The Maccabaean

And often in my sweetest dream,When shades of evening fall,I see a far, a beauteous land,With oaks and cedars tall.

That land is dear to him mainly in connection with its past associations. He even does not seem to realize that his dream is already being accomplished by the return of the best of our sons to that beauteous land.

Frug loved the Bible. His Bible poems belong to the best that can be found in the world's literature. Our kings, heroes and prophets are still alive to him. Sometimes, when he awakens to the realities of life, to the dark and dismal Jewish present, he seeks to drown his grief in the glories of our past. And then, suddenly, the mighty, grey figure of Moses, "our teacher," arises before his eyes. On his grave countenance an expression of sadness, of deep gloom, and with a prayer on his lips he turns to God, bemoaning the fate of his exiled children.

From Pisgah's height I see arising,The grey old Prophet, tall and strong,And in his voice I hear a sobbing,"How long, O Mighty God, how long?"

The poet's soul was always soaring over the cedar-robed mountains of Judaea. Like every Jewish genius of all ages, he lived spiritually in the ancient home of our fathers. It is only when he awakens from his enchanted vision and beholds around him not the free and strong Judaean, but the bent and footsore Ghetto Jew, that the painful contrast turns his sonnet into an elegy, and instead of singing, he weeps. But Frug really only weeps—never protests. Occasionally he argues, and asks questions.

The silver moon shines, and the diamond stars twinkle, The night soars o'er land and o'er main; The Book of Creation before me is open I read it again and again.

I read and repeat the old, marvelous stories A voice calls in answer to me: "Thy People shall be as the stars of the heaven, As sand on the shore of the sea!"

And then the poet asks how it is that only half of God's promise has been realized. The people have become as sand—humble, down-trodden, and scattered. But what about the lofty, the beauteous, the shining, heavenly stars?

None of our Jewish poets ever found so much inspiration from the living spring of our ancient legends than Frug. His Talmudic and Midrashic legends, his “Rabhi Amnon,” his “Beadle’s Daughter,” his “Golden Key,” the “Legend-of the Cup,” and others are, and will ever remain, the finest gems of our literature.

Ancient pages of the Talmud—Sagas, tales and legends old,In my night all dark and dismal,You are stars of gold!

Frug is pre-eminently the poet of the past, but the lucidity of his soul, the truth of his inspiration, the beauty of his words, the sweetness of his melody, and the fine romantic veil, which is drawn over everything he has written, coupled with his deep, true, nationalistic spirit, will assign to him a place of its own in Jewish literature.

Frug wrote chiefly in Russian, and partly in Yiddish. The famous Russian critic, Skabichewsky, devoted to him a chapter of his book, "The History of the Newest Russian Literature." Frug is said to be the finest stylist in the Russian language next to Pushkin. If so, the Russian people will be able to claim his style only ours. "Holy" Russia was not so magnanimous as to allow one of its greatest poets to reside within the precincts of its capital to the world music and poetry. The Jewish people will find a place for the exiled poet together with the best and sweetest singers in Israel Jewish heart.

Rarely, if ever, in the history of our people have we had more cause to try and win the good opinion of the nations of the world than we have to-day. Our future for many years to come may be directly and gravely affected by any decision arrived at with respect to the Jews at the close of this war. It is a matter of extreme importance, therefore, for us to know what is the attitude of the different countries towards Jewish problems and to collect as far as may be possible the views of the different groups in each of them. The following news item is therefore a matter of extreme importance to us.

The Trade Union Congress of Great Britain representing a membership of four million persons which met at Birmingham from the 4th to the 9th of September

passed unanimously and without discussion the following resolution: “That this Congress expresses its emphatic condemnation of the continued oppression and discrimination of the Jewish people and regrets that in some countries the Jewish people are still deprived of elementary, political and civil rights. This Congress, therefore, requests the British Government to urge upon our Allies and the Governments of neutral nations to cease all such discriminations wherever they exist and now practiced against the Jewish people. And, further, requests that the British representatives shall endeavor to include in the Peace Treaty, whenever the terms and peace conditions for the conclusion of the present war wilt be discussed, a guarantee for Political and Civil rights to the Jews and other nationalities who are subjected to such disabilities.”

The resolution was submitted by the United Garment Workers' Trade Union on behalf of the Jewish Branches. It was moved by Mr. M. Sclare, the Leeds Jewish Labor leader and seconded by Mr. James McDonald (London).

Organized Labor is a great force in England and its public declaration in favor of "the guarantee for Political and Civil rights to the Jews" will help to strengthen the hands of those Jews and non-Jews who are working for a lasting improvement in the status of Jewry.

Would it not be a gain, sir, to our Cause if Organized Labor in this country made a similar declaration? Is not this an activity which the Poale Zionists can best carry through?

I am, sir, faithfully yours,

JOSEPH L. COHEN.