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| 1933 Century of Progress Exposition Documents |
Jewish 'Romance of a People' Kindles Thrill of Faith in 150,000 Spectators
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By S. J. Duncan-Clark.
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Source: Chicago Daily News, 5 July 1933, pg. 5.
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"In the Beginning God."
Last Monday night more than 150,000 people, assembled in Soldier field, heard that sublime and profoundly stirring message reverberate in the sonorous tones of an unseen voice. From an altar, seemingly alight with living flame, it swept up to the shining stars and echoed back as if those multitudinous spheres rejoiced to know that faith survived upon the earth. Upon 150,000 tongues, babbling but a moment before in chatter of the commonplace, there fell an awed silence.
Athwart the foursquare altar lay, in part unrolled, a mighty across, symbol of the Eternal Word, the truth and wisdom of Omnipotence. It was bathed in the secret fire whose glow stood out against a background as yet formless and void.
The unseen voice spoke again—"Let there be light."
Music Precedes Light.
A high, plangent note of music shot like a gleaming arrow across the thick darkness—a golden, shimmering note as if the morning stars sang together and earth for a fleeting moment heard the vibrant climax of their ecstasy—and then came the light!
Softly it crept over the formless background, even as the dawn came. Violet, rose, faint orange trembling into high yellow of the full sun bathed what was formless and gave it form—vague, mystery-suggesting form, like gray clouds of morning mistily luminous, or like the leaden surface of sea on which a new day trembles.
Suddenly motion followed light. A quickening tremor rippled over that leaden surface; it became undulant; it rose anf ell in great billows, that met and merged and rolled on into the framing gloom.
"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters!"
Arms Flung Upward.
But now from that sea came the surge of a low murmur, rhythmic, repetitive, timed to the movement of the waves. It swelled in volume, it rose in pitch, it became like the voice of the unresting ages. It was a prayer, it was yearning aspiration, it was triumphant joy. Suddenly arms were flung upward and hands reached toward the light. The tossing sea broke into human fragments. It became a people like the sands of the seashore for multitude, and they cried together: "Adonoi echod! God is One!"
Throughout the vast audience—an audience such as never before gathered in Chicago—ran a kindling thrill. In that supreme declaration of an undying faith Jews and Christians were fused by a strange oneness of emotion. On that exalted note the pageant-drama of "The Romance of a People" began.
It was a memorable night in what will be a memorable year in the history of Chicago and the world. The story of that night will be carried far: it will be told by 150,000 tongues and it will bring to those who hear it a message of good will and hope."
Bring Thought of God.
For this is its significance, as one spectator felt it. Into a bewildered world, unable to reach mutual understanding about its money, its business or its quarrels; disillusioned concerning the stability of material things, questioning its own boasted progress, uncertain whether the portent of tomorrow be threat or promise, the Jews of Chicago, dramatically recalling their national story, have brought the steadying, unifying thought of God. Seated in the higher tiers of the western stadium the spectators could see the glittering glory of the Century of Progress exposition stretching its rainbow length beside the lake.
There, open-eyed and wondering, other thousands wandered among the marvels of science impressively displayed—open-eyed and wondering what is the meaning of it all for life. And here, strangely detached yet a part of that amazing spectacle—enclosed, indeed, within the same boundaries—the Jews of Chicago, in pageant depicted the answer to that wonderment—"In the beginning God—and God said 'Let there be light.'"
That is the great contribution of this people to a stumbling world. Again and again in the troublous history of mankind they have held aloft that torch of faith. Episode after episode in the pageant repeated the theme. The grim struggle against the demon worship of Moloch; the triumph of Abraham's reliance upon the One God; the bondage of Egypt and the revelation of the burning bush; the occupation of Palestine; the glory of the temple; the overwhelming catastrophe of its destruction; the long years of bitter exile and the culminating thrill of the new liberation—the flag of Zion and the flag of America unfurled beneath the golden splendor of Israel's six-pointed star.
Peace Declared for World.
"Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof—Behold, I create a Jerusalem rejoicing—Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem—nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
The unseen voice, like the music of a great organ, rose in prophecy, and in the full blaze of the new day the multitude, flocking now from all quarters, took up the chorus of Adonoi Echod—the Lord is One. Shma Yisrael, came the answer—Hear, O Israel.
There was laughter and weeping among the thronging spectators, for the floodtide of emotion had been released. Christian and Jew grasped hands with a new sense of spiritual kinship. There were thousands of Christians present. All Christian creeds had joined in approving and promoting the magnificent project of their Jewish neighbors.
In Hitler's Germany the news of that fine fellowship will carry rebuke to those who oppress the Jew, and the courage of new hope to those who suffer anew the agony of Pharaoh's cruel bondage. The world will learn that in the democracy of America not race nor creed, but the worth of the human soul is full title to freedom and opportunity.
Isaac Van Grove, general director of the pageant, his competent staff, his solo choir, his magnificently trained and innumerable cast have set a new standard in outdoor pageantry. The spectacle moved with smoothly perfect synchronization of the vocal and the visual. In costume and color it was sumptuous in effect. Tragedy and pathos, joy and exaltation, in song, in gesture and in dance, were unfailingly held to a high note of dignified sincerity.
For the benefit of those who did not see this magnificent spectacle on Saturday night, it is to be repeated tonight between 9 and 11 o'clock at popular prices.
[End of news article]
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Page compiled: 14 January 2006
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