=Penn State College=
THE Penn State Menorah was organized on April 27, 1913. Our activities
from the beginning were characterized by a willingness on the part of
the members to devote a great deal of their time to the mapping and
carrying out of our weekly program. The significant fact that the
Society has held forty talks during the past year, most of which were
delivered by its members, is in itself proof of the conscientiousness
and devotion that the men of Penn State bring to the Menorah Society.
As is quite natural, our organization did not at first strike all the
Jewish students as something worth while, but in a comparatively short
time we found that ninety per cent. of the Jewish students of the
College were members, and that our attendance for the past year
averaged thirty-five out of a possible forty.
Our meetings are held every Sunday morning from ten to twelve o'clock.
Our constitution states that any member who absents himself for three
consecutive meetings without a legitimate excuse is automatically
expelled. Thus far no man has been expelled. Members of the Menorah
Society are excused from the chapel by the Dean, provided they attend
all the Menorah meetings.
Our Society has also striven to get desirable lecturers. Owing to our
limited treasury, we must depend upon the Intercollegiate Association
for support, else we can make but very little headway.
The Menorah Library has proved a big boon, for practically every man
is making use of the books for his own reading and in the preparation
of papers for our meetings.
We were very fortunate in having been offered the services of
Professor O. F. Boucke as a lecturer for the Society and as teacher of
a special course of study on the Old Testament. Professor Boucke's
assistance is bound to add materially to the prestige of the Menorah
on the campus. At an early meeting this year we had a most interesting
and inspiring talk by President Sparks, who is taking a deep interest
in the Menorah movement.
It is our belief that the Menorahs in colleges and universities that
are isolated from the large cities (a good example of which is Penn
State) are bound to have by far the greater success, because the
students enjoy more opportunity of being together and doing more
things in common. In our Menorah Society the Jewish students find
their chance not only to study things Jewish in common, but to come
together and exchange their thoughts on all subjects in which they are
interested.