Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-28
THE JEWISH CONGRESS
Will Not Benefit the Race, According to Mr..
10 Wolf.
The. Idea of a Jewish State Vfsionary
'-What'the Progressive and Think
--tlgEt J .s
ing Men Believe.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
I noticed in your paper of Saturday, the
21st, an article on the Jewish congress,
which was to have convened in Munich,
but which, in consequence of decided op-
position on the part of the Jews Of Ger
many, has now been called and will con-
vene on Sunday next at Basic, Switzer-
land. This meeting has been very much
talked and written about not only in
Europe, but in this country as there was
general invitation extended by its pro-
geritors to have American Jews send rep
! resentatives to this convention. In looking
the matter over very carefully 1 cannot
see why it should have received the ex-
tensive advertisement 1t has, for it is
founded on the most illogical premises, and
the result will be. 1 am sure. utterly USE
less to any one. except to confirm in a more
decided manner the notoriety that Dr.
HerZl and Max Nordau already enioy
Neither of these men has done anything
in the world of Jewry to entitle him to
recognition. Their ancestors, no doubt.
sense regarded or held up as devotees of
either the ancient or modern phase of
Judaism. Their ideas are ephemeral. not
even ideal. and while they no doubt are
imbued with pure motives. from their
standpoint, yet they have not advanced
one single line of practical recommended
ton for the betterment Of the individual
Jew or the elevation of the oppressed Jews
in the countries where they are being ILL
treated.
There is an evident shrinking on the part
| Of the Jews of Europe from commingling
or having anything to do with this moye-
| ment. 1t is not in constantly holding I'D
the Jew to public view and criticism that
the cause of the Jews or the advancement
of Judaism is bettered. The belief has
taken firm root in the minds of thinking
Jews all over the world that the best way
of downing prejudice is to be, as other men
are, citizens of the respective countries in
which they reside; to be patriotic intelli-
gent, Industrious, sober and jealous in the
betterment of all men, Irrespective of faith.
To throw off the badge of contumely; to
no longer. recognize the ethics of the
hensive manner the cosmopolitan spirit
Of the age, and to lend every aid in our
power as men to the elevation of the state,
and thus indirectly. the condition of the
HANGED and improved. This idea being
firmly implanted sin conservative as well
as reformed minds of the Jews, naturally
this dream Of Zionist Missionaries will fall
to the ground and will only be tolerated
and talked about, by those Of our own
faith, as we'll as those Of other faiths, who
yet believe in the, coming Of Messiah, the
rebuilding Of q temple at Jerusalem, and
the rehabilitation OF the Jews as q nation
We, the Jews OK the United States, take
no stock in any such ideas. We are citi-
gems of this great country, have no de-
sire to emigrate to any other, certainly
not to jerusalem for we have ever re-
garded, and aall thinking men SO regard it,
that the United States is the Jerusalem
spoken Of By Incorporates and looked for
ward to by the hopeful. The Jewish state
would be an anomaly. in fact, an impos-
sibility. The orthodox and medieval Jews
of Russia and Roumania would have moth
ing in common and be out of sympathy
with the liberal progressive Jews Of Eng
land, France, Germany and the United
States Thus. II there was to be a general
exodus to Jerusalem for the purpose of
aries, what a state Of confusion there would
exist The Tower Of Babel would be no
comparison to the confusion of tongues,
ideas, tendencies and principles that would
be then and there developed. Instead of
harmony, there would be strife; instead of
lettering their conditions, there would be
a continual friction which would end In
dissolution, and that would naturally pro-
duce spectacle for the nations, confirma-
tory of the prejudice that already exists.
Oh, no! If these good and pious souls
who are SO deeply interested In this move
ment desire to- help. let them evolve out
| Of their prolific brains some scheme AEhere-
by the Jews In the countries where they