Copyright, 1922, BY THE JEWISH PUBLICATION SOCIETY OF AMERICA Printed by THE CONAT PRESS, Philadelphia, Pa. THE greater part of the contents of this, the twenty-fourth volume of the AMERICan Jewish Year Book, was prepared in the office of the Bureau of Jewish Social Research under the supervision of Dr. H. S. Linfield, Director of the Department of Information and Statistics of that bureau, which is affiliated with, and in part supported by, the American Jewish Committee, for which this volume, like those published during the past fourteen years, has been edited. In addition to the usual Directories and Lists, two special features are presented within these pages. The first is a Survey of the Year 5682, prepared by Doctor Linfield. This is a substitute for the Record of Events published in former volumes, and is based largely on the monthly Summaries of Events of Jewish Interest compiled by the same writer and issued by the Bureau of Jewish Social Research for the American Jewish Committee since September, 1921. It is believed that readers will find this Survey a highly interesting, useful, and impartial presentation of the most significant events and tendencies in the life of the Jews throughout the world during the past twelve months. The appendices containing lists of anniversaries, important bequests and gifts, appointments, honors, and elections, and a necrology supplement this article. The other special feature in this volume is a list of Jews in the United States who are prominent in the various professions, in the arts, in science, or in other walks in the public life of our country. It was felt that, several years having elapsed since a similar inventory had been taken, it was time to compile a new record of Jews who contribute to the sum of American life. The present list has been compiled by Mr. I. George Dobsevage, who has brought to the task an impartial and objective mind, and has availed himself of all the best source books. To some extent the list is preliminary in character, it being believed that it may form the basis of a larger biographic dictionary or "Who's Who." No change has been made in the other sections of the YEAR Book, except in the article on Jewish statistics. For the past two years, the first part of this article, dealing with the Statistics of Jews in the various countries of the world, has been based on a readjustment of pre-war figures. During the past year, however, a number of countries, some of which were created after the war, have made new censuses; in the case of other countries, various statistical authorities have made new estimates of population. Doctor Linfield has brought together both the results of censuses and the revised estimates, and has compiled new tables which are believed to be more accurate than those previously published, some of which were based upon population statistics of a quarter of a century ago. A careful examination of these tables will repay the thoughtful reader who may find many interesting and instructive items in them. Attention is called to the Fifteenth Annual Report of the American Jewish Committee, and to the Thirty-fourth Annual Report of the Jewish Publication Society published in the present volume. I desire to express my heart-felt thanks to Doctor Linfield for his valuable and untiring co-operation; to Mr. Dobsevage for the industry and zeal which he brought to bear upon the preparation of his contribution; to Doctor Halper for his usual courtesies, and to Doctor Adler, who has continued to manifest a deep interest in this series of volumes which he originated twenty-four years ago. I am grateful also to Miss Rose A. Herzog and to Mrs. Elfrida Solis-Cohen for the assistance they have given me. Thanks are also due to Mr. A. S. Freidus and Miss A. Nesanow. HARRY SCHNEIDERMAN. New York, August 21, 1922. |