life. Last year, Mr. Joseph M.
Pincus, Editor of _The Jewish Farmer_, addressed a large audience
under the joint auspices of the Menorah Society and the College of
Agriculture on "The Jew as a Farmer." The lecture was illustrated with
a fine selection of lantern slides, and the meeting as a whole was
very successful. In planning for the coming year, we have tried to
emphasize even more strongly than last year our part in the program
for Farmers' Week. Mr. Pincus has kindly consented to come again, and
probably we shall also have Mr. Leonard G. Robinson, General Manager
of the Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society, who will speak
on "Jewish Agricultural Co-operative Associations."
We are now trying to make arrangements for our Society to take care of
an exhibit which will show by charts, photographs, and other suitable
material, the activities of the various Jewish agricultural
organizations and the progress of Jewish farmers in America within
recent years. It may be of interest to add that as a direct result of
the Menorah meeting last year during Farmers' Week, one of the
students was appointed by the Extension Department of the College of
Agriculture to go out with an "educational train" during the summer
and carry on certain extension work among the Jewish farmers of New
York State.