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By incrementig of tha von Heathe East HOURKE STREET and 107 LITTLE COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE At the latter establishment the Shomar supervises the Kosher Meat supply. Tel No Che Jewish Herald. PUBLISHED FORTNIGHTL' Edited by M. MOSES, M.A., LL.B. Correspondants are informed that all letters must be accompanied by Ino Kame and Address of the writer, not necessarily for publication. The sane rule applies to Heme of a social character which are sent for insertion. All business manager wibene te MELBOURNE, FRIDAY, int DECEABER, 5666-1905. League The purely practical branch ing of from the main trunk London of Zionism exhibited in the Zionist formation of Mr. Zangwill's Territorial Organisation is almost simultaneously coun terbalanced by the budding forth from the other side of the original stem of Mr. Her bert Bentwich’s London Zionist League, the objects of which are exclusively scholastic and educational. Zioniam proper evidently finds itself in a diffient and uncomfortable position. Its present standpoint is defined by the declaration of the Seventh Basle Con grens, which asserts that “the Zioniat Orga nisation stands firmly by the fundamental Principle of the Basle programm, namely, ‘the establishment of a legally secure pub lily recognised home for the Jewish people in Palestine, and it rejects either as an end or as a means all colonising activity outside Palestine and its adjacent lands.’' As, how ever, there is no blinking the fact that the acquisition of Palestine in a contingency of a very remote and problematical character, the inducements for practical endeavour vanish with the failure of material to work upon. We are told, it is true, that Zionism recom mends the undertaking of immediate work in exploration, promotion of agriculture and in dustry, cultural development of Palestinian Jewa, and the acquisition of concessions bnt we are afraid there is not very much real substance behind this pompous and high rounding list of proposed activities. Jews are not very likely to put much heart in spending money, brains and energy in effecti ng improvements in a country which they have no near and reasonable assurance, but only a vague and distant hope, of possess ing. The thought that the only result of all their toil and trouble may possibly be to benefit the Sultan of Turkey in enough i paralyse the efforts of the most enthusiastic. However this may be, it is jdain that the “ionista themselves have an uneasy feeling that the “movement” is merely beating the arm a somewhat aimless manner, and they are consequently doing their feat to throw its cloak over the barrenness of the practical side of Zioniwn by bringing the prominence it a theoretical aspect. ‘The Manifesto of the dow Leapie cites that “Zinta is Laser on certain fundamental principles, and that the attitude of each individual Jew lawsnls Zionism depends on his attitude towards these principles, not on his belief in the pos sibility or impossibility of obtaining Pales tine in the near future. It is therefore to the principles of Zionism that this Council desires to draw public attention.” It is in deed significant that at a time like this, when the blood of our brethren cries aloud from the ground, when all the nerve and sinew of the race is required for urgent rec ent work, the Zionists should have thought it opportune and desirable to establish a special branch merely for ‘‘the extension of Jewish culture.” It is curious to note how apily Mr. Zangwill, some considerable time before the London Zionist League saw the licht, hit off by the following parable the Zionist temperament which, after a brief ex cursion in the regions of active business, #00n relapsed into the more congenial realms of dreamland :—“It all reminds me of Israel, the little Wonder-Rabbi, who could give long Talmudical lectures before he was seven. But, unfortunately, his health was not equal to his learning. He grew thin and pale and looked on the point of death. At last a doctor was called in. He said the little rabbi must leave his big learned books for a while, he must give up Pilpul and go in for gymnastic exerciara. So the child went to G rymnesdium and began to practise on the bars. At first he went to work quite vigo rously, and his muscles began to grow. But soon the old habits overcame him. He be gan to hold a book in one hand while swing ing by the other: when he stood on his head he took the opportunity to study a folio on the floor, and finally he would sit for hours on the parallel bars brooding over a Mish navis balanced on his knees. There you have the history of Zionism. We are far from thinking that the objects set before itself by the League are intrinsi cally valueless or unimportant. Indeed, one of the greatest services rendered by Zionism has been, oa we have frequently pointed out, the strengthening and deepening of the n onal consciousness and the increased inter val thereby evoked in the national history, language and literature. What we regard as an unsatisfactory sign is that these effects, which have hitherto been incidental and sub sidiary, should be deliberately brought into the front rank, with the necessary result that the political, diplomatic and colonising de partments of Zionistic work are relegated to a back seat, if not lost sight of altogether. As a contrast to the vigorous policy of the Jewish Territorial Organisation, the pro gramme of the London Zionist League, as given in it a circular, is very instructive. “The objects of the League as set out in the Constitution are to promote the National hen in Israel —(1) by holding periodical ectires and debates, (2) by organising con certs aml conversazionea for the cultivation of Jewish music and poetry, (4) by fostering the study of Jewish history and literature aml the use of Hebrew as a living language, Vi) by issuing publications, (5) by undertak ie an enterprise that subserves the main ehivet of Zionism, ie, the setting of a leg ally usarhome for the Jewish people in Maurentian, and such other objections from here to time are agreed upon by the Enter Hebi Cosniyrestgeg, he lebabiae very desirable and plain Worthy (hing to do all the things Hientioned to this evituhus, but we cannot help think ing tht it reveues somewhat of bathoas we find a great world-wide movement, organised for the purpose of emancipating a ration, dwindle down into a sort of literary and de bating society. Of course, we are told that the League does not wishe‘to set up the ideal of Jewish culture as the be-all and end all of the movement’; but it virtually does so all the same ; for it is difficult to see what else there is left to do for Zionists who ad here fanatically to the so-called Basle pro gramme. ‘Their policy is a waiting policy— that is, a policy of masterly inactivity. It may be possible at some future time, by a conjuncture of circumstances, to obtain Pa lestine. Let us wait patiently for that time, and in the meantime prepare ourselves for it by various educative processes. That appears to be in a nutshell the present standpoint of orthodox Zionism. For our part we greatly prefer Mr. Zangwill's Territorial Organisa tion, or the colonising schemes of the I.C.A. Noble The manly and generous Words words of the Prime Minister of Canada, as cabled to yes terday's morning papers, will evoke heart felt gratitude among Jews all the world over. While most countries exhibit a greater and greater tendency to close their doom against our persecuted brethren, Canada voluntarily extends to them a and of friendly welcome. This noble arts will “nevter be forgotten, nor go unrewarded, on telegram, dated Shh Novemb meet ing was held on to raise funds for the repeuted Jews in Russia. Shurier, the Prime Minister, was the principal speaker. He made a powerful appeal to Canadians to subscribe liberally to the fund, and added, ‘We can not bring all the Jews here, but whoever choosea to come will be sure of a hearty wel come.’ Ruveia’s heavy crimes against our people have called forth many humane and kindly utterances of condolence and sym pathy, many eloquent tributes to the set- PRIME MEAT, KOSHER, Bennet and Woolceck
Newspaper Details
Melbourne Jewish Herald
Melbourne, Victoria, AU
Fri, Dec 01, 1905
Page 15
Full Page
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USA 30 Jul 2025
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