THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Friday, December 10, 1982 5

New Princeton Book on 'English Zionists and British Jews'

(Editor's note: Charles
A. Madison, former De-
troiter, is the author of
several books, including
"Critics and Crusaders,"
"American Labor Lead-
ers," "Leaders and Lib-
erals in 20th Century
America," "Book Pub-
lishing in America,"
"Yiddish Literature: Its
Scope and Major
Writers," "Eminent
American Jews," "Irving
to Irving" and "Jewish
Publishing in America."
He has just completed
two other volumes, his
memoirsw-hich reveal
the Detroit era of the
emergence of the Ford
Motor Co. dynasty and
the life of Ludwig

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Lewisohn, on the 100th
anniversary of the birth
of the eminent author.)
Stuart A. Cohen's
"English Zionists and
British Jews" (Princeton) is
a highly scholarly and de-
tailed account of the slow
rise of Zionism in England
between 1895 and 1920.
Prof. Cohen, who teaches
at Bar-Ilan University, has
chronicled the respective
activities and fortunes of
both the Anglo-Jewish
Zionists and their formida-
ble opponents and described
the, various groups within
the . community "which
chose either to facilitate or
to obstruct the growth of
political Zionism." This he
does by discussing the de-
mographic, economic and
managerial equilibrium
which characterized
Anglo-Jewry in the 19th
Century and makes clear
the complex reasons for its
slow acceptance of Zionism.
Anglo-Jewry was long
dominated by the native
Jews who had for genera-
tions possessed wealth and
social status; the 150,000
Jewish immigrants who
settled in England between
1880 and 1914 had little
voice in the affairs of the
community — having to
concentrate their efforts in
making a hying.
The aristocratic and
affluent native Jews dis-
trusted the emergency
of Jewish nationalism for
fear that it would jeopar-
dize their favorable sta-
bility and encourage the
rise of anti-Semitism.
When Theodor Herzl
came to London in 1895 to
interest Anglo-Jewry in the
promotion of Zionism, he

CHARLES MADISON

was received by most
Jewish leaders with skepti-
cism and even hostility.
They regarded Zionism as
"the hairbrained delusion of
a few mad fanatics." While
such leaders as Lord
Nathaniel Rothschild, Sir
Samuel Montagu, Col. A. E.
W. Goldsmid and Rabbi
Moses Gaster expressed
interest in a Jewish home-
land, most of their peers
remained strongly opposed.
Political Zionism thus
remained for some years "a
fringe movement of Anglo-
Jewry." Even some of those
who joined the Zionist
organization considered
Herzl's plan for Palestine
too hasty for successful
realization. As Dr. Solomon
Schechter commented,
"You must first have the
colonies and then the na-
tion"
Herzl then sought to
crack "the crust of indif-
ference" among the leading
English Jews by calling the
Jewish Congress in 1897,
hoping to replace these
timid or indifferent leaders
from communal control. As
he stated, he hoped the
Congress would become "a
forum before which anyone
could be brought to give an
account of what he is or is
not doing in the matter of
the Jews."
This strategy ofinvolving
the mass of Jews in England
failed, and only the
calamities of war after 1914
brought about a generally
deeper interest in Zionism.
Early in the century the
likely availability of parts
of Africa for colonization

NY Honorees
Criticize Israel

Otiia
lis.Accjynt
.$torag#•.-AccountS
Gold or' Silver

NEW YORK — The hon-
orees of an 'American
Jewish Congress dinner
Sunday night in New York
took the occasion to criticize
the government of Israel.
Felix G. -Rohatyn, chair-
man of the Municipal Assis-
tance Corp. of the city of
New York, and Victor H.
Gotbaum, a city labor
leader, were honored for
helping to revitalize New
York's economy.
The two men criticized
the Begin government's set-
tlement policies on the West
Bank.
Rohatyn alleged that the
Israeli government was
being corrupted by power
and he spoke out against the
feeling that it was "dis-
loyal" for Jews to criticize
Israel. He said this position
is suggested by Israeli offi-
cials and American Jewish
leaders, and is a "disservice
to Israel."

tempted a number of Jews.
When the Seventh Congress
dismissed the proposal, Is-
rael Zangwill started the
Jewish Territorial Organ-
ization to further the set-
tlement of oppressed Jews
while adhering to the . ulti-
mate aim of a homeland in
Palestine. By that. time,
however, the British gov-
ernment also frowned upon
the.proposal, and the organ-
ization • lost its interest for
being.
Cohen maintains that the
' Zionist Federation suffered
from the ineptness of its
leaders. Up to 1914 it had
only around 4,000 paid-up
members — only six percent
of English Jews.
The single exception "to
the rule of Anglo-Zionist
mediocrity and small min-
dedness" was Chaim Weiz-
mann. He had come to
England in 1904 to further
his scientific career and for
a time was too busy in the
laboratory to take an active
part in Zionist affairs.
The • war in 1914
brought him into na-
tional prominence as a
result of his contribu-
tions -to the war effort.
This prominence and his
friendly association with
government leaders
enabled him to gain their
friendly ear toward a
Jewish homeland in
Palestine.
Busy as he was, he took a
leading part in the 'English

Zionist Federation and be-
came its president in 1917.
The exigencies of war also
favored his effort to convert
many anti-Zionists, both
native and relative new-
comers.
In 1917 his intensive dip-
lornatic activity bore fruit.
When the British leaders
perceived that Jews might
help them in their military.
attempt to drive the Turks
out of Palestine, they soon
agreed to offer what became
known as the Balfour Dec-
laration.
"English Zionists and
British Jews" is based on
enormous research and pro-
vides an intensively de-
tailed account of the activi-
ties of the various com-
munal organizations and
tire men directing them.
It makes clear the dif-
ferences of the several
Jewish social groups and
the difficulty of the
Prestigious Jews to over-

come the apprehension
.that the principle of
Zionism might militate
against their established
position in England.
Weizmann's great
achievement was his suc-
cess in gaining.their sup-
port or acquiescence to
the terms stated in the
Balfour Declaration.
Those interested in the
subject will find the com-
prehensive bibliography
very useful.

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