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Boris Smolar's

'Between You
. . and Me'

American, Zionism's First Two Decades Are
Very Dramatically Described in New History

Inevitably, there were internal
was the first American Zionist
In "American Zionism — 1884-
president and the names of other struggles and Herzl had to plead
1904," published by Herzl Press,
distinguished leaders are recalled with "American Jews to continue
Marvin Feinstein introduces his
in this history.
backing the movement.
readers to the early stages of Zion-
Feinstein devotes a chapter to
ist activities in this country.
Distinguished names begin to ap-
the emergence of the socialist
He has chogen 1884 as the start- pear in this historical record. "Leon
By BORIS SMOLAR
Zionist movement Poale Zion.
ing paint for his story because of Zolotkoff was the eminent leader
(Copyright, 1965, JTA, Inc.)
There also was formed a United
the formation, in that year, of the in the Middle West. Prof. Gottheil,
JEWS IN DENMARK: Talk to any Jew in Denmark, and he will Hoveve Zion society in New York. Stephen Wise and William Cowen Zionists faction and Jacob de Haas
tell you that Jews in the country feel very safe politically, very secure But he indicates that while inter- were selected delegates to the Sec- appears on the scene with pro-
economically and equal with all other citizens, because Denmark is a est in the colonization of Palestine ond World Zionist Congress in posals for the formation of Miz-
rachi groups to draw Orthodox ele-
began then, the love for the Holy
country where anti-Semitism is not known at all . . . No one knows Land and its people and hope for 1898. Dr. Theodor Herzl selected ments into the movement.
Dr.
Stephen
Wise
to
be
English
the difference between Jew and non-Jew, whether in public life, or "a miraculous return to Zion" ex- secretary of the Congress. Katriel
The Uganda rifts, the creation
in private relations, or in business . . . This explains why intermarriage isted even before the birth of the Sarasohn, Z. H. Masliansky and of the Territorialist movement by
among non-Jews and Jews is very high . . . No Dane would under- United States. Thus:
other well known figures assumed Israel Zangwill and other develop-
stand Jewish reluctance to intermarriage . . . He would be wondering
ments are dealt with by Feinstein.
In 1759, Moses Malki of Safed leadership roles.
why his Jewish friends object to their boy or girl marrying his daughter
Commenting on the effects of
came to this country to solicit
Feinstein's history reproduces a
or son . . . The fact that the difference in religion may be the barrier
help for the needy co-religioists very famous article by Herzl—the the Zionist efforts from 1884 to
would never enter his mind, because the country knows no religious
in Palestine.
first public statement he made to 1904, Feinstein asserts that. while
bias .. . The Minister of Economy, Henry Gruenbaum, is a Jew but
In 1832 Trumat HaKodesh the Jews of America—which re- the movement was weak at that
nobody — neither the Jews nor the non-Jews — ever mention this fact
time "it was during this period that
society was established to secure mains a classic to this day.
when they talk about him . . . It makes no difference to anybody .. .
funds for Palestinian needy.
Turkish restrictions on Jewish its ideals and goals became fami-
The wife of the Prime Minister can tell you at a social gathering that
Mordecai Manuel Noah's "Zion- tourists visiting Palestine created liar to Jews and gentiles alike" and
she believes she is of Jewish origin . . . It is just as if she were say-
ist" idea developed and there a serious situation for the then that the two decades prepared
ing that she is of Swedish or British descent; and it will be taken by
was talk then of "final restora- U. S. Ambassador Oscar Straus who the ground for the subsequent
the listeners in this spirit . . . Jewish and non-Jewish youths, being
tion in Judea.
was overruled in his protest by epoch when Zionism became a great
educated in the same schools and raised in an atmosphere of complete
force in American Jewish life.
In 1931 Rabbi Isaac Leeser de- Secretary of State John Hay.
equality, certainly do not see anything wrong in intermarrying . . .
Feinstein's is an important his-
livered a "Zionist" sermon, "also
This incident and other nego-
Intermarriage among the 2,000 Jewish families in Denmark — all of
novel for the period."
tiations with the Turks are of tory not only for Zionists but as
whom reside in Copenhagen — therefore exceeds 50 per cent of all
major interest in the considera- part of a developing era in Amerti-
The "conditioning" of American
Jewish marriages.
tion of the early history of Amer- can Jewish life.
Jews for Zionism, in spite of Re-
ican Zionism. Dr. Cyrus Adler
form opposition, is described pre-
Stock Exchange Pioneer
THEIR FUTURE: Under such circumstances, what is the future of liminary to the formation of the
then emerged as one of the anti-
Bernhard Hart, an 18th Century
Jewishness in Denmark where there are today about 6,500 Jews? . . . Hoveve Zion. The sufferings of
Zionists and his attitude is de-
merchant who settled in New York
Chief Rabbi Dr. Marcus Melchior, with whom I discussed the matter, Jews in Russia, the mass migration
scribed as naive by Feinstein.
City in 1780, became the first Jew
is among the optimists, who believe that the Jewish community in Den- that began to this country, the
But the work of Zionism con- to hold a high position on the New
mark, small as it is, will not shrink through intermarriage and assimila- writings of Emma Lazarus and tinued. Soon Henrietta Szold ap-
tion . . . Others are less optimistic . .. The Jewish community has all the opposition to her and to George peared on the scene as one of the York Stock Exchange when he was
the chances to survive because it is being aided by the government not Eliot's Zionist writings—these and pioneers in the movement. There named secretary of that body in
only to maintain its educational and social welfare institutions, but other data are offered to show the were dramatic developments on 1831.
also to impose a community tax on all those who consider themselves trends of the time prior to the behalf of the movement an the East
Jews . . . The income from this tax — reaching about $120,000 a year emergence of the Zionist move- tide of New York.
For the HY Spot
— is used for religious and administrative purposes by the organized ment.
Rabbi Gustav Gottheil, father of
Of Your Affair
Jewish community which maintains a very fine synagogue, an all-day
Alexander Harkavy was secre- Prof. Richard Gottheil, and Rabbi
Music by
school for Jewish boys and girls, two Talmud Torahs, a Jewish home tary of the newly-formed Hoveve Bernard Felsenthal were among
for the aged, two kindergartens and a small yeshiva directed by follow- Zion. The society's work was the early Reform rabbis who sup-
ers of the Lubavitcher Rebbe . . . The community tax is a voluntary praised by Rabbi Itzhak Elhanan, ported the Zionist cause. But Dr.
And His Orchestra
affair; only those who want to indicate their Jewishness pay this tax, by Rabbi H. P. Mendes of the Emil Hirsch was among the move-
(Hy Utchenik)
while those who do not care to be known as Jews do not have to pay Shearith Israel Synagogue and soon ment's arch enemies. A debate that
342-9424
it . . . Nevertheless, of the 2,000 Jewish families living in Copenhagen, a second branch was formed by ensued between Dr. Max Nordau
• Distinctive Ceremonies
some 1,800 pay this voluntary tax . . . They include heads of very "young American Jews" who took and Emil Hirsch is reviewed in this
a Specialty!
assimilated Jewish families as well as of intermarried families . . . an interest in work for settlement volume.
Economy Minister Gruenbaum, although a Socialist and far from being in Palestine."
religious, is one of the taxpayers, thereby going on record officially
In 1891 William Blackstone of
as a member of the Jewish community . . . Non-religious Jewish institu- Chicago circulated a petition to
tions — like a Jewish all-day school and a Jewish home for the aged President Harrison for the restora-
LI 8-1116
Photographers — Specializing in
— are being maintained from government or municipal funds . . . The tion of Jews to Palestine, and when
Color Candids and Movies
LI 8-2266
Jewish all-day school in Copenhagen is considered by the government a Boston rabbi became incensed
as part of the country's school system and its budget is covered by the over it, he was upbraided by a
I
I
ministry of education . . . The Jewish home for the aged, is considered Christian minister ' who urged Jews
a
a -I::
part of the municipal welfare system and its budget is fully covered "to work for this ideal, for finally
by the municipality . . . Furthermore, the Copenhagen municipality is a day will come and the land of
now covering 94 per cent of the cost of the construction of a new home your fathers will belong to you."
D
for the Jewish aged which the Jewish community has undertaken . . .
Reuven -Braun was among the
This is done under the existing state system which provides free educa-
And a Galaxy of Glamorous Gifts
early pioneers whose name fig-
tion — including university education — free medical care, old-age
for Glittering Occasions . .
ures in the initial Hoveve Zion
pension and covers all other social welfare needs of every citizen.
activitiees, and the movement
That's What You'll Discover At
began to take hold in several
THEIR PROBLEMS: Intermarriage is "problem number one" - for cities. -
the Jewish community in Denmark ... . Next to it is the problem of
A chapter in Feinstein's book
lack of Jewish teachers for existing institutions . . . The teachers in is devoted to "The Blackstone a
the all-day Jewish school are all non-Jews, with the exception of those Memorial," elaborating upon the
283 Hamilton—Birmingham, Michigan
who teach Hebrew . . . The principal of the school is a non-Jew, who, effect the Christian interest in
however, visited Israel and learned to speak Hebrew ... The Jewish Jewish resettlement in Palestine
Selected and Priced to Your Satisfaction
community leaders — all elected by those who pay the community tax had upon Americans.
There is included in this volume
— are doing their best to keep the spirit of Jewishness alive among
Here's wishing you a Happy, Healthy and
young and old ... There is a Jewish Youth Center, a Zionist Federation an interesting story about the
Prosperous New Year.
which together with the WIZO has about 1,000 members, a Jewish sport Shave Zion group that became in-
club "Hakoah" . . . And Rabbi Melchior, wheir registering a mixed volved in Palestinian resettlement
marriage, requests the observance of Kashrut by the newly-married .. . efforts into which Baron Rothschild
644-7626
He also makes them sign a pledge that their children will be given a was unhappily drawn. The unpleas-
Open Thursday and Friday to 9 P.M.
Jewish education . . . However, community leaders admit that this ant incident later was solved
a
pledge, although filed with the community as a formal statement, is through the efforts of E. W. Lewin-
hardly taken into consideration by the -parents when the child reaches Epstein, effected through compen-
the' school age . . . Nevertheless, the number of Bar Mitzvah and Bat sation to the 1,000 members 'for
Mitzvah ceremonies has been growing in the last few years . . . And land they had secured near the
the second or third generation of native-born Jewish youths are show- Sea of Galilee.
at giveJ a woman...
It was with the calling by Theo-
ing a growing interest in the -Jewish • section of the Royal Library in
Copenhagen which has one of the. largest collections of Jewish books dor Herzl of the First World Zion-
in Europe in all languages, including Hebrew and Yiddish . . . Some ist Congress in 1897 that the real
onficience-Reauty -Charm?
of these youths are visiting Israel during the summer months . . . They drama begins. Feinstein recalls the
pioneers
who
supported
Heril
and
do not remain there, but when they return home they are imbued
POWERS TRAINING
POWERS LOOK
with a stronger Jewish spirit and-
•
remain strongly pro-Israel . . . Others the opponents who bitterly attacked
go to England to complete their studies there, their parents hoping that the Zionist idea. Already, at that
There
Is
a
World
Famous
Powers Course for You
they will marry there into Jewish families and bring back with them time, the fear of challenge to Jew-
ish
loyalty
was
expressed..
But
one
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a Jewish husband or wife . . . On the whole, the Jewish community
i•-• IF YOU ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL
s••• IF YOU WORK
in Denmark, which has a 350-year history and is somewhat older than of the American delegates to the
Now Forming DAYTIME, EVENING and SATURDAY CLASSES in
the Jewish community' in the United States, is strongly in need of Jew- First World. Zionist Congress in
• VISUAL POISE • SOCIAL GRACES • PERSONALITY
ish spiritual aid from the stronger Jewish communities abroad if it Basle, Adam Rosenberg, made the
• WARDROBE • MAKE-UP • HAIR STYLING
statement that 25 per cent of the
is to maintain even its present level of Jewishness.
• FIGURE CONTROL • VOICE
1,000,000 Jews then in the U.S.
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were Zionists.
I decline to accept the end of
The reactions to the first Zion-
ORT. Trainees Celebrate
Please Send Information on Your School tot
GENEVA (JTA) — Fif teen man . . . I believe that man will ist efforts, the establishment of
Name
the Federation of American Zion-
trainees from the new African not merely endure: he will prevail.
Address
ists,
the
early
activities,
the
rifts
country of Mali at the ORT Cen- exhaustible voice but because he
FINISHING
over the movements in Jewish
City
7One
SCHOOL
tral Institute here were hosts to alone among creatures has an in-
ranks, are elaborated upon in
150 guests at a. dinner celebrat-
47 EAST ADAMS
State
Phone
details. Prof. Richard Gottheil
ing the fifth anniversary of Mali's exahustible voice but because he
Detroit, Mich. 48226 IN DETROIT SINCE 1944
independence. The guests included has a soul, a spirit capable of corn THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Special Training and Lectures for Companies and Groups
high officials of Geneva and Mali, passion and sacrifice and endur-
28—Friday, October 1, 1965
ance.' —William Faulkner • -
and ORT leaders.

Hy Herman

A GOLDEN MEDINA

MORREY'S FINE JEWELRY & GIFTS

1

MORRIS WATNICK

Wh
C

✓