=New York University=
THE New York University Menorah Society is unique in its make-up and
in the form of its administration. The Society is really two
organizations within the one university. This dual composition is
necessitated by the division, geographically, of New York University
into colleges in the downtown section of New York City, and into
colleges in the far uptown section of the Bronx, the distance between
these divisions being some twelve miles. It has therefore been found
necessary to organize one Menorah Society at University Heights, the
Bronx section, and another at Washington Square, the downtown
section.
Each of these Societies has its own officers, and each is active in
its own section. The Executive Councils of both Societies meet jointly
as a Board of Governors at least once in two months. This Board
directs Menorah work pertaining to the whole University, at the same
time considering the problems arising in the work of each Society.
The University Heights chapter is the older, having been organized
December 22, 1913. Its membership is about 75 at this time, and an
increase to 100 is expected by the end of the present academic year.
Formed by the zeal of some twenty-five men, and looked upon at its
inception with indifference by the college community, it has made
itself respected at University Heights and has become, young as it is,
an institution in the college life.
Its work during the first half-year was directed chiefly to the
internal strengthening of the Society, the increasing of its
membership and the institution of smooth working machinery of
administration. At the same time, however, the Society offered a
number of valuable lectures which attracted wide interest. Among the
speakers of that half-year may be mentioned Professor Israel
Friedlaender, Dr. Madison C. Peters, and Dr. Theodore F. Jones of the
faculty.
The activities of the University Heights Menorah Society for this year
are extensive. It has arranged a program of lectures, among which may
be mentioned the following: "The Talmud," by Dr. Clifton H. Levy; "The
Jew in English Literature," by Dean Archibald L. Bouton; "The Jews in
Medieval Spain," by Dr. D. de Sola Pool; "Conservative Judaism," by
Dr. Jacob Kohn; "Historical Beginnings of Christianity," by Dr. A. H.
Limouze; "Reform Judaism," by Dr. Isaac Moses. Besides these lectures,
some meetings are devoted to discussions by members of such subjects
as Zangwill's "Melting Pot," "Zionism," and others of current
interest.
The Society does not limit its work to these meetings. It conducts
regularly, every Thursday evening, classes in elementary Hebrew and in
Post-Biblical History, and on Tuesday afternoons a class in Advanced
Hebrew and the reading of Hebrew Literature. The Thursday evening
class in Hebrew is under the direction of Dr. Max Reichler. The course
in History is divided into several periods, and as the course proceeds
to a new period in the history a different instructor takes the class.
Among the men giving the course are Dr. M. H. Harris, Dr. Reichler,
Dr. Moses Hyamson, and Dr. Joseph Gorfinkle. The class in Advanced
Hebrew is conducted by Mr. Max Kadushin of the Jewish Theological
Seminary.
Through the kindness of the Jewish Publication Society of America and
the Intercollegiate Menorah Association, and by its own additions, the
Society has placed a collection of books in the University library,
which, according to the Librarian's statement, is used more frequently
than is any other collection of books placed in the library by a
society.
All these activities have caused favorable interest on the part of the
student body, faculty, and college authorities. Aside from these
academic efforts, the Society has made its members feel something of a
social friendliness toward each other and has brought together men who
might otherwise not have come in contact at all.
The Society at Washington Square promises an exceedingly good future.
At the present writing it is only several weeks old, but it already
has a membership of over one hundred and fifty. Judging from the
strong beginning it has made, it is bound to become a factor in its
section of the University.