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No. 32. — Vienna, 9 August 1901. — Fifth Year

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An American Reform Rabbi upon Zionism.

By Moriz Zobel.

Signs and wonders come to pass. Let one but picture to oneself a conference of avowedly „reformed“ rabbis, gathered together to take counsel upon the „timely abridgment“ — that is to say, the watering-down and denationalising — of the Jewish prayers, upon the driving of the Hebrew tongue out of the liturgy, upon the holding of Sabbath services on Sunday: in short, upon the best and fairest manner of embalming Judaism. And in this assembly the chairman rises and delivers an unspeakably Zionist address, one so surprisingly good and Jewish, and striking the mark so squarely, that the perplexed brethren of his office are too petrified even to shake their heads. Let one call up this singular scene and confess to oneself that the Zionist idea works true wonders.

For the highly interesting proceeding here described did in fact take place, and the scene of it was that very Central Conference of American Reform Rabbis in which, only a few years ago, the watchword of protest was given out: America is our Zion, Washington our Jerusalem. To-day, however, most of the participants in the conference profess, as the „Jewish Chronicle“ is able to report, a „colonial Zionism“ — that is to say, presumably, the necessity of creating Jewish settlements in the real, the Palestinian Zion. What a swift turn about!

The conference took place at Philadelphia, some weeks after the convention of the American Zionists, which sat in the same city. The chair at the rabbinical conference was taken by the Reverend Dr. Joseph Silverman, and it was he who, as has already been mentioned, set the discussion upon Zionism flowing by a manly address, uncommonly winning in its candid decisiveness. We let that address follow here in German translation, after the „Jewish Chronicle“:

Rev. Dr. Silbermann said:

„ . . . I may well set you in some astonishment when I tell you that I mean to report upon the Zionist movement. I am fully aware of the fact that this conference has given minuted expression to its opposition to political Zionism, that is, to the founding of a Jewish State; but I know just as well that at the same time we showed ourselves inclined towards a settlement of Jews in Palestine.

Since the adoption of both resolutions Zionism has gone forward in respect of the number of its adherents, of its importance, its influence, and its prevailing ideas or plans. It no longer confines its endeavours exclusively to the formation of a Jewish State, although this may still be its final goal, but contents itself for the present with founding extensive settlements of Jews in Palestine under the protectorate of the Sultan and with the sanction of the other Powers. This design would, in the case of success, have the result that the overcrowded Jewish quarters — in the first rank those in Russia and Roumania, but then possibly those in London and New York also — would be thinned. That were a goal to be desired most fervently. Nor does the possibility of its realisation lie so very far off. The German Emperor regards the movement with goodwill; at the least he would not set himself against it. And now comes the news that the Sultan has granted Dr. Herzl several lengthy interviews, the result of which, according to Dr. Herzl's communications at the reception prepared for him by the Maccabaeans in London, is that about ten million dollars (two million pounds) are required before an important step forward can be made.

From this exposition one may draw the conclusion that the Turkish Government is prepared, to the Zionists