Exclusive in Michigontt—W eizinann's Autobiography
Brandeis and Weizmann: Interesting
ChaPter:in American Zionist History
As Chaim Weizmann .struggled to bring to fruition the
promise of the Balfour Declaration for a Jewish state, his Zionist.
work took him to many lands. He attended the Paris peace con-
ference and the San Remo conference leading to establishment of
the British Mandate in Palestine. Then the Zionist Congress
resumed after a seven-year lapse.
Detroit Service Group Divisions
Hold Planning Series for ABC
Trade and Professional Divisions of the Detroit Service
Group have been holding a series of planning meetings in
preparation for the 1949 Allied Jewish Campaign—the cam-
paign for the "Greatest homecoming in history, and for a
area of the Jewish National better community here at home."
Home in Palestine. Dr. Weiz-
mann and his colleagues accept-
ed because to reject it would
have meant rejection of the man-
date, and because it established
By CHAIM WEIZMANN
'President of Israel
the principle of "absorptive ca-
pacity" immigration at the rate
V
of the economic capacity of Pal-
The Brandeis Group
In July, 1920, there came my first large contact with estine to absorb' new arrivals.
America, the arrival in London of a large American delega- Dr. Weizmann continues:
We know now, though we were
tion to the Zionist Annual Conference. Justice Louis D.
Brandeis headed the American delegation. There at once not so sure in 1922, that the prin-
became manifest divergences between the American leaders ciple of "absorptive capacity," if
generally applied, could have
and ourselves, and within the American delegation, too.
been the key to the rapid and
With a number of my European colleagues I felt that stable expansion of the Yishuv
we should lose no time in approaching the great Jewish (the Jewish community, literally
Women's wear executives in the Mercintile Division were satisfied
organizations which might wish to share in the practical
work in Palestine, with a view to the creation of some kind
of Jewish council; This was the idea which eventually devel-
oped into the Jewish Agency. To the American leaders it
seemed unnecessary to have any kind of double - organization.
It was their view that people who wished to co-operate in
the work of rebuilding the Jewish National Home could join
The Zionist Organization.
A complicated and sometimes acrimonious discussion
developed around this subject. Finally the proposal of the
Brandeis group was defeated by a substantial majority.
-0
11111.'
meaning "the settlement"). We
also know that it was in fact
applied in such a spirit as to prove
a stumbling' block to Jewish en-
terprise. In fairness I must add
that great opportunities really
did open out before us in Pales-
tine, but we could not take full
advantage of them while the time
served because of lack of really
substantial support front the Jews
of Europe and Americ&
with results attained at their meeting. In this picture (left to right)
JEROME MORTON, LOUIS A. BAUM, I. LEWIS ZUIEBACK, LEON
a WINKELMAN, LOU LITTMAN, JAMES WINEMAN and HERMAN
OSNOS.
Hebrew University
A second controversial point
The years that led up to 1929
was the budget. The European was fought out between the
group set this at something in the American Zionists: On the one were for the Zionist movement
neighborhood of .2,000,000 pounds side the nationally known fig- and the National Home years of
a year, to which they themselves ures of Judge Julian Mack, Pro- alternating progress and setback,
could contribute very little. The fessor Felix Frankfurter, Rabbi and of the gradual emergence in
Americans were shocked by this Stephen S. Wise; on the other, Palestine of foundations whose
"astronomical" figure, and as- relatively obscure but thoroughly solidity was to be demonstrated
serted they could not guarantee representative figures like Louis in the time that followed.
One event stands out on whith
more than 100,000 pounds a year., Lipsky, Abraham Goldberg and
Justice Brandeis contended this Morris Rothenberg. The result I linger with pleasure, and that is
was the utmost that could be got was that the administration was the opening of the Hebrew Uni-
from American Jewry, and this defeated by an overwhelming versity.
OTHER women's wear executives at the meeting were (left to
By the spring of 1925 we could
at a time when it was well known majority. I am afraid that they
right,
front row), MORTON F. ASHNER, WALTER MAYER and
that American Jews had acquired did not prove very good losers, look at "our university" and feel
- IRVING, ABE LEVEN-
and were acquiring considerable for the whole Brandeis group re- there really was enough of it to LOUIS HECHT and (standing) WALTER W.
BERG,
SAUL
RUBIN,
MANFORD
FEBRER.
justify
a
formal
"opening
cere-
Wealth.
signed from the executive of the
I found myself explaining that American organization. Nor did mony." Of course at that early
we could not possibly adopt a they remain neutral; most of stage no students had been ac-
budget of that order; I added that them entered into active and cepted, -but a body of 'research
if this was all he could find' in formidable opposition against our workers was gradually assembl-
America, I should have to come activities. There is little doubt ing and the various institutes
were taking shape. After much
over and try for myself.
that our efforts in the first few
I doubt if Justice Brandeis ever vears after • Cleveland—crucial discussion and heart-searching,
quite forgave me for that chal- years for Palestine — would have therefore,_ we sent out invita-
tions for an opening ceremony
lenge. Eventually the conference 3.b
been much more productive but
reached agreement with a group for the implacable hostlity of to be conducted by Lord Balfour
on April 1, 1925.
of the AmeriCan delegation — most of our former colleagues.
Today, less than a quarter of
headed by Louis Lipsky—which
Samuel Untermyer became the a century after the opening cere-
invited me to come over to Amer-
ica at the earliest opportunity and first president of the Keren Haye- mony, we have at Jerusalem a
see for myself what could and sod (later swallowed up in the full-fledged university, compar-
United Jewish Appeal). On the able in most respects with the
what could not be done,
whole the response of American ancient homes of learning of
Visit to . America
On my arrival in New York I Jewry was remarkably good. The western Europe. It is rapidly ap-
received a printed memorandum first year's income was about proaching completion, in so far
in which the Brandeis group, four times the $500,000 which Mr. as a university may ever be said
In the Services Division, chairmen in the cleaners and tailors sec-
which consituted the American Brandeis had set as the maximum to approach completion, and if
Zionist administration, expounded obtainable from the Jews of not for the war already would tion (left to right) FRED A. GINSBURG, SIDNEY ROSMAN, ABE M.
its views and set forth conditions America, thus proving the tonic have gained for itself no small FEINBERG, HARRY WAYMAN, LEO POLK, EDWARD A. LOVENG-
ER, MICHAEL DASHKIN, JACK ELLSTEIN and ARNOLD H. ROS-
on which it would be prepared effect of setting a fairly high bud- reputation.
Rebuked by fellow Zionists, MAN.
to support my mission. What we get. We still had nothing near
had here was a revival, in a new the sum required. However, we Dr. Weizmann turned back to
Numerous organizational meetings are planned for the
form and a new country, of the could go ahead with some land- his chemistry in 1931.. How this
old cleavage between "East" and purchase, immigration and settle- came about he relates in next coming weeks. The arts and crafts division meets this noon..
The Women's and Junior Divisions have arranged for a num-
'West" in Zionism and. Jewry. ment.
week's excerpts from his auto-
ber of gatherings to enlist workers and to commence actual
The popular slogan called. it. in
The British Man-date over Pal- biography.
.
fact, "Washington vs Pinsk," a estine was ratified by the League
.
This is a serialization of parts of solicitations.
convenient double allusion to of Nations, but not without a "Trial and Error," by Chaim Weiz-
More volunteer workers are needed for the drive. It is
mann, published in book form by
Brandeis and myself,.
Zionist setback—the "Churchill Harper & Brothers. Copyright, 1949, imperative that all who are in position to assist in the drive—
All our endeavors to find a
by the Weizmann Foundation:
men, women, young people—should call the campaign office
compromise formula led to noth- White Paper." This document,
in the Owen Building, WOodward 5-3939, to join the hundreds
published
in
June,
9122,
re-
24—THE
JEWISH
NEWS
ing. Samuel. Untermyer, the bril-
of volunteers who will strive to make the 1949 drive a success,
Friday; March 25, 1949
liant lawyer and arbitrator, did moved Transjordan from the
his best in vain. In the end. we
• KoDuceo BY NORMAN 6' 50L NODSI-..
rE.Kr elY LAURA G. SHARON
LIVES OF OUR TIMES
were compelled to break off re-
PROF. ELEAZAR SUKENIK
lations with the Brandeis group,
and I had to issue a statement
HE HAS STUDIED IN PALESTINE,THE
ONE Of THE WORLD'S FOREMOST BIBLICAL
to the American Jewish public
UNIVERSITY OF BERLIN AND THE DRONE
ARCHAEOLOGISTS AND OUTSTANDING AU-
that, by virtue of the decision of
COLLEGE IN PHILADELPHIA,WHERE HE RE-
THORITIES ON ANCIENT PALESTINE., .....
the last Zionist Conference, • and
CEIVED HIS PHA
of the authority vested. in me
as president of the World. Zion-
ist Organization,,, I declared. the
Keren Hayesod — the Palestine
Foundation Fund—to be estab-
lished in the United States.
The fact was the American
leaders did, not want the • Keren
FOR A TIME HE ENGAGED IN EDUCATIONAL
EDUCATED IN VARIO YESHIVOTH IN
Hayesod, nor did they really want
WORK IN BEHALF OF THE ZIONIST ORGANIZAT
POLAND,WHERE HE WAS BORN IN 1889,11E
IN PALESTINE.LATER HE BECAME FIELD ARCHAEI -
to see the Zionist Organization a
MOVED TO PALESTINE PUKING THE EARLY
OLOGIST FOR HEBREW UNIVERSITY.
PIONEERING PAYS_OF 1912.
world. organization. They insisted
that the best plan would. be for
AN ARCHAEOLOGIST WHOSE FINDINGS ARE
PROF. SUKENIK•WHO IS THE FATHER
every separate Zionist Federation
NE HAS CONDUCTED EXCAVATIONS ON THE.
OF ISRAELI ARMY OPERATIONS CHIEF COL.
POUND TO LEAVTO THE SHEDDING OF MORE
"THIRD WALL" OF JERUSALEM,AND IN THE
--the German, the Austrian, the
LIGHT ON ANCIENT JEWISH HISTORY....
YIGAL YADIN--WAS RECENTLY RECEIVER
ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE ON THE GREEK ISLAND
Polish—to undertake some speci-
BY POPE PIUS WHO EXPRESSED DEEP
OF AEGINA.HE HAS DISCOVERED MANY ANTIQUI-
fic task in Palestine, the execu-
INTEREST IN THE ISAIAH MANUSCRIPT.
TIES.
tive of the World Zionist Organi-
zation having nothing to do but
"co-ordinate" the work. This pro-
posal would have meant, in effect,
the reduction of the whole World
Zionist Organization to the status
of a technical bureau.
44,
NE RECENTLY CAME ACROSS AN ANCIENT
I attended the Cleveland con-
MANUSCRIPT WHICH IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE
vention of the Zionist Organiza-
PROPHET ISAIAH.TH IS DISCOVERY* CONSIDER-
tion of America in June, 1931, but
ED A GREAT LANDMARK IN BIBLICAL SCHOLARSHIP.
did. not think it proper to take
issue
part in the proceedings, The
•