The Chicago Orthodoxy has passed its test, and passed it brilliantly. The Chicago Orthodoxy, for the first time in its history, came out openly as an organized body, engaged in a great undertaking, and brought the undertaking to a splendid and successful conclusion.

The gift of twenty-two thousand dollars in cash for the Keren Hayesod ["exchequer" of World Zionist organization] by fifteen synagogues, which had already contributed thirty thousand dollars for the same purpose, is a great achievement when one takes into consideration the fact that the time to organize the campaign was very brief, and that the number of people who participated in the organizational work was very small. There are only a few people who are willing to embark upon new adventures, new undertakings, the outcome of which is unknown.

We fully agree with Rabbi Saul Silber that the Chicago Orthodoxy can give half a million dollars for the Keren Hayesod, provided that the campaign is properly organized. The undertaking of last Wednesday night proved two things; first, that the Orthodox Jews of Chicago want to give money for the Keren Hayesod, that they understand their duties and responsibilities; second, that they can be organized for great and productive work.

The undertaking of last Wednesday also proved that the small synagogues will contribute to general campaigns for Jewish purposes. The small synagogues have, proportionally, given more than the large synagogues. If the Vilna Synagogue can bring in a thousand dollars in cash and has five hundred dollars in pledges, which will soon be collected, then the Congregation [Anshe] Kneseth Israel should have brought in ten thousand dollars. If Rabbi [B.] Margolin could give a check for two thousand dollars, in behalf of his synagogue, then Rabbi Ephraim Epstein should have given a check for ten thousand dollars in behalf of his synagogue. The fact that this did not 3happen can be explained by assuming that the large synagogues either do not have a sufficient number of workers, or that they do not understand their duty.

We have no right to assume that a great Jewish community does not understand its duty, and we, therefore, must assume that the large synagogues do not have a sufficient number of workers to devote themselves to this work. The only large synagogue which has really done some brilliant work, and which may be proud of its achievements in connection with last Wednesday's undertaking, is the Congregation Tiphereth Zion of the Northwest Side. It is not the richest Orthodox synagogue in Chicago, but it does have many serious and devoted workers among its membership. Had the other synagogues a group of workers such as George Marrok, Meyer Teitelbaum, A. Miller, and H. Steinberg, then they too would have been able to collect large sums of money, because Jews want to give for the Keren Hayesod. One has only to go to them and accept their contribution. This is our one great comfort in the present critical moment in the life of our people, and our only hope 4for the future. The Zionist leaders know that they can depend upon the American Orthodoxy.

The representatives of the Chicago Orthodoxy should not rest upon their laurels, after having achieved their first, great success as an organized body. When the iron is hot, they should strike, and the first thing they ought to do is to perfect their organization.

There are over a hundred Orthodox synagogues in Chicago. At the banquet in honor of Nahum Sokolow and his associates of the Zionist delegation, fifteen synagogues were represented, all of them big synagogues. But where were the eighty-five small synagogues? The aggregate membership of those eighty-five small synagogues may be less than that of the fifteen big synagogues, but, in any case, those eighty-five small synagogues represent a significant minority.

We do not doubt that these eighty-five small synagogues can be organized and 5made productive for Jewish work, particularly for the Keren Hayesod. The representatives of the Association of Synagogue Presidents should immediately make a sincere effort to draw the small synagogues into their organization. A better organizational machinery of the Association of Synagogue Presidents should be created immediately. It must have its own office at a specific place, where its meetings will be held. It must have a paid executive secretary because a voluntary secretary cannot, under any circumstances, do all the technical work. Everything which must be done, should be done systematically.

The Chicago Orthodoxy has passed its test and, is therefore, now facing great responsibilities. If the undertaking of last Wednesday night had been a failure, nothing would have been expected of Chicago Orthodoxy. But because the undertaking was successful and revealed the fact that the Chicago Orthodoxy is a power, it is the duty of the Chicago Orthodoxy to utilize the power that it has for the good of the community. Every Chicago Jew can now say to the representatives of the Orthodoxy: "You have shown what you can do; why don't you do it?"

The representatives of the Association of Synagogue Presidents, Mr. Joseph Weil, Mr. Salk, Mr. Wilensky, and Mr. H. M. Barnett have worked very hard for the success of the first great task undertaken by the Chicago Orthodoxy. They must now, with the same devotion, work for the development of their organization, and then they will have accomplished for Chicago something that will last for generations.