Herbert Samuel's Role as Palestine High Commissioner
BY JOSEF FRAENKEL
Jewish News Special
London Correspondent
In "Trial and Error" Chaim
Weizmann recalls that P. C. Scott,
editor of the Manchester Guardian
and a sincere friend of Zionism,
mentioned the name of Herbert
Samuel to him at the end of No-
vember 1914: "You know, you have
a Jew in the government, Mr.
Herbert Samuel." Weizmann re-
plied almost rudely: "For God's
sake, Mr. Scott, let's have nothing
to do with this man!" Weizmann
considered him "the type of Jew
who by his very nature was op-
posed to us."
Chaim Weizmann had no idea
that Herbert Samuel had spoken
to Foreign Secretary Sir Edward
Grey on Nov. 9, 1914, about the
restoration of a Jewish state in
Palestine. Grey was favorably im-
pressed by Samuel's proposal. On
the same day he had a talk with
Lloyd George about Palestine and
he. too, declared to Herbert Sam-
uel, that he would advocate the
establishment of a Jewish state.
When Weizmann heard about it.
he called it "the surprise of my
life."
Herbert Samuel (born, Nov. 6,
1870, in Liverpool—died, Feb. 5,
1963, in London) was known as a
social legislator, Liberal MP, and
as a philosopher, becoming the
first Jew to attain cabinet rank
(1909). He never forgot his Jewish
origin—in or out of the cabinet.
In 1910 it was necessary for Chaim
Weizmann to obtain his "Certifi-
cate of Naturalization" as a British
subject. He approached Haham
Gaster, at that time his best friend
in Great Britain, to intervene on
his behalf with Winston Churchill,
home secretary, or another minis-
ter. Gaster wrote about it to Her-
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
and Me'
...
(Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA)
(Copyright 1970, JTA Inc.)
ORT AT 90: When an organization reaches the age of 90, it usually
takes a proud look at its past achievements. It naturally maps also
plans for its work in the future.
This is what the World ORT Union will do when it convenes in
Geneva Nov. 13 to mark the 90th anniversary of the existence of the
organization.
Representatives of governments—as well as of the United Nations
agencies—with whom ORT works very closely—will address them on
the importance of ORT work not only for Jews but also for various
underdeveloped countries which benefit from ORT experts.
The importance of ORT in Jewish life needs no elaboration. The
organization has established for itself an enviable record during its
90 years of providing vocational training, first for tens of thousands
of Jews in Czarist Russia and later for hundreds of thousands of Jews
all over the world. Originated by a group of prominent Jews in St.
Petersburg, it aimed at freeing Jews from charity by training them
to become skilled workers. This was an important development for
Jews in Russia, where they lived under oppression, many of them
barely able to eke out a living because of the existing anti-Jewish
restriction.
As the ORT program developed successfully in Russia during the
years prior to World War I, it later spread to Poland, Lithuania,
Romania and other countries where large masses of Jews lived in
misery. In the years between the two world wars. ORT became the
most popular organization among Jews in a number of European coun-
tries. Impoverished and educationally deprived Jews—both youth and
adults—have been given by ORT the opportunity to learn trades and
become workers depending on their own earnings. This gave them
a feeling of human dignity.
Today, 90 years after its foundation, ORT conducts 650 trade and
technical training projects in 23 countries, teaches 72 different job
skills and maintains a teaching staff of about 1,700 experts.
e
ORT IN ISRAEL: With ORT now banned in Russia, Poland and
other Communist countries, its largest program is in Israel. Of the
60,000 students now enrolled in ORT schools, more than 35,000 ara
Israelis. Ten factory schools are now included in the ORT system in
Israel. Junior technical colleges are now being planned by ORT there.
In the Moslem countries, ORT schools are open also to Moslem
youths who seek vocational training. In Israel, Druses are receiving
vocational training at the ORT school on Mt. Carmel in Haifa. Arabs
in Nazareth and in East Jerusalem are attending ORT schools.
The ORT budget for 1970 is about $20.000,000. It is being partly
covered by the Joint Distribution Committee which participates heavily
in ORT projects, by the American ORT Federation and Women's
American ORT, by funds raised in Jewish communities outside of the
United States, by government subsidies in the countries where ORT
operates, and by tuition. The organization is now facing a deficit of
about $900,000 for this year.
FAR-SIGHTED LEADERS: Founded in 1880, ORT—the Organization
for Rehabilitation Through Training—is today one of the very few
Jewish organizations in the world that can boast of such longevity.
Its continuous existence for 90 years—which included two major
eral, and a few days later Weiz-
mann became a British citizen.
In 1916, as home secretary, Her-
bert Samuel encouraged Vladimir
Jabotinsky to propagate the crea-
tion of the Jewish Legion.
A f ter the publication of
"Memoirs" by Viscount Samuel
(Herbert Samuel), in 1945, and
of "Trial and Error" in 1949, I
asked Herbert Samuel, when he
had begun to be interested in
Zionism, and he replied that it
was after he had read "The
Jewish State" by Theodor
Herz]. I presume this must have
happened shortly after the pub-
lication of the booklet, translated
into English by Sylvie d'Avigdor,
in April 1896. A few months be-
fore, in November 1895, Herzl
visited London and explained
modern Zionism to Herbert Sam-
uel's uncle, Samuel Montagu,
MP (later: Lord Swaythling),
and to his religious teacher, the
Rev. S. Singer.
Historic credit and honor is due
to Sir Herbert Samuel as the first
during the First World War to de-
mand of the British government
the creation of an "autonomous
Jewish state."
When Sir Mark Sykes, repre-
senting the government, started the
discussions and negotiations with
the Zionist leaders in the home
of Haham Gaster, on Feb. 7, 1917,
Sir Herbert Samuel was zmong the
10 persons present, and he and
other Jews, as well as non-Jews,
helped Weizmann and Sokolow to
obtain the Balfour Declaration on
Nov. 2, 1917. The government
asked Sir Herbert a short time be-
fore to state his views and he re-
plied—in contrast with Edwin Mon-
tagu, secretary of state for India,
son of Samuel Montagu, who was
a bitter enemy of Zionism—that
such a declaration would be "a
wise step." Sir Herbert believed
that a Jewish Palestine, as in the
past would again "produce golden
fruits — statesmen and soldiers,
judges . and poets, prophets and
seers."
England's support of Herzlian
Zionism and the granting of the
Balfour Declaration was the great-
est achievement in the cause of jus-
tice during the First World War.
Without the Balfour Declaration the
restoration of the Jewish State
would not have been possible.
Three years later, on July 2,
1920, Sir Herbert arrived in
Palestine as the first high com-
missioner for Palestine. He was
welcomed like a king of the
Jews. Jewish papers gave him
biblical names, and he became a
legendary figure. Public opinion
expected great progress towards
a Jewish Palestine, although
voices were heard to say that it
would have been better, had a
"Goy," a non-Jew, been appoint-
ed as first high commissioner.
A Jew, they said, would try to
be "impartial" and "neutral,"
but a non-Jew would have car-
ried out the intentions of Lord
Balfour and Lleyd George.
Under Sir Herbert Samuel as
high commissioner for Palestine,
the country developed by leaps and
vitch and Dr. Aron Syngalowski who have earned for themselves a re- settlements were established. The
Keren Kayemeth purchased the
spectful place in Jewish history. It is now being carried out by men
like Dr. William Haber, chairman of the World ORT Union and presi- Emek, the number of Hebrew
dent of the American ORT, and Max A. Braude. the director general schools increased, and the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem became
of the organization. In celebrating its 90th birthyear, ORT can look a reality.
proudly to its great accomplishments in the past which are deeply im-
But Jewish achievements were
bedded in the fabric of Jewish existence. It can also chart its course
for continued constructive work in the future—as the ORT Congress in often overshadowed by anti-
Geneva will now do.
—
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
SIR HERBERT SAMUEL
Photo taken when he was
Palestine High Commissioner.
arrival in Palestine, the military
administration under General Al-
lenby was openly opposed to the
Balfour Declaration, among
whom was a group of influential
anti-Jewish officials who encour-
aged the anti-Zionist activities
of the Arabs. These officials fos-
tered Arab nationalism and its
hostility to the establishment of
the Jewish national home. Sir
Herbert Samuel did not dismiss
these anti-Semites and anti-Zi-
onist officials and, whenever he
took important decisions, he
tried to "placate" the Arabs.
Zionist hopes changed to Zionist
criticism of Sir Herbert Samuel.
One of his first acts was to give
amnesty to Arab killers together
with Jabotinsky and others who
had defended Jewish lives. The
anti-Zionist leader Haj Amin el
Hasseini fled the country alter he
had organized the riots in Jeru-
salem (1920), and was sentenced
in absentia to 10 years' imprison-
ment. Soon, with the blessing of
the administration, he became
Mufti of Jerusalem. Sir Herbert
gave away about 400,000 dunams
(100,000 acres) of state land to
Arabs, but not one dunam was
given to the members of the Jew-
ish Legion. He drafted the White
Paper cf 1922, known as the
Churchill White Paper, separat-
ing Transjordan from Palestine
and breaking the pledge of the
British government given in the
Balfour Declaration, and cutting
it off from Jewish immigration.
The British government gave
large sums of money as subven-
tions to Transjordan, for Arab
schools and education in Pales-
tine, but nothing for the Jewish
Jewish events and the negative
attitude of the Palestine admini-
stration. Until Herbert Samuel's
, .
.
Nevertheless, Jews and Zionists
honor his name as the first high
commissioner for Palestine, who
helped to lay the foundation of -a
Jewish national home. The 14th
Zionist Congress in Vienna (Aug-
ust 1925) passed a resolution,
stating that Sir Herbert Samuel,
who was high commissioner for
five years, brought the country the
blessings of peace, order and a
good government and took the first
step towards the establishment of
the Jewish national home. All
the delegates voted for the resolu-
tion. To the severe critics of Sir
Herbert Samuel belonged Jabotin-
sky and his party, the Zionist Re-
visionists, but it is most remarkable
that a sentence from Sir Herbert
Samuel's speech at a meeting on
the Balfour Declaration day in
London, 1919, was taken as the
principle basis of the Zionist Re-
visionist program: "The aim of
Zionism is the gradual transforma-
tion of Palestine (including Trans-
jordan) into a Jewish common-
wealth), that is, into a self-govern-
ing Jewish Commonwealth --under
the auspices of an established
Jewish majority."
Later, Sir Herbert Samuel par-
ticipated in Jewish and Zionist af-
fairs. He was usually prepared to
join a Jewish delegation to inter-
vene in order to save Jews from
Nazi extermination or to address
a Zionist meeting. From time to
time he spoke in the House of
Lords and at meetings of the
Friends of the Hebrew University.
His wife, Viscountess Beatrice Mir-
iam Samuel, was honorary presi-
dent and later, together with Vera
Weizmann, joint president of
WIZO.
Sir Herbert Samuel attended the
first conference of the Council of
the Jewish Agency in Zurich (Aug-
ust 1929) and declared that "in
olden times the land united the Ten
Tribes of Israel and this will also
happen in the future." He praised
the work of the Zionist Organiza-
tion stating that it would become
stronger because of the offerings
of the Jewish masses to the Keren
Hayesod. He was optimistic about
the Jewish future of Palestine and
he concluded his address: "King
Solomon built a - Temple. Nehemiah
built a Temple. Herod built a
Temple, But we too are today
building a Temple of living people,
which may be even greater."
Dead Sea Area Has Desolate Beauty,
History — and Booming Tourist Town
The giant fissure at 1,200 feet be-
low sea level—the lowest point on
the face of the earth—stirs with
signs of human activity. Hotels,
bathing beaches, sulphur baths,
museums and other amenities
sprout in the landscape that has
been desolate since the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorra.
It is a landscape of grandeur,
historical sites such as Masada,
EM Gedi and Kumran, a hot, dry
climate perfect in winter, a drown-
proof lake, curative hot springs
and mineral waters.
At EM Bokek health resorts, suf-
ferers wallow in mineral-rich mud
as a cure for arthritic and rheuma-
tic afflictions. A few miles away
are the mineral springs of Zohar,
bounds. Railway lines and new
roads were constructed and Jew-
ish workers were employed in the
building trade. Hebrew was recog-
nized as one of the three official
languages. During 1920-1925 the
Jewish population increased from
about 70,000 to 140.000.
The Yishuv elected ifs Vaad
Leumi (Jewish National Council)
which was recognized by the gov-
ernment as representative of the whose therapeutic waters reputed-
Jewish community in Palestine. ly hold various healing properties.
world wars, revolutions in some of the countries where ORT operated.
Nazi extermination of millions of Jews, camps filled after the last
war with many thousands of homeless and displaced Jews for whom
ORT organized vocational training to return them to a life of work
and dignity—proves best that the ORT is a much-needed instrument
in Jewish life.
The vision of the founders of ORT 90 years ago—among whom were
such prominent Jewish figures as Baron Horace Gunzburg, Samuel
Poliakov and other great personalities of Russian Jewry—has been car-
ried out and fulfilled generation after generation. In the critical years
for Jewry during and after the period of the Holocaust, the ORT mis- Thousands of halutzim arrived
sion was tirelessly carried out by Dr. Leon Bramson, Dr. David Lvo- each year, and new colonies and
SR Friday, November 13, 1970
community or for Jewish settle-
ment.
Sir Herbert Samuel was pres-
ent at the opening ceremony of
the Hebrew University on April
1, 1925, and a few weeks later,
on June 17, 1925, he left Pales-
tine, almost unnoticed.
bert Samuel, the postmaster gen-
But the thermal springs are not
reserved exclusively for the con-
valescent and the ailing; the
beauty and the feeling of adven-
ture appeals especially to young
people. A hotel, youth hostels
and a camping site with bunga-
lows as well as the usual facili-
ties, all cater to these visitors.
Salt formations of brown, Mar-
ren rock tower over the bleak
length of shoreline and over the
mineral-rich but lifeless waters.
Salt-encrusted branches emerge
grotesquely out of the shallows.
The past is never far away in
the Dead Sea area. Near the
peaceful, rich fields of EM Gedi,
archeologists discovered—in the
Judean Caves—the clothes, coins,
weapons and remnants of Jewish
resistance fighters who held out
for years in many caves against
the Romans who tracked them
down mercilessly for daring to re-
bel against their mighty Empire.
Midwinter is not only the best
time for soaking in the Dead Sea
but the ideal time for excursions
into the landscape of the desert
along its western shore. Not to be
missed is a trip to Masada, the
most impressive of all mountain
fortresses on the shores of the
Dead Sea.
Located on the route of all ma-
jor sightseeing tour busses, the
Dead Sea area is still relatively
remote and can best be reached
by private car.
The drive to Ein Bokek (which
has the best hotel in the area),
takes about four hours from Tel
Aviv along the well-marked high-
ways, with a stopover for lunch at
biblical Beersheba recommended.