THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

The only Jewish publication in the State of Michigan
Devoted to the interests of the Jewish people

DETROIT,WICH., NOVEMBER 30, 1917

Vol. II. No. 40

The Balfour Sfaternent

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By Rabbi Samuel Schulman, New York

Though I am not a Zionist, I natur-
ally rejoice that great nations are
willing to do something for Jews in
Palestine. The declaration of Bal-
four, and the reports which latterly
have come from across the seas, that
there is a desire to realize the hopes
of many Jews, with respect to Pales-
tine, naturally stir the imagination.
Those who, during the last twenty
years, have declared themselves non-
Zionists and who today cannot see
their way to subscribe to the Zionist
platform, still maintain their prin-
ciples in the presence of this great
impressive fact of history. The prin-
ciple for which the non-Zionists con-
tend remains with them as their guid-
inq ideal, with reference to the des-
tiny of the Jews scattered all over
the world.
I approach this event from the
point of view of Judaism as a relig-
ion. I look upon the Jewish 'people
as a spiritual entity, as the interna-
tional Synagogue. I would prefer
"Israel" as the name for the Jewish
people, because this name brings out
best to my mind the implication of
the great mission of our people in
the world. And it also recalls the
name which, in the course of the de-
velopment of Jewish thought, was
given by our rabbis to our people.
They called it the Keneseth Yisroel,
the Congregation of Israel. As such
a spiritual entity, as such a Congre-
gation of Israel. the Jewish people
has and ought to have a home in all
lands of the world. 1, therefore, do
not like the phrase "a home-land for
the Jewish people," because such a
phrase implies the idea of present
homelessness of the Jewish people.
It is very si ,inificant that in the state-
ment attributed to Balfour there arc
tvvo provisions, one referring to the
Protection of the rights of non-Jew-
ish peoples in Palestine and another
embhasizine, the importance of main-
taining the civil and political rights
of Jews in lands where they enjoy
them. It is unite evident that the
phrase. "home-land for the Jewish

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and for the whole human race which
this religion connotes: They have re-
fused to acknowledge that Israel is a
nation in the accepted sense of the
word and, therefore. they do not
aspire to the creation of a state which
shall express such a secular nation-
hood, state sovereignty being at pres-
ent recognized as the supreme ex-
pression of a nation's life. The west-
ern Jews do well in maintaining their
position. They would make a great
mistake. in departing from it. No
matter how secure the rights of the
Jews in western lands now appear
(and if, as we hope and trust, the
results of the Russian Revolution will
prove permanent, they will form the
climax of the great emancipation
movement which has brought free
and equal citizenship and opportuni-
ties to the Jews), the Jews in western
lands cannot conceal from themselves
the sinister nossibilities that may re-
sult from the emphasis of Jewish na-
tionality. Anti-Semites all over the
world may seek maliciously to em-
phasize for them their hyphenated
nationality, whereas today the Jews
in western lands, in this country and
in Europe feel themselves to be
whole-souledly nationals of the coun-

tries to which they belong by birth or
naturalization.
The non-Zionists feel that Zionism,
in accordance with its present defini-
tion as a movement to obtain a legally
and publicly secured home for the
Jewish people in Palestine, quite un-
necessarily injects a philosophy of
Jewish life, an interpretation of the
meaning of Israel's existence in the
world, into what should be a purely
practical enterprise. If the Zionists
consented to modify their definition
they could very easily bring about
union of Jewry and a greater co-op-
eration on behalf of the work for
Jews in Palestine than exist today. I
hope such modification will take
nlace.
If Palestine is to be given, it should
be given to Jews and not to the Jew-
ish people. This may appear as a
fine-spun distinction. But as a mat-
ter of fact it emphasizes a vital dif-
ference of principle. It is recognized
that at best only from two to three
million Jews could ever make this
settlement of Palestine. The over-
whelming majority of Jews would
still remain outside of Palestine.
Therefore, in thinking on the Jewish
question, in formulating the Jewish

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ideals, one must envisage the whole
of Israel as it is scattered all over the
world.
Jews who settle in Palestine, given
local autonomy and enabled to unfold
their life according to their tradi-
tions, to their religious ideas, laws,
customs and institutions, will work
out their own salvation and may prove
a source of strength and fruitful in-
fluence for Judaism all over the world.
Jewish history for the last two thou-
sand years proves how certain centers,
because of the density of Jewish
population and of the comparative
freedom which the- enjoyed as com-
munities, influenced the whole world
through the wealth of the life of the
spirit, through the fruitful institutions
they created and through the great
personalities which came to be recog-
nized as authorities. Such an influen-
tial community can very well develop
in Palestine under the new conditions
which such statements, as those of
Balfour promise. But it is for the
Jews who live in Palestine to decide
eventually their own destiny. Israel
as a whole cannot be committed either
to the doctrine that a new state in
Palestine is the home-land for the
whole Jewish people or even to the
necessity of an independent Jewish
state for the maintenance of Israel.
My conception of Israel is that of a
great spiritual communion. To use a
word familiar to the non-Jewish mind,
and simply for the purpose of empha-
sizing its political and international
aspects, I say that Israel is a great
international "Church." as is for ex-
ample the Christian Church, or more
specifically the Catholic or the Pro-
testant Church. These churches have
representatives in the nations and in
the states of all lands. Their mem-
bers are parts of these nations and
these states. And so I claim that Is-
rael is such a church; with a constitu-
tion peculiarly its own. The body of
that church is the historic people of
Israel. But to it men and women of
any racial origin are welcome, because
conversion of the Gentile has been the
practice and the law of Tewry for
over two thousand years. I therefore
hold, and I believe I fairly represent
the non-Zionist attitude, that Israel
does not emphasize its secular nation-
ality but rather its consecration to the
God of Israel. It is a religious body
and nothinz else. In fact, Israel is the
servant of God and of the religious
ideas and of the moral and humani-
tarian ideals for which it lives in his-
tory. I use the word "servant" ad-
visedly. because even when Israel was
a people on its own soil, thousands of
'years ago, it did not develop that self-
sufficient national consciousness which
is the characteristic of modern nations
and their interpretation of nationality.
,Tsrael is not self-sufficient. It does
not exist for itself as an eidinary
people, It is a servant of Go4; Attd
its ethnic consciousness is a;:tninor
thing as compared with the God"whotn
it serves,
therefore hold that the destiny of
the Jew is to remain scattered all over
the world, Not believing in a intrarn,
Inms appearance of fl IsfP64111, I e011'
sider the dispersion as kat anA I In-
terpret the great visions of our
orooliets ht fl otirriv universalistic
snide, The truth Is 4110t if Israel's
miasion were fulfilled, If Itiraers God-
Tilea were (talked, if sure PION be,
in obe Gott, there wthithl to
V oiled humanity today. As it MOW

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