The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-02-08
Going Back to Palestine.


Rabbi Adolph Huebsch, of the Con-
gregation Ahaveth Chesed (Reform),
said, in reference to the statement of
Western paper that the Jews were
making preparations to establish an in
dependent Jewish State in the Holy
Land
= wonder that practical men, especially
men of the press, who are distinctively
practical, should not see that such an
idea is nothing more than dream. The
poor of our people have, in all ages,
gone in numbers to Jerusalem, because
the charity of wealthy Hebrews was di-
rected there. The movement of this
year is not ut all exceptional. Jerusalem
is, and probably always will be, the
refuge of the poor learned Jews of the
orthodox persuasion. They go there to
devote themselves to study, and the
munificence of their brethren supports
them there but as for the formation of
a Jewish State, do not think that any
of the prominent Jews entertain such an
idea. A State under any other constitu-
ton than that Of the Bible would not be
Jewish State, and TO live up TO the
political constitution of the Bible, in its
details, would not, at this day, be prac-
ticable. To change that constitution
would be improper to retain it would
be impossible. We do not wish to have
an exclusive State. That implies the
rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem,
the redistribution of sacrifices, etc.
No our idea of our mission is not to re-
turn to Palestine it is that Gods provi-
dence has taken us from there and scat
tered us among all the nations of the
earth to spread abroad the knowledge
and influence of that book which we have
carried through the ages and make it the
standard book of religion. | do not see
any benefit to our religion possible from
the formation of a political State. 1t
would be an attempt to undo what God
has done. There may be some who ell
tertain the hope that everything will yet
be arranged ns before the destruction ;
hut the centuries that have passed can
not be denied, they stand between the
old and the modern times. AS you can
not rebuild Rome as she was in olden
times, so you cannot again build up
Jerusalem as it was and every change
from that model would be sacrilege in
the eyes of the pious. I hardly think
many of our brethren in this land would
be willing to exchange America for the
soil of Palestine. Our numbers now are
such that it would not be possible for us
all to live in Palestine, and partial alretuln
would not be what it ought to be. Be.
sides, the resources of that country are
not now such as would render an indie.
pendent State able to exist there except
by the mercy Of other States. Further
more, we must recognize that in this
day all the tendency of the world is toward
the separation Of politics from religion
Why, then, should the Jews be expected
to turn their backs upon the progress OF
the world, and be the first to lay the
foundation of n religio-political State
No; no one can wish that. Should We
again have a jewish State, Catholic
State, a Protestant State, it would throw
the world back into many centuries.
do not mean to say that Jerusalem is MOI
an interesting city to us-that ], as ;
Jew, have not n particular interest in it
rs the cradle OF my nation but love i
i'll an intelligent way