A Historical Necessity
ZIONISM is a historical necessity. It is thedefesne of a people that will not die andyet cannot live. To brand Zionism as adelusion, or at least stamp it as Utopian andthen decry it, is to disown and ignore entirelythe history of the Jews and the martyrs ofancient times and of the present . . . . Muchmore Utopian, however, seem to be the hopes ofour brethren who do not favor Zionism; who, intheir.naive simplicity rest secure in the thoughtthat self-culture will dissipate national and religious prejudice. Can there be any greatermisconception of life and can one think of greatercowardice than that men from fulness or lust oflife should commit moral suicide? And thatcowardice we find not among the Jewish masses,the common people, but on the contrary, among
Tree-Life
THERE were two trees standing vis-a-vis . in an open field. Spring came and new life, rain, flowers and song, and the bent trees, until now in mourning, raised their heads. The world became warmer, the scented breezes blew with more cheer, and the sun's rays cast warmth about without stint. A heavy green coat covered the boughs of the trees, and soon on all sides grass and leaves and.blossoms filled the landscape. It was as if a new world of living things had been created.
And the happy trees, in the center of the glory, felt drawn closer to each other. Their branches touched and mingled, their leaves embraced and kissed. When the wind that brought the violet perfume murmured softly among their leaves, a feeling of exquisite joy thrilled them. Their roots were interlaced and from the union there sprouted a green crown which seemed to be the fruit of their love. They were happy. The blue sky was their bridal canopy, the birds were the choristers that sang the marriage hymn and soothed their sweet slumber. They dreamed of eternal happiness in each other's arms.
II.
But now a colder breeze blows. The flowers have fallen to the ground and the leaves huddle together in fright. The wind mutters coldly and
the prosperous and intellectual circles of the Jewish world. In that fact is found the shame of our people! . . . . Judaism has emerged from physical slavery, but has fallen into spiritual slavery . . . . We have lived to behold the comic-tragic drama in which our cosmopolitan brethren seem to be eager to serve the world, are willing to labor for "the spiritual and economic improvement of the Russian Katz-apes," or the Polish peasants, or even for the Congo negroes should none other come to the rescue. But they find it impossible to do anything for the millions of starving race brethren. . . . . It is necessary that we recover our dignity as men, and that is possible only if we strive to be and actually become Jews.
[From "Ost und West."]
the foreboding birds cry farewell and fly away. Without the sunlight and its warmth, it is impossible to sing, and songless they cannot live. Only the sick birds remain, whom the snow will soon cover.
A gray cloud spreads over the sky and the naked leaves begin to flutter to the ground. The trees are aroused from their slumber. They regretfully disengage their dismantling arms; their sweet dream is at an end. Their branches shorten. Then the first snow falls. The trees now stand apart; they have drawn themselves up haughtily so that each stands erect, straight from its own roots. They seem to have for- gotton the dream and stand as if they were strangers, cold and even unfriendly. Angry glances are exchanged, for among the rootlets underneath a fierce struggle ensues for the few remaining drops of life-giving moisture.
"Will summer ever come again?"
"I shall certainly never see it," gasped a forlorn swallow floundering in the snow.
"Caw, caw, caw!" the thievish black crow cries vindictively, "there shall be no more summers!" And he circles about in the air before he descends to the earth.
Then the shrill, cold wind whistles : "Wheu-eu-ee! Summer is over! Summer is over!"
LOUIS LIPSKY.
[From the Yiddish]