The Maccabaean

Before presenting an account of the colonies, an historical resumé of modern colonization in Palestine is imperative, for it is difficult to appreciate the achievements of these pioneer colonists without taking into consideration the conditions that were responsible for the transformation of a mass of city dwellers into land tillers and planters.

The history of modern Jewish colonization of Palestine may be traced back to the early part of the nineteenth century, when the master-minds Blumenbach, Prich- ard, Cuvier, Pickering were active in the creation of the science of antropology. The political atmosphere of Europe became impregnated with the doctrine of a racial independence, and the family tree was dissected into branches and sub- branches. Cosmopolitanism, which was heretofore preached from most of the tribunals of Europe, and was considered the favorite topic of the progressive element, has given way to the principle of "Chauvinism." Many of the Balkan States declared themselves independent, for racial reasons. Italy became united on eth- nologic grounds, and the unification of Germany was accomplished on ancient Ger- manic lines. The results of such doctrine placed the Jew in a most pathetic and singular position. As a good citizen, he participated in the fight for racial independence, and as a progressive, he was a defender of the science of anthropology, but when the struggle was over he was declared to be of a different race and nationality. Germany is for the Germanic Race! was the universal cry of the Fatherland. The Jew being of Semitic origin, naturally can have no claim on German soil. Anti-Semitism, therefore, was the logical outcome of the new teaching. Of course, the anti-race feeling could only assume a social character, for the constitution of Germany guaranteed the Jew his political and civil

emancipation. The cultured Jew found himself between the anvil and the hammer, he could not consistently deny his Semitic origin, and would not accept the conclusion of the anti-Semites, to relinquish his claim on his native country, for which he and his ancestors for many generations had fought. To maintain that Judaism is merely a religious confession, as was taught by the Mendelsonian School, was contrary to the prevailing thought of the day, which was "That the mere birth in a certain land does not change the racial pedigree."

When the western European Jew found himself shut out of society, two ways were open for him: assimilation, which at its best, is not more than a gradual national suicide, or nationalism, of a strictly Jewish character, with Palestine as the objective center.

As must be expected under such conditions, a large number of the cultured element of western European Jewry sacrificed their nationality and incidentally their religion for social equality. Western Judaism was in the most critical condition. But, “Behold!” said the psalmist, “he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Great leaders of Jewish thought arose to combat the drift of assimilation, and to oppose the idea of “Judaism for convenience only.” They proclaimed the idea that Judaism, if it is to be perpetuated, must assume a national character, with Palestine as its prospective center. Among the cultured men that have accepted the later solution of the vexing problem were Morritz Steinschneider, Moses Hess, Heinrich Graetz, Salvadore, S. D. Luzatto, and many others (see article Mikvei Yisrael Mac. Jan. num.).

While the Western European Jews were thus theorizing over the question of the colonization of Palestine, the Jew of Eastern Europe, who was denied all privileges