Purely Commentary
"But why, it may be
First published 50 years ago, a most im-
portant Jewish historical record has been asked, is local sentiment
out of print for nearly that many years— to be more considered in
the original having been sold as quickly as the case of the Jew than
(say) in that of the Chris-
copies were made avail-
tian or the Buddhist? All
able. Now, thanks to
historic religions rouse
Ktav Publishing Co., the
feelings which cluster
round the places made
two volume "History of
memorable by the words
Zionism (1600-1918)" by
and deeds, the lives and
Nahum Sokolow again is
deaths, of those who
procurable—this time, in
brought them into being.
its entirety, in one volume.
"Doubtless these feel-
ings should always be
Enhancing the reprint-
treated with respect; but
ed work is an introduction
no one suggests that the
by one of the most schol- Dr. Herzberg
regions where these ven-
arly men in Jewry, Rabbi
erable sites are to be
Arthur Herzberg, who has
found should, of set pur-
written a valuable introduction to this
an- Lord Balfour
important work and who has reviewed re- pose and with much
xious contrivance, be colonized by the spir-
levant history, implementing the develop-
itual
descendants
of
those
who originally
ments with facts relating to Sokolow, Weiz-
made them famous. If the centuries have
mann and the Zionist leadership.
brought no change of ownership or occu-
Just as Sokolow's his-
tory is a factual record of
Zionist aspirations, of the
background of Jewish
hopes for a Zion rebuilt,
so,also, Dr. Herzberg's in-
troduction is important be-
cause it deals with the
life of the eminent Zion
ist leader who served as
president of the World
Zionist Organization from
1931 to 1935. Important
conflicts in the movement
are described in this essay
which serves also to eval-
uate Zionist literary pro-
jects, particularly as they Nahum Sokolow
-
are related to Sokolow and his era.
Arthur James Balfour, author of the his-
toric Balfour Declaration, wrote the intro-
duction to Sokolow's history. This, too,
represents a landmark in Zionist litera-
ture, and its reintroduction in the repro-
duced Sokolow history serves an additional
good purpose in evaluating Zionist history.
Balfour stated that conversations he had
In January 1906 with Dr. Chaim Weizmann
convinced him that "history could not be
ignored, and that if a home was to be found
for the Jewish people, homeless now for
nearly 1,900 years, it was vain to seek it
anywhere but in Palestine." He bad in-
teresting comments, stating inter alia:
Classic History of Zionism by Sokolow
Available After 50-Year Lapse ... Agnon's
Famous Parable as Tribute to His Memory
By Philip
SiOMOVitZ
book was
through all the world. By a strange and lapse of 50 years during which the
most unhappy fate it is this people of all out of print.
others which, retaining to the full its racial
Many books and pamphlets receive their
self-conciousness, has been severed from recognition for their pioneering in support
statement waS
its home, has wandered into all lands, and of Zionism. The Laharanne
included in a pamphlet urging the recon-
has nowhere been able to create for itself stitution of Jewish nationhood. The author,
an organized social commonwealth. Only a Roman Catholic, private secretary to
Zionism—so at least Zionists believe— can Napoleon HI, was sentimentally moved, and
provide some mitigation of this great that apparently was the inspirational role
of many—Bible students, historians, people
tragedy."
Recognizing the existance of an appropri-
ation, especially in Jewish ranks, he never-
theless expressed the belief that "Zionism
can be developed into a working scheme,
the benefit it would bring to the Jewish
people, especially perhaps to that section
of it which most deserves our pity, would be
great and lasting."
who, witnessing how persecutions affected
Jewry, sought justice for the maligned
people.
Naturally, the motive forces of Zionist%
such as emerged from the Hoveve Zion,
the vast Hebrew literature of the Haskalah
period, and the pioneering that commenced
in Palestine, receive due consideration.
Also—the personalities delineated, their
brief biographical sketches, references to
The Sokolow volume combines history their writings and labors, combine to add to
with literature. It traces the covenantal this two-volume-in-one reprinted epic the
Zionist roots, outlines the interest of many status also of who's who in Jewry of three
nations in Palestine, and the ancient Jew- and four generations ago.
ish homeland lists the great among the
Noteworthy also are the appendices. In
peoples of the world who advocated the the reproduced documentaries, Sokolow In.
restoration of the Jewish people to their cluded historic letters, notable poems and
ancient cradleland, and provides a record extracts from the writings of famous men
of prophetic assertions regarding Zionism. and women, reminiscences of Lord Byron,
pancy we are well content. But if it be
otherwise, we make no effort to reverse the
course of history. None suggest that we
should plant Buddhist colonies in India, the
ancient home of Buddhism, or renew in
favor of Christendom the crusading ad-
ventures of our medieval ancestors. Yet,
if this be wisdom wnen we are dealing with
the Earl of Shaftesbury and others.
Buddhism and Christianity, why, it may be
Sokolow reviewed the vast literature re-
asked, is it not also wisdom when we are lating to Zionism, and his outline of Chris-
There are references to the letters on the
dealing with Judaism and the Jews?
tian interest in the Zionist idea is especially Zionist subject by Joseph Priestly, quota-
tions from poems that have drawn wide
"The answer is, that the cases are not noteworthy.
attention, outlines of the role of Disraeli In
parallel. The position of the Jews is unique.
The reader learns of the concerns of the purchase of the Suez Canal shares and
For them race, religion and country are people like George Eliot, Lord Shaftes-
scores of other historical notes.
inter-related in the case of no other race, bury, Laurence Oliphant, the French states-
A brief excerpt from Disraeli's speech
no other religion, and no other country on man Ernest Laharanne. From the latter's
statement in 1860, for instance, he quoted supporting the emancipation of the Jews
earth. In no other case are the believers in a salutation to the Jewish people for its
in England, on religious grounds, will pro-
one of the greatest religions of the world to perseverance:
vide a thrilling experience for the reader
be found. (speaking broadly) only among
"Yours is a mighty genius, and we bow
the members of a single small people; in
before you. You were strong in the days in reconstructing an old experience In
England.
the case of no other religion is its past de-
of antiquity, and strong in the Middle
Ages. You have preserved your existence
velopment so intimately bound up with the
Then there is the collection of opinions
throughout the dispersion, of course not
long political history of a petty territory
without paying the heavy task of 18 cen- of English Christian authorities on Pales-
wedged in between states more powerful
turies of persecution. But the remainder tine's colonization, and eminent clergymen
than it could ever be; in the case of no
is still strong enough to erect anew the are among those quoted.
gates of Jerusalem. This is your task."
other religion are its aspirations and hopes
This is a veritable encyclopedia on the
expressed in language and imagery so utter-
A thorough account of Jewish literary early history of the Zionist movement.
Ktav
publishers have indeed rendered a
ly dependent for their meaning on the con- creativity, of the works of the noted Jewish
viction that only from this one land, only authors who dedicated themselves to the significant service by reproducing the
Nahum Sokolow classic on the "History of
through this one history, only by this one Zionist idea, add special merit to this work Zionism."
people, is full religious knowledge to spread which retains its values today, after a
*
'The Rabbi and the Jew' — S. Y. Agnon's
Version of Rabbi Nahman of Bratzlav Tale
How does one pay tribute to the memory of Shmuel Yosef Aguon, the Hebrew writer who won the
Nobel Prize in literature? He was a great story-teller, a mystic who endowed Israel and Jewry with
great gifts, who passed on to his readers the vast treasures from Hasidic lore.
He was a novelist, a short story writer, a poet. One of his magnificent poems was based on a tale
from the legendary folklore of Rabbi Naham of Bratzlay. Under the title "The Rabbi and the Jew,"
Mr. Agnon wrote the following, published in June 1949, and translated into English by Herbert Howarth:
A certain Jew used to travel the land,
Gold in his pack, and his pack in his hand.
As he drove through a lonely wood on his wain
Sharp as a ratan bewitched he drew rein.
For a robber, with tricks up his sleeve and a gun,
Who infested the highways and troubled evenjone,
And slew men for their money, never fearing
God or the Tsar, stood there in a clearing.
The Jew perceived his position was nice.
The robber could put him down the nick in a trice.
He fell on his knees. "Have pity, sir," he cried.
"Please take my pack and everything inside.
Only show mercy if I give you the pack.
What good is my death to you once you have that?
At home are my daughters, my son and my wife—
Let me return to them, spare my life."
The robber's heart inclined, unlike Pharaoh's of old,
He spared the Jew's life and accepted the gold.
The Jew now blessed him, and, still on his knees,
Said "Generous friend, one more favor, please.
Give me some sign that you took the gold by force,
Or I fear I may suffer in the criminal courts.
For all that you kindly took from me, sir,
Was money which others had requested me to bear,
And if I return and can't account for it.
They may misunderstand and issue a writ.
So give me some simple memento, some token
That though my life is intact, my trust is unbroken."
"Delighted, good friend," the robber replied to that.
"Do me the honor to pass me your hat."
So the hat was passed, and he balanced it well
On a bough. Then he shot like William Tell.
His missile soars, stirs earth and heaven, and mortars
A hole in the hat like a breach in a fortress.
Said the Jew: "They say 'Twice done is done best'.
Now double the holes, .I would suggest.
Then at home I can give them proof
How I resisted till you shot off my roof."
The robber agreed. He turned to the tree
And fired at the target—one, two, three.
The bullets soar into the heaven and down
And riddle the hat, brim and crown.
"My benefactor and friend" cried the Jew,
"As you've done to my hat to my coat please do,
To show how I made a desperate defence—
And with that your work of charity ends."
He took his long coat off and stretched it on a rock
To receive the immaculate marksman's shot,
Who was gracious enough to turn and agree
And fire at the mantle—one, two, three.
"0 valiant sir," cried the Jew, "Well hit!
Put just another bullet into it."
The gun opens angry jaws again
Like a battling lion—but roars in vain.
"I fear," said the robber, "it can't be done.
There's not a bullet left in the gun."
"Now, sir," said the Jew, "don't be mean. God hates
A man who is mean and prevaricates."
"Now God be my witness," he told the Jew,
"I've spent every bullet I had on you."
The Jew approved those words. It was clear
Nothing remained in the gun to fear.
He jumped on the robber, grabbed his throat,
Wrenched his arm, wrestled, smote,
H 'mmered his chin, made him smart, and made
Him pay sevenfold for his wicked trade.
The robber sank, a limb was shattered,
His bones to the four winds nearly scattered.
Nor did the Jew let his anger slack
Till justice was done and the gold given back.
Pompidou, Nixon, the Jews, Israel, Anger,
Protocol ... Interlinked Issues on Agenda
I am angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
— William Blake in "A Poison
Tree."
just left our shores, and there are many
sides of the Atlantic. France's President
Georges Pompidou's own people may be in a dilemma, asking why, If
he does not disapprove of demonstrations, he was so distressed over
what happened in Chicago. They were too close to him, he said.
Therefore, our President took an unscheduled trip to New York to
An angry man has
puzzled people on both
pacify an angered statesman.
The confusion is not limited to this episode, although there Is
cause now to ask the White House why a calm man like Richard
M. Nixon should have given comfort to the angered.
The sad factor in the confusion is that only the demonstrators
knew that they were not attacking France but were protesting against
the French president whose assistance to an Arab state adds to the
dangers under which Israel lives today.
There have been many advocates of a boycott of French goods
and travel, but their proposals remain rejected because Israel and
the Jewish people are not fighting France; they have great affection
for the French people—on a par with the toast that was given by
President Nixon—and they hope that the French will pursue the
condemnation of the Gaullists and Pompidouists in first refusing to
deliver paid-up planes that were sold to Israel and then selling to an
Arab state twice as many planes as were originally assigned to IsraeL
Pompidou can say all he wishes about adherence to a policy of
protecting Israel's right to exist: his lip service is negated by his aid
to those who seek Israel's extermination.
Pompidou was angry: he reminded us of Ernest Bevin who was
equally irate in his attacks on New York's Jews, in his anti-Semitism,
in his bias that kept survivors from Nazism from the shores of the
ancient Jewish homeland. Bevin wrote a disgraceful chapter in British
history; now Pompidou writes an equally shameful chapter in Frailest.
There are Jews who assist Pompidou. Baron (Guy) de Rothschild
as president of Consistoire Central and Dr. Vidal Modiano, president
of CRJF (Conseil Representatif des Juifs de France) addressed an
appeal to American Jewish leaders, prior to Pompidou's arrival In
this country, not to demonstrate against him.. That's how Dr. A.
Naumann, the leader of the German assimilationists, asked American
' m. So—there was a partial
Jews to act in the early days of Hitleris
silence because of such panic-stricken Jews in the Hitler era. Them
came the Holocaust and we condemned Christians for not speaking
up against the terror. And if we condemn the silence of others, should
we, now, because of a peeved statesman, also be silent? Wu are
his trap and went on through the compelled to say: "That's not bow honorable people act, Mr. Mind"
land
TIE DETROIT 'JEWISH NSW
2—Friday, Merck 6, '1970
With gold in his pack, end his pack in his hand.
Then he mounted