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Published Weekly by The /mist Chronicle Publishing Co, Inc

Presaaent
Editor
General Manager

P1 JOSEPH J. CUMMINS
JACOB MARGOLIS
JACOB H. SCHAKNE

ffntered as Second-Nish .rousiZrrrrh

.

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January 14, 1926

Sh'Vat 11, 5686

Achad Ha'Am Passes Away.

fact in Roumania as it is in any of the dictator ridden
countries of Europe. The way the last election was
conducted, which resulted in an overwhelming major-
ity for the Liberal party of Bratiano, proved that the
methods of Primo Dr. Rievera and Benito Mussolini
were not much more effective than his. Despite all the
precautions to make certain only those on the govern-
ment lists, a few of the opposition were elected. One
of these was Senator Idelson, whose election was de-
clared void because his name was given as Mendelsohn
on the lists. This compares with the exclusion of all
non-Fascists in the Italian Parliament. But yet there
is a difference between Italy and Roumania. The Italy
of Mussolini is much the same as pre-war Italy of demo-
cratic forms and practices, while the Roumania of to-
day is an artificial state, much too large and complex
for the contending forces to handle. Annexed progres-
sive western elements are striving to overcome the
ancient reactionaries and despots who now have a tight
hold on all the banks and natural resources.
What will be the outcome of all this intrigue, con-
spiracy and pogrom? For the Jews, it means nothing
but misery and insecurity as long as these contentious
disputes continue. We cannot help but feel that the
disturbances are all inspired and directed by those who
love to fish in troubled waters and from the record of
Bratiano he is not at all disinclined to actually creating
troubled waters in which to fish.
Why must innocent Jews be the pawns behind
whom they carry on their sinister plots? Jews all over
the world should join in a vigorous protest and should
use whatever influence they may have to stop these bar-
barities.

The death of Ached Ha'am (Asher Ginsburg) in
Tel Aviv is a serious loss to the modern Hebraist and to
the whole cultural world. It means the passing of an-
other scholar whose devotion to learning transcended
every other interest.
It is true that the death of Achad Ha'am stirred
world Jewry deeply, because the Jew is still keenly in-
terested in learning as such, but had not the economic
problems of Palestine become so immediate and absorb-
ing, there would have been a far greater interest mani-
fested in the passing of this gifted and profound He-
brew scholar who would deprive a people through cul-
tural renascence alone. The field of politics and eco-
nomics was not as congenial to the genius of Achad
Ha'am as was the intellectual. Although originally op-
posed to the theory of Herzlian Zionism his opposition
was lessened when he observed the actual creations of
the Jewish pioneers in Palestine.
Modern Hebrew scholars are of the unanimous opin-
ion that he, more than any other individual, gave to the
Hebrew of today its form and measurably increased its
content. He brought European ideas to the ancient
tongue which of necessity made fundamental changes
if the medium was to adequately express the forthright-
ness and precision which modern European ideas re-
quire.
Besides rendering invaluable service in the creation
of modern Hebrew, Achad Ha'am hoped to bring into
being .a cultural and philosophical island where the
spiritual and aesthetic values of the people would be
preserved. In a world whose dominant cultures are
pecuniary and industrial this was a brave and com-
mendable gesture. The scholar so often imagines that
the world is motivated by ideas and warms itself
through reason, when as a matter of fact it is motivated
by the primary emotions of hate, fear and love and all
that they connote. The sphere of learning 'which con-
sists of philosophical reason and scientific accuracy is
almost uninhabited. But the philosophers and pure
scientists who have regard for the facts and their impli-
cations do have a place even in our definitely industrial
and pecuniary culture which is primarily concerned
about political and economic success.
To those who have glimpsed the world of philoso-
phy, science and aestheticism or have breathed its rare
atmosphere there is the wish for more intimate ac-
quaintance and there is an appreciation for those who
can devote themselves entirely to it.
Achad Ha'am realized one hope when the Hebrew
University was actually dedicated and established and
that was that from this seat of learning would go forth
learning and wisdom and that sll those who cared to
continue the best traditions of Hebrew scholarship
would come to it to be strengthened and encouraged.
A resolute, charming and brilliant scholar has
passed away, but not without leaving an enduring im-
press upon his generation.

ki

Czernowitz

%rid Against

T he Passing of the Last Giant

The Jewish Students

By J. YEVIN

A Reminiscence on Ahad Ha'am.

You meet these young men and

girls everywhere; wan, tired. They
come from the small towns to the
larger centers in order to take the
"baccalaureate" tests. After eight
years of strenuous study in the gov-
ernment schools they are now com-
pelled to present themselves before
the merciless board of "real Rou-
manians" who have but one aim; to
obstruct the path of education for the
minorities, including the Jews. These
modern martyrs fill the third class
cars of the railways with their books,
luggage and their anxious convene'.
They wander through the
tion.
streets of the large cities like timid
souls, awaiting their fate with fear.
Looking at them one is reminded of
the Russian "pale" under the Czars,
when Jewish "externes" (students
who were not allowed to enter schools
of higher education but were per-
milted to take the examinations)
stormed the gymnasiums and de-
mantled their rights to education.
But the position of the present
"externes" appears to be psycholog-
irally worse than that of their proto-
types. The "externes" under the
czar were always aware of the fact
that they had to fight against the
numerus clausus. They knew exact-
ly what the facts in the case were and
they were prepared in advance for a
hard struggle to overcome the re-
striction. But the situation in Rou-
mania is much more complicated. The
anti-Semitism on the part of the guy-
eminent in this country is applied
with silk gloves, and conceals its ac-
tions under the veneer of diplomatic
The Department of Labor has just issued a report verbige. Why institute a numerus
entitled, "Migration and Business Cycles," which is ex- clausus in the high schools when it
is easy to bar the Jewish youth at
ceedingly illuminating apropos the question of perma- their entrance to the universities?
Why give the Jews ground to con-
nence of residence of immigrants.
plain against a numerus clausus
There is nothing unexpected or startling in the re- when the same results can be ob-
tamed in a quiet, hidden way?
port, but the confirmation of generally known facts by
In addition to this there was an-
a Jesuitic motive. The goy-
official inquiry helps to disprove much of the stupid cant other,
ernment anti-Semites perceived that
and pseudo science of immigration exclusionists anti the the Jewish youth was emigrating
abroad anti they decided to rob them
noble Nordics.
of this opportunity to acquire an edu-
The study shows that though incoming South Ital- cation in foreign countries. At first
it was attempted to entrust this de-
ians far exceeded in number the immigrants of any moniac task to the universtiy pro-
but when they refused, the
other race, yet the net immigration was only 44 per cent lessors,
mission was turned over to the high
school
teachers,
and it is two years
for the fiscal years 1908 and 1923, while it was almost
since the minority youth, especially
95 per cent for Hebrews, 89 per cent for Irish and over the Jewish, is being tortured in the
rack and is being
80 per cent for Germans. For all races, the net immi- "baccalaureate"
subjected to diverse injustices and
gration was 65 per cent. From all this data there indignities, due to the open animosity
of the anti-Semitic Roumanian ex-
emerges one incontrovertible fact and that is that Jews aminers.
The fall examinations arc now
who come to America come to stay and make it their
concluded and from all parts of the
permanent residence. They are prepared upon arrival country an anguished cry of hun-
of young men and girls re-
to become Americans and participate in American life dreds
echoes; after eight years of hard
to an extent beyond even that of the chosen Nordics work the hope of entering the higher
schools has been shattered for hun-
who are welcomed by the self-appointed saviors of
of students at once stroke. Of
2,007 who took the tests at Arad,
America.
Orvadea-Sere, Satu-Mare, Brashov,
It must be obvious to any one who can lay aside Constant and Burlad, only 540 were
in Kishinev the figures was
prejudice that a people which comes with a view of re- passed;
145 out of 309, that is only 47 per
maining will do more in the economic and cultural up- cent.
Especially merciless were the
building of its adopted land than those who merely "bacclaureate" tests in Czernowitz,
come with a view of remaining only as long as they find where the imported Roumanian ex-
aminers conducted the tests in a
manner which resulted in demonstra-
it t0 their economic advantage,
tions Of protest on the part of the
The Jews of Europe come to America with a clearly outraged youth. Of 184 applicants,
defined view of permanent establishment here. They 124 were flunked. The full sign
ur ees obvious why dn til d e fol-
c lo aw nc in egbetciom

An Illuminating Report.

-

-

—

"es esn.e.

(Editor's Note:—This sketch by Reuben Brainin is intended
solely as a colleague's impression of the great Jewish philosopher,
Ahad Ma'am.)

wil
pe:
Zit
Zit
tra

It as with the utmost difficulty that
Ahad IliCam h as passed away.
he made every step, uttered every
'rhe entire Jew ish cultural world
word.
his
death
as
a
national
loss,
Morns
And he spoke only about his illness.
which is irreparable.
His ft ar of death was appalling, in-
deep
sor-
of
moments
In these first
describable.
It is one of the supreme
row and national grief, literary Mi.
tragebes, when a creative spirit, an
luations are out of place.
e. restless, powerful spirit be-
setae.
Ahad Ila'am was one of the very
comes paralyzed with the weakening
first and greatest figures in the mod-
o f its physical mechanism.
of
and
one
ern Jewish Renaissance,
For years Ahad Ha'am carried with
the last to complete that epoch.
hint the idea of writing a great philo-
o 0110
n e of those rare
Ahad Bream
sophic
w,(rk. Ile aimed to create a
persons who engraved the seal of his
complete, perfect system. Ile was in
personality upon his generation.
a
position:
to do just that. And when
He was the giant of his era.
he was all prepared to begin his task
Only those very few, the isolated
—his lady, and simultaneously, his
ones who still remain of that genera-
mind, (strayed hint. His spirtual
tion, and who came into close contact
driving power halted.
with the deceased--only those who will
A year ago I left Jerusalem to see
appreciate and understand how (Hi-
Tel Aviv. Naturally, my first visit
cult, nay impossible, it is to express
was
with Ahad Ila'am, whom I had
in words the sorrow that overcame us
known for 30 years. We met in his
when the news arrived: "Ahad Ha'am
studio—library,
whose high Walk
is dead."
were thoroughly covered with book-
The Angel of Death carried away
shelves. Ahad was sitting at
that small, frail shrunken body.
a writing table in a corner. As he
The great spriit, the eternal truth
saw me enter, he arose from his chair
of the late thinker will continue to in-
steps t 0 grert
and took so era
l hulling
a t
spire the world through his works.
me. I remarked how difficult for him
The reflection of his majestic light
it
seemed
to
he
to
rise
and
walk, but
will continue to illuminate future gen-
his innate hospitality would not desert
erations.
The unity, the compactness, the
nnI m saw an old man before me, bent,
clarity of that spirit were extraor-
his head at an angle on his narrow
dinary in an age characterized by
shoulders. He was indeed broken.
spiritual dissension and individual os-
Ilia intelligent eyes radiated sorrow,
ciliation.
albeit charm.
Ahad Ila'am, throughout his life-
t;
It was with the greatest difficulty
time, did not budge one iota from the
that I restrained the tears that forced
position he had selected for himself
themselves into my eyes as I looked
in the Jewish world. The conflicts of
at him. I put on a smile, in order not
his time, the strong adversaries of his
to make Ahad Ila'am feel that I hail
Jewish world-outlook, did not swerve
noticed a change in his person.
hint in,the least front his systematic
It was hard for him to speak. With
philosophy.
a few gracious words he addressed me
"Stendhal once wrote: "It seems to
and
asked sic to take a seat near hint.
me the writer is in need of as much
During the evening, the following
courage as the warrior on the battle•
: 6 l-1 hn?:
1 tt,h i I a s
Levin,
i
s e
writers
it
'
ters
aici
th oicp,
field. The writer must be as impel'.
vious to his literary enemies, as un-
Zion,
Abraham
Cahana,
Ranitzki,
and
concerned with besmirching or idiot-
J. Grasovski. I.ater several writers
it attacks from his inferiors, as the
of
the
older
generation
arrived,
and
warrior is reckless to minor hurts and
some of Ahad Ila'am's neighbors.
insignificant defeats."
It assured to me that I was witness-
Ahad Ha'ant was of this type of
ing a scene st o ut Ahad Ila'am which
courageous writer. Always frankly,
bespoke the 'yesterday' of Hebrew lit-
openly, and unreservedly he passed his
erature--and not the 'today.'
judgments on the important questions
was constantly tell-
Sffintaryit
of the day. Every word of his was not
ing some witty :anecdote, creating bril-
only weighed but weighty. A deep
liant epigrams in order to distract
sense of responsibility was evident in
mind from his lugu-
Ahad
every paragraph he wrote, in every
brious thoughts. But the effort was
opinion he expressed.
Fer
,
vain. The late thinker remained en-
Forgetting his unusual calmness, his
cased in his serious and sorrowful
cold and' dispassionate equilibrium in
g
mood. With his piercing eyes, he
his relations with people, always main-
watched his guests, whose every
certain distance, Ahad
raining
glance and word gave evidence of Icy-
lia'am was an intellectual dynamo, un-
ally and respect. as though they were
til about 10 years ago. The vibrations
students before their master, Chassi-
of his mental machinery then 101(11111C
dint before one of the great Zaddikim.
too powerful for his weary physical
His guests spoke, but Ahad Its ans
consititution.
remained silent, but listened. He was
Outwardly reset vett, poised, serene,
always a good listener. From time to
but his brain was constantly in opera-
time he made an effort to appear
tion, in constant conflict in choosing
pleasant. But he could only smile
between logical principles and roman-
with his eyes.
tic sentiments, strenuously engaged in
Suddenly he turned to me and
the never-ending struggle between
mind and heart. Ahad Ila'ani was asked:
you remember the pleasant time
"Do
battle
be-
always victimized by the
we had together, for almost a year,
tween inherited, neglected traditions
when
we were in Charlottenburg,
and cold, critical analysis. Ile was
while I was editing the Hashiloach? It
always
ay tts in the thro e s ofh self-criticism.
sical consti -
years ago s
tilled rweintili tYam aldifi h nm rin an nsd ly neinr, a l often
tutton
gishnapoprleicannnts,11e7rpasseOdf;
the 68 Jew
n together
think of the days we spent
longer
endure
the
strain
of
his brain
4
of the 14 German applicants,
.
dynamo. Both his body and his spirit when we were neighbors .
pa sed; of the 29 Ukrainian, 3 passed.
s
And just as sudilenly;Ahrnflla'am
All of the 8 Roumanian applicants became fatigued; both were shattered.
stopped
talking.
The
effort
had
been
On rare occasions this intellectual
passed.
too great.
giant arose to his gigantic stature;
In the tests of the Real-Schule only
All
ofus
left
Ahad
lia'am's
house
t
of s in pro-
n h ionwhi.,
s physical
icti l l i ret acit
i hino
but oo
At the who took
were
eo vir htze r h tliattheni fi g hhet:t liF );:er ayh q, (iir ti • tig m a r. e.
mental
tII
; e er x v a linst:te id on n f
c n In i ntribution. lightnin g
nasium only two out of gul 4 ' 1 g wyen r'e -
was hti ac itt l} f
: Cl ohm
h a t h i, ohn , ft. , r opiteh hin t ay. stt:
ot2hoe, r
tueetssAth ha di,o1h1L'inun
in t
i( 1 )% 01' s etn
Pfilr!. . an be imagined how the an - Z ttawrts
of g the
last
grew,
pioneers
eers
p
of
the
one
ath
had
ritlent
that
death
dalhrieadyt
ti of these results a ff ected i h
nit,), mi
t
in
t o u t h z e g r a n t h:
o r e i t i es aoui
pp o p p h
n i7
spiritual
now,
Ahad
saha
n
I
i
i
e
n
trast
t
n'
O
bn
t
il
g
.
contrast
strikin
ng
g
dcmerrnor
youth
witz.
leader of his generation is no more.
virile person I had known in his prime.
I b ire the building where the

do not yearn for the old homeland and thereby fritter
away their energies in futile longing. If they still con -
tinue to speak the language of the lands of their birth,
they proceed at once to learn the language of America.
With this accomplished, they accommodate and adjust
themselves to the new milieu and in a short time are
acquainted with the manners and point of view of
America as well as with the economic, political and so-
cast problems which call for liquidation and solution.
They become an integral part of the nation, and bring
to the numerous perple;dng difficulties the acumen, ' e r x e s (mine at( ion board wits at work and
staged a demonstration of protest.
sympathy and understanding they possess. As a result The angeredyouth gave vent to their
Why Roumanian Excesses?
bitter feelings toward the chief ex-
this,
the
Jews
of
America
have
made
no
mean
con-
of
Diaconesku. With the aid
While Roumanian students under the inspired lead- tributions to its art, literature, industry, commerce and amines,
of police order wart easily restored,
but
a
number
of the Jew', s u en s
ership of Professor Cuza are distributing the peace of politics. We do not believe that this is due to any in -
who participated in the demonstra-
Jassy, Bucharest and Kishineff, and the Warsaw and herent superiority of the Jew, but it is primarily because lion were arrested and are now being
for trial.
Washington ministers officially deny that there is any the Jew has adapted himself to, and integrated himself held . fora
press
es t s
tural I y, the oaton about
trouble, a struggle is going on which may explain the in his new environment with greater enthusiasm and
m a>: I a Brea[
Czernowitz excesses and is now con-
smoke screen of pogroms and riots.
more felicitously than any other group that has come ducting a regular campaign of abuse
against the minority students, espec-
When Queen Marie hastily left the United States here.
er the l J ree
gainst
j
lily i a cl
ti
to return to her husband, many were skeptical when
t s Trhoern a4tei--
Semitic Universal re ports
It is true that the Jews have no homeland and the
own the de monstrants
let:dsources
the reason given was the serious illness of King Ferdi-
lien
Irish have been a subject people for 700 years. This, no
D te c onesku
no
t d ttxr
nand. It seems that Ferdinand was really very sick
but "down with the Roumanians'
and how long he will live is not certain. With the death doubt, accounts for the lack of that sentimental tie
a n n p d onthg anti e l rent sehn totrog ap nu n n io ,x h v ,c h rsa l , ls
of Ferdinand, the king maker Bratiano may become the which urges many to return to their native lands, but
tically the youth which is "under-
recognized dictator in the same sense as is Mussolini in we are now concerned with the fact of permanence of minirg" the prestige of greater Ron-
Italy. Prince Carol who renounced his right to the residence as a factor in sound Americanization.
mania.
Na-
. The P Bukown organ of the Na-
throne of Roumania is not acceptable to Bratiano and
writes
ate :
a o c r oa l Tat ore
zeta
G a of
the uLtu
l a e , rs
It is a fact that 95 per cent of Jews and 89 per cent
the death of Ferdinand may precipitate a court revolu- of the Irish come here and remain. They become a part !I,Ns
'The members
commission were attacked in the
tion which may develop into something more serious.
of the fabric of our life. They adjust themselves with
streets of Czernowitz by the Zionist
Such a contingency is not the most pleasing pros- fewer reservations and consequently their alle iance followers of Dr. Ebner (Dr. g Ebner is
Zion-
the president of the Bukowinia Zion-
pect, inasmuch as the minorities annexed to post war is more thoroughgoing.
ita),h o n f a
ta n e drna owmember
Roumania are not very happy under her rule and would
from
r
ist
We have a suspicion that the noble Nordic is really
welcome the opportunity to detach themselves, and disturbed by the fear of Jewish immigration because
we are living in a state of complete
The Zionist Zhidanes
Bolshevism.
either form autonomous states or join again with the it actually sticks. They know that the majority of
o-
I f:a luzisng an te d g rrin d f t :r eaJew wzl.ro ca 7 a be pro-
body from which they were severed. Bessarabia is not
Rou-
and
many
Poles
and
Russians
are
here
today
ns
manian who believes that it is neces-
enthusiastic over Roumanian rule and Soviet Russia Italia
and away tomorrow, but not so the Jew. He comes to
sary to combat the power acquiring
would surely welcome her back into the Soviet Union, stay and they do not want his influence in all spheres
Jewish elements, is being driven from
nor would Hungary be adverse to again taking over
every public office and it seems, out
of American life.
altogether. Th slogan
Transylvania.
to the C uz-
Lentil the Nordic apologists and half-baked anthro- '(
of eetgcseeralits
These delightful royal amenities are carried on as pologists and sociologists prove that the Jew is in any
u s-
method oer
is
fists.' . This a :
tablishing the rule of the Soviets in
quietly as possible, but in the meantime, under cover way the inferior of the Nordic, or that his cultural and
.
"
o
of the pogroms and excesses, Bratiano can perfect his artistic achievements do not measure up to the other c s t;innoi:t. ietrz f Interior Co a n
a
plans for dictatorship, disorganize all the minorities peoples in the country, we shall i sist that the present open friend of the Roumanian'
n Black
Hundreds ordered a drastic investi-
and when the critical time arrives have his forces mar- immigration law works a hardship upon the desperate
gation of the Czernowitz excesses and
shalled so that he may be able to control any situations Jews of Europe and deprives America of potential cit - the ever servile prosecutor indicated
the arrested young men on a charge
that may arise.
izens who would be an asset.
year
:et a o
a provision for zn a Li),
carries
which
Despite all the turmoil and clamor, the correspond-
biased
imprisonment.
If we had an enlightened national policy, we would
of the department of justice called
ent of the New York World, Arnold Dosch Fleurot, open wide the doors to a people which is so singularly
forth a telegraphic intervention on
writing from Bucharest, does not even mention Premier appreciative of the advantages of a country that it nay-
the part of deputy Dr. Ebner and
Averescu. If a correspondent who at best can get but er looks back.
Senator Kluger. "The extraordinarily
drastic measures," the telegram de-
superficial
view
of
the
situation
finds
the
influence
a
May we not hope that a little study by those in
elarss, "has aroused great dissatis-
dominant
in
the
affairs
of
the
country,
then
I n ntatiano
faction among the population, regard-
woulal the facts were actually known, the world charge may bring modifications that will be of benefit
(Continued on next pare.)
'‘ably learn that a dictatorship is as much a to all concerned.

RA.

By REUBEN BRAININ

(Copyright, 1927, by Seven Arts Feature Syndicate.)

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Truth About the Jews of Russia

Jc

so

By REUBEN BRAININ

(Article IV.)

(Copyright, 1927, by Seven Arts Feature Syndicate.)

After returning fur a visit to the
old and new colonies in the Kherson
district, Professor Kafkine of Paris
and I set out to look over the new Jew-
ish colonies in Crimea, accompanied by
Dr. Joseph Rosen, head of the Joint
Distribution Committee's agricultural
work in Russia, Fuchs, the prominent
lawyer and recognized leader of the
Moscow Kehillah; Dr. Lander and Dr.
Rosenthal, Zionist leaders of Moscow.
I ant enumerating these names because
much is doubted these days when it
concerns Jewish colonization in Rus-
sia. The Agro-Joint officials included
in this group did not attempt to guide
or direct our automobile trip through
Crimea. Their, function was merely
to facilitate our traveling.
Our first stop was Janktty, a small
town housing 70 Jewish families.
Prior to the revolution, statistics
show a Jewish population there of

the leader of
the Jewish community. a very busy

350 families. We

met

personage. In addition to starving, he
carries out the functions of shohet,
rabbi, cantor, Scriptual leader, Tal-
mud Torah principal, and only teach-
er. The salary for his multifarious
activities is the magnificent sum of
one rouble per week.
Here again all the misery and hope-
lessness of Jewish life in a small town
were unfolded before our eyes. Noth-
ing interests the people you meet here
except the inevitable question: "How
will we eat today?"
If I were to describe the physical
needs of this small band of humanity,
I would perforce have to use the vo-
cabular• of a propagandist. Facts
cannot tell the sad story. A dark,
actually despairing atmosphere blinds
you
We also met Dr. Levin, formerly
chief agronomist fo r Baron Ginsburg's
estates, which are situated in this dis-
trict. Shapiro, another agricultural
instructor who joined our party, told

us that the German and Russian peas-
ants are daily amazed at the skill Jew-
ish farmers exhibit with the imported

tractor machines. Tlu y still regard
these tractors as myst. rious infernal

machines which only superman would
dare to know how to handle.
It was early in the morning when

we reached the colony Mishmar (He-
brew fur "On Vigil".) It is an ex-
clusively Jewish colony started and
carried on by chalutzim. Zionist ideal-
ists who are unable at this time to go
to Palestine. The colony was found-
ed by 12 families. Of these iniginal
settlers, 11 families have already mi-
grated to Palestine. Mishmar counts
about 125 souls, less than half wom-

en.
Were I able to shut cut my experi-
ences of the last few- months and
switch off for a while the horrible ob-
session of Jewish life in the small
towns of Bessie, I would believe my-
self in Palestine. The same human

material. Young, intelligent, strong
boys and girls working with a song on
their lips, proud of their Jewishness,
eager to learn, many of them convers-
ing freely in Hebrew.
Life is hard in Mishmar. There is

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824

little time to meditate. But the cha-
iutzim of Mishmar go on dreaming.
They dream of Erez Israel. I met a

descendant of Israel Hal Shem Toy,
the founder of Chassidism. The young
chalutz took me to a side: "You have
just been in the homeland? Tell me all
about the life of the chalutzim."
There was so much anguish in this
request, as in the query of a son who is
separated from his family and lives
in spirit with it.
Life here, because of its very primi-
tiveness, assumes • puritan character.
The administration is managed by
committees who deal with all the ac-
tivities of the community. One young
girl greeted me enthusiastically, and

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