The Maccabaean

L: To the Editor of The Maccabean. Dear Sir: I have just received my copy of the January number of The Maccabaean and feel called upon to express my sense of surprise and disgust, when on opening the wrapper in which it came, I saw the ugly cartoon on the cover. What, pray, did the management of the paper hope to gain by_ so repulsive a caricature of the opponents of Zionism? Does it expect that they shall recognize the portrait in the hideous types delineated and perceiving its ugliness, straightway amend their ways and join the Zionist ranks? Or does it wish deliberately to offend them by insinuating that they are such vile creatures as they are there pictured? I am sure that both the editor and the artist are ready to concede that, among the opponents of Zionism, even among those who are disposed to say “How unjewish.” There are many estimable gentlemen who have been rendering conscious service to Judaism such as they conceive it, and that the intention of the cartoon was to lampoon only the hypocritical element whose hostility to the movement proceeds from interested motives. But cartoons are symbols that may be seriously interpreted, and are always open to misconstruction. Zionism.is a movement that can stand on its own merit and need not seek to glorify itself by ridiculing the opposition. Such a cartoon must necessarily reject a note of partisan passion into the discussion of Jewish problems which is against the interest of that clear thinking and cool reasoning that leads inevitably to Zionist conclusion.

ba ce Te at FT - el u 2 a ES ae A ed A rl re PP > The cartoon was the more objectionable because it appeared on the cover of the magazine. If such a caricature of Jewish types had appeared on the cover of a Christian paper, The Maccabaean would probably have voiced the deepest resentment and would surely not have been satisfied by the usual explanation that not all Jews were meant. I fear that even if The Maccabean were now to apologize, as it should, to the opponents of Zionism, for its outrageous carricatures of them, it would scarcely satisfy them by explaining to them that not all were meant. I feel, however, that such an apology is due them, and not so much for their sake as for the sake of self-respecting Zionists, who feel that this cause is misrepresented, and their sentiments to their opponents put in a false light by such methods of Zionist provaranda.

With Zion's greetings, EUGENE KOHN.

II. To the Editor of The Maccabaean: May I voice my protest against the cover of the January number of the Maccabaean? There is no objection in having an illustrated cover; but I do protest against an illustrated cover that has the glaring fault of being vulgar and that has not even the excuse of being artistic. Jewish types were figured on this Jewish magazine cover that have been forgotten even by the anti-Jewish caricaturists. We expose ourselves to justifiable attack, and we inject unnecessary class prejudice and social bitterness into what should be an academic discussion by giving way to such undignified polemics. My objection is not to the idea of the picture but to its execution. Such a design has a prejudicial effect on the type of Jew who is still standing outside of the congress dispute awaiting the time when his neutrality will give way to a positive conviction. There is a very large number of such Jews in this Citv who are willing to be enlightened. Such a prejudice

breeding picture does not help to win them over to our side of the discussion.

Do you think that if such a picture, under a different caption were to appear in Life or one of the other humorous magazines, or in a moving picture film, the Kehillah or the I. O. B. B. or any other body that busies itself with anti-defamation work would not immediately file a protest against the vulgar caricature of the Jew?

With Zion's greetings,

Sincerely yours, DR. D. DE SOLA POOL.

III.

A conversation with one of the officers of the Federation of American Zionists, who avowediy shared responsibility for the publication of the highly objectionable and, to my mind, vicious cartoon on the cover of the January issue of the Maccabaean, has confirmed me in what I had suspected when I first protested against the cover, namely, that the cartoon was simply another expression of what I consider to be a policy, that is doing great and irreparable harm to the Zionist movement. In this I know that I am not expressing the views of one individual whom you may consider a “dreamer” and an “impractical idealist,” but of the majority of those Zionists who, like myself, agree with you in the main issues involved in the Congress agitation. We see methods being used that are not worthy of the dignity of our cause, and that put us on an exact level with our opponents. In other words, we object to mud-slinging. What is more, we believe that where the opponents of 'Jews arc Jews, arbitration and not battle must be the means of adjustment, that our patience must be infinite, and that there is not strength but spiteful weakness in the kind of recrim- ination that has been practiced. “Politics” has hampered statesmanship. Personal animosities and local and temporary issues have been allowed to supersede the larger inter- csts of our movement.

We must never admit that our opponents are speaking "in the name of classes," for they cannot. Our adherents come from all classes. And I fail to see how your inapt cartoon is going to "invalidate the authority of the leaders who oppose us."

Bd A cl I agree that exactly the same methods are used by all others. In the same way I would agree that “in all warfare there must be atrocities.” But I cannot agree that it is necessary for us to imitate the worst part of all political fights, especially when there is very much in the way of organization and efficiency that we have not begun to imitate; there is, or ought to be, such a thing, as a Jewish standard, and if we are not different we are not worth preserving. But we are different—as evidenced by the general revolt at your car- taon.

LUNWViks Many of us have for a long time been deeply and bitterly troubled over our own inner weakness. We realize the unpreparedness of Zionism to meet the present situation. We hesitate to criticize, because only he that can remedy should criticize, and we would rather do than speak. But we know that our own house is not in order, and that sooner or later it shall have to be set in order, with our help. But when we see mud being thrown from the windows, we can no longer keep silent.

In this I am not expressing my personal opinion alone, but I know that I speak for the majority of those whom you represent.