The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
TO DIE, BUT NOT TO LIVE.
Rabbi Wise Gives the Only Renson why Jews
Will Remove TO Palestine.

From the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
The Jewish Congress which met in Switzer~
land in the latter part Of August, with the OBJ
jcct OF securing Palestine for recoloniZation
by the Jews. has attracted widespread atten.
ton in this country, and has given rise to
much comment and speculation. In reference
to the matter the Rev. DIR. |. NJ. Wise. rabbi OF
the-Plum Street Temple, had this to say:
"Thc ancient kingdom OF Judea was over
thrown in the year 20 A. D.. and the people be-
came merged into other: nations. Judea had
ceased TO be a nation, and all the heroic at
tempts to restore its nationality were signal
failures, Those who voluntarily left Judea pre-
vious to the fall. or were carried away as pris-
oncrs. became subject to the laws of the land
in which they lived, though remaining faithful
to the laws OF Moses. These wanderers from
Judca saw TINT their brethren to the east and
west of them were stcadfast subjects OF the
still remained. s~teadfast to their religion. SO
that the conviction soon grew upon them that
preservation Of a national Government,
''Of Jerusalem, It's temple, altar. and the an
Client cult they had only memories. but of their
the laws Of tho land of their adoption they
had living examples. Their religion and their
history, therefore. became the centre to which
the scattered particles OF the nation gravi-
tatcd. For eighteen centuries the Jews have
lived and thrived on their religion and their
history without social or national auxiliariess
$50 long as tho Jews enjoyed equal rights
with the other inhabitants OF the country. they.
were loyal citizens and true to their religions
When driven to desperation by persecution
and intolerance they sought consolation in their
COM" 10 lead them back to Palestine. But,
moi withstanding ,neir hopes and prayers for
such a discrimination they ne'sT evinGed any
from land 10 land, hut not 10 Palestine. Some
extra rious souls went there TO die, but very
In Russia and RUumania, where the Jew
was never treated, as IA human being. and his
But under Alexander III, the Jews we're again
G fMlSsr. o t2 o %"d tScy f sR' back assspa apcn t their ! Mes.
rianic ideals. in theory, and eInigrat,d TO all
except Palestine. One million jews
not more than %. 900 went to Palestine.
These facts Bbrpye that the jews even Of
mcnt OF their own or any other G%overnnent.
THE s~oralIcl Jewish Congress in Basel was.
properly speaking. neither a congress nor Jew.
ieh. II was really Il conception OF some volun-
tary advPcair, Of a plan for mo rei,ef OF the
II represented neither tue sentiments nOr TAO
religious proponsitie7 Of tho jews AS a body.
The entire proceedings of the convention. as
that there we're 26O delegates present, DIR.
Ilorzl and Dr. Nordau were elected presiding
officers ana "a telegram was sent the Sultan
thanking him for the kind and just treatment
accorded his Jewish subjects.
lHTpIbnOul lHo ClElllLcu WOTlu IncTe II no
desire ON the parl of the Jews to return to
laIcsiino"under any circumstances, and those
aud for whom the Whole movement was orig.
inNlly planned, viz. the Russian and ROu-
lnanian Jews, are the last 10 take advantage
OF any such offer. ON the contrary, they stri 70
To get as far away from the orient as possible
and seek the free, advanced, and civilized coun-
tries OF the West.
THE whole plan is a dream OF romantic and
Impractical minds, and will 10 forgotten as sp0n
MS tho newspapers become tired Of using ""