Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol4, 1920.pdf/36
and poets we find Richard Weiner, Dr. Otakar Fischer, Dr. Frant. Langer and a host of other talented men. As far as the activity of Czech Jews in other fields is concerned, it must be said that in commerce and industry they belong in large numbers to the leading men of our Republic, and that among them are some persons of such size that they must soon assume significant places in public life.
If under the Austrian regime clericalism was the hotbed of antisemitism, under the republic clericalism at least lost all governmental support. Thus anti-semitism loses its strongest root. During the Austro-Hungarian rule Jews in the Bohemian lands fell under the influence of Germanism and in Slovakia were protagonists of Magyarization. Today the Jews of the Republic will be faithful to the nationality to which they are inclined by sentiment and education. They will surely no longer stand against the efforts of the Czechoslovak nation. Even chauvinists will have no fault to find with the Czech Jews in the future, and thus another strong root of anti-semitism will fall away.
Leaving the old churches will be now easier and more common, after there is separation of church and state. In the schools there will be introduced training in religious morality which will unite scholars of all confessions, whereas the present eccleciastical instruction in religion brought in difference of religion from the first days of primary school. Civil marriage will make easier mixed unions and social relations of re-united society will make such marriages more common.
Finally cultural and economic efficiency of the Jewry in our Republic is such that the Jews are sure to attain whatever they go after. So far Jews in our Republic have brought forth no genius, if we except the great composer Mahler who by training was a German. But they are great consumers of culture, lovers of books, music, theater and patrons of that domestic luxury which sustains fine arts.
Such qualities make it inevitable that they secure recognition everywhere, where rough demagogy is not supreme, wherever there is an atmostphere of national tolerance and world-wide view.
