Of.

- David Wolffsohn--Theodor Herzl's Successor

•

By LOUIS LIPSKY

.

Editor's Note: Sept. 13 marks the 50th
anniversary of the death of David
Wolffsohn, second president of the
World Zionist Organization. The follow-
ing pen-portrait was written • by Louit
Li sky veteran leader of American
Zionism, who passed away recently.

David Wolffsohn was never at
ease as the successor of Theodor
Herzl. His admiration for the great
leader never. waned nor was he
able f6 rid himself of the specter
of his influence. He thought of
himself as the guardian of Herzlian
heritage.
He lived in Herzl's shadow.
Others followed Herzl when they
thought he was right, but,-Wolff-
sohn followed him—as he wrote—
even when he was convinced Herzl
was wrong.
. He lost his guide and mentor
when Herzl died. He did not feel
fit for leadership. He was not a
general: he was not a speaker or
writer or politician; he was a
rough man of affairs, plain, simple-
minded. without experience or
special talents, but he was capable
of unbounded devotion. He urged
Max Nordau to accept the leader-
ship. But that astute individualist
was obstinate and said again and
again. "Thou art the marl."'Escape
was impossible. Wolffsohn was
bound. to the servitude of Zionist
leadership.
Strangely enough, the Russian
Zionists looked askance at David
Wolffsohn because they said he
was a German Jew. But he was
born in .1,ithuania' near the
Prussian border. HiS father was
a Hebrew teacher; his childhood
and youth were formed by the
orthodox life of the community.
Ite knew the Bible; he had a
smattering of the Talmud.
,DaVid left Lithuania when he
was fifteen and joined his brothers
in Memel. which was away-station
of the underground -feeding to
freedom for the Russian Jews.
Wolffsohn had an aptitude for
business. He was cordial, good- ,
humored and quick in business
transactons. Ile became a lumber
merchant. But he was.' interested
in all communal affairs and was
appreciated for his good sense, his
integrity and generosity.
Theodor Herzl laid the founda-
tions of the Zionist Organization.
but it was nOt much of an organi-
zation. The leadership was Concen-
.... • •

trated in his own hands. He and
his friends had to provide the
funds. He was both the leader and
the administrator. His office was
the bureau of the Organization. It
was Wolffsohn who developed °the
organization. He became the presi-
dent of a democratic organization
and was responsible to his consti-
tuents. By this time he was a very
prosperous man in Cologne. To
that city he transferred the head
office of the e Zionist -Organization.
He built up the Juedischer
Verlag in Berlin of which Dr.
Feiwel *as made the•Directer and
Nahum Sokolow Was General-Sec-
retary.
But he was not able to give
the movement the magic touch
of leadership, to raise it to its
previous state of Messianic ex-
citement. The mood inspired by
Herzl never returned.
He carried- the weight of Zionist
responsibilities. like Herzl, until
he fell under the burden. His
heart gave way as did Herzl's. In
1911 he left office undefeated, re-
sisting what he regarded as an
attempt by his successors to use
the financial resources of the
Jewish Colonial Trust and the

Jewish National Fund to serve
wildcat party politics. He wanted
to conserve the assets of the move-
ment, to live thriftily, honorably,
with patience and faith, not to be
excited by illusions, not to risk
what one had for the unknown. He
grew in stature with his experi-
ence. He refused to join in opposi
tion to the new regime which sue-

COUNTY
PROPOSITION

N o. 1

YES

JACKIE VAUGHN III will make a- GREAT Councilman

e

• Graduate Oxford University, 'Oxford, England—with
highest distinction — as a Fulbright Scholar and
Fellow "Oxon"
• Graduate Hillsdale College with Honors, A.B.
• Graduate Oberlin College with Honors, M.A.
• Wayne State University Instructor (Social Science.) -
1960-1961
• Instructor Summer School UAW-CIO Education Dept.
• Former Aide to Neil Staebler and Highway Commis-
•
sioner John Mackie
• Past - Executive Secretary, Michigan State Athletic Com-
mission (Appointed by Governor)
• Past President, State Young Democrats of Michigan

Ballot No. 718

• Will provide fresh new dynamic, vigorous leadership
in city government
• Was nominated for Detroit 'Common Council last April
in a contest of 39 candidates
• Comprehensive Youth Program: Jobs for young people,
school drop-out, juvenile delinquency
• Moral leadership—Fair Play for All: in "open housing,"
schools, and jobs. -

ELECT JACKIE VAUGHN III for your Councilman

Political Adv.

Judge Wood Describes
Traffic Court Duties

"The Traffic Court plays an im-
portant part in the over-all traffic
,‘• -,afety program of our city," stated
Judge Andrew C. Wood of the
Traffic Court.
Judge Wood explained that one
would hardly dare venture out of
his home without traffic -law§ fairly
and impthliallY enforced. Re point-
ed out that most citizens recognize

_

the need for traffic law enforce-
ment. but they often . have diffi-
culty lin seeing how their own vio-
lation.could in any way be clan-
gerous or harmful to anyone. "It
is an established _fact that almost
all accidents result from the viola-
tion of traffic laws," Judge* Wood

Elect these three to the

BOARD OF EDUCATION

said.

Judge Wood has served in the
Detroit Traffic Court for the past
24 years as a referee and judge.
During that period he has heard
and determined
over 150,000 traf-
,.
fie cases.

Significance

of the Egg

It is customary to smear the
contents of a broken egg with its
shell upon the head of a corpse _ .
In a sense this symbolizes the
cycle of life and death inasmuch
, as the original egg was a living
organism and the broken egg in-
terrupted its life's span. Further-
• more. it is claimed that the life of
man is only a potential to his
aOttlal life after death. as the egg
is to the chicken that breaks out
of it later. The broken egg sym-
bolizes the transition of life from
the earthly stage to the heavenly
, stage. The . egg also symbolizes
man's dreams and aspirations which
are broken at his demise.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
26' Friday, August 28, 1964

he lived. He could not see himself
as a leader in a movement in which
party advantage had priority over
its larger interests. He passed
away before partisanship became
the rule of conduct in the Organi-
zation to which he gave his best.
He died As the opening guns of the
First World War shattered the
world in which he lived.

Political Adv.

Political Adv.

VOTE SEPT. 1

ceeded him. He guarded himself
against bitterness and disciplined
himself to be just to his opponents.
He ;was a friendly, generous
man. Whatever fortune remained
with -him at his death he left to
the Movement and to ,Palestine. He
was a fatherly man, taking over
the guardianship of Herzl's chil
dren and providing for them while

PRIMARY TUESDAY, SEPT. 1, 1964

655
660
661

F. GRILLS
DARNEAU STEWART
A: L. ZWERDLING

M II)ETER

Endorsed by

DETROIT FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
WAYNE COUNTY AFL-CIO
SERVE OUR SCHOOLS
BAPTIST MINISTERS ALLIANCE