The World

Die Welt

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No. 37. | Vienna, 12 September 1902. | 6th Year

First National Conference of the Russian Zionists at Minsk.

(From our Correspondent.)

Minsk, 2 September 1902.

The attendance at the National Conference, which is to open on Thursday, promises to be exceedingly large. The Bureau has already verified over 300 mandates, and with every railway train fresh delegates arrive. Everywhere one sees groups of Zionists in discussion; one hears talk of nothing but the Zionist Conference. To the non-Jewish population this spectacle of a great public assembly of Jews, so wholly unusual in Russia, is a curiosity of the first rank, which holds it in constant suspense and leaves room for no other interest. Crowds of curious Jews and Christians throng before the Bureau, while ever new arrivals make their way inside: delegates who have their mandates certified, ask for various information, and so forth. Many Zionists from elsewhere have also come without a mandate, in the expectation of being admitted to the Conference as non-delegated participants; but they must all depart disappointed, for the Bureau proceeds with the utmost rigour and issues participants' cards only to those delegated in due form.

*

A particularly numerous group at the Conference will be formed by the delegates of the orthodox societies united in the "Misrachi" federation*). Already 120 delegates of the "Misrachi" group are present here. The President of the "Misrachi," Rabbi Reines of Lyda, is expected this afternoon, and another leader, the A.-C. member Rabbi Rabinowitz of Sopotzkin, tomorrow. The "Misrachi" delegates assemble this evening for a preliminary conference. The representatives of the "Young Zionist Fraction" will likewise hold a preliminary consultation today. At the head of the "Fractionists" stand Messrs. Mozkin and Weizmann, who both arrived today.

*

The largest Russian daily papers have sent representatives to the Conference. Certain antisemitic journals are already making attacks upon it. On the other hand, other eminent papers carry impartial and in part exceedingly well-disposed preliminary reports. The great daily "Nowosti" has offered the Bureau to place 100 copies of the paper at the delegates' disposal free of charge, through the Bureau, every day for the duration of the proceedings.

*

The Odessa Central Committee of the "Society for the Support of Jewish Agriculturists and Artisans in Palestine and Syria" has sent the author M. L. Lilienblum as its representative, while the "Society for the Spread of Enlightenment among the Jews of Russia" is represented by Dr. J. L. Katzenelsohn.

*

A telegram has reached the Bureau from Dr. Kohan-Bernstein, in which he reports that he has suddenly fallen ill and cannot attend. In consequence the paper on "Practical Cultural Activity" will probably be dropped. The principal paper on culture is in the hands of the well-known Hebrew author Achad-Haam (U. Ginzberg), who has just announced by telegraph that he will appear on Friday; he is unfortunately prevented from coming to the opening session. Dr. Mandelstamm, too, will stay away from the Conference on account of his impaired health.

*

The Zionists of Minsk will send no fewer than ten delegates to the Conference, corresponding to the number of Zionist societies existing here.

Minsk, 3 September 1902.

Yesterday evening at 8 o'clock the preliminary conferences of the "Misrachi" group and of the "Fraction" took place simultaneously. The former showed a large attendance and

*) Cf. the article "Orthodoxy for Zionism" in No. 11 of "Die Welt."