7
THE JEWISH CHRONICLE
Jacob H. Schiff Explains Views on
• Zionism
Advocates Re-establishment in Palestine of a Large Jewish Popu-
lation, Not a Jewish Nation
.–
Because recent utterances of Jacob
H. Schiff have been construed by some
as indicating his conversion to the cause
of Zionism, Mr. Schiff wrote a letter
to Dr. David Philipson, which is pub-
lished in the current issue of The Amer-
ican Hebrew, in which he denied he had
been converted to Zionism and explain-
ed that what he did advocate was the
re-establishment in Palestine of a large
Jewish population, not a Jewish nation,
from which Jewry all over the world
might be nourished. In the letter Mr.
Schiff predicted that unless something
of the kind that lie recommended was
done Jewry in every country would dis-
integrate.
"We cannot and must not," said Mr.
Schiff, "close our eyes to the fact that
Palestine has a peculiar attraction for
the Jew, more so now even than in by-
gone ages. This, I feel, in the face of
what has taken place in Russia, should
be taken advantage of to establish in
Palestine not a Jewish nation but the
seed for a large, if not almost exclusive,
Jewish population.
"Had it not been for the enormous
influx of the Russian Jew and for the
influence of his orthodoxy, it is most
likely that even reformed Judaism in
America would before this have ceased
to be much of a factor.
"I continue at the same time of the
opinion that no effort should be made
to re-establish a Jewish nation, because
1 believe, were this done, the very pur-
pose which is in my mind would be-
come destroyed. I believe I am not far
wrong if I say that from 50 per cent. to
75 per cent. of the so-called Jewish
Nationalists are either atheists or ag-
nostics, and that the great majority of
Jewish Nationalist leaders have abso-
lutely no interest in the Jewish re-
ligion."
WASHINGTON RECEIVES CON-
FIRMATION OF TURKISH
OUTRAGES AGAINST
JEWS.
To Revive Hebrew Language and
Culture
Movement is Begun to Make Jewish Literary Treasures Acces-
sible to All Jewish People
The Histadruth Ivrith, a federation
of societies interested in the spread
and development of the Hebrew
language, at the head of which is Dr.
Schmarya Levin, has set forth its aims
and program in the following state-
ment:
An Appeal to the Jews of America
We appeal to all those American
Jews who are imbued with a true
sentiment of Jewish nationalism; Do
your duty by the Hebrew language,
prove that the Hebraic spirit can pro-
duce a mighty reverberation in America.
Hebrew was the tongue of our
prophets, and for thousands of years
the medium of expression of most of
our writers, thinkers, and scholars.
But only in recent times has it been
demonstrated how great arc its pos-
sibilities of further life and develop-
ment.
Hebraic culture has at the present
time been the spiritual quickener of
thousands of young Jews in the Land
of Isreal. But so far only a few
thousand have experienced the crea-
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\\'ASH1 NGTON—Further confirma-
tion that the Turkish military authorities
in Palestine, as well as Turks of the civil
population, are committing terrible
atrocities against the Jews in Palestine
reached \Vashington today in official
reports, quoting extracts from Egyptian
newspapers. Many of the Jews who re-
sist the pillage accompanying the execu-
tion of the order for their expulsion
are hanged, and the authorities are de-
clared to he encouraging the civilians
in perpetrating these outrages.
It is reported that Jews have been
expelled in considerable numbers from
Jerusalem, especially the younger Jews.
and are being driven to unknown des-
tinations northward of that city. Refu-
gees are deprived of their property, 110
comforts or conveniences are allowed
them, and they are said to be destitute
and suffering great hardships both from
want and from the unsanitary conditions
attending their exile.
Live exaltation which will undoubt-
edly in the course of the next decades
become the glorious heritage of hun-
dreds of thousands in that same
Orient. If the genesis now taking
place in Palestine is one of the great
marvels of Jewish history surely the
renaissance of the Hebrew language
shows what height and intensity the
Jewish will for self-preservation has
attained.
At the same time a movement is
being propagated throughout the var-
ious countries of Europe with an
analogous purpose: To revise our
historic tongue. Even during this
most horrible of universal catastro-
phies the organizations formed for the
furtherance of this movement have
not been entirely shattered, and it is
at this very moment that the friends
of the Hebrew language in Russia and
Poland have raised hundreds of thou-
sands of roubles for the cause of He-
brew literature and Hebrew educa-
tion.
Hebrew literature, freed from the
trammels of a former age and radiant
in its new national garb has in the
last generation gained a foothold in
world culture and produced a group
of poets, scholars, and journalists
who have evoked new harmonies from
the chords of our history and thereby
enriched the soul of our nation. Year
by year new forces are added to this
group, and in struggling to fulfill their
destiny, they are creating the fairest
fruits of our great hope.
Unfortunately these new treasures.
literary and educational, are not ac-
cessible to a vast majority of the Jewish
people. The masses arc as yet oblivi-
ous to the mighty transformation which
has taken place. But none are as blind
to this transformation as the American
Tews, who, except for isolated cases,
have allowed themselves to sink into
an ever increasing ignorance of things
Jewish. Here in America there is imi-
tient danger that the coming generation
of Jews will cease to have any under-
standing for all that is Hebraic.
Do the Jews of America want to stand
by indifferently while their children and
the children's children become estranved
from the past of their people? Do they
want to incur the shame of not taking
Part in the revival of the Hebrew
language? Do they want to bring it
about that the coming generations of
American Jewry regard the Jewish past
as nothing more than a dry and barrel ,
classroom subject, and the Jewish future
as a social phenomenon unrelated tc
their own destiny?
It is high time that American Jewry
recognize the danger which confront-
it; it is high time that every America' ,
Jew who valued the Hebrew language
as the most potent national cement, as
it were, who has a true desire for na-
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tional self-preservation, make a supreme
effort to avert this danger.
.\t a time when all peoples arc wag-
ing a life and death struggle for spirit-
ual existence the Jews must be made
to realize that the revival of the He-
brew language is an essential factor in
the formation of their future.
In former centuries the Jews assured
their self-preservation by other means.
They continually added new values to
the realm of religious traditiOn, which
they formulated and developed in ac-
cordance with the Hebraic spirit. But
today those manifestations are no long-
er the common heritage of all the Jews
Other achievements have replaced then?
achievements which unite us once more
with our greatest work, the Bible. Con-
sequently it is incumbent upon all ranks
of Jewry, but especially upon those who
know material prosperity, to do their
duty toward our language, our great
past, and our glorious future.
Therefore we call upon you, Jews o'
America: Organize for the purpose of
cooperating in the revival of the He-
brew language ; Form groups which
shall familiarize themselves with the
spoken and the written word, and de-
vote themselves to the study of Hebrew
literature; Influence Jewish institutions
that they may give more and more at-
tention to Hebrew ; build tip educational
centers where children may gain not
only snoratic glimpses of the treasures
of Hebrew lore, but an intimacy which
will enable them to appreciate its beauty;
Foster Hebrew literary endeavors and
Hebrew iournalism so that they may
attain a firm foothold in 'their struggle
for existence ; give your aid to the
establishing of the publishing- house
which is to issue Hebrew works ane
textbooks ; bear in mind the needs of
the Hebrew movement as you go about
your daily tasks, and persuade all those
who hold the tongue of our people dear
to work with us; but above all join the
Hebrew federation yourselves and let us
become a power in the movement for
national regeneration.
Dr. Sh. Levin. president; M. A.
I ulprsky. treasurer; Rabbi M. Berlin
R. Brainin, B. Hirsh (Boston), M.
Limon. Dr B. Mossinsohn, M. M.
Sheinkin. K. Whiteman. M. L. Motz-
kin. chairman ex. committee : N. Ad-
lert (Cleveland), M. Bernstein, W
Frishherg. N. Kamonotzkv. S. Lamaport
Dr. Sh. McLamod, Zewi Sharfstein, S
Stein (Boston).
JEWISH
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ENGLISH ZIONIST HEAD SAYS
PALERTTNE TEWISH REPUB-
LIC IS PREMATURE.
LONDON—At a conference of the
English Zionist Federation of T.ondon
today the President, Dr. Weizmann re-
ferred to the proiect of the American
Zionists for establishing a Tewish re-
public in Palestine. He thought the
idea premature. and asserted that it was
imnossible to a Jewish State until
a majority of the Jewish inhabitants
had been enlisted in the cause.
While hopeful that the proieet would fl
he achieved at a comparatively early
date, Dr. Wein- mii said the idea must
he approached by intermediate stages.
He believed he was entitled to say. lie
a dded. that the British rrovernment. in
conjunction with Great Britain's allies
'as ready to support plans to found a
Zionist State in Palestine.
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