The Maccabaean

In a conversation a distinguished Jew was referred to as an assimilationist. "In the former generation," observed a well-known Jewish writer, "when you wanted to insult a man you call a meshumed (an apostate); now when you wish to denounce anyone you call him an assimilationist."

"Well," said another participant in the conversation, "that shows that we are making some progress."

In truth, the new attitude toward the assimilationist marks a significant stage in the progress of the Jewish sense of pride. Having freed ourselves from the shackles of the slavery of the exile our self-respect has risen, our sense of has become keener than ever, and even at the risk of being regarded as intolerant we are prompted to couple the assimilationist with the traitor. For whether it was anticipated or not, the philosophy of assimilation led to desertion and to treason; and the theory has been preached long enough to observe its effects, so that the preachers can no longer plead ignorance of the results.

It may have been necessary and well, for practical purposes, to employ certain methods of adaptation to different environments and new times; but to have developed a theory of self-effacement, a philosophy of Jewish national non-existence—that was not only the height of folly, but the greatest wrong which has ever been done to the Jewish people by others than the anti-Semites.

And it is not altogether a question as to whether we are or not a nation; it is to a large degree a question of dignity. A dignified, self-respecting people does not analyze and argue and engage in polemics to prove what it is not, to reduce its own importance. A dignified, self-respecting people concerns itself rather with and emphasizes what it is. Nothing but dishonor and weakness could follow in the trail of the assimilationist propaganda of self-effacement. And though they are incapable of looking into the future these propagandists seem

already to be somehow aware that their names will not be linked with highest rolls of honor in Israel.

Leaving, however, the future aside, the present is already causing them anxiety. Fewer and fewer of the mission-Jews dare to designate themselves as assimilators. The words assimilation, assimilationist, assimilationist are gradually dropping out of the current phraseology of American Jewry. The self-reducing business is nearing its end. It is so cheap and trite. "Who is worthy of respect?" asks the Talmud, and it answers, "He who respects himself."

Compare with this the statement of a Jew, who without being asked by anybody about it, produces sworn testimony to the effect that the Jews are neither a race nor a nation, nor a people, nor a community, not a historic group band of religious Gypsies. The thing is too cheap. It is bound to stop. There are too many self-respecting Jews around now for this form of Jew-comedian to go on with his show. If I mistake not, the last testimony has already been given before any governmental body as to the non-existence of a Jewish race. We have not only the old race, but the new pride of race which is making a new Jewry, a Jewry in which there is no room for a philosophy of self-destruction. The comedy of assimilation has been played.

There was another conversation at which I received evidence of the new attitude toward the Jewish detractor of the Jew. It was at a gathering of Jewish radicals, and several of them were talking at once and vehemently berating the Jew's ability to organize, to govern himself, to build up his own country. Then a Jewish nationalist spoke up, and with such fever that a hush fell upon his audience. "The time will come," he said, "when a Jew who is heard speaking in this manner about his own people will be struck down without any ceremony."

I was at first surprised that my friend, who was so resourceful in presenting the