The Maccabaean

It was in this city, six years ago, that I made my first address as president of the Federation of American Zionists on the occasion of the opening of the Zionist Institute. It therefore gives me special pleasure that this Convention has been called to this city and that I shall have the honor of welcoming here the delegates and visitors to the Thirteenth Annual Convention of the Federation of American Zionists.

It is not my purpose to report to you on the work that has been done during the past year or to inform you concerning the exact status of the Federation and of its constituent societies. This can only be done by a detailed report such as will be made by the Executive Committee, the secretary and the various chairmen. But it is necessary that I do report that much of the difficulty that was encountered was due to the financial straits in which the Federation has found itself for several years. And this accounts likewise for much that has been left undone. These difficulties have resulted in a considerable deficit which this Convention should completely cover. But in addition, this Convention must find ways of placing at the command of its Executive Committee means sufficient for carrying out and enlarging the activities of Zionism in America. Do not consider this a simple matter of bookkeeping and believe that greater economy will solve the problem. We also have endeavored to practice economy, but economy driven too far leads to paralysis of all effort. To my mind this is the most pressing of the important questions with which this Convention will deal.

It is well that like merchants we should from time to time take stock, as it is called, count our liabilities and our assets. I do not mean the balance sheet of the treasurer which will soon be handed to you. It is the larger account of assets and liabilities, of failure, partial and complete. And in this estimate, it is most necessary to

examine into the machinery of our organization and test its efficiency and its weakness.

Let us first consider the machinery. The Federation is built upon its societies and councils which should be its strength and support. Their number has fluctuated somewhat but it has been evident that while new societies were formed in one town, others elsewhere fell away. This has been a source of weakness to the organization and to those who looked upon the matter superficially it would appear as a weakness of the movement. The cause of this falling off is evident to anyone who has come into intimate contact with any number of societies. All societies depend upon a few members for their work and existence. So long as the workers are active the membership thrives and shows life. When, for many reasons, the workers relax —and others are unable to replace them in activity and enthusiasm—the societies become inactive and die. Or again, we find that societies that have done splendid work in study, lose their leader, and are unable to find another. The subjects of interest to most adult societies are after all few and limited; they are soon worn threadbare and the meetings lose their attractiveness. Where towns are visited by distinguished Zionists new life is thrown into the work. But it is evident that the Federation has not found the best manner of organizing the societies and has not furnished them with such variety of work, adapted to their members and their needs nor has it remained in constant and intimate touch by correspondence and by proper leaders, speakers and advisors, so as to keep these societies alive and growing. They have been left to depend too entirely upon themselves. This, we must admit, is a great weakness of the organization. But it has on the other hand been the best means of propaganda of the movement. For the thousands of members of these now dead societies have