Aksakow, who cried, "Homeward! Backward!" The voice of Jacob was a voice of fire, the production of centuries of affliction in the furnace of painful tyranny.
But as Palestine, the birthplace of Israel, had been taken away long ago from its legitimate owners, how can it be restored to them? It must be purchased from its ruler, the Sultan. But whence 'is the money to come forward, if Israel has nothing in his bundle except his sacred Law? How and in what manner is this transaction to be accomplished?
In the manner in which the Greeks regained possession of their historic land—the Ellada and its islands.
As a reward to Ellada of antiquity for her presenting the world with her philosophy, art and wonderful science; as an appreciation of gratitude for the great sons she has given to mankind in the persons of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Æschylus, Sophocles and other men of genius who have enriched mankind and who have presented humanity with marble gods and goddesses, such as Minerva, Apollo and the ox Forneszky; in recognition of all these the Powers of the world agreed to have Ellada restored to her descendants. True that not all the Great Powers had the canceling of that ancient debt at heart. Some may have been prompted to do this by the well-known rule, “Guard me and I will guard thee; give me and I will give you.” Be the motive of whatever nature, the fact remains that under the plea of gratitude Ellada was restored to the Greeks.
True that the people of Israel can lay no such claim upon the civilized or even upon the uncivilized world. It has given to the world neitler Minerva nor marble Apollos and oxen, but simply the Law of the living God, which forms the basis of our Christian religion; while to the uncivilized people Israel has likewise given a different faith— Islam under Mohammed.
How rich is the bequest we received from the people of Israel! And we, the heirs of this benevolent Prince, what are we doing? We are persecuting him. We assign for him a place in prison—in the “Jewish Pale,” from which outside the Pale limits he is driven as if he were a victim of leprosy. . . .
The moral duty that weighs heavily upon the two worlds—the Christian, which clusters around the banner of civilization, and the
Moslem world, whose “half-moon” eclipses the revolving star of progress—is to return to the people of Israel their ancestral land! their historic country, the land of Israel and the cities of Judea!
I firmly believe that this day will come, and should it approach slowly I shall still wait for it. For humanity at large is indebted to Israel, and the eyes of mankind will be opened.
The Bulgarian Zionists have introduced a new Jewish National Festival, called Yom Ha-Shekel. The new shekel day was observed with the same general adhesion as is given to ordinary festivals. The whole political press of Bulgaria took notice of it, and the Minister for Home Affairs expressed himself very sympathetically toward it. A procession of five Zionist organizations was held in Sofia, and 2,000 men singing Hatikva followed the blue and white flag through the boulevards crowded with spectators. The day was observed in Philippopolis, Samakov, Nikopol, Stara-Zagora, Dubnicza, and everywhere it was participated in by the Jewish rabbis, and local Government officials, and collections were made for the Jewish National Fund, as well as for the Shekel Fund. The scheme owed its success to Herr Carl Herbst, the chief organizer of the Bulgarian Zionists.
We learn that the National Fund is making such progress in Russia that the stamps with the talons (stubs) attached are being used as current coin.
The English Zionists have helped to found a temporary home for Jews coming from the provinces to London. The opening of this institution was recently performed by Sir Francis Montefiore. . . . A Zionist hall was opened on the 7th ult. in Manchester by Mr. Jacob Moser, of Bradford. Rabbi Dr. Rulf, of Bonn, took part in the proceedings.
DEATH
SAMITCA—On Saturday, August 9, 1902,Ab 6, 5662, after a long illness, Mrs. ClaraM. Samitca (née Goldener), aged 32, ofJ'assy, Roumania, in New York. A good andtrue Zionist, deeply regretted by her sorrowing husband and relatives.