approval and endorsement. By its direction and in my own behalf, I express thanks for this opportunity to speak for the Knights of Zion."
REMARKS OF RABBI MAYER BERLIN
Mr. de Haas introduced Rabbi Mayer Berlin as the representative of the Mizrachi. Mr. Berlin said, in part:
“Two months ago the Mizrachists held a convention; at that convention there were present 100 delegates, young and old, men and women; there were 40 delegates representing Schuls; since the convention 8 societies have been added, two being women’s societies and one society of college boys. A number of Schuls have come into the organization, notably among them being that of Rabbi Ashinsky of Pittsburg.”
te in, 5 sa BE A Fr rt BF N EU A Fe “The Mizrachi organization is one of the armies in the Zionist ranks, and goes hand in hand with all Zionist activities and in all work for the progress of the Jewish people. ‘This is an important moment in our history, and all Jews should join the movement. Prepare yourselves, my brethren, the zeulah approaches.”
REPORT OF BERNARD A. ROSENBLATT.
Mr. Bernard A. Rosenblatt, the Honorary Secretary of the Federation, spoke for the Achooza Movement and Zion Commonwealth. Mr. Rosenblatt said:
"Particularly at this time, when Zionism is becoming a popular cause, we must not fail to emphasize the fact that the future of Israel must depend largely upon the Jews of Palestine. What are we doing towards the redemption of the Jewish land? How many Jewish pioneers are we recruiting for Palestine? These are questions of paramount importance.
“The Achooza movement is the connecting link between the Zionist organization and Palestine. It makes possible the accumulation of large funds to be utilized for land purchase in Palestine, while, at the same time, it secures a reservoir of living men and women from which our motherland draws its Jewish farmers.
“A few years ago, we would have been told that it is impossible to interest American Jews in an actual physical return to Palestine, although their interest might be awakened to the extent of contributing to the Jewish National Fund and to charitable "and educational institutions in the Holy Land. Yet, we find Achoozas (all organized within the last six years) in New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburg, St. Louis, Los Angeles and in Toronto and Winnepeg, Canada, with a total membership of over five hundred and paid up capital of nearly $200,000. These societies have already purchased more than thirty thousand dunam of agricultural land, i. e., more than eight thousand acres, situated, for the most part, in southern Galilee, following the course of the Haifa-Damascus railway. These facts indicate that several hundred American Jewish families will settle in Palestine in the near future, and, what is of far more significance, that they will form the nucleus for the introduction of groups of American Jews who will develop the Land of Israel along modern lines and with modern industrial methods.
“For a long time, the organized Zionists of this country paid but slight attention to the work of the Achoozas. No blame can justly be placed on the oflicers of the Federation of American Zionists for this attitude of neglect, for, after all, the Achooza movement was purely an experiment in this country-—although the Chovevi Zion of Russia had succeeded in establishing several Jewish colonies in Palestine— and it is not the function of a large and responsible organization to spend its time, energy and resources upon experimentation. It was the individual Zionist who had to do the pioneer work of the Achooza, and praise for the progress of such work is due to those common soldiers of Zion in each Jewish community. whose names we seldom hear, who sacrificed time, energy and material success for the upbuilding of the various Achoozas. However, we cannot fail to mention Simon Goldman, formerly of St. Louis, now of the Colony of Poreah, Palestine, who organized the first Achooza in the City of St. Louis, in 1909, and S. Frankel, the Yiddish pnropagandist, who, at great personal sacrifice, was instrumental in organizing a number of Achoozas, notably in Toronto and Winnepeg, Canada, and in Pittsburg. Pa.
"During the last two years nearly all the leading Zionists have taken active interest in this "back to the Jewish land" movement. Since the last Convention, a new form of Achooza, known as the Zion Commonwealth, Inc., has been organized in the City of New York, and has succeeded in enlisting as its members several of the leading officials of the Federation of American Zionists. This Company, in the four months of its active existence, has secured fifty-two members, with two branches in New York City, and one each in Baltimore, Maryland, and Hartford, Connecticut.
“The Zion Commonwealth has united with its Palestinean interest a social program for communal control over its non-agricultural lands which has awakened the interest both of Zionist and non-Zionist. It has translated, into modern economic and social theory, the great moral principle of the Jubilee Year, for it limits and modifies the control of individual land ownership in the interest of the ‚whole community. Ö)ne feature of this social program is the principle that while agricultural and farming lands may be held in private ownership, industrial lands belong to the whole community, to be leased to individuals, from time to time, but never to be alienated.
“We must so prepare ourselves, that, at the termination of the war, no matter who may be the political masters of Palestine, we shall be ready to assume and secure the economic and social control over the Chosen Land of the Prophets. Let us, in our generation, become the economic and social power in Palestine, and we may look forward without fear to whatever the future may have in store for the house of Israel.
REPORT OF MR. SCHNEEBERG.
Mr. David Schneeberg was called upon next by Mr. de Haas to render a report for Young Judaea. Mr. Schneeberg made the following report:
“The work of Young Judaea during the last year looms so large by comparison with former years that it may well be said to be its first year of real existence. For the first time it has had a regular organized ofhice with a paid staff in charge. It has been able to keep in close touch with its affliated circles. It has been able to supply them with the necessary help in the carrying out of their literary work by means of a course of study, suggestive programs, publications, information. ete.
“Generally, the plans made at the last convention for enlarged activities in this field have been carried out and the progress made is satisfactory. In New York City, the councils in the various localities were reorganized, new centers were formed, and there are now enrolled: under Young Judaea’s banner in New York 60 affiliated clubs and over 65 clubs that cooperate with Young Judaea and receive its assistance and suggestions although not technically allied with it. Organization of new clubs out-of-town has been facilitated by our ability to send our Executive Secretary on organization tours. The following figures speak eloquently of the work done in this connection. In the city of Baltimore, Md., 12 clubs have been organized and are afhiliated with the local organization. In Philadelphia, 15 circles exist. Circles have also been organized in many new centers, so far as Young Judaea is concerned, at Denver, Col., New London, Conn., Washington, D.C., at Savannah, Ga., Louisville, Ky., Salem, Mass., St. Louis, Mo., Long Branch and Plainfield, N. J., Glen Cove, Far Rockaway, Monticello, Rochester, Utica, N. Y., Cleveland and Columbus, O., Johnstown, Old Forge, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Providence and Westerley, R. I., Memphis, Nashville, Tenn., and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
From September 1st, 1914 to June 30th, 1915, 107 clubs regularly affiliated themselves with Young Judaea. Many Young Judaea centers exist in places where no other Zionist activities of any kind is carried out. The Young Judaea club is becoming as popular among the Jewish youth as the Boys' Scouts Movement has come to be among the masses of boys in this country.
The Zionist Training School whose object is to train Zionist club leaders and workers, was established by Young