The Maccabaean

SINCE the inception of Zionism, it hasbeen subject to repeated attacks from bothJews and Gentiles; but the most persistentand bitter have been from Jewish critics,who had exhausted their acknowledgedskill and cleverness in their efforts to discover objections to the movement and itsaims in order to justify to themselves thehostility that they manifest. It wouldcarry me too far away from the immediatepurpose of this paper to enumerate thevarious reasons for their antagonism, butI believe I do no injustice to them when Iassert that their reasons may be reducedto two fundamental ones, neither of whichis creditable to those it sways.

The first is the fear that an advocacy of Zionism will injure their social standing by identifying their interests with those of the more recent Jewish immigrants—a condition at all hazards to be avoided, lest anti-Semitism should be aroused from her slumbers, never too profound.

The second reason is due to the feeling that they must clear themselves from the reproach of indifference to Jewish affairs by bringing forward objections to a movement so distinctly Jewish in every phase of its activity. Certainly, if by these means they can find their attitude comfortable or even bearable to their minds and conscience, we shall not quarrel with them—casuistry has its claims, and its poor triumphs need not excite our envy. When the enemies of Zion go further, however, and malign its purposes and impugn the motives of its adherents, it is time to protest, and to rebuke its assailants.

We have been told repeatedly that we are reading the pages of history backward, that we are dreamers cherishing impossible hopes, and destined to wake to a bitter

realization of the futility of' our efforts. Our answer is the work already achieved, the growing favor of Zionism and the widespread interest it has aroused among all intellectual people, but for the most part we are content to remain silent, realizing that time and success will give the best answers to our foes. We have been told that Zionism will fan to flames the embers of anti-Semitism, and, far from helping the Jews, will prove an irreparable injury to them. We believe that those of our people who make these charges thave misread the spirit of the times and are profoundly ignorant of the world's attitude to a people who show a love of frdedam and a temper worthy of it. While Zionism has perhaps in some quarters excited an increased hatred of the Jew, it has more generally and among a better class of people aroused admiration and sympathy.

Under such circumstances it is distinctly disappointing to see what obstacles Jews themselves throw in the path of those who are striving for the best interests of their race and race ideals. Material difficulties enough lie across our path to daunt a people less courageous and persistent in carrying out a course of action once determined on, without an attempt to add moral difficulties also. Last year such a difficulty was raised by a distinguished member of the Jewish community in New York who said:

"I can not for a moment concede that one can be at the same time a true American and an honest adherent of the Zionist movement." Mr. Schiff goes on to say of the Zionists, "If they believe and hope and labor for an ultimate restoration of Jewish political life and the re-establishment of a Jewish nation, they place a