Forecasting Turkey’s Future
A "student of Turkish affairs," writing in the New York Times of Sunday, January 24th, on the probable division of influences in Turkey after the war, gives place to the Jewish interest. It is this writer's opinion that:
"In the readjustment of Turkish territories, the Jew has a legitimate right to recognition. The creation of an independent Judea is not only a recognition of a just Jewish national right, but it should also serve to solve some of the Jewish problems in other lands. Jerusalem and its environs should be converted into a neutral country under a joint international commission."
Jewish Suffering in Warsaw
The reports that come from Poland in the form of letters to relatives in America all speak of the terrible sufferings endured by the Jews of Warsaw. To Warsaw come the refugees from the smaller towns nearby, and they crowd the parks and the streets, presenting a pitiable appearance. The coming of an army, either Russian or German, means the scattering of the communities. They leave their homes without money, wihout clothing, but with one idea in mind: to get away from the conflict. One large public kitchen provides food for thousands. There are seven thousand Jews sleeping in the park on benches. Some of the refugees tell of having been without food for several days.
Zionism and the Anglo-Jewish Association
At the annual meeting of the Anglo-Jewish Association, this body, which has hitherto evinced little interest in Zionism, declared a willingness to reconsider its attitude. One member of the executive committee went to the length of saying that they would call in others beside members of their organization to assist them in dealing with the present Jewish situation. Claude G. Montefiore, the President of the Association, emphasized the fact that the ultimate aim of Zionists as of the members of this Association, was the happiness of Jews, which he took to mean, “the full and best development of manhood and womanhood, the free exercise of all citizen rights and opportunities, the fulfillment of all citizen duties,” as well as, “the free maintenance, and the full and best development of Judaism, of the Jewish religion.” He said that “we are all agreed that vigilance is necessary, but in addition to vigilance, I think we need a certain open-eyedness, a certain listening to the views and representations of those who differ from us in opinion.” If the Zionist and Nationalist proposals were likely to be of greatest service at this juncture it behooved the Association to let some of its “old and cherished views and ideals go to the wall.”
Dr. Gaster urged the Association to view the present position of Jewry from a national point of view. "To his mind it was a serious mistake for the Association not to return to its primitive and original character, to be not only dolers out of grants to schools, a work of great utility, but also political representatives of the aims and aspirations of Jewry."
The Menorah Journal
The first issue of the Menorah Journal appeared last month with a number of contributions of value. The Journal is published by the Intercollegiate Menorah Association, and is edited by Henry Hurwitz, who has associated with him Dr. I. Lee Scharfman, H. Askowith, and an imposing list of consulting editors. The leading article of the issue is written by Louis D. Brandeis and entitled "A Call to the Educated Jew." Other contributors are Dr. Max L. Margolis, Samuel Strauss, Harry Wolfson, Dr. Joseph Jacobs,
Henry Hurwitz, and William Ellery Leonard, who offers a poem dedicated to the Menorah Association. In addition there are a number of greetings, and three addresses by President Arthur T. Hadley of Yale University, Chancellor Elmer E. Brown of New York University and President Charles B. Dabney of the University of Cincinnati. The publication is a creditable one, and should serve the purpose of arousing interest in things Jewish among American Jewish students.
Provisional Committee's Remittance Received in Palestine
Dr. Arthur Ruppin, of the Palestine Bureau, stationed in Jaffa, reports by letter dated January 8th that he had received at that time from America for general relief, for Zionist institutions, for individuals and general institutions, in several instalments $65,000, and that he was informed that Ambassador Morgenthau had in hand $26,144, which he was sending to Jaffa. Dr. Ruppin writes: "It is needless to tell you of the importance of these various remittances to us in these days. If we succeed in keeping up through these times, we shall have to thank the American contributors for it."
The Provisional Zionist Committee has just received a letter from Ambassador Morgenthau, dated December 24th, informing the Committee that remittance of $35,000.00 made by the Provisional Committee on November 27th, has been received and has been forwarded to Dr. Ruppin, through the Consulate at Jerusalem. The money was taken down from Constantinople by the ship Tennessee. Mr. Morgenthau also acknowledge receipt of the letters, list and speeifieations, for distribution that followed the remittance, and that these have also been forwarded to Dr. Ruppin.
ANTI-ZIONIST SUPPOSITIONS
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Judaism. The keen and determined antagonism of the Reform rabbinate, making common cause with the worlds of millionairedom and assimilationism, could not but call forth a bitter response to the perverted statesmanship of the petrified religious doetrinaire. In the course of time it became plain that the fellowship so virtuously repudiated by the men who were declaiming about our religious world- mission, was not deemed utterly hopeless by the pious Misrachi who will not yield a little of all his medieval heritage. “Even though he may have sinned, he still remains a Jew,” that hopeful, charitable principle of rabbinical Judaism is broad enough to take in Jewish socialist, atheist, ethieulturist, Bible brother, Christian Seientist. The Zionist does not despair of the Jewish future of those whom an unnatural environment has caused to bend aside into devious by-paths. Judaism has less to hope from the offspring of the devout worshipper whose family associates exclusively with non-Jews, than from the children of the Jewish unbeliever who, in his social intercourse. lovally elines to his people.
We cannot, in physical and spiritual dispersion, expect to escape the evil contagions that follow in the wake of sensuous luxury and demoralizing surfeit. Nor may we condemn, as irredeemable, the misgrowths on the parent stem that have been twisted out of shane bv dint of purelv external factors.
To be a Zionist is neither to follow the gospel of timidity or despair, nor to play politics, betray one's fatherland or flout one's Judaism; it means to give substance to an immemorial hope, to have the courage of one's inborn Jewish manhood, to revitalize the body of Jewish nationality for the reinvigoration and the self-fulfillment of the Jewish spirit.