The Maccabaean

During many centuries, however, Judaism has been deprived of such a law-making and law-interpreting body, and, as an inevitable result, there has been a stagnation of certain Jewish rules of life-conduct, against which both Reform Judaism and modern Conservative Judaism is a protest. Unless a Jewish law-making and law-interpreting institution is re-established, we shall be forced, in order to escape from the bounds of a stagnant religion, to accept a milk and water Judaic creed which restricts its activity within the narrow spheres of Sabbath sermons and Sunday speeches, bolstered up by an arrogant theory of a Jewish mission—a mission which serves to relieve the responsibilities of many Jews of our day, since the Bible of our ancestors has so effectively conveyed, to all races, the lofty message of Monotheism.

Zionism accepts the principle that no Jew is justified in abrogating Jewish Law to suit his individual convenience, and that Judaism must be modified and interpreted by the Kehillah (the Community) of Israel, through a recognized institution, similar to the ancient law-making and law-interpreting body known as the Sanhedrin. Some of the best thinkers among Reform Jews are Zionists, largely because they recognize the importance of the creation of a Hebrew Common-

wealth, for harmonizing Jewish Law and regulating Jewish life-conduct.

Unfortunately, some Jewish ministers have confounded themselves by a high sounding, but meaningless phrase, “Berlin is our Jerusalem,” or “Washington is our Zion.” Politically, of course, Washington is the capital of all Jews, who owe allegiance to the stars and stripes, even as Catholics, Presbyterians, Christian-Scientists, etc. In short, a Jewish nationality in the land of Israel—the establishment of a Jewish people on the soil of the Holy Land—is an essential part of Judaism. It is proclaimed by the prophets, accepted by the Rabbis throughout the Ages, and has become a fundamental law in Jewish life.

The Jews of America, as of all other countries outside of the Land of Israel, cannot, of course, in any true sense of the term, be regarded as a part of this Jewish-Palestinian and Hebrew speaking nation (and the failure to recognize this fact is a fundamental fallacy of those who delude themselves with the ghosts of “hyphenism,” double nationality,” and “under two flags.”) But all the Jews throughout the world will be bound to Hebrew speaking Israel in Zion by the potent factors of religion and a common race history. Palestine may never hold within its boundaries more than a few million Jews—perhaps only a small minority of the Jewish people; but that minority will speak the Hebrew tongue, will live in a Jewish environment, and will be engaged in the holy task of rebuilding the Motherland of Judaism, from whence “shall go forth the Law.”

EIS N a railway carriage on a wearisome > 7 An mid-winter journey, we had for travel- Yo ) ling companions a pleasant French- Ne; Bel speaking foreigner. He knew no Eng- Nes-7 pa lish, and the small service of interpret- DZ SR ing for him soon set a conversation ERS going. We talked of the course of the war, but though he spoke at first of the French as “we” and “us,” he obviously was no native Frenchman. A patriotic citizen he certainly was, with rather pronouncedly Radical views, some hopes, but no illusions, and an ardent horror of war itself. When our talk turned to the Eastern front, his nationality seemed to grow confused. He pronounced Russian names with an almost contemptuous ease. He showed a noticeable familiarity with the geography of the Pale, and his comments on the politics of the war, which had been conventionally French when we spoke of the West, were now unexpected, original, and by no means correct. Ona tolerant view they might have been called impartial, but there was a fierce glint in the eyes and a twitching of the mouth which suggested an effort of restraint. This French citizen appeared to contemplate the interlaced fortunes of the Allies with a strangely divided allegiance. With a mention of Turkey, his talk became more personal and reminiscent, and he pronounced place names with the unmistakable Arab gutturals. We had begun to guess that he might be a Svyrian, brought un in one of those admirahle

French schools of the Levant, when at length the revelation came.

He was by birth and race a Russian Jew. His family had emigrated to Palestine after the “pogroms” of the “eighties, and he had been educated as an agricultural expert in the Zionist schools and plantations of Palestine. His constraint disappeared as he opened out this theme. He grew confident and genial. He was no longer the correct French citizen or the embittered eritic of Russia, but an enthusiast, proud of his home, his race, and the work to which he hoped one day to return. From Crewe to Preston he poured out praises of the wonderful climate, with accurate and ever expert rhapsodies on the fertility of the soil; he grew eloquent as he described the enthusiasm of the young people of his generation for the Hebrew language, which their zeal has restored as the common language of daily life, the familiar language of games and courtships, no less than the sacred tongue of the synagogue and the school. The thought struck us, as we parted from an interesting travelling-companion, that in all the countries of a distracted continent, millions of the younger generation of Jews must have been talking at that moment with a similarly divided allegiance—all of them loyal to the land, be it Britain, France, or Germany, which has shown them tolerance, all of them mingling a love of that Russian Pale, the home of the great mass of their race. with another feelin» to its