I PAGE TWELVE THE DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE Jastrow Unable to See Real Value of Homeland The following is., to,lete of "Zionism and the usury of 1',11..sttno," appearing in a recent issue of the err York Turner. The iitiffms of the hook is Prof. Morris lastrote, Jr., Ph.D., LLD.. member of the faculty of the University of l'ennsyl- S'anill• It as been published by the Macmillan Co. Zionism in a subject which in MAW receiving a great deal of attention throughout the world. It has pro- duced a very definite schism among the Jews of America anti England; this split was accentuated within the last few days by an utterance in the form of a resolution passed by the Central Conference of American rabbis, declaring opposition to the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine and to the idea of creating in Palestine a "homeland" fur the Jewish people. The resolution stated that "Israel is not a nation, but a re- ligious community," and that 'Pales- tine is not the homeland for the Jew- ish people," that the whole world "ought to be its homeland." Dr. Morris Jastrow, prof e ssiir in the University of Pennsylvania, has recently issued a book on Zionism, in which he sits forth religious, eco- nomic and political phases of the sub- ject. He attacks vigorously the cre- ation of a Jewish State in Palestine, and sustains his opposition with facts and logic which seem conclusive. In his chapter on the roots of mod- ern Zionism he ascribes the persist- iince of the sentiment to the condi- tions prevailing throughout antiquity, which always interpreted religion in terms of nationality. Ile contrasts to that view the modern view, which looks upon religion as a concern of the individual. Ile argues that in antiquity every nation regarded itself as a chosen people, singled out by some deity as its very own. From this point of view religion was neces- sarily interpreted in terms of the solidarity of the group; only those who were Greeks could worship Greek gods; no one could be a Greek citizen who Was not a Greek by descent or had become a Greek by intermarriage. The same was true of the Romans: No one could be a Roman citizen who was not also a worshiper of the Ro- man gods. Ile funds that the ancieni Hebrews formed no exception to the rule: They had a national deity, whom they called Yahweh, who was their protector and whose control was limited to the terri- tory which the Hebrews could call their own. The survival in Judaism of the early conception of religion, which attached it closely to nationalistic limitations, continued through the ages after the dispersion, and is re- garded by the writer as the root of modern Zionism. Christianity itself succumbed to the Zionistic ideal of nationalism, becoming the official re- ligion of Rome, linking the State uni- versal with the church universal. Citizenship was limited to an avowal of a certain faith, which excluded the Jews from participation in the polit- ical life about them and kept alive the longing, instinctive in humanity, for a place where they cold worship as citizens. The era which followed the divorce between Church and Stair threw down some of the barriers excluding non-conformists from citizenship, in- cluding the Jews. Their political emancipation was followed by an ardent participation in the political life of the countries in which they lived, and as a natural consequence the era of Reformed Judaism set in. The author maintains that the ZiOn- istie doctrine as part of the religion lost its raison d'etrit when the Jr WA became citizens of the country in which they settled. The separation of Church and State in countries that had heretofore been Christian was paralleled by the complete divorce be- tween religion and nationality in Re- formed Judaism. Modern Zionism was an outcome of deplorable persecution prevailing in kussia and Rumania, which countries have more than one-half of the fifteen million Jews in the world. It was among the Jews in these lands who had no country that Zionism quickly spread, being promoted by the natural social instinct of man to belong to some country. An anti- Semitic Outbreak in Germany and Austria influenced Theodor Ilerzl to found political Zionism. Ile believed that the Jews were regarded as a separate entity, not because of their religion but race, and the author maintains that this interpretation played directly into the hands of the anti-Semitic movement. Herzl main- tained that by organizing a Jewish State the Jews would be in a posi- tion to exercise pressure, backed by diplomatic prestige to secure pro- tection of the Jews living outside of the proposed Jewish State. Dr. Jastrow maintains that the prejudice existing against the Jews is essentially social and not religious. In developing this thought he refers to the fact that hostility to the Jews can be traced back to the days of Pharaoh, bettire the Jews were a nation, and in Rome, after they had ceased to be a nation. The Egyptians disliked the Jews because they were shepherds. The Romans looked upon both Christians and Jews as radicals, religious Bolsheriki. In fact, Roman writers speaks of Jews and Christians as atheists, because they did not be- lieve in Jupiter. lie holds that dis- like is the outgrowth of difference in habits. Ile maintains that religious opposition to the Jews did not arise among the Christians until it had become the State religion and the State became intolerant of those who did not accept the State faith. The Jews ceased to be a nation in the year 135 A. D, when the last semblance of their national inde- pendence was destroyed, and they ceased to be a nationality when the movement of immigration front Palestine, which began at the close of the 6th century B. C., left only a small minority in that country. Ile asserts that nationalistic move. mews of the 10th century, such as revived the Balkan nationalities, which prompted the union of Italy, which formed the United German Empire, which restored the Polish and Bohemian States, furnish no anology for Zionism. None of these nationalities ever ceased to be one as Mil the Jews. The former had re- mained nationalities despite some immigration from their native lands. Zionism, be maintains, arose as an ameliorative measure. It did not arise in Palestine, but outside of it. Ile draws comparison between Zion- ists and the Irish, holding that the Irish never ceased to be a national- ity, that they remained distinctively Irish; but Palestine ,reased to be Jewish a few centuries after the ex- tinction of the national life of the Jews. Today it is predominately Arabic. He holds that Zionism involves a false reading of Jewish history dur- ing the past 2,000 years; it rests on a false interpretation. He follows the history of the Jews, when their national life ceased in 135 A. I)., when the Jews split into two groups, one following the teachings of the Apostles, who gained the world for the new religion, and those who re- mained a separate group, holding unyielding attachment to the rites and ceremonies of Talmudic Judaism. Ile argues that had the Jews re- mained merely a nation they would have disappeared as other nations of antiquity upon the extinction of their national vitality, as the Egyp- tians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, Moabites, Philistines, the Persians, the II ittites. Ile holds that Jews survive today because of the strong bond that was created through their becoming a re- ligious people. When a nation, Jew- ish Palestine never played any notable part either in antiquity or in later days. So long as they en- joyed national independence, he ar- gues, they made no contributions in the field of art, science, govern- ment of military strategy. Solomon sent to Phoenicia for architects; the temple was patterned after religious structures of Phoenicia and Baby- lonia. The intellectual activity of the Jews came after their dispersion. Their great philosophers arose in Western Europe, and their eminence in music, in literature and the sciences developed centuries later, following their political emancipation in modern times. He argues that the intermingling of the Jews With their fellow-men enabled them to render their greatest share of service toward the advance- ment of culture and civilization. He believes that the Zionists are exer- cising every energy to take a step backward, when the whole world seems bent on moving forward. Palestine is today a land filled with sacred association for the fol- lowers of three great religions, and cannot he said to belong to any particular group. As a wor- shipping place of Christianity it is as sacred to Christians as to Jews. Mohammed drew his inspiration from the religions that arose in Palestine. The author believes that the holding of Palestine is as vital for the Christians as it is for Jews; Beth- lehem, Nazareth, Tiberias and the Jordan are closely associated with events in the life of Jesus. Moham- medans revere, as do the Jews, the sites associated with the figures of the Old Testament, such as Abra- ham, Jacob, Joseph, Rachael, David, Solomon, Absalom, Job and the Prophets. Mohammedans and Christians have fought for the pos- session of the land for centuries; around the sacred spots churches and chapels have been erected by Chris- tians and by Mohammedans. T h e Greek Church, the Roman Catholic and the ProteStant are very largely represented, and Christian pilgrims from France. Spain and Italy and other countries are con- stantly passing through the land. Almost ever y European country is represented by the 150.000 Chris- tians residing there. The Nlohant- medan population of 500.000 repre- sents all sections of the Islamic world—Egypt, Arabia, Asia Minor, Persia and Turklty. The predomi- nating Arabic speaking population are the direct descendants of those who have been in possession of the soil for many centuries. Dr. Jastrow maintains that if there is such a thing as a historical claim to the land, the claim of the Ntoham- medan natives of Palestine rests on as substantial a basis as that of either Jews or Christians, the Jewish population being the smallest of all, estimated at about 80.000. The writer refers to the aniniosj- ties which have sprung up amo8g the three classes of the inhabitants of modern Palestine which will flare up anew if an attempt is made to establish there a Jewish State; that a genuine storm may be expected to follow any serious attempt to carry out the political movement of the Zionists. It is against all the trend of the ages. He argues that it is of little avail to give the assurance that the rights and privileges of the Mohammedans and Christians in Palestine will not be interfered with. There will be a general protest against the principle of placing the control of a country in the hands of any particular group, and particularly a minority. The very implication in the name, "Jew- ish State," is that the government would be organized on the bas is of a single nationality and controlled by that nationality. Even if the State should be organized on the basis of a divorce between religion and the State, by sheer necessity a Jewish State would present the double aspect of religion and nation- ality, which would mean a step back- ward. In his closing chapter Dr. Jastrow discusses the tendency toward a stablish instantly in your E mind! We this are point manufacturing Furriers. Note that all original prices quoted are wholeaale pri- ces---Not retail prices. Our sale prices are reductions from wholesale prices. With this in your mind you can fully grasp the magnitude of these values. Furs are note B IRNBAUM They are Wholesalersje tiff pat: known although the garmemay tr Birnbaum Furs are the supreme expressic of Fur Craftsmanship. The name Birnbaum r re are h a fur creation means perfection. In every got ment bearing this name two absolutely depen dable features are assured ultra—style and pot dS:sn oi aieil itively faultless plts. Such are the furs that comprise the value NOW in this sale. These magnificent models are nove'notin iar,361Z g offered for your inspection at our own estat'' Pil lishment. Hundreds of charmingly designe( so,n Se styles are on display. Six of them are here reproduced in illustratolesale tioh made from actual models. They do nog NOW begin to express the variety that is available folur . ,, ,,ti,, your choosing. p Puny 11'i To appreciate this opportunity—view thest''s furs—personally visit our shop and allow to show them to you. 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