This page needs to be proofread.
- Senator Lodge—“Ah! Religiously. He was very proud of the fact that he was a Jew, and always spoke of himself in that way. Did the fact that he changed his religion alter his race?”
- Mr. Wolf—“It did not change the fact that he was born a Jew; not at all; and I know the Jewish people throughout the world have claimed him, Heine, and Borne, and others who were born of their blood, as being Jews, when they speak of persons who have accomplished something wonderful in the world. But they ceased to be Jews from the standpoint of religion—”
- Senator Lodge—“Undoubtedly. What I want to get at is whether the word ‘Jew’ or ‘Hebrew’ is not a correct racial term?”
- Mr. Wolf—“If you will pardon me, you will find a letter from Dr. Cyrus Adler right at the close of the pamphlet, which perhaps you might read for the benefit of the committee.”
- Senator Lodge—(after reading the letter referred to) “I do not think that answers anything.”
- * *
- Senator Lodge—“It never occurred to me until I heard you were coming here that the classification as made by the immigration authorities had anything to do with religion. I supposed it was a race classification. It is important, very important, to get the race classification as nearly as we can.”
- * *
- Mr. Wolf—“You are aware that the Census Bureau some time ago attempted to classify in the same manner and it was prohibited from doing so.”
- Senator Lodge—“The word ‘race’ was stricken out of the census bill. I think it was a great mistake. It makes the returns almost valueless.”
- Mr. Wolf—“I can simply repeat what I have said—that I am voicing the opinions of those whom I represent—the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and the Order of B’nai B’rith. They are opposed to the classification as made in the last few years and as contemplated, so far as I am informed, in the report of the commission.”
